The Writing Support Centre offers free comprehensive writing support to undergraduate and graduate students, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty. The goal of the unit is to help develop confidence and academic success through writing. The program includes the Writing Centre, which is the central instructional facility, the D.B. Weldon Drop-In Writing Centre, the On-Line Writing Lab, and a series of non-credit writing workshops. Because writing is the main means of evaluation and, therefore, success at university, the Writing Support Centre aims to address each client’s individual writing needs.
Purpose of the Role:
The Writing Advisor plays a key role in providing daily individual advising to develop students’ writing and communication skills for academic work, research communications and a variety of other purposes. The role will have an assigned area of focus to support undergraduate students, or graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; however, they will also advise students across all academic programs and all levels as required.
Key Accountabilities:
- Provides to a broad range of graduate and undergraduate students, post doctoral fellows and occasionally staff and faculty members, including in-person and online appointments
- Fosters strong, respectful, and supportive advising relationships with people from a range of backgrounds, experience levels, language levels, learning experiences, and academic programs
- Critically engages with, and responds to, writers’ texts regardless of discipline to determine and communicate the most effective writing strategies
- Supports students and other relevant stakeholders in defining and articulating learning goals or outcomes, and with creating pathways to success in meeting those goals
- Assesses prior learning, knowledge and experience to adapt advising to their current level/status
- Recommends relevant resources, tools, and other supports based on their learning trajectory and goals
- Identifies and implements innovative strategies to optimize volunteer assistance in the Writing Support Centre
- Uses strengths-based learning principles to support clients with improved writing skills
- Collaborates in the design and development of a variety of materials and digital research-based writing and communication resources
- Assists with marketing plans by writing web content, blogs, posting on social media, etc. to increase awareness of the services and programs within the Centre
Outcomes of the Role:
- Advising and programming are designed according to disciplinary theory and current professional practices in the field
- Program participants demonstrate enhanced capacity in their writing skills and, as a result, achieve stronger academic success
- Clients are well-supported in accessing the in-person and online services provided by the unit
Professional Qualifications and Education Requirements:
- A minimum of a master’s degree
Preferred Professional Qualifications and Education Requirements:
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate
Experience Requirements:
- Experience working in a university writing centre
- Excellent writing skills
- Rhetoric and composition knowledge
- Excellent overall communication skills
- Experience presenting
- Experience working with diverse groups
Responsibilities:
- Advanced knowledge of all aspects of writing, including grammar and style, argument, organization, and coherence
- Demonstrated ability to effectively advise English Language Learners
- Expertise in delivering various approaches to meet students' learning needs and skill levels
- Well-developed presentation and public speaking skills
- Possesses a reputation for resourcefulness, with a strong sense of accountability and initiative
- Ability to establish and build healthy working relations and partnerships with clients, peers, and external stakeholders
- Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage priorities effectively and adapt to change when required
- A strong record of teamwork with the motivation and ability to work independently with little supervision
- Strong customer service skills to handle inquiries and resolve issues in a professional and timely manner
- Intermediate computer skills in Microsoft Office
- Demonstrated commitment to fostering student success and interdisciplinary collaboration
