Just as faculty benefit from having their peers read their work prior to publication, so too, students benefit from having their work read by their peers before it is graded. In both cases, the readers bring their experience as writers of the same sort of works–to their experience as critical readers. Peer writing tutors can continue the conversation professors have with their students about writing. Peer Writing Tutors do not help students with writing in place of the professor but in addition to the professor. Tutors are trained to be the authorized help for students, to ask probing questions about the papers they read, and to make positive suggestions for improvement of those papers. </blockquote

What to expect from a Peer Writing Tutor

Sessions Work Best

* When the tutor has a clear idea of the professor’s writing expectations for students,
* When students in the class see the sessions with the tutor as an important part of the writing process for all students in the class, and
* When the professor emphasizes the importance of those sessions by making them mandatory.

Best Practices

* Meet with the peer writing tutor early in the semester or before the beginning of the semester.
* Give a copy of your class syllabus to the peer writing tutor.
* Make expectations clear to the writing tutor and to the class.
* Introduce the writing tutor to the class.
* Make at least some sessions with the writing tutor obligatory.
* Encourage the writing tutor to circulate a list of specific appointment times before meetings.
* Allow the writing tutor ample time to meet with students.
* Stay in contact with the writing tutor through meetings, emails, and phone.

Some guidelines and advice for faculty using Peer Writing Tutors