Welcome to the University of Delaware Writing Fellow Program webpage.  Please scroll down for more information, or use the links to the left to navigate the site.

Writing Fellows Program: Overview

The Writing Fellows Program trains advanced undergraduates to work one-on-one with student writers in a number of different academic settings. The program rests on two assumptions: (1) writing is an extended process that generally involves brainstorming, outlining, editing, and revising; and (2) instruction works best when it is individualized. To accomplish this goal, advanced undergraduate Writing Fellows are chosen through a competitive and rigorous selection process to assist faculty members in writing-intensive courses, including (but not limited to) first-year interdisciplinary Honors colloquia. Currently, Fellows are also working in the University Writing Center and with students enrolled in the McNair Scholars Program and the LIFE Program. Writing Fellows are tutors, not teaching assistants: They work with students on such matters as theses, coherence, evidence, organization, paragraphing, transitions, and grammar, but they do not assign grades or comment on the paper's content.

In addition to its obvious benefit to students being tutored in writing, the Writing Fellows Program has proved to be of equal benefit to the sophomores and juniors who take a three-credit-hour training course (ENGL 316, Peer Tutoring and Advanced Composition) the semester before they begin tutoring. The Writing Fellows work closely with both the Coordinator of the Writing Fellows Program and individual faculty members teaching specific courses to which they have been assigned. Many of them report major strides in their own writing and decide to go on to write Honors theses. They have also reported that the Fellowship is a central focus of their graduate and law school interviews. Each year some enter professional careers in publishing, advertising, and science and technology writing.

For more information, please contact Ray Peters, Coordinator of the Writing Fellows Program, at 831-8567 or rpeters@udel.edu. For information about current members of the Writing Fellows Program, please visit Writing Fellow Assignments and Contact Information.

Writing Fellows Program: Mission Statement

The UHP Writing Fellows are a dedicated group of undergraduate honors students who assist their peers with developing and improving writing skills. Central to our mission is the belief that writing is a process. As such, Fellows continually strive to learn new and creative ways of writing and tutoring, while also respecting the individual approaches students and professors employ in their own work.

The Writing Fellows believe that the peer relationship creates an opportunity for strong improvements in writing. To establish this more personalized approach to conferencing, each Fellow meets with students outside of the classroom on an individual basis. 

Fellows use a variety of practices to help students with their writing, depending on the stage of the writing process and the needs of the student and professor. We help students to brainstorm their thoughts for a paper and interpret the professors assigned topic. We assist students in revising their drafts, tackling such areas as organization, tone, the thesis statement, proper citation, etc. Finally, at the other end of the writing process, we provide fine-tuned tips on polishing near final drafts, using a variety of stylistic techniques. In short, by commenting on students papers, meeting with students individually, and generally being accessible during all stages of writing, Fellows help to ensure that each stage of the writing process plays its full role in creating a final, well-written composition.

Site designed and maintained by Nicholas Klingaman and Jeffrey Price.  Comments, suggestions, or concerns about this website should be directed to pappas@udel.edu or pricej@udel.edu.