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Tutoring

At Willamette University, the first thing you should do if you’re experiencing difficulty in a course is speak with the professor outside of class.  Our faculty members not only teach in the classroom, but also work with students individually to help them learn the curriculum.  No one knows the material in a particular course or how to teach it better than your professor, so always start there.

Sometimes students who are working closely with their professors benefit from additional mentoring of the sort that another student can provide.  In order to accommodate this need, the CLA Dean’s Office provides a free tutoring service available to all students and for all subjects except foreign languages. (Foreign language departments have their own tutoring programs. Please contact them directly for your language tutoring needs.)

Please note that in some departments - often math and chemistry - the demand for tutors is high, and we may not be able to fulfill all of the requests for individual tutoring. In such cases, we may work with faculty to structure study groups and tutoring for an entire class. For math classes this Spring 2012, group support will be provided. Students wanting individual tutors must first try the group sessions. After trying the group sessions, a student may contact Academic Support to discuss the possibility of individual tutoring. In addition, students are encouraged to form their own study groups and request one tutor for the entire group. Sometimes group tutoring can be provided when individual tutoring cannot.

How our Program Works

When you request tutoring, we immediately contact the professor in your course and seek a recommendation for someone the professor believes will be a good tutor.  Sometimes professors suggest advanced students who have previously taken the course in which you are enrolled. In other cases, they may suggest students who are currently in the course and doing especially good work.  As soon as they respond with some suggestions, we contact the students they recommend and select one to serve as your tutor.  Once a pairing has been set up, tutors and students develop a tutoring schedule that works for their individual needs. Tutors are paid for up to 2 hours per week per student, and they can work with more than one student at a time if the students are willing. 

Other Questions or Concerns?

Please contact learningcenter@willamette.edu