Tutor Appreciation Week is October 7th through 11th.

Stop by the Learning Commons to thank your tutor or click below to send your appreciation virtually. 

Tutor Appreciation Form


 
TUTORS have been providing individualized academic support since Ancient Greece. Their work takes many forms. Our tutors and consultants use kindness, questions, critical dialogue, and responsive instruction to help students build on their strengths, connect to course material, and gain confidence as learners and thinkers.

Every appointment is different, but common session uses include: 

Reviewing course material
Studying for an exam
Mapping out a paper
Discussing challenging texts
Developing study strategies
Practicing math skills
Locating and citing sources
Planning a revision

Frequently Asked Questions 

Yes, all students can work with up to three different tutors a day and can see any individual tutor up to two times a week.

Appointments can be booked up to a week in advance.

All online and on-campus appointments are up to 50 minutes long. The math lab also offers open-lab hours. During open-lab hours, walk-in support is available without an appointment.

Call 315-792-5517 or stop by 129 Francis A. Wilcox Hall and ask at the front desk.

Online appointments are online on Zoom. Learn more below. 

Utica tutors are located in the Math Lab, Writing Lab, or in the blue chairs of the common area of room 129 in Francis A. Wilcox Hall

Rome tutors are located within the library in Plumley Complex.

Online appointments make use of Zoom or, upon request, Google Meet. For Zoom appointments:

  1. A few minutes before your appointment, your tutor will send a link and session password to your student email.  

  2. If you've previously downloaded the Zoom desktop client or mobile app, you can simply click the link and if necessary, enter the password.

  3. If you've never used Zoom before, you will be prompted to download the software before you can enter the password. It's pretty quick. 

  4. Once Zoom is open, enable your microphone and camera and you'll be ready to get started.

You can cancel your appointment via your Outlook calendar or your confirmation email up to an hour before it is scheduled to begin. 

For last-minute cancellations, call 315-792-5517 or stop in.

Note: If you miss three appointments without canceling, you will be blocked from making additional appointments. Learn how to get unblocked below.

If you've missed three appointments without canceling, we may cancel your appointments. This happens when a tutor or service is in high demand. It aims to ensure that our tutors are well utilized and that students who are able to attend tutoring have the opportunity to do so.

We always notify students prior to canceling appointments and are happy to work with you to reinstate services and to ensure that you do not miss additional appointments.

If you've lost services, reach out to Director Ibrahim Rosic by email [irosic@mvcc.edu] or phone [ 315-792-5506]. He'll work with you to get reinstate access.  

Sessions are most productive when students have relevant assignment guidelines, drafts, and course materials. Digital copies of assignments, readings, and drafts can be screenshared. 

The math lab in WH129 provides walk-in support Monday through Saturday.  Content tutors and writing consultants work by appointment but can offer walk-in support during unbooked hours. 

To see if walk-in content or writing support is available, stop at the front desk of WH129.

In most cases, yes. While it's difficult to address two papers in a single appointment, sessions that focus on content review and studying course material usually work well with more than one student.

If you and your classmate want a joint session, when the appointment begins, ask the tutor if they're comfortable having another student join the session. The answer is likely to be yes. 

The Learning Commons looks for tutors who love learning and enjoy working with people. To be a peer tutor, you'll also need to have :

  • completed 12 credits.

  • earned a GPA of at least 3.0.

  • earned a B or better in the course(s) you wish to tutor.

  • the ability to communicate course concepts to a variety of audiences.

  • a recommendation from the instructor who taught the course. 

To start the process, ask your instructor if they are comfortable recommending you. If they say yes, have them send a recommendation email to Learning Commons Director, Ibrahim Rosic. He'll reach out and let you know if we're hiring and how to proceed.

Maybe. Students registered with the Office of Accessibility Resources sometimes qualify for additional tutoring time.

Call 315-792-5644 or visit the Office of Accessibility Resources in the Learning Commons (WH 129A-E) to find out more.

While you may work on take-home exams in the Learning Commons, tutors cannot assist you without written instructor permission.

Although we do not offer a proofreading service, writing consultants will help you figure out what to focus on in your revision, assist you in identifying patterns of error, and give you tips and tools to help correct those errors.

The Zoom Mobile App is available on iOS, iPadOS, and Android.  

Google Meet offers an app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. 

Connection issues often have to do with limited bandwidth. To increase the bandwidth, try the following:

  • Close all other tabs and operations running on your device and on your Internet connection.

  • If possible, hard connect to your internet instead of using Wi-Fi.

    Instead of screen-sharing, send documents and images by email.

  • Turn your camera off and try using only audio.

If you don't like Zoom, consider Google Meet. The platform uses video conferencing and screen sharing, and has distinct advantages and disadvantages. 

  • Google Meet doesn't have an integrated whiteboard, so it is best when any collaboration can be done through screen sharing. Still, it takes up the less bandwidth than Zoom and features real-time closed captioning. 

Maybe.

Many tutors can help students learn how to access and navigate educational technologies like Brightspace, platforms like Zoom, and programs like Word and PowerPoint. Select tutors can help with course specific programs like Microsoft Excel and Adobe Premier Pro. Others can assist students with laptop set up and course specific program installation. Before you make an appointment, stop in or call our front desk at 315.792.5517. Tell Katie what you're looking for. She will let you know who might be able to help or if your need would be better met by another department.