Writing Center Instructor (Graduate Teaching Assistantship)

Department Overview:

At the Writing Center, our goal is to teach writers in all disciplines and at all levels to become more confident and more effective writers. Our main way of achieving this goal is through individual meetings, in which our experienced instructors help students develop and organize ideas for course papers, applications, personal statements, resumes, cover letters, theses, dissertations, and more. Our instructors provide a helpful audience for students by offering feedback for revisions. We also offer non-credit workshops, weekly writing groups, writing mentorships, campus outreach, an online Writer’s Handbook, and a community writing assistance program.

Anticipated Start Date:

January 2, 2025

Anticipated End Date (If Applicable):

May 18, 2025 (with potential to renew)

Remote Work Eligibility Detail:

Not Remote

Anticipated Hours Per Week:

8-20

Schedule:

SCHEDULE
We work with our instructors to create their schedules for the semester. We anticipate that all of our new instructors will teach in person and that most will teach at least one evening satellite shift. Our Main Center location is typically open Mondays through Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and our campus satellite locations are typically open Sunday through Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Instructors’ shifts are typically 2-4 hours in length. The number of hours that you’ll work per week is dependent upon your contracted workload.

WORKLOAD

Here’s what some Writing Center workloads look like, based on percentage:

A 33.4% FTE Writing Center appointment for new TAs:
150 hours: Instructional time
49 hours: Draft pre-reading & session recordkeeping time
41 hours: Training & professional development time

240 total hours over the course of the semester

A 20% FTE Writing Center appointment for new TAs:
78 hours: Instructional time
25 hours: Draft pre-reading & session recordkeeping time
41 hours: Training & professional development time

144 total hours over the course of the semester

TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Writing Center training and professional development requirements are built directly into appointments, workloads, and pay and will include:
Scheduling session (online): Monday, January 13, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Orientation (in person): Thursday, January 16, from 10:00 a.m -3:00 p.m.
Monthly full-staff meetings (in person): Friday, January 31; Friday, March 7; and Friday, April 11; from 3:00-4:30 p.m. on each of these days
Proseminar in Writing Center Theory & Practice (in person): weekly 90-minute meetings for the first nine weeks of the semester (days/times TBD)

Salary/Wage Range/Lump Sum:

$5,300 - $13,253 per semester

Number of Positions:

3-6

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Currently enrolled UW-Madison graduate student eligible for a 20%+ TAship
Experience teaching writing and/or responding to student writing
Strong commitment to students
Strong commitment to accessible and socially just pedagogies
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Strong time management and organizational skills
Available for all TA training and professional development requirements
Available to teach in-person during the Writing Center’s open hours, typically Mondays through Thursdays from 10:00-5:30 and Fridays from 10:00-2:30
Available to teach in-person at one or more of the Writing Center’s campus satellite locations, typically Sunday through Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30
Available to teach with the Writing Center for two or more semesters

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Currently enrolled in a UW-Madison doctoral program
Experience providing one-to-one instruction at a writing center or writing fellows program at the college level; teaching writing-intensive courses at the college level; and/or providing guidance and feedback on college-level writing, theses, dissertations, cover letters, resumes, and related genres
Available to teach with the Writing Center for three or more semesters
Experience with writing and/or tutoring or teaching writing in STEM disciplines

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

We’re especially interested in hiring individuals who . . .
Care deeply about students and are eager to support both undergraduate and graduate students with their writing through accessible and socially just pedagogies
Are genuinely interested in learning more about writing across the disciplines and writing across genres
Are committed to the social justice values we espouse as a Writing Center and that are embedded within our practice, including anti-racism, accessibility, linguistic diversity, and linguistic justice
Are committed to accessibility through the times, locations, and modalities we offer, including In-Person Instruction at the Main Center and at our Satellite Locations, Virtual Meetings (synchronous video sessions), and Written Feedback (asynchronous comments on downloadable drafts)
Are available to teach according to the Writing Center’s needs, including one or more evening shifts per week that are generously funded by campus partners
Will complete session reports in a timely manner, generally within 24 hours
Over time, would be interested in serving on the Writing Center’s outreach team, teaching some Writing Center workshops, leading an undergraduate or graduate writing group, and/or co-leading Writing Center staff meetings or ongoing education offerings

Position Summary/Job Duties:

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Writing Center Instructor, you would work one-to-one with undergraduate and graduate students from across the university to provide them with individualized instruction toward their writing goals.

BENEFITS

Learning about and implementing inclusive, anti-racist, and accessible writing center pedagogy taught in our proseminar, staff meetings, and ongoing professional development opportunities
Developing and demonstrating your interest and skills in interdisciplinary writing and in communication that centers linguistic justice
Gaining experience in one-to-one mentoring and instruction with an emphasis on affirming and actionable feedback
Enhancing your knowledge about different fields from colleagues from diverse backgrounds and at different levels
Teaching undergraduate and graduate students from disciplines across campus who voluntarily seek out Writing Center instruction and are eager to work with you
Contributing to one of the country’s largest, most comprehensive, and well-known Writing Centers

Physical Demands:

No physical demands

Institutional Statements:

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

UW-Madison is an Equal Employment, Equal Access Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background-people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: diversity.wisc.edu

Accommodation Statement:

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/