Tutors offer free help

Fliers offering private tutoring in everything from chemistry to French dot the campus, but at an hourly rate that some students may be unable to pay.

Many students are not aware that Marshall also provides a tutoring program ­ for free.

The Peer Tutoring program offers undergraduate and graduate students who assist students with academic difficulties.

Michelle L. Starks, left, Charleston psychology sophomore, shares a laugh Tuesday with her math tutor, Staci D. Pauley, Logan biology junior. Photo by Jon Rogers

"The program continues to grow," said Katherine L. Hetzer, program coordinator-Sr. of the Academic Support Center (ASC). "Last semester, we had 75 tutors assisting 341 students.

"Although professors may be willing to spend the time assisting a student with problems, the student may be apprehensive about asking for help," she said.

"With peer tutors, the situation is less intimidating: The tutors are in the same age range and have been through the course themselves."

Tutoring sessions take place at the ASC facility, located in the lower level of the Community and Technical College (CTC) building.

"I'm a little concerned about people finding us," Hetzer said. "The MU phone directory lists us as being in Old Main which hasn't been true for years. We actually moved from Prichard Hall last August when the ASC opened."

Matthew M. Farr, Virginia Beach, Va., graduate student, works in the ASC and pairs students with peer tutors.

"Unfortunately there are loads of misconceptions about the program," Farr said.

"We're not related to the H.E.L.P. program and we're entirely free of charge."

The H.E.L.P. program charges fees and is for students with "learning disabilities and/or Attention Deficit Disorder" according to the latest Marshall undergraduate catalog.

Students may request a tu-tor in two separate subjects, with up to two hours of tutoring weekly for each subject.

"We have tutors for virtually any course and we'll try to find someone if no tutor is currently signed up for a given class," Farr said.

The service is provided to all Marshall students.

"The sooner students sign up for a tutor, the better," Farr said.

The waiting list continues to grow throughout the semester. Students who request a tutor in the first month of classes stand the best chance of being assigned one.

Last semester, 80 students on the waiting list never received help, Farr said.

"Math, chemistry and physics are the most requested topics and we always need tutors in those subjects. We also could use someone for anatomy and physiology," Farr said.

For students who need additional income, becoming a peer tutor may be the answer. Undergraduate tutors are paid $6 per hour and graduate students earn $7 per hour.

"To be tutor, you must have completed the course you wish to tutor with an A or B, maintain an overall 3.0 gpa., and supply a copy of your transcript with your application," Farr said.

Students interested in becoming a tutor or receiving one can apply at the ASC from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays. Application for either must be made in person.

A new program, just instituted last fall, is drop-in tutoring.

John A. Stone, Corydon, Ind., graduate student, tutors math courses, both individually and in groups.

"There are advantages to drop-in tutoring. You don't need to schedule appointments, you can use the service on an as-needed basis. Also, there's no waiting list to be assigned someone. We've already begun this semester, so students can receive help immediately," Stone said. Use of the drop-in tutoring program is not counted as part of a student's weekly allotted four hours.

Drop-in tutors are presently available in math, chemistry, physics, history and German. Drop-in tutoring is offered at various hours, Monday through Thursday. Schedules for the program, which detail exact courses and tutoring times, are available in the ASC.