For students seeking peer tutoring on campus, there may be some options they have not yet heard of or explored.
The Genesis Tutoring peer-tutoring program, established in 1991, aims to work with minority students, but the program is open to all. The program is similar to Supplementary Instruction, but Assistant Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Wes Heath, said Genesis Tutoring offers unique benefits to students like staying open later than all other tutoring programs on campus. Additionally, Genesis tutors can assist students in humanities courses, and no appointments are necessary for students to receive this help.
“The ultimate goal was to provide educational support for underrepresented students on campus who might not have felt like they they were represented in other tutoring centers,” Heath said.
The 2016-2017 academic year marks the 25th anniversary of the program, and Heath said the program has undergone many changes over the years as the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Office of Diversity changed.
Previously, the program saw only five to six students a week. Currently, Heath said, the student participation in the program has gone up 400 percent, as the peer tutors see 25-30 students a week. With only a few tutors, the program is busy every day.
Each student tutor, who must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA in each course they plan to tutor in, undergoes diversity training in preparation for their position. Diversity training, Heath said, allows students to be more sensitive to the needs of underrepresented groups on campus. For example, the program emphasizes the importance of hiring tutors that use the correct pronouns for LGBTQ students, communicate in the native language of a student or assist those with learning or physical disabilities.
“It’s being able to see yourself in the tutors that you’re working with, showing that you belong in that space and it’s a safe environment … you might not get that in other organizations,” Heath said.
Not only is the Genesis program sensitive to underrepresented students, Heath said, the impact of the program is not limited to helping students pass a test. Rather, the program develops long term study habits and creates a sense of belonging for the students.
“We provide them with more resources than just for that course,” Heath said. “We teach them study habits, we talk to them about getting involved with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Diversity and the different programs we have available … we go a little beyond just making sure they pass their next test.”