Teaching Assistantships in the Writing Center
2013-2014

Position announcement
The Writing Center seeks enthusiastic, student-centered teachers to join our diverse staff. Graduate students in all UNC-Chapel Hill schools and departments may apply for our teaching assistantships for the 2013-2014 academic year. The hiring process in the Writing Center is completely separate from the TA/TF hiring processes that take place within students’ home departments. Writing Center teaching assistants tutor writers one-on-one, contribute to staff meetings, participate in ongoing training, and join in other Writing Center activities for 15 fixed hours per week.

Stipend and benefits
Writing Center teaching assistants are eligible for RA/TA health insurance and receive the university standard teaching assistant stipend (expected to be around $7600/semester).

The Writing Center cannot provide tuition remission. In many departments, serving as a teaching assistant at UNC is one of the conditions students must meet in order to receive tuition remission. At these departments’ request, we are happy to confirm that a particular student is on our payroll and is classified as a teaching assistant, but we are not able to contribute any funding beyond the TA’s stipend.

Who should apply
You are eligible to apply if you will be enrolled full-time as a degree-seeking graduate student in residence at UNC-Chapel Hill during both fall 2013 and spring 2014. (It is o.k. if you are done with coursework and are enrolled in dissertation credit only.) Writing Center directors may consult with your director of graduate studies and advisor during the hiring process to ensure your eligibility and discuss your qualifications.

We encourage applications from graduate students who are student-centered and interested in exploring an alternative teaching setting. Preference may be given to applicants with prior teaching experience or specialized areas of expertise, such as tutoring, coaching, ESL, or instructional technology.  We value having a diverse staff and welcome applications from people of every race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

All tutors participate in staff training. Tutors must be available to work one full evening (5 p.m.-8 p.m.) per week; the Writing Center is open in the evening on Sunday through Thursday. New tutors cannot work more than four hours per day, so the position requires at least four days per week (shifts can vary on different days). Selection will occur through a formal application and interview process.

To learn more information before you apply and find the answers to many common questions, we encourage you to read our FAQ for graduate students interested in working at the Writing Center, as well as our general FAQ.

How to apply
To be considered for employment in the Writing Center for the 2013-2014 academic year, please attach the following documents in an email to Ms. Kim Allison, Writing Center Administrative Manager (kallison@email.unc.edu).

  • a completed Writing Center cover sheet
  • a CV
  • a one-page statement of interest in the job
  • a five-page sample of your academic writing (an excerpt from a paper is fine)
  • names and contact information for three references (at least two of whom are on campus)—letters of recommendation are not necessary

When and where to apply
Completed application materials are due by the end of the day on February 22 [NOTE: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 8]. If you prefer not to email your application, you may mail it to the Writing Center at CB# 5137 or drop it off at our main office in the Student and Academic Services Building North.

When you will hear back
We anticipate that candidates whose applications look promising will be interviewed between March 25 and April 5 and that offers will be made starting around April 15.

I don’t meet the criteria to apply for a Writing Center teaching assistant position. Are there other ways to work at the Writing Center?
At this time, the Writing Center does not have any full-time or part-time staff employee positions available. If you are an experienced teacher or editor, you may submit a request to be listed on our Help for Hire advertising page. Undergraduate students can  serve as tutors; they must first enroll in English 402 and then apply to be hired. Undergraduate students who have workstudy funding can apply to serve as office assistants. Office assistants answer our phone, greet clients, make photocopies, and help with a variety of other tasks. The Writing Center does not accept volunteer tutors to work with UNC students; if you might be interested in volunteering with high school students, contact us about our Write On program.

Questions?
If you have questions about the Writing Center, the application process, our hiring guidelines, or our teaching assistantships, contact Dr. Vicki Behrens, Writing Center Assistant Director, at 962-4799 or vicki@unc.edu.