College Expands Tutoring Services to Reach More Students
Thursday, February 9, 2012
In a continuing effort to make sure students have access to the support services that can help them succeed in their college course work, Pennsylvania College of Technology's Academic Success Center has expanded its tutoring services to new locations in 2011-12.
In addition to services at the Tutoring Center and Writing Center in the Klump Academic Center, tutors are available in a variety of labs on campus, as well as in the Madigan Library and Dauphin Hall, bringing support services to students where they spend their time.
"We're trying to serve more students," said Jennifer L. Hammond, coordinator of tutoring. "That's always our goal."
This year, on-site tutoring is available in more locations and in more majors than in the past, for a total of 18 courses or subject areas in all eight of the college's academic schools.
The expansion in on-site tutoring services is partly in response to Penn College's participation in the Foundations of Excellence project. Through that project, the college developed a variety of plans to enhance the first year of college for students, providing a strong foundation for the remainder of their college careers.
The added tutoring locations were part of a reorganization of the Academic Success Center, which also yielded such new services as academic mentoring and a Writing Center.
"One of the guiding principles in revamping the Academic Success Center was "all services to all students,'" Hammond said. "So offering tutoring to more students was part of that."
The newly reorganized Academic Success Center provided direct academic support to more than 30 percent of the college's students in 2010-11. With on-site tutoring available in additional locations and majors in 2011-12, that number is expected to increase.
Tutoring in the on-site locations is offered on the same days and times each week by paid, upper-level students who have been recommended by their faculty.
"It gives them great professional experience and a way to make a little extra money, too," Hammond said.
Faculty coordinate the times for on-site tutoring, ensuring the tutors are available at the best times for students.
On-site tutoring is available in the following subjects:
- Anatomy and Physiology Hager Lifelong Education Center
- Architecture Hager Lifelong Education Center
- Aviation Lumley Aviation Center
- Biology Hager Lifelong Education Center
- Botany Schneebeli Earth Science Center
- Building Construction  Hager Lifelong Education Center
- Computer Aided Design College Avenue Labs
- Information Technology Breuder Advanced Technology and Health Sciences Center
- Information, Technology and Society  Breuder Advanced Technology and Health Sciences Center and Madigan Library
- Electrical Technologies Electrical Technologies Center
- Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology Center for Business & Workforce Development
- Food and Hospitality  Hager Lifelong Education Center
- Math  Madigan Library and Dauphin Hall
- Medical Terminology Madigan Library
- Paralegal Law Library (inside Madigan Library)
- Psychology Madigan Library
- Sociology Madigan Library
- Writing  Madigan Library
To learn more about the free services available to all Penn College students through the Academic Success Center, call 570-320-5261 or visit online .
For more about Penn College, visit on the Web , email or call toll-free 800-367-9222.