2025-2026 PDSM | Abby K.
As the Professional Development Student Manager for Mentoring, you work closely with Associate Director Erin Herrmann, the Professional Development Student Manager (PDSM): Communications , and the Professional Development Student Manager (PDSM): Continuing Education to collaboratively coordinate all aspects of staff professional development across key programs and initiatives at the Writing Center, including tutor onboarding and ongoing education, The Mentoring Program, and events—from all-staff gatherings to staff socials.
In your role as PDSM for Mentoring & Onboarding, your primary responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of The Mentoring Program and collaboratively managing new tutor onboarding. This work includes creating mentor-mentee pairings, mentoring check-in agendas, mentor selection and training, and scheduling for mentoring as well as organizing and reviewing onboarding tasks and checklists and suggesting revisions and additions to enhance the onboarding process for new tutors.
In addition to the role-specific work described above, you collaborate with your fellow PDSMs on planning and hosting events, support your fellow PDSMs in their responsibilities as able, serve as a Mentor, collaborate with other student managers to facilitate Tutor Talk, attend weekly team meetings, and may work as a Student Manager on Call (SMOC) during regular Writing Center open hours each quarter.
✨ Principal Duties & Responsibilities
As a Student Manager, duties and responsibilities ebb and flow throughout each quarter and over the course of an academic year. We are committed to making sure your duties and responsibilities are realistic and manageable.
Manage all aspects of The Mentoring Program (specific to this PDSM role)
- Manage and implement a mentor application and selection process
- Coordinate mentor-mentee pairs for the academic year, including initial pairings and any adjustments needed due to staffing changes
- Create mentoring check-in agendas and any other mentoring-related materials
- Consult prior year materials for inspiration and draft agendas in advance to allow time for feedback from the PD team and final revision and publication
- Decide the quarterly schedule for mentoring, including number of check-ins and which weeks they will occur
- Coordinate with the PD Team to avoid programming overlap
- Oversee training and ongoing support for mentors
- Revise or develop materials for initial mentor training and any other mentoring meetings
- Lead mentor training in collaboration with the PD team
- Oversee scheduling—initial placeholders in WCOnline, record-keeping elsewhere, and ongoing changes—for the mentoring program, including mentoring check-ins, mentor trainings, and any other mentoring scheduling needs
- Follow the Writing Center Scheduling Order of Operations each quarter and communicate scheduling updates and placeholder updates regularly in the #smac channel of Slack
- Collaborate with Operations Student Manager (OSM) by sharing the mentor-mentee list before quarterly scheduling begins and maintaining open communication with the OSMs as needed concerning overlapping time for pairs
Coordinate the onboarding process for new tutors (specific to this PDSM role)
- Develop or revise Onboarding content annually, in consultation with Writing Center administrators
- Coordinate a calendar for onboarding elements and ensure on-time launch of all aspects of onboarding
- Take the lead on updating office tour content
- Oversee creation, revision, and implementation of training for all new tutors on Writing Center technology platforms, including WCOnline, Slack, and Notion
- Schedule tutors for and coordinate communication to tutors about onboarding elements
- Support implementation of Collaborative Observations across stakeholders—new tutors, returning tutors, and receptionists
- Create and manage a process for how Collaborative Observations are tracked within the Writing Center
- Develop additional onboarding and training tools and resources as needed