Requesting a Tutor:

First, stop by the Office of Academic Services OAS (formerly SAS) located in Hiemenga Hall (Room 446) and ask for a Tutor Request Form. Then, discuss your need for learning assistance with the professor of the class. You will need the professor's signature on the tutor form. After the form is completed and returned to the OAS, your assignment to a tutor will usually be made within 24-48 hours. It will be your responsibility to check your Calvin email account, to find out when your first meeting will take place.

Tutoring is a semester-long commitment; students will meet with their assigned tutor through the last week of class. The last day to request a tutor for the Fall 2009 semester is November 13th.

Cost:

Tutoring is available free of charge to any student whose professor agrees that tutoring would be helpful.

FAQ:

Does tutoring go on all semester?

It is assumed that the tutor and student will continue to meet once a week unless they decide that tutoring is no longer appropriate. The tutor, the student, or the professor may request that tutoring be discontinued.

Does OAS provide tutors for all departments?

Tutoring in foreign languages is arranged through each foreign language department. The Rhetoric Center provides assistance and advice in writing. Some departments also schedule their own drop-in tutor hours.

Are there other forms of tutoring available through OAS?

Drop-in tutoring is provided for some courses. Availability and location of drop-in tutoring is announced in the courses for which it is intended and on posters in various places on campus.

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What if I'm not sure that tutoring is what I need?

You may make an appointment with a member of the OAS staff to discuss your academic situation. These advisors will help you determine the steps to take to develop your approaches to learning.

Are there other ways OAS can help me develop my study skills?

For some courses, OAS may assist in the formation of study groups (doc 57k). These should also be announced by the professors of the courses for which they are scheduled. Occasionally OAS arranges for specific workshops, apart from the college curriculum, such as effective reading, test preparation, and the like. Notices will be posted around campus.

What other forms of assistance are available?

When tutoring or other forms of study assistance are not effective, the student may seek professional guidance in diagnosing obstacles to academic success and in designing plans for corrective action. Diagnosing may involve self-reports, skills tests, and/or individual ability tests. Intervening may involve repeated counseling sessions, "homework prescriptions," and/or referral to the Broene Counseling Center for counseling and Career Development. We also have a number of other web sites you may like to try.

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