Opportunities for Purdue Graduate Students

If you are a graduate student interested in working as a writing tutor at Purdue West Lafayette-Indianapolis, we'd love to receive your application.

Application Window

We customarily collect applications starting around mid- to late-January for a start date the following fall semester, but we are willing to accept an application any time.

Eligibility:

• Appropriate experience related to mentoring other students, supporting writing, teaching writing, or other related experiences.
• Admitted to a Purdue University graduate program via your home department
• Eligible to work half-time (20 hours) at the university
• In good standing with your home department

To apply:

• Email Writing.Lab@purdue.edu with the following information
  • In the subject header, put "GTA Application"
  • In the body of the email, indicate what you are applying for (GTA position) and your preferred location for working hours (West Lafayette or Indianapolis)
• Attach your materials as a PDF
  • Resume/CV including anticipated graduation date
  • Cover letter that explains your qualifications for the position, shares any relevant background experience related to writing or mentoring, and describes how working as a writing tutor relates to your personal academic and career goals
  • A brief letter of recommendation from a faculty or university staff member familiar with your communication skills, teamwork capacity, and experiences with mentoring/writing. Where possible, a recommendation from a Purdue faculty member is preferred. A brief email sent directly from the faculty member is an acceptable alternative to attaching a letter to your email.

We are interested in reflecting the multifaceted expertise of the Purdue community. Students from all kinds of backgrounds are encouraged to apply for positions at the OWL. The following FAQs describe the work of a graduate tutor in detail. For more information, please contact writing.lab@purdue.edu.

FAQs: Graduate Positions

What is the OWL?

The OWL offers one-to-one consultations to any student at Purdue on any project, in any stage of the writing process. Consultants assist graduate and undergraduate students (as well as faculty, staff, and postdocs) from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. The OWL also offers multilingual conversation groups, workshops, computers for general use, faculty support, and online support materials through our website. You can read the OWL's mission statement at http://owl.purdue.edu/writinglab/mission.

What are the benefits of working in the OWL?

Graduate consultants often find that tutoring in the OWL can serve as an extension of their teaching, creating new pedagogical opportunities through one-to-one interaction. However, tutoring in the OWL is different from teaching and even from conferencing with students in English 106 or other courses. Tutoring does not involve evaluating or grading students' writing as an instructor might. Instead, consultants, through a number of techniques, provide feedback on students' writing and answer questions that students have about writing, encouraging students to become active learners in the process.

The OWL, through its tutoring and administrative positions, can foster professional development for graduate students and provide access to cutting-edge pedagogical experiences and even IRB-approved research projects. Graduate consultants may serve in administrative positions devoted to multilingual services, workshops and Writing Across the Curriculum, business writing, and technology. These administrative, research, and pedagogical opportunities have helped many graduate students grow professionally and be competitive in the job market.

What is tutoring like?

Most tutoring occurs in one-to-one sessions, the goal of which is to help students become better writers, not merely to improve individual texts. OWL sessions typically focus on larger, rhetorical issues related to writing, although sentence-level issues are addressed. We talk to students about their writing and help them figure out how to say what they want to say. OWL consultants help students work on all kinds of writing, including assignments from first year composition, upper division papers from across the disciplines, resumes and job letters, technical writing, and graduate theses. Tutors work with graduate and undergraduate students, novice and expert writers, and writers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

How much specialized knowledge do I need to be a tutor, and is there mentoring available?

We look for consultants with different kinds of knowledge and experience, and you will gain the rest of what you need to know on the job, through mentoring, regular staff meetings, and interacting with other OWL staff. All new graduate consultants participate in a week-long orientation prior to the start of the semester, and they continue with on-the-job staff education throughout their time consulting in the OWL. In addition, they are observed and mentored as they go along. All consultants must attend mandatory staff meetings (schedules vary by semester), which provide additional mentoring opportunities through workshops and discussion.

How much do Graduate Consultants work?

OWL consultant positions are usually .50 FTE. This means that consultants spend 20 hours per week working at the OWL. Most of that time is spent working with writers individually, but consultants also use some of that time for staff meetings or other professional development. They might also facilitate workshops or participate in other OWL programs in place of some tutoring hours.

How are tutoring hours scheduled?

Schedules for tutoring are built around consultants’ teaching and class schedules, and schedules shift each semester as necessary. Most tutors end up with schedules that are close to what they have requested. All consultants are required to attend any staff meetings scheduled each semester.

How long can graduate instructors work in the OWL?

Consultants can remain in the OWL as long as they have good workplace and academic standing. Continued employment is based on a number of factors, including academic standing, and other teaching assignments and obligations in the tutor’s home department, as well as OWL needs.

What professional development opportunities are available for OWL staff?

In addition to working with writers, OWL consultants participate in a variety of professional development activities, from presenting at conferences and research to developing new materials for the website. Consultants might develop and facilitate workshops, lead conversation groups, and participate in campus outreach.

How can I get more information about tutoring and other opportunities?

Graduate students are always welcome to contact the OWL to learn more about employment opportunities and what tutoring entails.

How can I get more information about the OWL?

Please contact writing.lab@purdue.edu with any questions about graduate tutor positions or the application process.