Title: GA Pre-Professional - Writing Fellow - Graduate School - Fall 2026/Spring 2027 (SP)
Division Name: Academic Affairs
Department: Graduate School
Campus Location: Normal, IL
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Provide one-on-one and small group writing support to graduate students using a holistic model based in writing center pedagogy (see below for details)
2. Study best practices for supporting graduate writers and implement them in sessions
2. Staff and promote Community Writing Spaces to the campus community
3. Interact with graduate students to assess and collect information about graduate student needs for writing and other academic skills
4. Work with Coordinator of Graduate Writing Services on specific interventions based on the graduate fellow’s areas of research and professional goals
5. Assist Thesis and Dissertation Associate in student success projects as needed.
6. Offer feedback and conduct campus research to improve thesis and dissertation submission process
One-on-one support guidelines
Through a collaborative learning process that builds upon students’ strengths, graduate writing fellows will:
1. Meet with students individually and in small groups to support graduate students in achieving their writing goals;
2. Listen more than talk, making clear the writing fellow does not serve as a proofreader or an editor;
3. Use questions to determine writing goals and concerns;
4. Balance practical encouragement with constructive criticism, admit when unable to answer a question, and direct the student to further resources;
5. Work with the student to determine needs and goals, providing guidance for the student through any steps of the writing process;
6. Disclose and/or recuse themselves from conflict-of-interest situations arising from intellectual property, funding competition, or other issues;
7. Refer the student to the Coordinator of Graduate Writing Services when needed.
Graduate Writing Fellows are excluded from working with:
1. Writing that is part of a class or take-home examination, either for a course or a degree requirement. Fellows may assist with comprehensive exams, but only with a faculty member’s stated permission;
2. Writing for which the student is not the author (for example, another student's work);
3. Writing for coursework in violation of explicit course and university policies about receiving assistance;
4. A student outside the writing fellow’s scheduled work hours;
5. A student who is not in the appointment schedule; and
6. Discussions or predictions about grades, committee approval of thesis/dissertation proposal, or outcome of final defense.
In keeping with the core values delineated in Illinois State University’s Strategic Plan, Educate, Connect, Elevate, Graduate Writing Fellows foster a holistic approach to developing writing skills related to academic and professional purposes; to appreciate writing as an aspect of an active and lifelong process.
Academic writing development utilizes organization, critical thinking, argument, and coherence. This includes but is not limited to, sentence and paragraph structure, grammar rules, argument logic, critical analysis, citation formatting, and forms of academic and professional writing i.e., writing within the chosen academic discipline.
$1510
1. Eligible for appointment as per the requirements in the Graduate Assistant Handbook which can be found at http://hr.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/GA_Handbook.pdf
2. Must be a degree seeking graduate student at Illinois State University in one of the following programs: English; Communications; STEM related fields; Education
3. An overall graduate GPA or last 60 hours undergraduate GPA (if a first semester graduate student) of at least 2.8 for incoming students and an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 for continuing students.
4. Interest in promoting the academic, professional, and life goals of students.
5. Interest in working with diverse students
6. Sensitivity to and interest in the academic, social, and cultural needs of minoritized and international students
7. Excellence in oral, written, and interpersonal communication
8. General competence with computers
20 hours per week; set schedule, with some evenings and weekends.
August 2026
1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
3. Reference List - Please provide a list of 3 professional references.
4. 5 - 10 page writing sample
Please Note These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"
Benefits for Graduate Assistants can be found in the Graduate Assistant Handbook
Note: If you have not yet been assigned a University ID, but are interested in applying for this graduate assistantship, please proceed with the graduate assistant application process. For the first question regarding your University ID, simply enter in nine (9) zeros (e.g., 000000000).
You must be eligible for employment in the United States and at Illinois State University and/or for the number of hours required for the position.
Illinois State University student employees are restricted to no more than 28 hours per week of on-campus employment for all positions held. International students are restricted by their visa status to no more than 20 hours per week of on-campus employment when the university is in session but may work up to 28 hours per week when the university is not in session. Please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for guidance on visa restrictions on work hours. The University cannot grant exceptions to visa status rules/laws.
John Hawkins,
jchawk2@ilstu.edu
This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.
Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383 The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.
If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311
