Moravian University Writing Fellows

How do I become a Writing Fellow?

Most Writing Fellow placements are made based on faculty request; that is, most students who work as Writing Fellows are specifically appointed to classes taught by faculty members with whom students already have a working relationship. We do, however, appoint at least a few Writing Fellows each semester, particularly in cases where faculty do not have a Writing Fellow preference or when a nominated Writing Fellow cannot serve due to schedule conflicts.

All students who wish to become Writing Fellows must enroll in English 213.2: Working with Student Writers. This required course offers a broad overview of composition and writing tutoring pedagogy and covers best practices for working with student writers. Throughout the class, students gain practical teaching, presentation, and leadership skills through extensive practice with student writing samples and a range of reflective and research-based assignments. ENGL 213.2 typically runs during the second half of the Spring semester each year. 

What is expected of a Writing Fellow?

The Writing Fellows model at Moravian involves a commitment to ongoing, meaningful collaboration with students throughout the semester. A Writing Fellow is assigned to one specific class and will typically attend all class sessions in order to assist with in-class writing activities, meet with students one-on-one or in small groups, help to facilitate class discussions, and provide other relevant assistance to students in the course. Writing Fellows may also be available to meet with students, answer questions, or provide feedback on writing outside of class hours. 

How are Writing Fellows compensated?

The compensation model for Writing Fellows depends on the number of times a student has served as a Writing Fellow. 

Star Grants are applied to a Writing Fellow's financial aid package; please contact Financial Aid Services to determine how your specific financial aid package may be affected. 

What can a Writing Fellow do with and for my class?

As experienced student writers who attend the classes they are paired with, Writing Fellows are uniquely positioned to support the work of writing instructors from across disciplines by reinforcing the ways foundational writing abilities taught in First-Year Writing may be called upon in discipline-specific writing situations throughout students’ college careers and beyond. Writing Fellows are prepared to work with their assigned class in a variety of ways, including facilitation of in-class peer revision workshops, short presentations on writing-related topics, early feedback on essay drafts, one-on-one conferencing, and more.

Faculty and Writing Fellows are encouraged to work together closely to plan the exact role that the Writing Fellow will play in the class, and throughout the semester to ensure effective communication and collaboration to support the development of students’ writing abilities. 

What qualifications do Writing Fellows have?

All Writing Fellows complete a half-unit training course, ENGL 213.2: Working with Student Writers: Theory and Praxis. This course covers an important writing studies theories and practical strategies for assisting students with text-based and multimodal compositions.

Writing Fellows are not trained in disciplinary writing conventions—for classes beyond First-Year Writing classes, we encourage faculty to select students who already have a strong understanding of the genres and disciplinary writing that students will be working with.

How is a Writing Fellow different from a Writing Center Consultant?

Though many students work as both Writing Fellows and Writing Center Consultants, the two roles have distinct responsibilities and possibilities.

Writing Center Consultants hold a fixed number of hours per week for one-on-one appointments in the Writing Center. Writing Center Consultants are available to work with any student on any piece of text-based or multimodal writing, though students writing for a particular discipline often seek out consultants with some experience writing in that same discipline.

Writing Fellows, on the other hand, are assigned to work with specific individual classes. Writing Fellows typically attend most class meetings and are available to work with only the students in that class. Ideally, a Writing Fellow will have previously completed the course to which they are assigned, though this is not strictly necessary for students who are familiar with disciplinary genre and subject matter conventions. 

How can I request a Writing Fellow for one of my classes?

To nominate a Writing Fellow to work with an upcoming class, please use this form or contact the Writing Fellows Program Coordinator, Chris Hassay, at hassayc@moravian.edu. Ideally, nominations should be made by midterm of the semester prior to the course; nominated students who have not already completed training will receive further information about enrolling in and scheduling ENGL 213.2.