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Writing Studio

Faculty Nominations

To stay up to date with the Writing Studio, subscribe to our monthly Faculty Newsletter for information on current and upcoming events and programming.

Faculty, your nominations play an important role for the Writing Studio each year as we organize the annual Undergraduate Writing Symposium and recruit Undergraduate Writing Consultants for the coming academic year.

This page brings together the online submission forms and details for both nomination opportunities. To nominate a student for either opportunity, scroll down or jump to the section you are looking for with the following in-page links:

Undergraduate Writing Symposium nominations due by Friday, January 10, 2025

The Writing Studio’s annual Undergraduate Writing Symposium provides an opportunity for departments and faculty to showcase exemplary undergraduate writing–academic, creative, and even digital–and gives us all an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our undergraduate students.

Save the Date:

  • 2025 Undergraduate Writing Symposium
    • Friday, March 28, 2025, 3:00–6:15 PM
    • Commons Center MPR
    • Full event schedule will be available online as the event draws closer.

Call for Two Types of Symposium Nominations

Faculty may submit up to five nominations total across two categories: 1) First-Year Essays and 2) Advanced Research Writing by upper-division undergraduates.

To submit a symposium nomination in either category, scroll past the additional information about the categories provided below and complete the embedded nomination form.

Symposium Nomination Deadline: Friday, January 10, 2025

1) First-Year Writing

  • Nominations of current first-year students’ essays and other compositions (including multimedia projects) from Fall 2024 are sought for the Undergraduate Writing Symposium. We seek nominations of first-year undergraduate writing of all types and from across the university, but note that we will be asking nominators to nominate within these two buckets this year:
    • All first-year undergraduate essays, compositions, and multimedia projects excluding “Being Human” assignments
    • “Being Human” (Core 1010) major assignments
      • Given the number of first-year students taking part in the extended pilot of the new A&S First-Year Core, we are creating a separate nomination bucket for the essays from “Being Human” (Core 1010).
      • This year’s symposium will include a space to showcase writing and writers from the new A&S Core, and we hope to receive nominations for strong examples of all of the major “Being Human” assignments.
  • Regardless of bucket, all first-year student submissions will be considered for inclusion in both the symposium and Scaffold: A Showcase of Vanderbilt First-Year Writing.

2) Advanced Research Writing

  • Nominations of upper-division students’ advanced writing projects, including honors theses and independent study and Immersion projects, are sought for the Undergraduate Writing Symposium.
  • Faculty may nominate advanced projects that are complete or in progress.
  • For advanced projects, students need only submit an abstract, not a complete draft.

update on Creative Writing nominations

In spring 2025, rather than holding an additional symposium event focused on creative writing, the Writing Studio will return to holding a single Undergraduate Writing Symposium event.

While the 2025 Undergraduate Writing Symposium event will feature creative writing, we are not currently issuing open calls for creative writing instructor nominations or students’ own creative writing self-nominations.

To the many faculty who regularly seek to honor their students with a creative writing nomination each year, THANK YOU. Please know that we are currently exploring new ways to engage and celebrate our undergraduate creative writers.

The Process:

  • Once your nomination is received, we invite each nominated student to submit their piece to be considered for inclusion in this year’s Undergraduate Writing Symposium. The authors whose submissions emerge at the top of our symposium review process will be invited to present on their work during this year’s event.
  • We invite you to follow up with the students you have nominated to encourage their participation, as well.

Symposium Nomination Form

To nominate by email: While web form submissions are preferred, faculty may also send a brief nomination email to writing.studio@vanderbilt.edu. Please include “Symposium Nomination” in the subject line.

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Undergraduate Writing Consultant nominations due by Friday, January 17, 2025

Call for Nominations: Undergraduate Writing Consultants for 2025-2026

Faculty, the Writing Studio needs your help identifying current first-years, sophomores, and juniors who would make excellent candidates for our Undergraduate Writing Consultant positions.

We seek nominations of students of all majors and from diverse backgrounds. Ideal candidates for these paid positions are thoughtful academic writers with excellent interpersonal skills.

To submit an undergraduate writing consultant nomination, scroll past the additional information about the position below and complete the embedded nomination form.

Consultant Nomination Deadline: Friday, January 17, 2025

  • The students you nominate will be invited to submit an application and provided with information about the position and our competitive selection process.
  • Nomination not required to apply: Students can successful apply for these paid positions without a nomination, but receiving a faculty nomination often makes a difference in motivating excellent candidates to apply who might not otherwise.

The Position

Our undergraduate writing consultants provide valuable one-on-one writing support to their peers and are a vital part of how the Writing Studio supports your students. Applicants who are selected to join our staff through our competitive application and interview process will begin the following August.

  • Faculty nomination deadline: Friday, January 17, 2025
  • Application deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025
  • Starting pay for 2024-2025: $10.50 per hour
  • Requires an eight hour-per-week commitment to the Writing Studio
  • Time commitment includes paid training and ongoing professional development
  • Start date: August 2025

Whom to Nominate

Good candidates for Undergraduate Writing Consultant positions are thoughtful academic writers who also possess strong verbal communication skills and interpersonal abilities, including the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and the ability to engage in constructive dialogue about writing. They should also be flexible, patient, professional, and intellectually curious.

At the Writing Studio, we look for consultants from all majors and diverse backgrounds who have excellent communication and collaboration skills and are highly motivated and eager to learn. We also welcome and encourage applicants who are multilingual or who have experience supporting language learning.

Thank you for nominating qualified students including those who approach you about doing so. Instructor nominations are no longer a required element of the undergraduate writing consultant application, but they remain an essential means by which potential applicants can learn about the opportunity to work at the Writing Studio.

The Process

After receiving a nomination, applicants are invited to submit an application, which includes a personal statement essay along with a writing sample, as part of our competitive hiring process. Select applicants are invited to interview with us. Those who are offered an undergraduate writing consultant position join our staff the following August.

Consultant Nomination Form

To nominate by email: While web form submissions are preferred, you may also send a brief nomination email to writing.studio@vanderbilt.edu. Please include “Consultant Nomination” in the subject line.

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