Embedded tutors help students boost academic writing skills

By Katie Land, news editor

As many students step onto a college campus for the first time this fall, some may realize they need extra help to keep up with college-level writing expectations. With a wide number of resources available, there are still many students who don’t seek academic assistance.

To solve this problem, the Oakland University Writing Center has launched an innovative program designed to connect students with tutors. The Embedded Tutors Program places a writing center consultant in every WRT 102: Basic Writing course once a week.

“The idea to embed tutors makes sense on many levels,” said Sherry Wynn Perdue, director of the Writing Center and creator of the program. “First, I have 28 writing consultants who are passionate about writing and who are sensitive to the writing needs of their peers. Additionally, WRT 102 students gain a peer mentor who can offer break-out sessions, contribute a seasoned student voice to discussion, lead small group activities, conduct one-on-one tutorials and offer supplemental instruction.”

The tutors also allow faculty members to offer targeted instruction for one group while the consultant works with another group in class, creating a constructive environment where students are more engaged with their work.

The Writing Center also benefits because it can serve more students earlier and throughout the semester rather than being overwhelmed during midterms and finals, Wynn Perdue continued.

"The innovative idea of embedding writing center peer tutors in classes helps to solve one of the challenges of offering tutorial services - that is, the disconnect between the tutoring and the academic context in which a student is working. Embedding reconnects the tutor with the academic context," said Ronald Sudol, Ph.D, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

After launching the program on a smaller scale last year, Wynn Perdue received so much positive feedback that the Embedded Tutors Program has since been added as a core part of the course’s design and curriculum.

Oakland offers numerous academic service units in addition to the Writing Center, such as the Academic Skills Center, the Center for Multicultural Initiatives, and Disability Support Services.

For more information about programs in the CAS, view the website. For more information about the Embedded Tutors Program, contact Wynn Perdue at wynn@oakland.edu.