Tutoring Club approved by Student Government Association
By Madeline Travell, Organizations Editor//
Tutoring at High Point University is an invaluable resource provided to the student body by students themselves. This program focuses on providing the assistance and support students need whether they are struggling with the concepts of the curriculum or just want to boost their grade. The academic services department comprises both student tutors and student instructors (SI’s) who are together working towards presenting material in a more tangible and accessible manner. SI’s are tutors who sit in on a certain class and specialize in that course. They will hold review sessions and office hours for that particular professor. Tutors and SI’s are tools students can utilize to further their success at HPU.
In the spring of 2015, the tutoring team achieved a goal they were striving to attain; they were charted as a club by SGA. This will give the tutoring sessions flexibility with services provided in an innovative and progressive way because the tutors now have funding. Dr. Craig Curty, the director of academic services, believes that the funding will “provide additional tutoring resources such as increased use of technology during tutoring sessions, improved tutor training resources and opportunities for tutors to present at state and national conferences.”
This means that technology can become an integral part of tutoring sessions. Depending on the subject matter, there are apps that can aid tutors supplement learning techniques and help students delve into the subject matter. For example for a language class, there are programs that can test the students’ knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and verb tenses. The use of technology can transfer to when the student is studying on their own and past their tutoring session. Practice and repetition exercises are difficult to force yourself to commit to; however, if there is a program or app that can aid you and make the process quicker can help encourage students to study beyond tutoring.
Another benefit of chartering the tutoring club to provide the tutors with the opportunity to strengthen their skills as tutors through training sessions. Curty provides an educational series that tutors must attend to achieve certification. They help guide tutors for a successful session and how to deal with any situation that could possibly arise throughout tutoring.
With funding, HPU tutors can have the chance to meet with tutors from other schools by attending conferences that are geared towards tutoring. This can provide a new perspective on how other programs operate and how to transform our own to make it even better. Attending these conferences is also a great way for HPU to share our successes and achievements in our academic resources department with other colleges and universities within North Carolina and across the country.
The funding from SGA allows the tutoring club more fluidity and mobility to expand and improve. This provides more opportunities that otherwise might not arise. The tutors and tutoring club are looking forward to what the future might bring. Last semester elections were held for the tutoring club and candidates were selected for positions. At the end of the year, the tutoring club was outfitted with a full range of officers ready to lead the new club to accomplish the goals that Curty and the academic services have.
To schedule a tutoring appointment and to access the walk-in tutoring schedule, visit: highpoint.edu/academicservices/ for more information or visit Curty in his office on the third floor of Smith Library.