Community through Academics and Leadership
General Information & Application
for all paid Tutor positions and Field Studies programs
We’re pleased that you’re interested in joining our community of professional staff, graduate and
undergraduate instructors and tutors. So that we may give your application full consideration, please
read and follow carefully the instructions here and on the supplemental application forms.
Step 1: Completing the Application
Read and complete this application and the supplemental application(s) for the discipline area(s) to
which you are applying. The supplemental applications will provide you with specific details about
SLC programs and will answer many of your questions about the training tutors receive and the
commitment we will expect from them. Supplemental applications are available for the following SLC
Programs:
Math/Statistics
Social Science
Ethnic Perspectives
Study Strategies
Science
Writing*
Other Voices
* Note: the Writing Supplemental Application is included in this packet*
* Applications are reviewed as they are received, and interviews are on-going. Most SLC tutoring
programs begin by WEEK THREE, with Tutor Orientations as early as the end of WEEK TWO, so
candidates are encouraged to submit their application materials by the second week of classes. Some
paid positions may still be filled after these dates; check with the specific discipline area Program
Coordinator for details. Applications may be turned in at any point of the semester for consideration
the following semester.
* General applications and supplement(s), including any work samples requested, must be submitted
together to the SLC Reception Counter (or e-mailed to the discipline coordinator(s) if applications are
downloaded from the SLC website). Applicants applying for more than one discipline area must
submit a separate copy of the general application with each supplemental application submitted. All
applicants must submit a faculty/advisor recommendation; this recommendation, however, may be
submitted after the rest of the application.
Step 2: Application Review
Discipline area Program Coordinators will review submitted applications and schedule interviews with
applicants who satisfy the minimum requirements and who appear to meet the demands of the
position (for paid positions), or who appear to possess sufficient preparation for Field Studies courses.
There is a separate interview and selection process for acceptance into Field Studies programs.
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Step 3: Interviewing, Selection and Notification
Candidates will be contacted by the discipline area Program Coordinators regarding the status of their
application. Those who are selected for interviews will be contacted by phone or e-mail to schedule
their interview time.
Please retain this page for your own information.
Information Regarding Paid Positions and Credit Opportunities
Requirements and Restrictions:
These requirements apply to all students conducting academic support within the Student Learning
Center, whether paid, enrolled in credit opportunities, or participating as auditors:
1. Students must have received a grade of "B" or better in the course(s) they will tutor (or comparable
courses) and should have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
2. Students cannot have more than two “Incomplete” grades.
3. Students must be in good academic standing (not on academic probation).
4. Students agree to abide by all University and SLC Policies.
Additional information specific to paid positions and credit/service opportunities is given below:
Tutoring for Pay:
Each semester the SLC has a limited number of paid positions available, dependent on
programmatic needs. Paid positions are competitive, and successful candidates generally have
relevant prior experience and/or training. Employment is on a semester basis; possibility of re-hire
is contingent upon satisfactory performance and SLC programmatic needs. Tutors are paid for
their attendance at all required Orientations and Training meetings.
Note:
Students may not be employed by the University more than 50% time during the fall or spring
semester in any combination of titles. Students may work up to 100% time during the summer
(from the end of spring semester to the beginning of the fall semester) and during the winter break.
Tutoring for Credit and Auditors/Service Opportunities:
The SLC offers opportunities for students to explore current issues and theoretical frameworks in
education while developing practical teaching skills and making a valuable contribution to the UCB
student community. Students accepted into SLC Field Studies/Pedagogy courses, whether
enrolled for credit or participating non-credit, all engage in weekly seminars which introduce
students to educational theory and pedagogy, explore current issues in the field and provide
structured means for students to reflect upon and analyze their SLC tutoring or teaching
experience. The format and number of hours of direct work with students varies according to the
number of units taken (3 hrs/unit), and is established by agreement with the Program Coordinator
at the time of admission into the course. Those wishing to participate as Field Studies students
without receiving credit participate fully in all aspects and requirements of the course. Through the
SLC’s arrangements with academic departments, we offer the following options for students:
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• Education 97/197 (Field Studies) Courses (available for Math/Stat, Other Voices, Science, Social
Sciences, Study Strategies & Writing) This option is best for students who are completing or
considering a Minor in Education. Students with fewer than 60 units enroll in Education 97; upperdivision students (60 or more units) enroll in Education 197. A total of 3 units satisfies the Field
Studies requirement for the Education Minor.
• Departmental 300-Series (Pedagogy) Courses (available for Math, Chemistry & Writing) This
option may be best for students intending to pursue teaching within their discipline. Sophomore
standing or higher is required.
NB: These courses may be repeated for credit; please consult with your college advisor for details
specific to your course of study.
Please retain this page for your own information.
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Application
for
SLC Paid Tutor Positions and Field Studies Programs
Name (print) ______________________________________________ Date ___________________
Local address _____________________________________________________________________________
address
Local Telephone (
city
) _____________________
zip
Local address/phone valid until _________
E-mail address _________________________________________________
Permanent address_________________________________________________________________________
address
city
zip
Class standing (as of the semester you wish to tutor):
Non-student (with B.A./B.S. degree)
 Fr.
Soph.
Jr.
Sr. Grad. Student
Subject area(s) you wish to tutor _____________________________________________________
Major/Department ___________________________ GPA in major _____ Cumulative GPA _____
Transfer students:
Previous institution ________________________________________
Semesters at UCB _______
Expected date of graduation (month/year) ______________________________
Applying For:  Paid Tutor Position
 Field Studies in Tutoring for credit or as auditor
Complete this section if you are applying for a paid position
How many semesters will you be available to work? __________
Are you eligible for work-study funds? Yes No
If yes, amount_________________
How many hours a week, on the average, can you work? _______________________________
Ethnicity (for statistical purposes) __________________________
Yes
EOP:
No
How did you hear about the Student Learning Center? (Check all that apply.)
Daily Cal
Flyer Recruitment table on Sproul
Class annct.
SLC Tutor (name) __________________ Previously used SLC services
Other ____________________________________________________________
• If you are applying for more than one discipline area, submit a copy of this general application with
each discipline supplement.
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• Submit completed general application and supplement(s) to Reception Desk, Chavez Student
Center, or e-mail to the Program Coordinator listed on the supplement.
• You will be contacted by telephone or e-mail if we wish to schedule an interview. Please note that
separate interviews will be conducted for each paid position to which you are applying (e.g.
Physics Tutor or Writing Tutor), or Field Studies program for which you wish to enroll.
Faculty/Academic Advisor Recommendation Form
To: Program Coordinator
In my professional opinion, ________________________________________________________
name of applicant
has the academic background and knowledge necessary to tutor students in
_____________________________________________.
subject/discipline
(Additional comments would be helpful but are not required.)
____________________________________________________
__________________________
signature
date
Name (print): ___________________________________________________________________
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Position/Title: __________________________________________________________________
Department: ___________________________________________________________________
Phone number or e-mail address: _____________________________________________
Return this form to the applicant, send via campus mail to MC 4260/Chávez Student Center, or email as attachment to aledesma@berkeley.edu. As an alternative to this form, the recommendation
information may be sent as an e-mail text to the above e-mail address.
APPLICATION TO ENROLL IN
Education 97/197, Section 16 or English 310, Section 1
FIELD STUDIES IN
THE STUDENT LEARNING CENTER’S WRITING TUTORING PROGRAM
STUDENT LEARNING CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Welcome to the Student Learning Center in the César E. Chávez Student Center! We are glad you're
interested in enrolling in our field studies course in the Student Learning Center’s Writing Program.
Over the last few decades, The Student Learning Center has been an approved field studies site for students
seeking to complete the field study units required for the Minor in Education. Education 97/197, Section 16 and
English 310, Section 1 provide enrolled students a space to discuss the academic material, philosophical
questions, and the practical challenges involved when tutoring writing at the college level.
If you are interested in enrolling in Education 97/197, Section 16 or English 310, Section 1, you must submit this
application along with a sample of your academic writing, a letter of reference from a college instructor who has
directly evaluated your writing, and an unofficial copy of your University of California, Berkeley academic
transcript, in addition to performing successfully at an on-site interview.
QUALIFICATIONS:
In order to apply to enroll in Education 97/197, Section 16, or English 310, Section 1, you must have fulfilled
your Reading and Composition R1A & R1B requirement, have a strong academic background (a GPA of 3.0 or
above is strongly preferred), and have demonstrated writing competence. Applicants who have completed
CWR1A or R1A and have been recommended by their instructor are eligible to apply to be a tutor under the
Apprentice Program. New tutors in the Apprentice Program tutor only students enrolled in CWR1A, and
concurrently receive tutoring themselves for their work in R1B. Applicants interested in enrolling in English 310
need to have achieved a minimum of sophomore status at the University of California, Berkeley.
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Personal qualities are as important as academic ones. Patience, ingenuity, and the ability to engage meaningfully
with people from diverse backgrounds are qualities that we seek in prospective fieldwork students. Previous
experience in educational settings is valued, but not required.
REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EDUCATION 97/197, SECTION 16:





Spend the required number of hours per week tutoring.
Attend a weekly training seminar.
Meet weekly with a Senior Tutor.
Keep a journal of your tutoring experiences, write a mid-semester reflection and write a final paper.
Read assigned articles, complete assignments, videotape your tutoring, and familiarize yourself with the
resources available at the Student Learning Center.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: What will be the format for my tutoring?
A: Most, if not all, of your direct tutoring experience will take place in our Individual Tutoring format. In this format, you
will meet with students (predominantly in College Writing R1A and Reading & Composition R1A and R1B courses) one-onone in one-hour meetings throughout the semester.
Q: What kind of training will I receive and what other resources are available to me?
A: We consider training an on-going process. All of our staff--regardless of long they have tutored—attend training seminars
regularly. The tutoring fieldwork seminar will provide you with theoretical models and pedagogical approaches to teaching
and tutoring writing. You will learn how to assess and respond constructively to student writing, how to help students
develop confidence in themselves, and how to engage students in collaborative activities to improve their writing. While the
seminar provides a foundation for your tutoring experience, part of your training will be through the actual experience of
tutoring. You will also have opportunities to observe tutors in other formats offered by the Writing Program, including
Drop-In and Writing Workshops.
As a student engaging in tutoring fieldwork at the SLC for the first time, you will be paired with a Senior Tutor who will
serve as your mentor, you will meet regularly with professional staff, and you will have access to a variety of resources such
as written handouts and suggestions for activities.
Q: Who will my students be and what courses will I be helping with?
A: Our students come from a variety of ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Most students come to the
Student Learning Center voluntarily, although some are referred by their instructors. A significant number of our tutees are
enrolled in College Writing R1A; others are enrolled in Reading and Composition 1A & 1B and a host of other writingintensive courses.
Q: How will I be assigned students?
A: Your fieldwork supervisor will assign you your students via email. On average, students completing fieldwork
experiences at the SLC work with 3-4 tutees.
Q: Where will I tutor and how long will the sessions be?
A: Tutoring occurs in the Atrium of the César E. Chávez Student Center under the supervision of the SLC Writing Program
Coordinators. You will meet with your students once a week for an hour each.
Q: Besides tutoring, what other responsibilities might I have?
A: We require all students enrolled in fieldwork to visit at least one of their student’s instructors to learn more about the
expectations of Reading and Composition classes at UC Berkeley. Each student enrolled in fieldwork must report the
number of hours he/she spends in training and tutoring in the form of weekly timesheets. Additionally, students enrolled in
fieldwork maintain journals in which they comment on their weekly seminar readings and tutoring experiences, and they
complete a final paper or project at the end of the semester.
Q: How will my work be assessed?
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A: On-going assessment is part of the fieldwork experience at the Student Learning Center. You will evaluate your own
progress, and your Senior Tutor and supervisor will provide you with regular feedback. Your supervisor will consider what
you have contributed to and gained from seminar, evaluate your tutoring sessions, and examine how well you utilize the
support and resources made available to you. Your tutees will complete evaluations of you, and you will be asked to evaluate
the tutor training seminar. At the end of each semester, you will meet with your supervisor, and he or she will complete a
final semester evaluation. Please feel free to contact the Writing Program Staff with questions.
Staff Member
Alberto Ledesma
E-Mail address
aledesma@berkeley.edu
Office
127 Chavez
Phone number
643-5737
Please retain this page for your own information.
WRITING PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION
HOW TO APPLY
STEP 1 Read the introductory pages attached to this supplement to become familiar with our goals, philosophy,
and application procedures.
STEP 2 Fill out this supplemental application and attach it to your completed SLC “General Tutor Application.”
STEP 3 Deliver: (a) a completed application ("General Tutor Application" and "Writing Program Supplemental
Application"), (b) one recent sample of your academic writing (which will not to be returned to you),
(c) an unofficial copy of your University of California, Berkeley transcript, and (d) a faculty
recommendation to the Reception Counter of the Chávez Student Center or to Alberto. Once your
application has been reviewed based on the qualifications described we will contact you if we wish to
interview you.
NAME________________________________________________
DATE_______________________
Please attach an additional sheet to respond to the following questions if more space is needed.
1) Why are you interested in enrolling in Education 97/197, Section 16 or English 310, Section 1 at the SLC?
2) How did you fulfill the UCB writing requirement? (e.g., College Writing, R1A-B)
3) What other courses have you taken that required a substantial amount of writing?
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Please respond to the case study and essay on the following page:
In a 1-2 page typed response, analyze what you see as this writer's strengths and weaknesses based on this
essay. Please consider all aspects of the writing (thesis, development, structure, sentence-level features,
language use, as well as any other factors you see as important), and please use specific examples from Luis'
essay to illustrate your analysis.
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Case Study Essay for Response and Analysis

Luis has received poor grades on the first three essays he wrote for his College Writing 1A course. Luis
struggles with issues such as development, structure and organization. He is also concerned with the
grammatical correctness of his essays. Luis worries about whether he'll be able to perform well enough to
pass this class.

Luis' assignment: Write an essay defining a term that is often misunderstood.
The Meaning of Chicano
Chicano is a term which regained popularity from the Chicano movement in the 1960's, but what exactly
does it mean. Chicano is defined as "Of of pertaining to Mexican-Americans." Millions of people identify
themselves as Chicanos in the United States. Chicano means much more to them than what the American
Heritage Dictionary defines it as. The term has political and cultural implications far beyond the definition of
Mexican-American or Hispanic. The University of California uses Chicano as a title of a special program within
the Ethnic Studies Department. This title has a special meaning for all Chicanos.
It is considered an insult by many Chicanos to be refured to as Hispanic. Hispanic is a general term used
by government and large institutions to refer to people of Spanish decent. People from South America, Central
America, Cuba and Spain are all generally refered to as Hispanic. People with different political views, different
cultural values, and which speak different dialects of Spanish can not be summed up to mean Chicano.
Mexican-American has a similar difiniton to Chicano. Chicano and Mexican-American both refer to
people of Mexican decent, people with indian forefathers which live in the United States. The term MexicanAmerican was forced upon the Mexcan people after the Mexican-American war in 1846. Mexican-American
refers to all Mexican who decided to stay in the concored land, the new territories of the United States. Chicano
differs both politically and culturally form Mexican-Americans.
To be Chicano is to be progressive. A Chicano is always fighting for the betterment of Chicanos and
other third world people. A Chicano always seems to notice injustices and acts of discrimination against their
people. They are envolved in groups and clubs such as Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan . The league
of Revolutionary Struggle. These groups work to end all discrimination that still exists today. They have been
part of historical events as the third world strike at the U.C. Berkeley campus and the Chicano Moritorium in East
Los Angeles.
Chicanos tend to keep close cultural ties with the culture form Mexico. These cultral values and
experiences range from traditional dance to Catholicism. Obviously Chicanos speak english eithr as a second
laguage of as a mother tongue. Chicanos tend to have traditional families consisting of a father, mother, children
and at times extended family members all living together in one house. Great respect for clergymen and elders is
an essential aspect of Chicano culture as well as the expression of affection towards one another. A Chicano, at
one part of his life or of the existance of his family, has had to fight economic barriers. One barrior is the
neighborhood were the Chicano is raised. Cities and towns such as East Los Angeles, San Jose, and the Central
Valley of California are similar, in respect to size, livng conditions, and appearance, topueblitos small towns in
Mexico.
Chicano is a very complex word which has alot of implied meanings. Is meanning is much more than a
Mexican-American, as many dictionaries define it as. A social statement is made when one considers himself a
Chicano. Political awarness, cultrual values are all aspects of a person who identifies himself as a Chicano.
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