Position Title: Writing Centre Assistant

Department: Humanities and Social Sciences

Reports To: Coordinator, University Writing Centre

Contract Type: Full-Time, Fixed-Term (2 Years)

Location: University of Global Health Equity, Butaro Campus

Position Summary

The Writing Centre Assistant will support the development of academic writing and oral communication skills among students, particularly multilingual and English-as-an-additional-language learners in the MBBS and MGHD programs.

Working under the supervision of the Coordinator, Writing Centre, the assistant will contribute to a structured and data-informed communication support system that combines individualized consultations, workshops, faculty collaboration, learning technologies, and academic communication analytics.

The role is designed not only to support students directly, but also to strengthen communication pedagogy, scaffolded learning, rubric clarity, and faculty-facing academic support practices across the university.

The Writing Centre operates through integrated support systems including Canvas LMS, Grammarly Education, workshop programming, referral mechanisms, and writing center management and analytics tools.

Key Responsibilities

1. Student Writing and Communication Support

(i) Conduct one-on-one and small-group consultations for students requiring support in academic writing and oral communication.

(ii) Assist students with:

• academic paragraph development
• essay and paper organization
• scientific and health-professions writing
• literature reviews
• presentation preparation
• citation and referencing
• grammar, clarity, coherence, and academic tone

(iii) Support multilingual and ESL learners in adapting to academic communication expectations in higher education.

(iv) Provide constructive feedback while promoting independent student learning and confidence-building.

2. Writing Centre Referrals and Student Support Coordination

(i) Support faculty referral processes for students requiring communication support.

(ii) Assist in identifying recurring writing and presentation challenges among student cohorts.

(iii) Maintain consultation records, referral logs, and intervention documentation.

(iv) Participate in early-intervention and follow-up support systems for students experiencing communication-related academic difficulties.

3. Workshops and Academic Communication Programming

(i) Facilitate workshops and short instructional sessions under the guidance of the Coordinator, Writing Centre.

(ii) Assist in developing scaffolded communication learning activities and structured practice opportunities.

(iii) Support peer-review and formative feedback initiatives.

(iv) Help develop student-facing communication resources including:

• writing guides
• presentation guides
• rubric interpretation resources
• academic integrity materials
• workshop handouts
• online learning resources within Canvas LMS

4. Faculty Collaboration and Pedagogical Support

(i) Work collaboratively with faculty to strengthen communication-related teaching practices.

(ii) Support the development of clearer and more accessible writing and presentation rubrics.

(iii) Assist faculty in implementing scaffolded writing and oral communication assignments.

(iv) Contribute to discussions on communication pedagogy, formative assessment, feedback systems, and multilingual learner support.

(v) Help identify communication-related learning trends that may inform teaching improvement.

5. Digital Learning and Writing Centre Technologies

(i) Support Writing Centre operations through digital platforms and learning technologies.

(ii) Assist in maintaining Canvas-based academic communication resources and modules.

(iii) Support the use of Grammarly for Education and related learning technologies within Writing Centre programming.

(iv) Assist in managing writing centre scheduling, engagement, and reporting systems.

(v) Contribute to the organization and maintenance of Writing Centre digital records and communication resources.

6. Data Collection, Reporting, and Analytics Support

(i) Assist in collecting and organizing Writing Centre utilization and engagement data.

(ii) Support the generation of reports related to:

• student consultations
• workshop attendance
• referral patterns
• recurring writing challenges
• communication support trends

(iii) Assist in maintaining Writing Centre dashboards and analytics systems used to inform academic support planning and institutional reporting.

(iv) Contribute to evidence-based recommendations for communication support interventions and student success initiatives.

Required Qualifications

(i) Bachelor’s degree in English, Communication, Education, Linguistics, Writing Studies, or a related field.

(ii) Strong academic writing and oral communication skills in English.

(iii) Experience supporting students in academic writing, communication development, tutoring, or related educational support.

(iv) Strong organizational, interpersonal, and professional communication skills.

(v) Ability to work effectively with multilingual and culturally diverse student populations.

(vi) Ability to provide constructive, student-centered feedback.

Preferred Qualifications

(i) Master’s degree in Education.

(ii) Experience working in a higher education environment or writing centre.

(iii) Experience supporting ESL/EAL learners.

(iv) Familiarity with academic support technologies and learning management systems such as Canvas LMS.

(v) Familiarity with writing centre or tutoring management platforms such as WCOnline or similar systems.

(vi) Familiarity with academic analytics, dashboards, or reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

(vii) Experience facilitating workshops, peer-learning programs, or communication support initiatives.

(viii) Familiarity with health sciences or professional communication environments is an added advantage.

Desired Competencies

(i) Student-centered and developmental approach to academic support

(ii) Initiative and problem-solving ability

(iii) Strong collaboration and teamwork skills

(iv) Professional discretion and confidentiality

(v) Ability to identify recurring communication challenges and propose practical interventions

(vi) Ability to balance direct student support with broader academic communication development initiatives

(vii) Interest in evidence-informed academic support and communication pedagogy

Key Performance Areas

The Writing Centre Assistant will contribute to:

(i) Increased student engagement with Writing Centre services

(ii) Improved academic communication confidence among students

(iii) Expanded workshop and communication support programming

(iv) Improved faculty engagement with writing and presentation support practices

(v) Strengthened communication support systems for multilingual learners

(vi) Improved Writing Centre reporting, analytics, and institutional communication support data

Additional Information

This position is grant-funded for two years and forms part of a broader institutional effort to strengthen academic communication, student success, and evidence-informed support systems for multilingual learners in health professions education.