Course-Based Tutoring

STEM/Quantitative Skills Support Course-Based Tutoring Program

Course-based STEM and Social Science subject tutors are available by request. Tutors are trained and supervised by the CTLR. Depending on an individual department’s needs, the CTLR will also pay some or all of the requested tutor’s hours. 

Requests should be submitted prior to the semester start, or as early as possible in the semester to allow for adequate tutor recruitment, training and placement. Additional information can be found on the STEM Tutoring page.

Course-based tutors may provide drop-in sessions, in-class support, review sessions, and individual tutoring.

Recommending a Student to be a STEM/Quantitative Course-Based Tutor

Recommending a student to be a tutor is now part of the tutor application process. When the student applies to be a tutor, they are asked to enter a recommending professor. This will automatically notify you via email that they are requesting your recommendation. When you click on the link in the email to complete the recommendation, you are given an option to recommend them for a specific course.

To start the process, please direct them to the Become a Peer Tutor page and have them enter your name and email as the recommending professor in their application.

If you have questions, contact Frank Ruzicka, Director of Quantitative support. 

Writing Center Course-Based Tutoring Program

The Writing Center is now accepting course tutor requests for the fall 2023 semester. Please read on for more information, key deadlines, and the request form. 

About

What We Do: Course Tutors are part of the course’s educational goals on writing and communication. They work with students one-on-one to offer writing conferencing on writing process, revision, project planning, idea development, etc. The course tutor can also provide in-class workshops related to time management, project planning, revision, research integration, etc. Finally, they can offer insight into course design, assignment structure, and, even, writing assessment models. They are a trained resource with insight, as a student, on course development and sustainability. Typically connected with writing-intensive courses (see list below), we welcome partnerships with courses outside FYS/CW/WRPR programs. 

Program Expectations: The embedded course tutor program is one that functions well because of sustained engagement between faculty and tutor(s), which often takes the form of regular check-ins, mentorship meetings, and discussions about learning outcomes around writing. Past tutors have suggested that faculty intentionally include writing tutoring in the course expectations, such as through required visits, workshops, and other options.

Faculty Request timeline: An announcement is sent to faculty prior to the start of the fall/spring semester (in April/May for fall semester and in December/January for spring semester) to request a tutor. Requests are due in two rounds for the fall: the initial June 16th placement round and the smaller August 16th placement round. Priority will be given to past program partners and new FYS instructors. 

Hiring and training: There are two ways that students can become peer writing tutors. 1. Enroll in and successfully complete WRPR212: Issues and Methods in Tutoring Writing (offered every spring semester) and 2. Interview for a position during April/May. Please note that we do not train students during the academic year as there is too little turnaround time and it is impractical to hire “on the fly” when course projections are done a year out. More information on how a student can become a peer writing tutor can be found under “become a peer writing tutor.”

                                                           Request a tutor here                                                        

Additional Writing Center Services: There are other resources that are less labor intensive for faculty, such as the online tutoring site, the drop-in tutoring site, and professional tutoring. So, if an instructor chooses not to include a peer writing tutor in their writing intensive course (which is absolutely OK!), students can seek out writing center services independently. Faculty can also direct students to these sites during the drafting/revision stages of writing. However, we do not have capacity for an entire class to attend these sites with short notice, so please reach out ahead of time so Dr. Giaimo can arrange additional coverage or brainstorm ways to sustainably integrate the Writing Center into the course.  

Syllabus Blurb for Instructors: Feel free to include a copy of this blurb in course syllabi. Written by Constance Laranja Gooding (‘23) and Dr. Giaimo, edited by Mariana Zieve-Cohen (‘23.5). 

Additional details about course-based tutors and faculty support can be found on the Writing Center course-based tutoring page. Contact Genie Giaimo, Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric and Director of the Writing Center with questions.

Other Kinds of Support Provided by the CTLR

For more information about CTLR ‘s student-centered programming—including academic skills development, language tutoring, etc., visit the main student tutoring page.