Assistant Director of Writing Support

About the role

The Assistant Director of Writing Support works closely with the Director to support the implementation, coordination, and continuous improvement of online writing support services and initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Direct Student Support
• Provides online and occasional on-site writing and academic support aligned with established best practices and UDL principles, adapting to individual student goals, linguistic backgrounds, and learning needs, including those of adult, multilingual, and neurodiverse students.
• Builds and applies working knowledge of institutional writing contexts and processes [e.g., Educational Rationale essays, Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), etc.].
• Supports embedded tutoring initiatives by partnering with faculty to integrate writing support into online courses and learning experiences.
• Resource Development
• Designs and delivers inclusive and accessible writing support resources including online workshops, presentations, videos, OERs, and instructional materials.
• Maintains and updates training materials, guides, and resources aligned with established practices.
• Tutor Supervision & Professional Development
• Supervises adjunct writing coaches, including coordinating schedules, providing feedback, and supporting ongoing development.
• Fosters a sense of community among a writing team who are geographically distributed and working primarily online.
• Affords assistance in coordinating and facilitating writing-focused professional development and training for writing specialists and adjunct writing coaches.
• Program Support
• Supports the Director in implementing, coordinating, and refining writing support programming.
• Affords assistance in identifying and implementing improvements and initiatives to enhance efficiency, accessibility, consistency, and integration of writing support services.
• Affords assistance in developing and applying new approaches to online writing support in response to emerging student needs and trends.
• Collaboration & Service Coordination
• Collaborates with the Assistant Director of Quantitative & Applied Academic Support and various university offices (e.g. Accessibility Resources & Services, Student Support & Outreach, Opportunity Programs, etc.) to coordinate student-centered writing support services, projects, and initiatives.
• Assessment & Continuous Improvement
• Contributes to the use of data to evaluate the effectiveness of writing support services.
• Identifies gaps in student engagement and access.
• Contributes to reporting processes and continuous improvement efforts.
• Technology & Digital Fluency
• Effectively uses digital tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.) to conduct online tutoring sessions, lead workshops, and other online conferencing events.
• Ethically and thoughtfully uses generative AI as a support tool, while maintaining strong independent judgment and core professional skills.
• Learns and applies new technologies as needed.
• Communication & Collaboration
• Assists with outreach campaigns and marketing for academic support.
• Communicates clearly and effectively across professional contexts.
• Continued Growth
• Participates in professional development, training, and conference activities where possible to stay current with best practices and improve student support.

Requirements

• Required Qualifications
• Master's degree from an accredited institution.
• A strong academic background in writing, writing studies, writing center theory, WAC and WID pedagogies.
• Experience tutoring writing and delivering workshops online at the college level.
• Familiarity with online learning tools and pedagogies.
• Experience supporting diverse learners, including adult and post-traditional students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, neurodiverse students, and under-represented students.
• Prior experience supervising staff.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a team in an academic environment.
• Some experience collaborating with faculty and campus partners.
• Some experience designing accessible digital resources.
• Familiarity with using generative AI ethically and effectively for professional purposes.
• Effective communication, organization, and interpersonal skills in professional environments.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Writing Studies, English, Communications, or a related field.
• Experience working with Opportunity Programs or comparable student success initiatives.
• Prior experience supervising academic staff or coordinating student support persistence.
• Knowledge of adult learning theory and best practices in student retention and coaching.
• Experience working within WAC and/or WID programs.

Benefits

The position offers an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance.