Students attend five 3-hour sessions for the first five weeks of the semester, followed by a one hour per week practicum and 4 hours weekly internship. There will be a final 3 hour meeting at the close of the semester. This is what students are doing now in our practicum for no academic credit. Offering zero credit will also allow tutors who have taken the course for credit to continue to register each semester for the practicum. Returning graduate level tutors have expressed an interest in taking the course for 1 credit so that the course title would appear as a credit-bearing course on their transcripts.
All tutors then attend the weekly practicum.
The zero credit option also allows students who cannot spare the cost of an extra elective to take the course for no fee. This is appealing to students as well. At many schools, this course is offered every semester and all tutors, new and experienced, must register for it in order to work in the writing centers. Since Writing Consulting works outside any department sponsorship, we felt the course would best be offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In this way, we can attract students from any major.