Writing Fellows

Writing Fellows are advanced undergraduate Psychology majors who assist students in PSYC 309: Exploring the Discipline and Careers. To become a Writing Fellow a student must have successfully completed PSYC 211 or 309, maintained a GPA of 3.5 or above, and have received faculty endorsement. Ideally, Writing Fellows commit to working at least two semesters in the program.

The Writing Fellow program emphasizes that writing is an iterative process and that everyone can benefit from making revisions and receiving constructive feedback. Writing Fellows help students organize their thoughts and express them in a clear and concise manner. Writing Fellows help students think critically about the assignment and help teach students in PSYC 309 strategies for revising work while helping to build the students’ confidence in their own writing ability.

Writing Fellows work approximately 50 to 75 hours spaced out over the course of the semester. The majority of these hours are completed during training prior to the start of the semester and during the two “Writing Fellow weeks.” Training typically consists of two mandatory two-hour group training sessions, independent practice, and two practice sessions with veteran Writing Fellows. Writing Fellow weeks are when

Writing Fellows meet with students in PSYC 309 to discuss their assignments. Writing Fellow weeks usually fall in mid-October and late November in the fall semester and in late March and early May in the spring semester. Writing Fellows are also required to attend bi-monthly meetings. These meetings focus on discussing upcoming assignments, learning how to work effectively with students, and developing writing skills such as improving conciseness and elements of APA style.