By Kayla Perry, Editor-in-Chief
The week of Oct. 5-11 brought National Tutor Appreciation week to the Centre for Academic Excellence (CAE) at Laurentian University.
Tatiana Khapaeva works as an E-Learning programmer at Laurentian, and also acts as one of the 19 tutors who work with the CAE.
“I love to see (the look on) students faces as soon as they understand a subject, because it’s not as bad as they thought,” said Khapaeva, who has been a CAE tutor for the past three years.
The appreciation week included information displays that were located around campus, as well as a small celebration that took place on Oct. 9 in the CAE tutoring area.
The CAE currently employs tutors who specialize in a variety of subjects, although Khapaeva noted that there is still availability for upper-year students to work in the CAE as tutors.
“I really want people to know how many tutors we have, and how hard they work. This is the recognition piece of being able to thank them, that we don’t always get to do,” said Miranda McKenzie, Learning Skills Coordinator with the CAE’s Learning Assistance Centre. “I’m also hoping (the week) creates awareness that we exist on campus as support, not only for the students looking for help with a tutor, but that there’s always the possibility (for students) to be a tutor.”
In addition to the 19 subject-specific tutors available for sessions through the CAE, the CAE also employs nine tutors who work with English academic preparation, and three writing assistant tutors.
“We accept tutors from all disciplines and all courses. I’m never going to decline a tutor, because at the end of the day they’ll still be trained and it’s still an experience to be registered (as a tutor),” said McKenzie, who noted that the largest demand for tutors often comes from first year students enrolled in science, math, engineering and commerce courses.
Students who are interested in scheduling a session with a tutor can access the CAE tutor directory through Laurentian’s LUNET, or fill out a request form through the front desk of the CAE, located on the first floor of the J.N. Desmarais Library.
McKenzie noted that tutors set their hourly rates individually, according to their level of expertise and education, although somewhere between 15 and 20 dollars is typically the average hourly cost.
Students are also encouraged to email tutoring@laurentian.ca with any questions they may have.
–Photo by Kayla Perry