The University of Northern Colorado offers multiple types of academic support for students. These supports include academic advising, study nights, library assistance, clubs and more. The Division of Student Academic success houses the Center for Human Enrichment, SOAR, Student Athlete Academic Success and Tutorial Services.
The Tutorial Services offers one-on-one and group session tutoring during the day and at night. There are three locations on campus where tutoring is held. The first is located in Kepner Hall, the business school, where business tutors take walk-in appointments. The second is located in Skinner Library, where music tutors reside. Finally, the main tutoring office is located in the lower level of Michner library, where students must make appointments in-person or online for day tutoring, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Walk-in tutoring is offered at night, on the main floor of the library, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Melissa Hoffner, director of tutoring, encourages students to utilize the tutoring services.
“It’s something that they can come to use and either try to go over the material in a way that they might not have understood it,” she said. “You should come because you want to maintain those grades, but if you are struggling, it’s also good to come in so you can figure out where you’re at and start moving from there.”
The tutors are current UNC students who have obtained a grade of a B or higher in the classes that they tutor, and offer peer support.
“All of the tutors are peers and that’s really unique,” said Alyssa Reed, a former tutor and current graduate assistant. “That students can come in and get extra help, not from a faculty member, like a TA, but actually a peer.”
“Everyone should come in if they feel like they need help with any topic and they’re not able to make it to their professor’s office hours,” said Brecken Lusk, a multi-subject tutor.
“It can be intimidating to ask a question in class and even just to go into a professor’s office hours and ask them questions because it’s not something we’re used to doing,” said Caleb Sandoval, a math and science tutor. “It’s way easier to talk to someone who’s your age.”
“It gives them a way to get support that they might not be comfortable in asking their faculty member for,” said Hoffner.
“Our students here at UNC are receiving help from their peers,” said Jamie Cobb, the program coordinator of Tutorial Services. “I think sometimes having that peer to peer assistance helps alleviate some of the imposter syndrome, it helps alleviate some of the uncertainty about certain classes or professors or even the degree choice. I think having a peer that’s there to help guide them and say ‘yeah you know what, I struggled too, it’s okay’.”
Although the tutoring center offers over 150 courses to tutor from, the main goal of the center is to form connections with the students coming in.
“Building connections with people allows me to know how people think, like what is it that they're concerned about, what is it that they want to know about,” Lusk said. “That way I can better help them with study habits, better help them with understanding content.”
“I’m able to build a connection with them and it doesn’t then just feel like, oh I’m just here because I’m going to help you,” said Sandoval. “Like oh no, you learn by asking questions, right.”
Even though tutoring is offered for academic support, the faculty and staff aim for a welcoming environment and want students to know that getting help is okay.
“Come and get help with really everything involving your grades and education in class,” Lusk said.
“Ask for help,” Cobb said, “Don’t do the unnecessary struggle when we have support services available that are free to our UNC undergraduate students.”
“Just give it a shot,” Sandoval said. “You’re very likely to at least learn something.”
“I think a lot of people maybe don’t know about them so they don’t get utilized as much” Reed said. She wants students to pay more attention to the academic services that UNC has to offer.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Hoffner said. “Here at UNC, we’re trying to make sure we’re here to help the students succeed.”
Assistance in academics, personal support and getting help in a welcoming environment is all offered at the Tutoring Center. For more information, visit L-149 in Michner Library.
