Center for Achievement, Retention, and Student Success

Tutor Job Description

• Is tutoring for you?
• Do you enjoy helping others?
• Are there certain classes that you really enjoyed?
• Would you like to acquire work experience that looks good on a resume or college application?

Position Description

Provide tutoring to students seeking assistance through CARSS by staffing CARSS tutor rooms within STEM disciplines. Assist students in improving academic achievement by meeting with them on a regular basis to facilitate learning and assist the student to become a successful, independent learner. Other assistance might include: reviewing class material, discussing the text, designing test questions, or working on solutions to problems. The purpose of tutoring is to increase and enhance mastery of concepts or applications of a specific course of study. Peer tutors integrate effective study and learning strategies to maximize the tutee’s potential for academic progress.

A few other noteworthy facts:

• Peer Tutors are not graders, nor teaching assistants.
• Since this service is based on student need and tutor availability, there are NO guaranteed hours.
• Clients are UAlbany students with declared or intended Science majors who would benefit from tutoring in gateway Science courses.
• Clients do NOT pay a fee.

Requirements

1. Have a B+ or better grade in the course(s) to be tutored.
2. Maintain an overall 3.0 grade point average.
3. Demonstrate ability to quickly establish rapport and communicate well with students.
4. Have on file a recommendation letter from a faculty member who can testify to your proficiency with the material you wish to tutor.
5. Complete required tutor training course. (UUNI 498)
6. Sit for an interview with CARSS staff.
7. Attend mandatory staff meetings and supplemental training sessions.

Responsibilities

1. Tutor students in specific course material and integrate study and learning strategies to promote independent learning.
2. Meeting with the instructor of the course you are tutoring may be required in order to discuss your role as a tutor. 
3. Be punctual and prepared for all scheduled tutoring sessions. It is your responsibility to notify us as soon as possible if you cannot meet with your students.
4. Complete and hand in all required paperwork, and encourage tutees to do the same.
5. Character traits: responsible, dependable, and mature... friendly, patient, and sensitive to the needs of a diverse student population.

How to Become a Peer Tutor

Training, Application and Tutor Hiring Process

• All undergraduates who wish to serve as CARSS tutors are required to take a training course in order to be trained to be an effective CARSS tutor. The course is: UUNI 498, STEM Tutoring, and is 3 credits

• Following completion of the course, a CARSS Tutor Application form should be completed. Application Form (PDF)

• Submit your application to the CARSS office and schedule an interview with Mrs. Gale Butler Kuhlkin, the CARSS Coordinator.

• If you have questions about the position, contact the CARSS office at 518.437.4442 or email Gale at: [email protected]. The CARSS office is located in LI-36.

Employment Information

Assignments

Under the supervision of the CARSS coordinator, tutors provide tutoring to groups of students.

Tutor schedules are arranged by the tutor and Dianne Jester, the CARSS coordinator. Tutors are asked to consult with Dianne at the beginning of each semester to arrange their tutoring hours that accommodate the dates and times during which the corresponding lecture course is offered.

Absences & Punctuality

If you anticipate being late or absent please contact the CARSS office as soon as possible at 518.437.4442. Absences without notification will negatively impact your employment status as a tutor. Please be present and ready to start work shortly before your session is scheduled to start..

Paid Time

Tutors will be paid for actual work time of up to 10 hours per week. In addition, CARSS will pay tutors for time spent at all staff meetings.

Time Sheets & Pay Information

Tutors will be required to submit to Dianne Jester the Tutor Attendance Log at the end of each tutoring session. It is very important to complete this form legibly & completely immediately after each session so that your payroll sheet can be duly completed. Tutors are required to fill out their time sheets at the CARSS office every other Friday by 5 pm.

Record Keeping

An integral part of this program is the monitoring of the number of students within each STEM discipline who avail themselves of the services offered by CARSS. Consequently an important aspect of your responsibility as a tutor will be to ensure that the number and identity of students who are served is appropriately recorded. Ensuring that each student present at your session completes a Student Feedback Form at the end of each session is critical to the success of CARSS operations.

Tutor Work Area & Atmosphere

Please help us keep the CARSS office orderly, clean and quiet. It is essential that noise be kept to a minimum.

Behavior

Please conduct yourself in a professional manner. Be aware of your style of communication, language, and behavior. All students and staff need to be treated with respect and dignity. Failure to do so will negatively impact your status as a tutor.

Dress & Grooming

While we do not have a "dress code" we do expect you to dress appropriately for the position (i.e. avoid "dressing to distract"). Personal hygiene is important since you are working in close quarters.

Evaluations

Your performance as a tutor will be evaluated during the semester. Any concerns regarding your evaluation will be discussed with you and appropriate recommendations will be made.

Peer Tutors are evaluated in accordance with the following procedures:

• Tutors are asked to provide an evaluation of their experience as a tutor each semester. Tutor feedback is valued and is essential to the decision-making process for determining needed program adjustments to enhance the quality of our service.
• Tutee Feedback Form filled out by CARSS students each time they attend a study group or review sessions. The CARSS coordinator will share student feedback with tutors regularly through emails or personal meetings.
• Tutor meetings during the semester provide opportunities for tutors to give feedback to CARSS regarding their experiences and insights they have gained from their tutoring experience. Suggestions for improvement of the CARSS program are also noted.

Problems & Conflicts

If you are experiencing difficulties during or as a result of your tutor assignment, please see the CARSS office staff to work out a solution.

Failure to comply with the information above may result in the termination of your status as a tutor. Tutors are hired as temporary hourly employees on an as needed basis and are not considered permanent employees of the University at Albany.

The Tutor Code

We do.....

…explain concepts that students have difficulty understanding.
…use alternate methods of explaining content and give examples that may help students better understand.
…share successful study strategies based on experience and training.
…believe a student's work should reflect their own ability.
…give positive reinforcement - help students become more confident in their own abilities.
…honor the privacy of the client.

We do NOT.....

…do assignments for students - including lead them through assignments.
…assist in take home exams.
…grade assignments or discuss assigned grades.
…attempt to judge the acceptability of completed assignments from the instructor's point of view.
…comment on an instructor's grading policy, teaching style, or personality.
…proof read drafts of papers, although we may read for logic and clarity.
…discuss client's progress, achievements or abilities with others.

Training

• Prospective undergraduate tutors are required to take a three credit tutor training course.  UUNI 498, STEM Tutors, assists potential tutors to develop techniques to facilitate group and individual tutoring sessions for Science foundation courses offered through the departments of Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Course components are: formal training in tutoring processes, study skills, and learning strategies; seminars on related topics;  and monitored tutoring throughout the semester. S/U graded.

• Prerequisite(s): previous enrollment in course to be tutored; a B+ or better in that course; and overall 3.0 grade point average; a letter of recommendation from the professor from whom you took the course.

• During the course, besides the seminars, 2/3 of the semester you would be tutoring 1-2 students for CARSS. At the end of the course, if you choose, you could apply to tutor for CARSS the following semester as a paid tutor. An interview is also required. Not all students choose to apply to tutor for CARSS following the course, but all are welcome to apply and sit for an interview.

• If you are unable to accommodate the training in your schedule, it will not be possible for you to serve as a tutor.

Tutoring locations

We are now located in LI-36..

Tutoring Forms

• The following are the required forms for becoming a tutor:

  Application form

  Recommendation form

• These are also available in the CARSS office, LI-36.

General Policies for CARSS Tutors

It is essential that certain principles must be followed for the optimum delivery of our services. These are outlined below:

1. Punctuality: Being on time for group session appointments, review sessions, and all other appointments associated with your employment with CARSS is obligatory, and deviations from this principle cannot be tolerated. The principle of timeliness for all tutors sets the correct tone for the students we are privileged to serve, and is a standard requirement for employment.
2. Respect for CARSS property: Over the course of your employment, you will have access to textbooks and other valuable instructional tools such as molecular models, etc. These items should be treated with respect and handled with care. When they are checked out, they should be returned in the condition they were in when you acquired them. Refrain from marking up textbooks, and return them promptly at the end of the semester. It should be noted that if you lose or damage a textbook, you must reimburse CARSS for the cost of the book. Failure to do so may result in termination of your relationship with CARSS.
3. Assisting tutees with homework assignments: It is the policy of CARSS that tutors are not to do homework assignments that are given to tutees by instructors. However, a tutor may work a similar problem that he/she believes will assist in the learning of the concepts that underlie the subject matter, so that the student can proceed with the homework assignments on their own. In addition, tutors are not to “grade” homework assignments that have been completed by tutees. In other words, a tutor is not allowed to inspect tutee completed homework assignments and render an assessment on whether the problems are “wrong” or “right”, or offer an opinion on how the professor is likely to assess the student’s responses. All assessments are within the sole purview of the instructor. Only in special circumstances where a professor gives us permission to work on homework questions with students, will this be allowed. If you have any questions regarding this, please speak with a CARSS representative before you act.
4. Discussions of a professor:
1. As you gain more experience as a tutor, you will learn that students are often more responsive to the course content delivery styles of some professors over others. However, making disparaging remarks about a professor, or engaging in such talk initiated by those we serve, is in no wise permitted even if you perceive that it might be justified! In the final analysis, every student is responsible for their own learning, regardless of who is teaching the course. If a student raises issues regarding a professor, you are to remind them that CARSS exists to provide them with the assistance they need to overcome some of the obstacles to learning they may be experiencing, regardless of their source. Life presents all of us with situations that are both fair and unfair, and resolution in those that are perceived to be unfair rarely if ever occurs through verbal bashing. Among the best we can do is be encouraging, while at the same time providing tutees with the tools they need to improve their study habits and maximize their chances of learning, retaining and applying course material to the challenges (in class or out) with which they may be faced.
2. Discussions on the part of tutors of any professor’s grading policies are totally out of bounds. Even if you have taken a class from a professor, and you feel you have direct experience regarding that professor’s grading policies, you are never to share your opinions with students. Should students inquire about how a professor is likely to assess their grades, you should direct their attention to the Professor’s syllabus and/or the professor himself/herself. All student concerns regarding their grades on assignments, tests etc. should be directed to the professor.
5. CARSS Center Doors: Most of you are aware that there is a back door to the CARSS Center, located in classroom 70 C. The policy for using that door is DON’T. This includes all CARSS staff and the students that come to CARSS. We wish to avoid all issues of confusion about using that door for CARSS access or exit, by being consistent with our practices. If you have used it in the past, please discontinue doing that immediately. For those of you tutoring in that room, you will have to educate your students to this policy. The signs on the door should make this clear to anyone…if they are read.
6. Using the Center after hours: As a CARSS Tutor you have access to the Center all semester, even when the Center is closed. This provides you with a quiet study area when needed. These are the policies regarding usage:
1. Notify Dianne by email what hours you were in the Center, start to finish
2. How many others were with you if applicable
3. Leave your space in order: clean boards, chairs returned, garbage disposed of