Our Writing Tutor and W-CAT application deadline has passed. We received many applications and are excited to have a robust cohort for the 2025-2026 school year. Please check back here in October 2025 when we begin hiring writing tutors for the 2026-2027 school year!

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Our Language Tutor application deadline has passed. We received many applications and are excited to have a robust cohort for the 2025-2026 school year. Please check back here in February 2026 when we begin hiring language tutors for the 2026-2027 school year!

So you’re interested in becoming a tutor for #SWLCNation? Awesome! Read below for details about joining our team. You can also email Dr. B (Bridget Fullerton) at bfullert@bates.edu with any questions or to talk about your interest in the position of SWLC W-CAT, Writing Tutor, or Language Tutor!

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WRITING TUTORS

Be a model student and peer leader on campus by becoming a SWLC Writing Tutor! Writing Tutors are SWLC’s Varsity Team. A Writing Tutor’s main role is to support any student on any writing task for any audience or purpose. This can include helping students write a biology lab or economics paper; craft a film review or compose poetry or creative nonfiction; brainstorm ideas for a philosophy paper or research questions for a senior thesis; write a personal statement for graduate school or an grant application; and so much more! In fact, the best part of being a Writing Tutor is getting to interact with students across so many different disciplines and for so many different writing goals and purposes. In doing this work, SWLC Writing Tutors become some of the most flexible, reflective, and savvy communicators on campus, going on to become Honors Thesis Writers, Fulbright English Teaching Assistants, journalists, teachers, graduate school Teaching Assistants, playwrights, marketing and advertising executives, and much more! In this way, becoming a Writing Tutor is more than a job; it’s a passion.

To be considered for the position of Writing Tutor, you will need to apply by November 30. Interviews happen on a rolling basis between November 1 and January 1. Once hired, successful applicants will select a tutor education program track that works best for their needs and schedules and that will prepare them for the challenging, yet highly rewarding work of being a Bates Writing Tutor.

Writing Tutors work an average of 5 to 10 hours/week, depending on their shift schedule. Shift schedules are somewhat flexible and work can occur during the days or evenings. Biweekly staff meetings are paid and required during employment.

+Writing Tutor Hiring & Education Program Timeline

NOTE: Any Writing Tutor who has completed all of the other requirements except the W2, will usually be offered part-time work (1-3 hours/week) as a mentee, observer, or pick-up tutor until they successfully complete a W2 course.

W-CATs, or Writing Course Attached Tutors

Be a mentor by becoming a SWLC W-CAT! A wonderful way to begin your writing tutor journey or to “give back” to students who are in a course you once were in, is to become a Writing Course Attached Tutor, or a W-CAT, for a W1/FYS (First Year Seminar). This is a great opportunity for students interested in giving writing tutoring a try and supporting first-year writers as they transition to college-level writing, reading, and speaking tasks, or in “giving back” to your major or minor or working closely with your advisor or a particular professor with whom you’ve had a course (or several courses!) during your Bates career. All W-CATs are matched one-to-one with a partner-professor who is teaching an FYS the upcoming fall semester.

To be considered for the position of W-CAT for an FYS, you will need to apply by November 30. FYS course placements and partner-professor matchings will happen as part of the application and interview process and on a rolling basis between November 1 and January 1. Once matched, placed, and hired, successful applicants will complete the BTE Program (see below) which will prepare them for the challenging, yet highly rewarding work of being a W-CAT.

W-CATs work an average of 2 to 6 hours/week, depending on student demand for their services. Shift schedules are somewhat flexible and work can occur during the days or evenings. Biweekly staff meetings are paid and required during employment.

+W-CAT Hiring and Basic Tutor Education Timeline

LANGUAGE TUTORS

Language Tutors are our wonderful–and always multilingual!–staff who support Bates language-learners in any of the eight languages taught at Bates College, including Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Russian, and German. Language Tutors should have taken courses and/or be currently and actively engaged in learning the language at Bates, though we sometimes hire native speakers for certain languages.

The application for Language Tutors usually goes live in February or March of each year for the following school year and only for positions that are open. We often have tutors return year after year so we may not be hiring in a particular language because we already have tutors for that language. This changes year to year, so check back each year! Language Tutors are trained on-the-job as they begin working.

Language Tutors work an average of 3 to 5 hours/week, depending on their shift schedules and student demand for their services. Shift schedules are somewhat flexible and work can occur during the days or evenings. Biweekly staff meetings are paid and required during employment.

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COME SEE US WORK!

We highly recommend that you meet with a few tutors in SWLC before you consider joining us to get a sense of the work and see how we teach, support, and educate our peers. Tutors will be happy to talk to you about their work and are encouraged to do so! The double benefit of this is that you get support with your writing, speaking, or language-learning goals while doing some light “job shadowing.”

We hope you join SWLC Nation!

Have questions about employment with the SWLC? Please email swlc@bates.edu.

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