Small Group Tutoring
Tutor Groups are
- Course specific
- Capped at five students per group
- Scheduled to meet twice per week for 90 minutes each meeting
- Held at the same time, in the same place, on the same days each week
- All tutor groups meet on the Lawrence campus
- Facilitated by peers who meet eligibility requirements and are formally trained as ALC tutors
- Formed based on student demand each fall and spring semester
Students
- Request tutor groups online ALC Tutoring
- Are placed in tutor groups on a first come, first serve, by schedule basis
- Have a free trial period for attending the tutor group
- Agree to abide by the terms stated in the ALC Tutoring Services user agreement form
Tutors
- Are undergraduate and graduate students
- Come recommended by at least two faculty/instructors
- Scored a B or higher in the course selected to tutor (or in a higher level course in the same discipline)
- Trained in a variety of learning preferences and equipped with a variety of tutoring strategies
- Formally evaluated each semester for their work as tutors
Financial Aid
- Is available in the form of fee waivers to students who are eligible
- Eligibility for the fee waiver is based on information provided in the FAFSA
- Is awarded on a first come, first serve basis while funds are available
- Students may apply for a fee waiver during the online tutor group request process
Frequently Asked Questions
Tutoring Services expects that students will attend tutor groups regularly. Regular attendance enables the group to become more cohesive and efficient, as the tutor will not have to spend valuable time repeating information. If you need to miss a tutor group meeting, it is alright as long as you notify your tutor beforehand. After four absences without any communication with the tutor or Tutoring Services, the student will be dropped from the group, no refund given. This will give another student on the waiting list an opportunity to join the group.
Students may not join a tutor group that meets during part of a class. Arriving late or leaving early is disruptive for the tutor and the other students. Also, just as explained above, this causes the tutor to waste time repeating information or the student to fall behind.
Your fee will be at a modest cost per course regardless of when you start. Remember that even if you only receive six weeks of tutoring, the cost is still less than $6 per hour. Private tutors generally charge around $20 per hour or more.
This really depends upon whether the group you requested is full. It may take as little as one day, or as long as a few weeks.
The tutor isn't there to repeat the lesson, check homework, or provide assistance on any material that is to be submitted for a grade. The student needs to do as much of the homework as possible before the tutor group meeting and come with questions. The tutor can help the student gain a better understanding of the material.
When this occurs, we will place you on a waiting list and let you know if a spot becomes available. However, if demand for the course is significant, we will do our best to hire another tutor and open new groups as soon as possible. We will consult with the students on the waiting list as to which days and times work best.
Beginning Fall 2020, it is $100 per course; per semester. If you are placed in two tutor groups during the same semester, the fee doubles. For example, if you are in one group for Math 115 and one group for LAT 104, your fee will total $200. If you are eligible for a fee waiver, the tutor groups for which you applied for a fee waiver and were approved will be covered.
When you are assigned a tutor, we will also give you a Withdrawal Date. This date is the day after your second tutor group meeting. It is by this date that you must log into the online system and formally withdraw if you decide that you do not need our service. In other words, you have a short "trial" period before having to commit to the tutor group.
If for some reason your schedule permanently changes for the rest of the semester or you feel that you need a different tutor, a switch could possibly be made. However, this can only be arranged through our office and if there is an opening in another tutor group.
Pre-registration does not formally commit you to any tutor group, nor does it ensure that you will be placed in the tutor group you have requested. Pre-registration allows you to receive an e-mail from our office as soon as we are ready to begin placing students in groups at the start of the semester. This e-mail directs you to our website so that you may request a tutor group. It gives you the advantage of selecting a group before the majority of groups have filled up. Pre-registration is available at request a tutor near the end of each semester and remains open through the Thursday of the first week of classes.