Writing Lab Tutor at Highlands College in Birmingham, AL

Summary of responsibilities:

The Writing Lab Tutor provides one-on-one and small group tutoring for undergraduate students to support the development of their writing skills across disciplines. The tutor promotes student success by guiding writers through various stages of the writing process—including brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing—while encouraging independence and academic confidence.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist students with writing assignments from any discipline, providing support with structure, clarity, grammar, citations, and overall effectiveness.
• Facilitate understanding of writing concepts such as thesis development, paragraph organization, tone, and academic voice.
• Help students learn how to revise and proofread their own work rather than editing or rewriting for them.
• Maintain accurate records of tutoring sessions, including session notes and student attendance.
• Attend scheduled training sessions to stay current with writing lab practices and institutional policies.
• Uphold confidentiality, academic integrity, and respectful communication with all students and staff.

Other Duties:

• Support writing workshops or events as requested by the Writing Lab Director.
• Assist students with the format of Chicago-Turabian–Manual for Writers in tutoring appointments.
• Assist with Writing Lab outreach efforts, such as promotional materials and events.
• Contribute to the development of writing resources, handouts, and guides.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to enhance the academic support services provided by the Writing Lab.

Qualifications

Personal Characteristics:

• Demonstrates patience, empathy, and professionalism when working with student populations and individual writing skill levels.
• Committed to personal academic integrity and the mission of student-centered support.
• Exhibits reliability, punctuality, and a consistent work ethic.
• Self-starter, highly focused.

Essential Traits:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including active listening and constructive feedback.
• Ability to foster a supportive, nonjudgmental learning environment.
• Dependable and responsible in maintaining scheduled tutoring appointments.

Abilities and Skills:

• Proficient in academic writing and capable of adapting support strategies to different writing styles and assignments.
• Able to explain writing concepts clearly and accessibly to peers.
• Competent in using basic office tools (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs) and willing to learn relevant academic platforms (e.g., Turnitin Management Systems).
• Skilled in time management and handling multiple tasks independently.

Knowledge:

• Demonstrated excellence in college-level writing, with coursework in core-writing/composition, English, or related disciplines preferred.
• Experience and understanding using citation generators and style guides (Chicago-Turabian vs. MLA, etc.).
• Familiarity with the stages of the writing process and best practices in peer tutoring or academic coaching.
• Awareness of principles of academic honesty and how to promote responsible citation practices.

Education

• High School Diploma/GED.
• Current Highlands College Student in good-standing or Alumni.
• Overall GPA of 3.25 preferred.

Experience

Experience and background in the following areas would be particularly valuable:

• Strong performance in writing-intensive courses.
• Completed foundational writing courses with high marks.
• Upper-level coursework, demonstrating the ability to manage research-based assignments, synthesize sources, and construct coherent, well-organized arguments.
• Peer tutoring or academic mentoring helping peers with academic work, either informally or through a structured mentoring, tutoring, or orientation program.
• Experience leading group discussions or involvement in small-group facilitation, student leadership, or academic support events (e.g., study sessions, writing workshops, presentations).

Extent of Public Contact:

• High.

Physical Demands:

• No or very limited physical effort required.
• No or very limited exposure to physical risks.
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Direct Reports:

• This position is not a team lead for any Highlands College teammates.