Tutoring Center Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a tutoring session like?
A. It depends on your needs. Some students have questions about homework they have attempted. Others want to talk though material more generally. Yet others want advice about how to study for an upcoming exam or for a subject generally. Students should be an active participant in their session and help guide to tutor to meet your needs.

Q. Are there any expectations of students when they use the Tutoring Center?
A. Yes, our expectation of students are to:

Have materials available (e.g., class notes, assignment guidelines, textbooks, calculator, etc.).
Attend class lectures (online or in-person). Tutors are undergraduate students, not professionals in the field, so they are not a substitute for class instruction.
Be an active participant in your education.

Q. What can students expect from tutors?
A. Students can expect tutors to:

Be supportive and professional
Answer questions and provide explanations and advice to the best of their ability
Work WITH you but not FOR you
Be mindful to not violate SUU's academic integrity policy
NOT correct your homework, projects, take-home exams, or math labs. They will provide useful comments and suggestions to help foster independent learning.
NOT try to predict what your grade will be on your assignments and cannot speak for your instructor. Please ask your instructor for any clarification on an assignment or a grade.

Q. How many students do you serve?
A. We serve roughly 1,200-1,500 undergraduate students each semester across all our services.

Q. How do I get a tutor when I drop in to the Tutoring Center?
A. Check in using one of three methods: 1) our front desk computers, 2) the "Tutoring Queue" link on the left side of your MySUU portal, or 3) the "Queue for a Tutor" button on the drop-in webpage. Answer the questions and submit your request, then find your seat. Your request will alert tutors that you are ready for assistance. A tutor will be with you as soon as they are available.

Q. How much time should I expect a tutor to spend with me during a drop-in tutoring session?
A. If we are busy (lots of students wanting help), probably about 20-25 minutes. But you can re-queue yourself for more help if needed. We'd like to spend more time and certainly will if it is slower. We never want a student to leave within the hour without getting some help, so tutors must spread out their attention on busier days.

Q. Can I get online tutoring?
A. Yes. Drop-in tutoring and recurring one-on-one tutoring can are offered online (as well as in-person). Visit these pages (drop-in tutoring and recurring tutoring) to learn how to access each.

Q. How many courses does the Tutoring Center serve?
A. We typically serve over 150 courses each semester.

Q. Which courses are requested the most?
A. A typical year's requests:

Chem 1210/15 - Principles of Chemistry I and lab (2,160 requests)
Math 1040 - Statistics (1,712 requests)
Chem 1220 - Principles of Chemistry II and lab (1,611 requests)
Math 1010 - Intermediate Algebra (1,484 requests)
Math 1210 - Calculus I (1,085 requests)
Math 1050 - College Algebra (1,020 requests)
Econ 2500 - Quantitative Methods for Business & Economics (857 requests)
Math 1060 - Trigonometry (848 requests)
Math 990 - Math Essentials II (813 requests)
Chem 1110/15 - Elementary Chemistry (625 requests)
Acct 2010 - Accounting Principles (616 requests)
Chem 1120/25 - Elementary Organic Bio-Chemistry (607 requests)
Math 1220 - Calculus II (663 requests)
Physics 2010/15 - College Physics (597 requests)
Math 2250 - Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (580 requests)

Q. Why are the courses above the most requested?
A. They are known as "historically difficult" courses. They also have high enrollment. Simply put, they are difficult courses and lots of students take them. You will see roughly this same list at every university.

Q. How do I know if there is a tutor for my course?
A. Visit the drop-in tutoring page to see all our tutors and the courses they serve. You can use the drop-down fields to filter by subject and course. Tutors also serve the labs for courses, but to keep the lists a little more streamlined, the labs aren't listed.

Q. Are there courses you don't tutor?
A. There are numerous courses we never get requests for and therefore don't regularly have tutors for them. The Writing Center helps with writing assignments for any course. The Speech and Presentation Center helps with Communication courses and other courses requiring presentations. Foreign Language tutoring is provided by the Department of Foreign Languages and Philosophy (although we usually also have some tutors who can serve foreign languages).

Q. I want tutoring for a course that isn't listed on the Tutoring Center's website. What should I do?
A. Contact us at tutoringcenter@suu.edu and ask if a tutor for the course is possible. Sometimes we have a tutor who has had the course, but hasn't listed it.

Q. Is there tutoring available for graduate-level courses?
A. No. Because of the nature of graduate study, it is rare for universities to provide tutors for graduate courses. Graduate students should seek the assistance of their instructor or classmates.

Q. Is there a fee for tutoring?
A. Drop-in and group tutoring are FREE for all students. Recurring, pre-scheduled, one-on-one tutoring is the only service that has a small fee and we've tried to keep the cost low for students. ($12 per 45-minute appointment, billed when tutoring is discontinued.)

Q. Do I need to make an appointment for tutoring?
A. Recurring one-on-one tutoring is the only service that requires a pre-scheduled appointment and allows you to work with the same tutor each week for 45 minutes each time.

Q. I have a test next week. Can I pay for just one or two 45-minute tutoring sessions?
A. Unfortunately, no. This would increase demand so significantly that we would quickly run out of tutors and leave some students without help at the most critical time. Instead, we encourage students to come early and often for tutoring assistance, as well as to take advantage of any Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) groups that might be available and can serve higher-volumes of students.

Q. Why don't you have more tutors for 3000- and 4000-level classes?
A. Because tutors graduate soon after taking these courses. Upper-division students are encouraged to use professor office hours and/or work with classmates.

Q. Are there times when the Tutoring Center is less busy, so I can get more free drop-in help?
A. It varies. Mornings and later evenings tend to see less demand, but we also have fewer tutors on at those times to match (also most students are in class at 9:00, including tutors). Our busy times tend to be right before an exam or when homework is due (when the rest of your classmates also come in). So start studying early and don't wait until the last minute.

Q. I am looking for a tutor, but I am not affiliated with SUU. Can you help me?
A. Parents looking for a tutor for their K-12 child should contact the SUU STEM Center. Non-SUU students can contact the Career and Professional Development Center to enquire about posting a job to hire a private tutor.