RESPONSIBILITIES

Peer Writing Preceptors who assist in Writing in the Disciplines (WID) courses are typically appointed to support courses in their major departments. Their responsibility is limited to the writing component of the course and includes “coaching” or providing responses and suggestions for improvement of student writing but does not include grading or formal evaluation. In every case, the faculty member is the only one who will grade student work submitted in fulfillment of requirements for the course; the faculty member will also remain the principal authority in matters of writing as well as subject matter for the course

More specifically, Peer Writing Preceptors (PWPs) may be asked to perform the following tasks:

• Confer with or “coach” individual students to help them formulate topics for essays and generate appropriate bibliographic sources;
• Review outlines and/or rough drafts for coherence, clarity of purpose, argument, and other “global” concerns;
• Evaluate written assignments such as essays, lab reports, research papers, and provide appropriate feed-back (not simply editing), with an eye toward substantive revision;
• Hold office hours to consult with individual students;
• Provide brief comments to the professor following each meeting with a student or group of students regarding an assignment.

QUALIFICATIONS

PWPs will normally be majors in the department in question and show familiarity with the relevant areas of specialization and a sophisticated grasp of the discipline in general. They will also be expected to show a good command of English and evidence of reasonably proficient writing in their own discipline. Preference will be given to students with strong academic records and a demonstrated interest in writing in the relevant discipline.

ORIENTATION AND EVALUATION

New PWPs are required to complete the following:

• Review all relevant information about the University Writing Program, UW20, and the WID Program in particular, on the UWP website and any related publications and reports;
• Attend a WID orientation session;
• Additional training can be requested as needed by the faculty mentor or the PWP;
• Contact Ms. Najiyah Williams, the Executive Assistant to the WID Director, at nwilliam@gwu.edu for information about becoming registered as a GW employee.

ASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES

Before the semester begins, each PWP should be informed of his or her specific course assignment and faculty mentor. The faculty mentor, in turn, should communicate clearly to the Preceptor, preferably in writing, the specific responsibilities the Preceptor is expected to fulfill. Faculty mentors should be aware of the time commitment implied by this award (no more than 6-7 hours per week , on average) and assign tasks that can reasonably be completed in the time available.

AWARDS

The initial recommendations for Peer Writing Preceptors in the WID Program are made by individual faculty members and their Chairs and require the approval of the Director of the WID Program. The final awards are made by the EWID Director. An award is contingent upon the sponsoring faculty member agreeing to serve as a mentor and approval of the proposed course for the WID Program. Peer Writing Preceptors will receive a stipend of $1,000, and faculty mentors will receive an honorarium of $500. Awards are open to all full-time undergraduate students and all regular active-status faculty members.