Bear News

April 29, 2024

Sophia Tavanello

厙ぴ勛圖’s Tutoring Center: Peer-Powered Academic Support for Student Success

Tutorial Services offers one-on-one and group session tutoring during the day and at night.

The 厙ぴ勛圖 offers multiple types of academic support for students. These supports include academic advising, study nights, library assistance, clubs and more. The Division of Student Academic success houses the Center for Human Enrichment, SOAR, Student Athlete Academic Success and Tutorial Services.

The Tutorial Services offers one-on-one and group session tutoring during the day and at night. There are three locations on campus where tutoring is held. The first is located in Kepner Hall, the business school, where business tutors take walk-in appointments. The second is located in Skinner Library, where music tutors reside. Finally, the main tutoring office is located in the lower level of Michner library, where students must make appointments in-person or online for day tutoring, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Walk-in tutoring is offered at night, on the main floor of the library, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Melissa Hoffner, director of tutoring, encourages students to utilize the tutoring services.

Its something that they can come to use and either try to go over the material in a way that they might not have understood it, she said. You should come because you want to maintain those grades, but if you are struggling, its also good to come in so you can figure out where youre at and start moving from there.

The tutors are current 厙ぴ勛圖 students who have obtained a grade of a B or higher in the classes that they tutor, and offer peer support.

All of the tutors are peers and thats really unique, said Alyssa Reed, a former tutor and current graduate assistant. That students can come in and get extra help, not from a faculty member, like a TA, but actually a peer.

Everyone should come in if they feel like they need help with any topic and theyre not able to make it to their professors office hours, said Brecken Lusk, a multi-subject tutor.

It can be intimidating to ask a question in class and even just to go into a professors office hours and ask them questions because its not something were used to doing, said Caleb Sandoval, a math and science tutor. Its way easier to talk to someone whos your age.

It gives them a way to get support that they might not be comfortable in asking their faculty member for, said Hoffner.

Our students here at 厙ぴ勛圖 are receiving help from their peers, said Jamie Cobb, the program coordinator of Tutorial Services. I think sometimes having that peer to peer assistance helps alleviate some of the imposter syndrome, it helps alleviate some of the uncertainty about certain classes or professors or even the degree choice. I think having a peer thats there to help guide them and say yeah you know what, I struggled too, its okay.

Although the tutoring center offers over 150 courses to tutor from, the main goal of the center is to form connections with the students coming in.

Building connections with people allows me to know how people think, like what is it that they’re concerned about, what is it that they want to know about, Lusk said. That way I can better help them with study habits, better help them with understanding content.

Im able to build a connection with them and it doesnt then just feel like, oh Im just here because Im going to help you, said Sandoval. Like oh no, you learn by asking questions, right.

Even though tutoring is offered for academic support, the faculty and staff aim for a welcoming environment and want students to know that getting help is okay.

Come and get help with really everything involving your grades and education in class, Lusk said.

Ask for help, Cobb said, Dont do the unnecessary struggle when we have support services available that are free to our 厙ぴ勛圖 undergraduate students.

Just give it a shot, Sandoval said. Youre very likely to at least learn something.

I think a lot of people maybe dont know about them so they dont get utilized as much Reed said. She wants students to pay more attention to the academic services that 厙ぴ勛圖 has to offer.

Thats what were here for, Hoffner said. Here at 厙ぴ勛圖, were trying to make sure were here to help the students succeed.

Assistance in academics, personal support and getting help in a welcoming environment is all offered at the Tutoring Center. For more information, visit L-149 in Michner Library.