Professional development
Professional development
Employees are expected to act professionally in all aspects of their work. This means showing up on time and prepared for work, treating colleagues respectfully, and fulfilling all job responsibilities to the best of your ability.
Employees are expected to show up on time and ready to begin work
Our appointments begin on the hour; therefore, it is important to contact the desk if you are running at all late.
Text (828) 476-8644 or call (828) 262-3144 or email writngctr@appstate.edu as soon as you know you are running late so the desk can adjust accordingly.
If you think you will miss work within a 12 hour window, contact the desk immediately. After the missed shift a supervisor will be in touch with you about appropriate next steps.
Employees are expected to dress casually and comfortably. You will potentially be meeting with clients from a diverse set of ages, backgrounds, and ranks from within the university, and the way you present yourself establishes your ethos in those interactions.
Employees in the center should be respectful of others in the space when considering the volume and subject matter of their conversations.
It is not appropriate to discuss clients or their work in the presence of other clients.
Friends, family, roommates and/ or partners are welcome to pop in to bring forgotten items, meals, or say a quick hello; however, they should not interrupt a session with a client nor should they linger or hang out.
If you need to leave the center for more than a few minutes, inform the desk that you will be absent and let them know how to get in touch with you. Desk assistants should let an administrator or consultant know, so that someone has an eye on the front to greet clients.
There is generally no reason for groups of individuals to leave the center at the same time.
Failure to comply with the basics of professionalism for an academic workplace may result in disciplinary action.
Employees in the writing center are expected to participate in professional development as part of your paid responsibilities. Here is the Fall-2025 professional development and staff meeting calendar. We will have regular staff meetings and professional development activities on Fridays from 12-12:50, and all staff are required to be part of these meetings and activities. Please do not schedule meetings, appointments, or other events that interfere with your availability during this time. If you cannot attend a meeting for any reason, let Beth know.
Writing center employees will be assigned to working groups whose goals align with the UWC's Strategic Plan, focusing on support projects as a component of their writing center work. These projects vary greatly, but they all are essential in keeping the center functioning. Support project tasks are to be kept up with during writing center time when not consulting or taking care of clients. Each support project is different, so you might find yourself working in a team or individually. All writing center employees will be evaluated on their work on these projects.
Support project work and professional development activities must take priority over non-writing center related work.
These portfolios include artifacts that document your work as a consultant or desk assistant, as well as any professional development, support project work, or other materials from your work in the center. Staff will also include regular reflections on writing center experiences and the process of your development as an academic professional. Aportfolios form a component of our holistic approach to individual assessment, and they are a key element of our program assessment as well.
Throughout the year, staff are supported in their development as academic professionals through a formative process that involves observations, feedback, reflection, workshops, and other professional development activities. Staff in all positions will be reviewed annually in March by Beth (permanent staff, faculty, and non-student employees), Julie (undergraduate writing consultants), Sarah (graduate writing consultants) and Hannah (desk assistants). The evaluation process includes observations and feedback from peers and supervisors, self-reflection, and holistic portfolio assessment.