IU Southeast offers a variety of academic resources available that many students may not even know about.

In addition to giving placement tests and running the Supplemental Instruction program, the Student Development Center offers tutoring for most 100-and 200-level courses for just $5 per hour.

“It’s definitely cheaper than if you were to go find someone privately,” Ryan Norwood, academic resources coordinator for the Student Development Center, said.

Students seeking tutoring can buy vouchers from the Bursar’s Office or the Student Development Center.

If they are purchased in the SDC, only students can only pay with their UCards.

Norwood said the Center works to schedule the appointments as quickly as possible.

“We try to get them in within that week,” Norwood said.  “Of course it depends on what time they come in.  Our goal is to have a two- to three-day turnaround on an appointment.”

Norwood said there are about 100-120 different students that come through the Center each semester for tutoring, and most thought the tutoring was beneficial.

“We send them a survey every semester to see how their experience was, and generally it’s a positive experience,” Norwood said.

Norwood said the most requested are for math and chemistry.

He said they do not generally do upper level classes because they are more specialized.

“It’s very difficult to find someone that’s willing to tutor those classes because generally they’re doing internships, getting ready to graduate, stuff like that,” Norwood said.

There is still plenty of academic support to supplement the higher level classes, Norwood said.

“Obviously the first step for any student seeking help should be their professor,” he said.  “Generally they can direct them toward the resources.  For math, we have the Math Lab as well, we have the Writing Center, and we actually have the Science Center now too.  Those things can accommodate those upper level classes generally.”

Norwood said there are around 40 tutors on staff right now, and they are all students who have done well in the classes they are tutoring.  They also have a recommendation letter from the professor.

Stephanie Collins, business management, has been a tutor and SI instructor for over a year. She tutors math, and said finite math is her favorite.

“It’s a lot of fun for me and I like to think I’m pretty good at making the math sound like other random stuff that doesn’t seem mathematical at all,”. Collins said.  “It sounds a lot easier and it makes a lot more sense for people who hate math.  We play a lot of games.”

Collins said although she loves tutoring, she does not want to get a math degree to teach full-time.  She said she plans to continue working in the Tutoring Center and doing the Supplemental Instruction until she graduates.  She said she feels good about getting to help people.

“You can definitely see improvement,” Collins said, “but when people feel better about what they’re doing–they may not necessarily have it perfect–but when people feel like they can actually do the work, I feel like I actually did something so that’s pretty sweet.”

Stormi Zeis, nursing sophomore, has been coming to the Tutoring Center for a month to get help with chemistry from Rob Brown, recent IU Southeast alumnus.

She said she is seeing improvement and will continue the tutoring.

“I considered doing a chemistry minor, and I was like, ‘as long as I can find a good tutor with a math brain,’ I would definitely come back.’”

Norwood said it is important for students seeking help to          remember that they still have to put in the work.  They are not getting “the magic wand” treatment just by showing up.

“We always encourage that if you feel like you’re going to need some tutoring in a course, it’s better sooner than later,” Norwood said.  “Even if it’s right when the semester starts and the student just knows, ‘I really have this struggle with math’ or something, get in here as soon as you can.

There’s only so much we can do after a certain point.”

For more information about tutoring services or the Student Development Center, call (812)941-2342, e-mail sesdc@ius.edu, or visit University Center, room 203.

By APRILE RICKERT

Staff

apmricke@ius.edu