Peer Writing Tutors and Oral Communication Consultants

The writing center undergraduate staff are a lively, talented, supportive group of peers. We strive to make the writing center an inclusive space for all students and celebrate diversity among our clients and staff. This includes welcoming both student writers and peer tutors from all cultural, ethnic, racial, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, health and parenthood status groups. Our diverse perspectives make our group stronger! 

The University Writing Center is staffed by undergraduate students majoring in many of the disciplines offered at the University and by graduate students in the English department’s graduate program.​

What Undergraduate Writing Tutors and Oral Communication Consultants do:

Undergraduate writing tutors first take a 3-credit course called Engl 392: Teaching Writing One-to-One. Oral Communication Consultants take an equivalent course more focused on teaching speaking skills: Comm 351.  During that semester, they learn about the theory and practice of supporting individuals’ writing or speaking development both through classroom activities and through observing in the writing center. 

Upon successful completion of the course, students are eligible to be chosen to work in the writing center. As peer tutors or consultants, they work regular hours every week in the writing center meeting individually with writers and speakers working on many kinds of projects. Often, peer tutors and consultants are placed as writing or speaking Fellows. Being a Fellow means the tutor support’s one professor’s students by attending class to help with in class activities and meeting with students outside of class for individual support.

In addition, some of our staff take on additional roles and responsibilities in the writing center, including mentoring newer tutors, writing for or editing our in-house newsletter, developing resources for writers, participating in outreach events, or conducting and presenting writing center research. Regular staff meetings provide our tutors and consultants opportunities to share experiences, learn about tutoring practices, and do fun stuff to connect with their colleagues.

Becoming a writing tutor:

ENGL 392 is offered during the fall and spring semesters. During the preceding semester, students eligible based on GPA and area of study will be invited by email to apply to take the course and subsequently work in the writing center. If you did not receive an email invitation to apply, you may still submit an application with a recommendation from a professor or UD organization leader. 

The email invitation to apply details the application requirements–typically, a personal statement in response to a provided prompt, an application form, and 3 academic writing samples. Students with the strongest application packets are invited for an interview with the Writing Center Administrators. If an applicant’s interview demonstrates that they will likely make a strong contribution to our staff, they are enrolled in ENG 392. Upon successful completion of the course, they will be offered a position as a writing tutor.

To apply to take ENGL 392 (Tuesdays 3:30-5:30) during the Fall 2023 semester and begin tutoring in Spring 2024, apply here by April 24, 2023!

Becoming an Oral Communication Consultant:

Comm351 is offered each spring semester. Students will be invited to apply to take Comm351 during the preceding fall semester via email. Eligible students will be contacted for an interview either in-person or via zoom. Typically, students are eligible to enroll in Comm351 if they have maintained a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have completed Comm212: Public Speaking and Professional Presentation. Additionally, Comm212 instructors may recommend their students to apply to enroll in Comm351. If eligible students who are interviewed demonstrate that they have the potential to serve as an effective Oral Communication Consultant, they will be enrolled in Comm351. Upon completion of the course, particular students will be offered a position as an Oral Communication Consultant. Due to there being more students who complete the course than there are positions available, enrolling in Comm351 does not guarantee you a position as an Oral Communication Consultant. Students who are not contacted by the Associate Director for Communication Studies for a Comm351 enrollment interview can still request to be interviewed for enrollment by emailing Nicholas Gadino at ngadino@udel.edu