Designated Tutoring

Designated Tutor Job Description:

A Designated Tutor (DT) is a sophomore, junior, or senior Writing Center tutor specifically associated with a class. DTs offer one-on-one consultations designed to help students articulate their ideas more clearly in writing. DTs have 6-7 tutoring hours scheduled in the Writing Center (Confer 232) each week during which students can make appointments to work with their tutor.

Here's what DTs can do during sessions in the Writing Center:

  • Help read and interpret assignments;
  • Assist with brainstorming, outlining, clustering, and other invention techniques;
  • Work toward clearer articulation of a thesis or controlling purpose;
  • Talk about global issues such as focus and structure;
  • Read texts aloud (or encourage students to read aloud) in order to help them "hear" prose style, rhythm, and clarity;
  • Converse with students about their writing plans and revision strategies;
  • Help students learn to document sources correctly (per the style manual specified for the course);
  • Demonstrate self-editing skills (i.e. reading aloud, editing line by line).      

Here's what DTs CANNOT do during Writing Center sessions:

  • Edit or proofread papers;
  • "Find" all the errors or oddly phrased sections of a student's text;
  • Read and comment on the text extensively in writing;
  • Interpret a faculty member's grade or second-guess the grading process for the course.

FOR FACULTY MEMBERS