U of A Tutoring Services See Increased Usage, Play Pivotal Role in Students Achieving Academic Goals

With the end of the Fall 2022 semester nearing, campus tutoring services housed in the Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence are on track to have a record year. The new location in the CORD, which has given the Student Success Center's tutoring services more space to conduct its programming, has allowed tutoring staff to expand services and serve more students as they work toward achieving their academic goals.

Academic tutoring is offered in more than 100 university courses to help students understand the key foundational concepts to succeed in their area of study. The tutoring team is composed of undergraduate and graduate students who have excelled in their areas of study and offer peer-to-peer academic support. During the first eight weeks of the Fall 2022 semester, academic tutoring services saw a 20% increase in appointments attended compared to the first eight weeks of the Spring 2022 semester.

During Fall 2022, the tutoring team has also offered embedded tutoring, placing undergraduate student tutors in key courses to offer added academic support. Eight embedded tutors were placed in MATH 1203 sections, giving 342 students access to a tutor in class each week. The tutors' presence in MATH 1203 courses equates to an additional 31 hours per week of tutoring access, or approximately 248 hours of tutoring through the first eight weeks of classes.

In addition to the traditional one-to-one tutoring model, group tutoring is growing in popularity. Groups of two or more students can submit a group tutoring request online, and a tutor will be assigned to assist the group with shared course concerns. Through the first eight weeks of Fall 2022, 18 group study sessions were booked with tutors.

The tutoring team also added a new service during Fall 2022, study hall collaborations with supplemental instruction. During the first eight weeks of the semester, the SI and tutoring programs co-hosted two study hall events for students in CHEM 1103: University Chemistry I. The first two study halls were hosted before the second and third course exams and attracted 131 and 108 students, respectively. The team also hosted a session before finals.

"The tutoring team has had a busy Fall 2022 semester, bolstered by an increase in appointments attended and well-received new programs created to support students in their success journeys," said Caroline Beringer, tutoring program coordinator. "We're on track to have a record semester, demonstrating the strength of our programming and the need for continued innovation in supporting our students in personalized ways so they can reach their goals in the classroom and beyond."

Learn more about tutoring services through the Student Success Center at the CORD.