Making sure each one of us is thoughtful, deliberate, and focused on our work—and fair and considerate to one another—allows the Writing Center to achieve our mission to help writers and support rigorous writing and writing instruction at DePaul.

📝 Things to Do Each Work Shift

• Upon arriving at work, say hello to the receptionist at the beginning of your work shift.
• Throughout your shift, maintain open communication with the receptionist about your appointments and receive any feedback they may provide you.
• Inform the receptionist if you need to step away from Slack so that you can easily be located.
• Check WCOnline for your scheduled appointments and other work assignments and check it for updates throughout each shift.
• Check Slack for work-related information throughout each shift.
• Take any scheduled breaks when it is scheduled and return promptly afterward (if you are scheduled for a 5+ hour shift, the Student Managers will schedule you for a 30-minute paid break).
• If a problem develops that you cannot resolve, or if you are not sure how to handle a sensitive situation, discuss it with the Student Managers, administrators, or a receptionist as soon as possible so that it may be documented and resolved in an effective, timely, and professional manner.
• Do not end your shift for the day until all of your obligations (appointment letters, assigned tasks, etc.) have been completed. If you have any questions about the work you need to complete, send a slack message to the receptionist before you end your shift for the day.

Be Focused On and Committed to Your Work with Writers

Give your full attention to every writer, in every appointment modality, and for every genre of writing. Show them respect by paying close attention to them and their writing for the duration of each appointment or, in face-to-face or online real-time appointments, until they indicate they are ready to be done. If you find you and the writer have covered all the agenda items you set in a given synchronous appointment and you still have time remaining in their appointment, ask them if they have any further questions or any other writing projects they would like to discuss.

Similarly, unless you’re scheduled for non-peer tutoring work during a shift—like, for example, facilitating a workshop or completing a deadline-sensitive and critical project—you should be ready to work with a writer at any point. If a writer cancels an appointment and you find yourself with unscheduled time—and when you begin a sidework project (see below)—you should be prepared to end the sidework and work with a writer. The receptionist may ask you to take a walk-in appointment even if it is not at a standard appointment start time.

Be Conscious of Your Conversations

Sometimes there are situations where you will be tempted to chat with your fellow Writing Center Tutors about an appointment that recently happened or an instructor that you just worked with. Be extremely cognizant of the environment you are in at that moment. Avoid public conversation about any student, writer, instructor, tutor, or other University employee where you can be overheard. Writers who hear peer writing tutors discussing other writers may worry that they are also being discussed after they leave the Writing Center. If you need to have a conversation to express some emotions, please be conscious of the space you are talking in within the office.