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• Virtual Writing Center

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Introduction

The Writing Center is a place to talk about writing. We believe that we become better writers when we seek feedback and reflect on our writing at all stages of the writing process.

Our peer writing consultants aid that reflection by asking questions and making suggestions that guide writers toward making effective choices, not just in pieces they discuss in the Writing Center, but also in their future writing.

Consultants are readers and responders, not graders or evaluators, and they’re not experts in every genre of writing. Yes, they provide the crucial feedback of a real reader, but they don’t have all the answers. This basic assumption should help everyone involved with the Writing Center:

• consultants shouldn’t feel that they have to know all conventions of writing in all genres
• writers visiting the Writing Center shouldn’t feel that they are being judged, that their writing will be magically fixed by a consultation, or that they are losing any of their authority over their work
• classroom instructors shouldn’t worry that consultants will give their students advice at odds with their values or assumptions about writing

For more about who we are and to see where we’re located, watch our welcome video.

What to Expect

1. The big picture: With one of our peer writing consultants, you’ll discuss the writing project (including the assignment itself and any notes from your professor), your goals for the session, and your strengths and weaknesses in approaching this kind of assignment.
2. The text: If you have a draft of your writing, you’ll then discuss it with the consultant, focusing on the goals you discussed together. (If you don’t have a draft yet, that’s okay; we can help you discover ways to get started.) Many consultants will ask you to read your work aloud with a pen in your hand.
3. Question and answer: Don’t be surprised if the consultant asks you a lot of questions–that’s what they’ve been trained to do! You might be asked to explain big-picture and sentence-level choices you made in your draft. For example, you might be asked, “Can you help me understand how these two paragraphs relate to each other?” or “How would you rephrase this sentence if you were explaining it to a friend?”
4. A report: Together with the consultant, you’ll write a report of your visit, including brief notes on what you discussed and what some of your next steps could be. The consultant will then email a copy of the report to you and, with your permission, your instructor.
5. Optional follow-up: If you’d like another visit to continue your conversation with this consultant later, be sure to set up an appointment. We encourage you to visit often, at various stages of your writing process.

Apply to be a Consultant

Students: are you a stellar communicator, both in writing and out loud? Professors: who are the best communicators in your classes?

We accept informal nominations (including self-nominations) for new Writing Center Consultants throughout the year. Send nominations or questions to Dr. Kyle Stedman at kstedman@rockford.edu.

For more details, including a position description and primary responsibilities, visit our full job description.

To Apply:

If you’re ready to apply, follow these steps:

1. Select two pieces of writing you completed for college-level classes.

2. Attach these two pieces to an email to Dr. Kyle Stedman (kstedman@rockford.edu). In the body of your email, explain why you chose those two pieces of writing, why you’d like to be a consultant, and what particular qualities you can bring to the position.

3. Successful students will then be contacted for an interview, at which point they’ll need to have a current Student Employment Work Authorization Card, available from the SAS office on campus.

Hours and Location

We open for Spring 2017
on Monday, January 30!

Spring 2017 hours:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: 10-11 and noon-5
• Wednesdays and Fridays: 10-5
• Thursdays: closed

Location: Howard Colman Library, Main Level

Contact: WritingCenter@rockford.edu, 815-226-4043

If you can’t visit our physical location when we’re open: The Virtual Writing Center is designed as a digital version of our face-to-face Writing Center.

While we recommend the rich communication of face-to-face consultations, we realize that some writers find it inconvenient to travel to campus. Therefore, you may fill out an online form, attach a draft of your writing, and receive response from our consultants with ideas for revision. Please allow up to 48 hours for us to read and respond to your draft. When we are overwhelmed with face-to-face consultations, we may not be able to respond to requests immediately.