A TA works closely with the faculty, and is often responsible for running recitation sessions where they review material that has been presented in class. In addition, they often have office hours when they can meet one-to-one with students to go over material presented in class.

Tutors are students who have previously taken the course and were successful in demonstrating mastery of the content. They do not work with the faculty directly. The tutees really direct the tutoring session, while the TA is much more directive in a TA session.

If you feel as though you have very specific questions and need less directed support, then a tutor may be the right fit. If you need a more general overview of course material, and are not sure what questions you have, you should visit your faculty’s office hours and attend available TA sessions. You should always have a conversation with your faculty first – as the faculty teaching the course may have a clear idea about the kind of support that would best meet your needs.

It is recommended that students go to faculty office hours from the start of the semester. Don’t wait until you are having trouble. We recommend that you visit with faculty to go over material covered in class and to get to know the faculty and for them to get to know you. When you do run into material that is more challenging, it is often easier to ask for help if you already feel as though you have a connection with the faculty member, and the faculty member can recommend specific areas to focus on in your tutoring sessions.

The same is true for TA sessions, it is important to attend from the beginning of the semester; TA sessions are a great opportunity to check on your understanding of the course material based on the work you have completed. We encourage students to attempt to do the homework or problem sets before attending the TA session. That way, you have a clear sense of questions that you have and you also have a clear sense of what material you have already mastered.

Working on material ahead of time is also important for tutoring sessions. Tutors will not work on problem sets with tutees, so it is up to you to work on the homework or problem sets before meeting with your tutor. Between discussing the course material with your faculty member, and knowing exactly which content area or problem set you have difficulty with, you can bring specific questions to the tutoring session and help your time with the group be as productive as possible.

If you and your assigned tutoring group cannot find a time that works for you, send an email to deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu to request a new match. Please be sure to indicate that it was a scheduling issue. We will do our best to match you with a different tutoring group as soon as possible based on available tutors for the course.

If for any reason you do not feel like the tutor match is a good fit, please send an email to deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu to request a different tutoring match. We will do our best to match you with a different tutoring match as soon as possible based on available tutors for the course.

Please let us know if you withdraw from the class, or otherwise no longer need to work with a tutor. Send an email to deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu.

To get started, apply to be a peer tutor through Handshake. Once you have completed this step, you will receive an email with more instructions. View the Steps for Becoming a Peer Tutor for more information.

If this is the FIRST time that you have enrolled to tutor this specific course, then YES – you need to submit a faculty recommendation.

You DO NOT need to submit a faculty recommendation if:

• you have tutored this course in the past
• you have been recommended by a faculty member
• you have received outreach directly from deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu letting you know you are eligible

If you wish to tutor a class and the faculty member is no longer at Wesleyan, and so unable to provide a recommendation, please contact the Deans' Peer Tutoring Program. In some cases, you are able to get a recommendation from the department. We are happy to work with you to determine an appropriate faculty member to provide the recommendation for you.

Before beginning tutoring, you need to register with the payroll system and set up direct deposit. All of the paperwork is available through the Payroll Office (payrollhelp@wesleyan.edu or 860-685-2670).

In order to be paid, you must use Workforce Time, either through your phone or a computer. Whether you "clock in" and "clock out" or enter your hours manually, you MUST ENTER NOTES for the time of which tutee(s) you were meeting with at that time. Further information about completing notes and time cards is available through the Deans' Peer Tutoring Moodle page.

Please let us know by sending us an email to deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu as soon as you are aware that a student with whom you have been assigned is no longer registered for the course, or otherwise not in need of a tutor any longer. We will often be able to rematch you with another student who has requested a tutor.

Tutors can enroll to tutor multiple courses in a semester. The number of hours available indicated on the enrollment form is for ALL possible groups for any course for which you have enrolled as a tutor. If you would like to tutor additional courses/hours in the current semester, please contact the Deans’ Peer Tutoring Program to update your enrollment information.

If you feel unable to continue tutoring, or have over-estimated the amount of time you can commit to tutoring, immediately contact the Deans’ Peer Tutoring Program. It is better to let us know that you do not wish to have any additional groups before more matches are made. If you request to reduce the number of groups you are tutoring, it may take 1-2 weeks after notification for us to make adjustments. Please do not stop meeting with a group without notifying the Deans’ Peer Tutoring Program.

For most cases, you must indicate your desire to tutor, and receive a faculty recommendation for, each course you are interested in tutoring. The one exception is language courses which receive faculty recommendations on a case by case basis. If you are interested in tutoring a language course, enroll in the highest level course you have taken and you will automatically be considered for any course lower.

Please talk with students about the various academic supports that are available. Tutoring through this program is a wonderful resource for students who could use a level of support beyond what you can provide through office hours and TA sessions affiliated with your course. If you feel a student would benefit from peer tutoring, encourage them to visit the How to Request a Peer Tutor website in order to complete the tutor request form.

You can also email deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu recommending a student receive a tutor; we will then email the student with information on how to request a tutor. You can also indicate if you approve the student for an individual match (vs group tutoring). Please note that while students may be referred to use the Deans' Peer Tutoring Program, they must reach out to us themselves and complete a request form in order to be matched with a tutor.

Please use the Peer Tutor Recommendation Form or email deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu the name(s) of any students that you would recommend as a tutor for a specific course. We are always in the process of recruiting and matching students who are interested in tutoring. If you feel a student would be a good tutoring, notify us and encourage them to visit the How to Enroll as a Peer Tutor website for more information.

You can also email deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu recommending a student to be a tutor; we will then email the student with information on how to enroll as a tutor. Please note that while students may be referred to the Deans' Peer Tutoring Program, they must apply to be a tutor through Handshake, and complete the enrollment requirements, in order to be hired as a peer tutor.

If you would like to recommend a specific tutor for a particular student, you can contact the Deans' Peer Tutoring Program to let us know about the recommended match. We will do our best to facilitate the match, however, the student must complete a request for tutoring in order to be matched with a tutor, and the tutor must also complete the enrollment requirements before they will be matched with a tutee.

Only tutors who are hired and matched through the Deans' Peer Tutoring Program will be paid by the Deans' Office.

No, peer tutoring is provided free of charge; students can receive up to two hours of tutoring each week per course for which they are matched with a tutoring group.

Yes, peer tutors are employed by the University, and paid by the Deans’ Office. Tutors are paid for hours worked. While a student can indicate a total number of hours they are available to tutor per week, we are unable to guarantee a certain number of hours will be needed each week. Tutors will not be expected to work more than their indicated availability.