Applicant FAQ

Why should I apply?

Writing Center Teaching Assistants (writing coaches) describe working here as one of the most positive aspects of their graduate experience. Many people like teaching in the Writing Center because it allows them to work with students from across the disciplines, provides them with a new kind of teaching experience, helps them develop their own writing skills, and gives them a TA stipend without the take-home work of grading and class preparation. Since we hire TAs from a wide variety of disciplines, coaches also get to know a new group of people from outside their home departments. Many former TAs have found their experiences at the Writing Center useful during their search for academic jobs, as colleges and universities value faculty who are trained in teaching writing.

How much will I work?

Writing Center coaches work 15-20 hours per week. Our TAs are busy with Writing Center activities during all of their scheduled hours, but you won’t need to go over, either—except for attendance at our fall training week, which is the week before classes begin. Coaches spend most of their Writing Center hours talking with students one-on-one in 45-minute appointments. Coaches also respond to student requests for online feedback, attend our weekly staff meeting, represent the Writing Center at campus events, participate in training activities, and work on individual projects like creating instructional materials or social media content.

How will the Writing Center determine my schedule?

All TAs must be available from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of our fall training week, which takes place the week before classes begin (M-F).

During the semester, the Writing Center is usually open Sunday 3 pm to 7 pm, Monday through Thursday 10 am to 8 pm, and Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Before each semester begins, coaches submit schedule requests. Writing Center administrators then create a work schedule that meets coaches’ needs and provides coverage in the Center. Coaches’ hours must be distributed over at least four days a week. Coaches must be available to work at least one full evening (5 pm to 8 pm) per week; you may not be called upon to work in the evening every semester, but we need to split these hours fairly among the staff. Coaches must also be available, though, for some daytime hours; this is not an evening/weekend-only position. Once the schedule is set, it remains the same for the entire semester. Coaches swap shifts with each other when they need to attend conferences or fulfill personal commitments.

I see that you’d like a year-long commitment, but I’m only available for one semester. Should I still apply?

Yes, if you are available in the fall semester but not the spring, you should still apply. We frequently have fall only positions in addition to full academic year positions. Spring only positions are extremely rare because we train new coaches in the fall and have a relatively smaller staff in the spring.

Could I be hired for this summer?

No. For the summer, we hire only people who have already been through training here.

Being a writing coach is just like teaching, right?

Yes and no. Like classroom instructors, we want to help students become better writers. Coaching differs from classroom teaching in that coaches don’t write on students’ papers or assign grades. They spend time listening, asking questions, and discussing choices as writers brainstorm, draft, and refine their papers. Working one-on-one allows our coaches to tailor instruction to each student’s concerns.

Do I have to be a full-time graduate student to apply?

Yes. To work at the Writing Center, you must be a full-time, degree-seeking student in residence in a graduate program at UNC-Chapel Hill. You must be enrolled during the semesters in which you will work (being enrolled in dissertation credit only is ok). If you do not meet these criteria (which are not negotiable) but are interested in working as a private tutor or editor, you may wish to request a listing on our “Help for Hire” page.

Students who will be starting at UNC-Chapel Hill in Fall 2024 are eligible to apply, but only those who have worked at a writing center or similar context are likely to be competitive candidates.

Does the Writing Center provide tuition remission?

The Writing Center does not have its own pool of money for tuition assistance of any kind, so whether our TAs receive such benefits depends on the policies of their individual departments. The Graduate School has tuition awards for grad students who meet certain conditions, including being enrolled full-time, being within the first ten semesters of graduate study, being employed as a Teaching Assistant, and receiving a certain minimum stipend. With the possible exception of being within their first ten semesters, Writing Center TAs should meet these conditions. See the Graduate School’s site for further information. If someone in your department (possibly the student services manager) is trying to determine whether you’d receive benefits, it may help to know that our TAs may be able to be paid with state instructional money.

Who works in the Writing Center?

The Writing Center staff includes six professional staff members: Kim Abels, Writing and Learning Center Director; Alex Funt, Assistant Director; Franny Brock, Writing Coach Specialist; Gigi Taylor, Senior English Language Specialist; Warren Christian, English Language Specialist; and Donovan Wright, Administrative Support Specialist. Each semester, 10-20 graduate student teaching assistants and 10-20 undergraduate coaches from across the curriculum work with us. (Undergraduate coaches take English 402, a three-credit-hour class, to prepare them to teach in the Writing Center.) We all work together to create an environment that is professional, collaborative, supportive, and fun.

The application form says you prefer references from on campus, but I don’t have any; what should I do?

Go ahead and provide references from elsewhere. Try to find people who have worked with you recently as a teacher and/or as an employee.

Where can I get more information?

If you’d like to speak to one of our TAs, we’ll be happy to connect you with someone on our staff. Please also feel free to contact Alex Funt, our Assistant Director, at tafunt@email.unc.edu.