Peer Tutoring FAQ

Peer tutoring is an active-learning and guided practice approach for students to interact with other peers, through individual or group instruction. It is supplemental to the teaching that takes place in the classroom and does not replace attending class, weekly office hours, or specific course curriculum. We strongly encourage you to always make use of faculty office hours for individualized instruction.

Our program at Albion College provides free peer tutoring services for introductory and some upper-level courses in most programs of study EXCEPT Writing (covered by the Writing Center) and Math, Physics, Biology, Economics, and Chemistry (covered by the Quantitative Studies Center)

Peer tutoring services are helpful for all students, regardless of GPA, skill level, and class status. The most successful students are the ones who take advantage of opportunities available on campus.

Peer tutoring is not a substitute for in-class instruction, attendance, participation, and faculty office hours.

We highly suggest that students meet with their instructor for office hours or an appointment to discuss their concerns and course progress, PRIOR to submitting a request for a peer tutor. It is our program policy that a student has met with his/her/their professor before moving through the tutoring process.

Many times, after meeting with the instructor, a student will find their questions answered and/or discover that a tutor is no longer necessary.

However, if the instructor and you still find that a tutor will be helpful, please submit the request.

Please allow up to 5-7 school days for your tutor request to be processed. Unfortunately, due to high demand and limited resources, we cannot guarantee that your tutor request can be completed for all subject areas or courses. We encourage you to make use of your fellow classmates, instructor office hours, and other campus/department resources.

Tutoring hours are capped at 3 hours per request (student/course) per week. Tutoring sessions last approximately 60-90 minutes; sessions typically do not last longer than 90 minutes.

Two "no-shows" or failure to meet with your tutor without advance notice will result in the cancellation of your tutor appointment. Please notify your peer tutor at least 24-48 hours in advance of a reschedule or cancellation.

Arriving late (20 minutes or more) will also count towards a "no-show."

All of the services offered through the Peer Tutoring Program, Writing Center, and Quantitative Studies Center are free to Albion College students, staff, and faculty.

Please contact the Learning Support Center's Peer Tutoring Coordinator, Nicholas Mourning at , 517/629-0411, or Ferguson 112.

Please complete a Request a Tutor form.

A follow-up email will be sent to you regarding the status of your request.

If after receiving our Peer Tutor Request Information email to you and your tutor about your request AND you do not hear from the peer tutor in 2-3 days, please contact the Peer Tutoring Coordinator.

Students should attend class and spend adequate time studying independently, without the tutor. If you cannot do the work on your own, you are not preparing yourself for exams.

Students should make use of your instructor's office hours as well as other supplemental study sessions offered for your class.

Students should attend each tutoring session prepared with all necessary materials including notes, course texts, exams and quizzes, handouts, and agenda.

Students should communicate with your peer tutor regarding appointment times; if you need to cancel or reschedule a tutoring session, please notify the tutor at least 24-48 hours in advance or understand that you may be dropped from the tutoring schedule.

Please complete our Request to Become a Peer Tutor application.

We will verify your references and contact you for an interview and orientation session.

Peer Tutors will be friendly and receptive to all student's questions and needs. We recognize that diversity involves not only gender, sex, age, race, and ethnicity but also learning style and multiple intelligences.

We will utilize a variety of strategies and methods to help you understand concepts, but we will not do the work for you, in any capacity.

We are trained in a “guided practice” instructional approach, which views the role of the tutor as a ‘facilitator' between the student(s) and the course content; tutors encourage and guide students in becoming a more autonomous learner. The peer tutor's role is to help students learn for themselves.

Most importantly, we will be professional, respectful, honest, and cooperative.

When a request is received for your subject area, the PT Coordinator will notify you (via email) to determine if you can fulfill the request. Please respond in a timely manner—please check your email on a daily basis.

If you accept the request, then the PT Coordinator will send out an introductory email to you, the student, and the instructor (for the course) with basic information and understanding about the request.

The peer tutor should contact the instructor and attend office hours or arrange a meeting with the instructor to receive resources, materials, etc. which will assist in tutoring the student in this specific course.

The peer tutor should then contact the student to arrange the first meeting time and location.

Please email me to let me know about the first meeting location, day, and time.

Review the expectations for peer tutoring

Establish the goals for peer tutoring: take a survey of the student's strengths and weaknesses, priorities and goals for the weekly tutor sessions, etc.

Plan a weekly schedule (location, day(s), and time) and maintain this schedule

Email the Peer Tutoring Coordinator with the following items:

• A summary of the first tutoring session
• The weekly established tutoring schedule for this peer tutoring assignment
• Any other important information
• Log his or her ours on the time clock

Always report to the Peer Tutor Coordinator:

• Attendance issues: no shows and tardies
• Behavioral issues such as uncomfortable comments or actions, effort, preparedness, etc.
• Anything that you believe warrants Nick's attention—No matter what!