General Description of the Honors College Tutoring Program

In the fall semester of 2001, the Honors College launched a new tutoring program. This program focuses on a certain group of alternative admissions students who receive no special attention. The program aids these and other students to succeed in general education classes taken primarily in their first year at the University.

The coordinator of the program is Keegan Drake. He can be contacted at 292 6752. His e-mail is ksdboomer04@ou.edu.

The web site designer of the program is Pooja Singhal. She can be contacted at 292 0734.

First Meeting

Become a tutor!

Tutors will assist these students in one or more specific classes. Hours spent working in the program may be counted toward an AmeriCorps grant through SmartStart, a program of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Through SmartStart, tutors may earn one of three levels of AmeriCorps Education Awards:

300 hours served in one calendar year	$787.50
425 hours served in one calendar year	$1,115.62
900 hours served in one calendar year	$2,362.50

The logistics of the program will be primarily handled on a web site, similar to the Writing Assistant Program. The new program coordinator will provide more details in the coming week.

Tutors must have demonstrated excellence in the courses in which they wish to tutor. It is preferable that tutors have taken the course and earned the grade of an A. It is also preferred that tutors have taken additional classes in the respective field. To apply, please mail or deliver a transcript (it may be unofficial), contact information, and a list of specific classes (prefix, number, and if possible the instructor) in which you wish to tutor to the following address:

OU Honors College
attn: Honor Student Association
1300 Asp Ave
Norman, OK 73019-6061

If you have any questions please e-mail Marshall Gray: swampygray@ou.edu.

Student Review

On May 1, 2001, a student committee met to discuss the proposal of the program and make adiitional recommendations. The results of this meeting are as follows:

Report on Honors Tutoring Program Development

Meeting 5/1/01

Ellen Bolen
Amber Fike
Kathryn Gardner
Marshall Gray
Ryan Lemons
Melissa Stuart

Purpose of the meeting

The first meeting of the Honors Tutoring Program Development Committee was to find solutions to the details of implementing the tutoring program. The committee also raised some new questions that need to be considered before the program can start.

General structure

The program needs to be structured around the introductory-level general education classes. It is most practical to assign tutors to specific classes and professors so the tutoring can be as relevant as possible. There is a definite need for a program coordinator.

Honors credit hours

Many details need to be finalized to give HON credit to tutors. Tuition costs need to be considered: the tutors should not have to pay tuition to get credit for their volunteer service. A scholarship or tuition waiver for tutors is necessary, and perhaps there are other courses at OU that may serve as a model for this.

A new course with its own number needs to be created. A syllabus and specific requirements for earning credit need to be written. There needs to be a system for contracting for variable credit hours. This should be done with the program coordinator at the beginning of each semester for the purposes of calculating tuition and credit hours. The contracts should be based upon how many hours a tutor wishes to commit for the semester. This may be difficult the first semester of the program, but should be a long-term goal. Finally, the course should be S/U graded with specific requirements for earning each.

Tutor training and requirements

The syllabus should list all the requirements and expectations of tutors. It will be necessary for tutors to meet with the professors and instructors who teach the classes that will be tutored. It is important that tutors and instructors maintain a respect for each other. With this respect, the program will be more effective in helping students. It may also be necessary for tutors to be personally introduced to the class.

Tutors should be required to be competent in the subjects they tutor. Tutors may complete a checklist of general education classes in which they feel comfortable tutoring. Tutors may be assigned to any of these classes, but it is preferred that tutors stick to classes within their major or minor. In addition to specific subject instruction, the focus of each tutoring section should be instructing students how to study and how to succeed in the university.

Tutoring demand

The committee considered two scenarios: overwhelming demand for tutors and a very low demand for tutors. Several solutions to each situation are possible.

In the instance of a very high demand on a tutor's time, there are several options. It may be possible to bring in tutors from a low demand subject to help the overwhelmed tutor. It is also possible to tutor larger groups instead of individuals. Students may also be referred to other tutoring programs on campus. It may become necessary to limit certain tutors to only instructing students within the target group.

It is more likely that there will be a very low demand for certain tutors. If this occurs, the program coordinator will need to assist the tutors with contacting students. Possibilities of outreach include securing a list of at-risk students from professors, telephoning or e-mailing at-risk students, encouraging professors to recommend the tutor, and distributing flyers encouraging students to contact tutors.

The Z Group

The committee raised the most questions in this area. The following questions need to be answered: Is it possible to determine in which classes individuals of the Z group need tutoring? Is it possible for tutors or the program coordinator to contact these students? Is it possible for course instructors to release the identity of at-risk students so tutors may assist them? The committee also came up with two ideas focusing on these students. First, it would be helpful to have members of this group complete a questionnaire to determine in which subjects they individually need help. Second, an orientation meeting at the beginning of the semester may assist in focusing the program on a specific group of students as well as introducing the tutors and the students to each other.

Time of action

To be effective this fall, action needs to be taken now to set up the program. An important factor in determining when to take applications for tutors is the nature of the HON credit course and the respective scholarship and/or tuition waiver. Tutors need to be able to plan ahead in terms of finances and credit hours, but if the hassles and concerns are minimized the application process may be postponed until August or September.

The committee also needs to know what action to take this summer. The answers to the above questions and any new issues need to be brought up in the next two months for the program to be effective in the fall.