Consultant Certification

Fall 2024 Dates

All undergraduate consultants are encouraged to pursue further training by working toward UWC certifications. Completing certifications will help you improve your practice as a consultant and allow you to dive into writing center topics that interest you. Participating in the certification program will also provide you with professional skills that are valuable in many workplaces that you may enter after graduating from UT. Additionally, after completing two certifications, undergraduates will be considered for an hourly pay raise.

Under the UWC Training Canvas page, a module titled “University Writing Center Certifications” contains all relevant information for the Tier I and Tier II (Advanced) certification processes.

Certification Graduation, Fall 2024: December 2, 2024

As Fall 2024 trainings become available, Assistant Program Coordinator Lily Nagengast will post them.

STEM Writing

• TBA

Professional Writing and Applications

• TBA

Business Writing

• TBA

Scholarly Editing and Publishing

• TBA

English Language Learner (ELL) Support

• TBA

We will work to keep you informed as more training events are developed. If you find a training opportunity offered outside the UWC, please check withLily Nagengast about counting it towards certification.

Undergrad consultants can earn a raise after completing two certifications. Starting pay for undergrad consultants is $15.00/hour. After one year of employment, their pay goes up to $15.50/hour. Qualifying consultants will receive an hourly rate of $16/hour the semester after they have completed two certifications regardless of the duration of their employment, although the certifications are designed to take approximately a year to complete. All certification requirements must be completed and submitted before the certification graduation date (set near the end of each semester) in order for to qualify for the raise the next semester. Lily Nagengast will email staff the relevant dates and workshop opportunities each semester.

 Student Assistants/Front Desk Workers start at $13.80/hour. 

Consultants can earn certifications in the following areas:

• STEM Writing
• Business Writing
• Professional Writing and Applications
• Scholarly Editing and Publishing
• ELL Support

Each certification has an entry level and an advanced level for a total of 10 available certifications.

All consultants pursuing an in-house certification must have completed our general UWC orientation and training checklist. Consultants must also fully follow writing center policy and guidelines by maintaining consistent attendance, professional demeanor, and a high note completion rate.

All consultation-based certifications include a required mentor debrief. This will be scheduled after you have completed the required number of consultations and submitted the required record of workshop attendance and self-assessment to the UWC Training Canvas page.

If you would like to track how many relevant consultations you have completed, please reach out to Lily Nagengast or Emma Beard.

All advanced certifications require you to draft a researched consultation resource like a handout or a guided prompt. These resources should cite a scholarly resource on Writing Center pedagogy and use that source to suggest useful strategies for consultations.

Requirements for these certifications are to be submitted through the UWC Training Canvas page. If you are a consultant and don’t have access to this page, contact Emma Beard to be added.

Certificate in Professional Writing and Applications

• Attend one training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete 5 consultations on personal statements, cover letters, application letters, resumes, etc.
• Complete a consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief

Advanced Certificate in Professional Writing and Applications

• Attend a second training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete an additional 5 consultations on personal statements, cover letters, application letters, resumes, etc. (10 total, at least 1 must be a resume)
• Complete a second consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief
• Besides the above, consultants are required to choose ONE of the following:
  • Produce a researched aid for consultants working in this area. This can take the form of a handout or similar guide and must cite at least one piece of pedagogical research
  • Write a reflective blog post, for potential publication on AXIS, on the consultation experience(s) and how you implemented your training

Certificate in STEM Writing

• Attend one training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete 5 consultations on lab reports, research projects/articles, STEM coursework/assignments, etc.
• Complete a consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief

Advanced Certificate in STEM Writing

• Attend a second training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete an additional 5 consultations on lab reports, research projects/articles, STEM coursework/assignments, etc. (10 total)
• Complete a second consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief
• Besides the above, consultants are required to choose ONE of the following:
  • Produce a researched aid for consultants working in this area. This can take the form of a handout or similar guide and must cite at least one piece of pedagogical research
  • Write a reflective blog post, for potential publication on AXIS, on the consultation experience(s) and how you implemented your training

Certificate in Business Writing

• Attend one training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete 5 consultations for business-related writing projects or papers
• Complete a consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief

Advanced Certificate in Business Writing

• Attend a second training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete an additional 3 consultations for business-related writing projects or papers (8 total)
• Complete a second consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief
• Besides the above, consultants are required to choose ONE of the following:
  • Produce a researched aid for consultants working in this area. This can take the form of a handout or similar guide and must cite at least one piece of pedagogical research
  • Write a reflective blog post, for potential publication on AXIS, on the consultation experience(s) and how you implemented your training

Certificate in ELL Support 

• Attend one training workshop or panel in this are
• Complete 5 consultations focused on writing support for English Language Learners (ELL)
• Complete a consultation performance self-assessment and mentor debrief

Advanced Certificate in ELL Support

• Attend a second training workshop or panel in this area
• Complete an additional 3 consultations focused on ELL writing support (8 total)
• Complete a second consultation performance assessment and mentor debrief

• Besides the above, consultants are required to choose ONE of the following:
  • Produce a researched aid for consultants working in this area. This can take the form of a handout or similar guide and must cite at least one piece of pedagogical research
  • Write a reflective blog post, for potential publication on AXIS, on the consultation experience(s) and how you implemented your training

Certificate in Scholarly Writing and Publishing

• Attend the Praxis workshop, scheduled every semester
• Attend a grammar workshop
• Copyedit one essay for Praxis (options linked in Canvas)

Advanced Certificate in Scholarly Writing and Editing

• Copyedit two additional essays for Praxis
• Write a blog post, potentially to be published on AXIS, on Writing Center practice, theory, and/or pedagogy
• Write a reflective blog post, for potential publication in AXIS, on the consultation experience(s) and how you implemented your training