Tutors
Jeremy Jones (Writing Center Coordinator)
What do you enjoy most about writing centers?
Writing centers give students a place to find their voices. In writing centers, writers try out different approaches and styles, and the feedback provided by tutors gives these writers many options. In this way, writing centers don’t narrow a writer’s approach; rather, they broaden it. This, then, allows students to choose the best options for their individual voices, assignments, audiences, and arguments. Writing centers create more versatile writers.
Dr. Barendse
What do you enjoy most about working with other writers?
I enjoy working with other writers because I find the creation of a text (composition and rhetoric) more interesting than the analysis of a polished work (literature). So many possibilities—and each decision opens up more possibilities. Of course, many writers want to know only what is “correct,” and I can help with that too. Working with writers through the Writing Center allows me to give writing advice without the interference of grades: I can be a teacher, not The Teacher.
Stacy Cameron
What do you enjoy most about writing centers?
Writing centers are a helpful place for all types students to get help with a variety of writing issues. Tutors may see some students having a tough time just getting started with an assignment or those who have finished a writing assignment but may have questions about organization or development. It’s also a great place for native and non-native speakers of English who have questions about grammar and other language use concerns.
Vera Goodson
What do you enjoy most about working with other writers?
What I enjoy most about working with other writers is teaching and learning new ideas. Everyone’s method of writing is different; thought processes are different, and I love learning new ways to think about old ideas. Working with other writers inevitably helps me be a stronger writer because I get to see my writing from a totally different perspective.
Ariel Kline
What do you enjoy most about writing centers?
I enjoy that writing centers offer an environment that fosters open communication where young writers can feel comfortable discussing their work and asking questions. They also provide a learning environment for both the tutor and the writer. Both individuals improve their writing by taking the knowledge they learned from each other and applying it to their own work. These centers really help people become more confident, capable writers.
Mandy Manoski
What do you enjoy most about the Writing Center?
I honestly believe one-on-one conferencing is the most effective way to help a student grow as a writer. The ability to provide this type of instruction is my favorite part of the center. No grades, no institution-imposed hierarchy—just a bunch of writers hanging out and doing what we do.
Melissa Slayton
What do you enjoy most about writing?
Writing gives people an opportunity to express themselves and connect to others. There is nothing I hate more than having a feeling I can’t express, or a thought I can’t put words to. I believe that the more efficiently you can write, the more you can apply your ideas to your life. While a painter might need to get dozens of colors for a picture, a writer’s tools—such as the ability to write clearly, honestly, and vividly—can be acquired simply by putting in enough time and not giving up.
Sarrah Strickland
What do you enjoy the most about the Writing Center?
I enjoy what the students who come in have to say. Students often bring in a range of topics from English papers to Kinesiology. While I don’t always understand the content being discussed in the paper, I like listening to what the writer has to say about the subject and helping them put their thoughts in to words. I usually learn something new, and the student often feels more secure in the organization of their work.
Koryn Yarosz
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I see writing as an adventure. This adventure has the potential to lead you off the beaten path and into new discovery about others, the world, and even yourself.
How to Become a Tutor
The Writing Center employs both Student Tutors and Professional Tutors (tutors with undergraduate degrees or higher).
Any student interested in becoming a tutor should contact Prof. Jeremy Jones (jbjones@csuniv.edu). To qualify, a student must provide a recommendation from an English professor; have an overall GPA of 3.0 (with a 3.5 in English courses); have completed English 111, 112, and either 202, 203, or 204; pass a grammar test; and attend a training seminar.
To apply to be a Professional Tutor, please find the application and criteria here: >Apply here
