Center for Academic Success celebrates MNSU’s tutors
Marjan Hussein
Staff Writer
Tutors are somewhat like everyday heroes as they provide a unique service of which the appreciation for knows no boundaries. Tutors at university level save students college career pathways and prevent them from the dire circumstances that could have unfolded had they not come to their aid.
The National Tutoring Week running annually from October 1st-5th presents the ideal occasion to celebrate tutors at the Center for Academic Success. The National Tutoring Week launched over a decade ago is celebrated at colleges, universities, and private tutoring centers nationwide.
The CAS is keen of starting a tradition of celebrating their tutors this year with their theme being ‘Tutors are Heroes’.
The Center for Academic Success is the main tutoring hub on campus for Math, Science, Business and Writing. Tutoring for other subjects are accepted by request at the CAS, but it mainly focuses on General Education courses. Teresa Neubert, Assistant Director of Writing, Speech & Languages at the Tutoring Center states that for writing specifically, aid is provided for papers across the curriculum up to the masters level.
The CAS is based in the basement of the Memorial Library. Math, Science & Business courses have walk in hours at the CAS if the tutor is available, whereas with writing one is required to set up an appointment as the interaction is a bit more personal.
However, walk in hours for writing are available on the first floor of the Memorial Library at scheduled times throughout the week.
Online tutoring is also available in case are not physically present, benefiting both tutor and student as college life can get hectic. Jason Westman, Director of the CAS states that in the early 2000’s the CAS changed from all appointment-based tutoring to walk-in tutoring for all non-writing support.
“This greatly increased the number of students we are able to assist,” Westman says, “Over the years, we’ve added walk-in writing hours in the library, collaborated with Extended Education to provide online writing support, with Communication Studies to house & train speech tutors, with CIT to house and train a number of IT tutors among other initiatives to benefit students.”
Tutor selection is done through an application process online that requires students to submit an unofficial transcript, with a minimum GPA requirement and minimum grade requirements for courses they intend to tutor.
Lindsay Stepan, Assistant Director of Math & Business states that faculty recommendations are taken into high consideration as some faculty members feel the need for their courses to have tutors. “There are some gradual changes over time at the CAS and they all incline to suiting the needs for students at MNSU,” Stepan said.
“In terms of promoting the CAS we go to resource fairs, workshops, orientation, invite classes for tours, plus our website acts as an excellent resource to inform students of how they can get academic assistance,” Neubert said. “Working & collaborating with various RSOs such as Math Club, in addition to instructors placing a blurb in their syllabus is typically how word gets out about the CAS,” Stepan said.
The CAS faces a fluctuation in tutors from time to time and currently there is a shortage of tutors. “We are currently seeking tutors as this is a highly gratifying job,” Neubert said.
Education revolves around programming your mind to think critically. At times the task may prove to be a too heavy to handle and some assistance may be required.
The CAS continues to prove itself an asset to MNSU students aiding them to get through turbulent courses that prove strenuous. This National Tutoring Week be sure at least give a thankful smile to the amazing tutors at the Center for Academic Success.