University Writing

Writing Fellows Program Description

The Writing Fellows Program is a peer tutoring, discipline-based program which encourages and supports the development of mature student writing across the disciplines and the curriculum. As trained and skilled undergraduate tutors, the Writing Fellows work with faculty and their students on two class-specific writing assignments. By reading, commenting and explicitly focusing on long-term writing development, Writing Fellows contribute to the development of careful student thinking and writing and, as a result, support the aims of an undergraduate education at BYU.

The Fellows
Undergraduate students with an overall record of academic excellence and writing ability are recruited, carefully selected and trained to become peer tutors. Successful applicants must demonstrate the ability to mentor and support their peers in a constructive and positive manner. The rigorous training Writing Fellows receive in writing and tutoring pedagogy further supports the skills they bring to the program.

The Process
By filling out the Faculty Request Form, faculty in any department may request that Fellows be assigned to their class. Working with Writing Fellows may sometimes require faculty to make some minor adjustments to their class plan and syllabus. As students are assigned a Fellow for the semester,they have an opportunity to work with a peer on two substantive writing assignments before the paper is turned in for a grade. In that regard, the services the Fellows provide in the Fellowing process are different from that of the Writing Center, which works on a drop-in basis.