Our mission in the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center (JAHWC) is to create a welcoming and respectful environment where undergraduate and graduate writers from any discipline and background can develop their ideas, share their concerns about writing, and receive thoughtful and encouraging feedback tailored to their needs and goals from knowledgeable and supportive writing consultants.  

We regard the one-to-one writing consultation as a dialogue, a conversation focused on helping a writer develop successful composing practices (rather than editing writers’ work or telling a writer what to do). A key skill we want consultants to develop is to be able to recognize the most important areas that need to be revised in a given draft and to prioritize what to focus on during a consultation. 

We realize there can be differences between writers’ expectations about what a writing center offers and what we actually do, so our writing consultants work to establish a consensus between themselves and the writer about how each writing consultation will proceed and strive to be transparent with writers by explaining what they are trying to focus on and why.

While in writing consultant training, I got the opportunity to observe other writing consultants and be observed by an experienced writing consultant. These observations taught me the importance of building a relationship with your clients. I noticed that students who were comfortable with their writing consultant, or had a certain level of respect for them, were willing to contribute more to conversations.

Anna Grace,

1st yr MA, English Literature

To these ends, our Writing Consultant Training Program is designed to help our writing consultants develop a firm sense of belonging in our writing consultation community and self-efficacy as informed writing center writing consultants. 

The Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center employs undergraduate, graduate, lecturer, and professional writing consultants. 

Undergraduates: Students from any discipline are invited to apply for a paid writing consultant position. In recent years, our writing consultants come from STEM (biology, engineering), health sciences (kinesiology, nursing), social sciences (philosophy, psychology), social work, and humanities (history, english) majors. Undergraduate writing consultants may work between 5-10 hours a week, and we create a writing consultation and training schedule around students’ class schedule and other UTK commitments. Students have the opportunity to earn internship credit, as well.
See below, “Apply to be an Undergraduate Writing Consultant,” for details about how to apply.

First-Year MA and MFAs in English: As part of their teaching apprenticeship, first-year MA and MFA students in English work 5 hours per week as writing consultants in the Herbert Writing Center.

Lecturers in English & Experienced GTAs: We have a few openings each year for lecturers and experienced GTAs to join our team. If you would like to work as a writing consultant, email writingcenter@utk.edu. If we are in a position to hire, we will ask for a cover letter and resume and request a brief interview.

Professional Writing Consultants: Hiring for these full-time staff positions occurs through Human Resources. Check for openings on the UTK Human Resources Page

The JAHWC provides a supportive year-long on-the-job training and mentoring program designed to help new writing consultants develop their knowledge and understanding of effective writing consultation practices. We incorporate nationally-recognized best practices in the approaches to writing consultation that we recommend and also believe that there are many effective ways to be a writing consultant. 

Training: New writing consultants progress through modules that develop their understanding of a variety of writing genres, writing processes, and empathetic communication practices, as well as a wide-range of other topics, including generative AI, neurodiversity, and linguistic diversity.

We have spent a great deal of time learning more about communication and working with others in different types of circumstances, and I believe that is the most important thing anyone can learn from any field of work. After I graduate, I plan to attend law school to pursue a career as an attorney. Communication, working with others, and working through different situations are such valuable skills I’ve learned through this experience that I know will serve me well in my future career.

Parker,

junior, Psychology & English-RWL

Training that Transfers: The benefits of training extend beyond writing consultation. For undergraduates, training and writing consultations are valuable experiences that are applicable to a variety of fields and professions.

The soft skills I learn and get to practice while writing consulting in the writer center are irreplaceable. Getting to meet with diverse groups of students while being able to discuss their beliefs and passions in a one-on-one setting isn’t a thing everyone gets to do or would enjoy doing. Honestly, I didn’t think I would particularly enjoy it at first; however, after the conversations and the joy I get from feeling like I’ve helped someone, I love it. Working at the Herbert Writing Center has been a wonderful experience and unmatched social competence training.

Maurice

Sophomore, Biology & Environmental Science

Training prepares first-year MA and MFA students to teach in their second year and contributes to the quality of the English Department’s instructors.

This semester has been a journey of growth and learning. My belief that writing consultation is as much about empathy and understanding as it is about academic skills was re-established during this training period, and I’m excited to continue this journey, using the insights and skills I’ve gained to make a positive impact on my students’ learning experiences.

Maryam

First-year MFA, Poetry

Internship Opportunity: All undergraduate tutors who are accepted into the program have the opportunity to earn 1-2 internship credit hours as part of their writing consultant training.

Through months of training, I have gained a deeper understanding of the writing process. This newfound knowledge not only enables me to better assist students struggling with their writing but also allows me to produce work that more effectively showcases my own writing skills. In addition, I have gained valuable collaborative skills that build teamwork through working with peers and other writing consultants. This internship has helped me grow my interpersonal skills and ability to work with a diverse population, which is especially necessary since I plan to work in healthcare. I practice solving problems or answering questions in real time every writing consultation session which will transfer over to working with patients and healthcare administrators. I am overall more confident in facing new situations and collaborating with others after completing writing consultation training and the internship.

Giselle,

sophomore, Kinesiology and Hispanic Studies

Undergraduate writing consultants in good standing who complete the training program are invited to return the following academic year as an experienced peer writing consultant. Experienced writing consultants receive additional support in their professional development by engaging in periodic group discussions about their writing consultations and about relevant topics in writing center theory and practice. 

Interested experienced writing consultants have the opportunity to participate in a variety of meaningful projects and events, such as our Flagship Writing Project, the Writing Blitz, student workshops, tabling events, and more. Additionally, experienced writing consultants who want to earn Senior Peer Writing Consultant status may participate in the Herbert Writing Center Journal Club.

Going forward, I can use many of the skills I’ve developed with the Herbert Writing Center in future writing consultation and beyond. Having good “customer service” skills and making people feel welcome when they are sharing a vulnerable piece of themselves can be applicable to many situations. Additionally, nearly all of the skills that I try to teach students are helpful in my own writing, such as thoroughly reading the rubric, breaking a task down into chunks, and much more.

Samantha,

English and Secondary Education

Our writing consultants foster a supportive community that values meaningful connections. While on shift, writing consultants build relationships, collaborate on projects, and share ideas on best practices. We also organize a variety of off-the-clock social events, including trivia and game nights, crafting, and more. This relaxed and friendly environment encourages writing consultants to engage in open conversation and build friendships.

These informal interactions form the foundation of our community. Such connections enhance writing consultants’ professional growth and contribute to the welcoming, supportive atmosphere of our center.