Helping make it all add up
Help is available through the university for those students struggling with math.
This help is free and available for most math, statistics and physics courses.
According to Carol Rosenthal, assistant director of the Academic Resource Center, tutoring used to be done through individual departments such as math and physics. But four years ago, she said tutoring was combined and designated to the Academic Resource Center.
The ARC and the 23-25 tutors it employs conducted a combined total of more than 8,000 tutor sessions last year, which involved more than 1,200 students, she said.
Ryan Warner, a senior in math, said he has tutored for the ARC for more than two years.
“The best part is when someone comes up to you outside the lab and says how grateful they were for the help or how much it helped them,” he said.
A wide variety of students both use the lab and work as tutors.
“The great thing about the tutors is that they have complex backgrounds,” Rosenthal said. “Students majoring in engineering, chemistry or physics also tutor – not just math majors.
The math lab is available on a drop-in basis, so tutoring doesn’t have to be scheduled and can be done at the student’s convenience, she said.
When first going into the lab, students need to sign into the computer, which is how Rosenthal said the ARC keeps track of lab use and its needed funding.
Students are then free to sit down and work on assignments alone until they need assistance. When a student has a question, all they have to do is raise a flag next to them and a tutor will help them work trough the problem and grasp the concept, Rosenthal said.
Alysse Sowards, an undeclared freshman, currently uses the math lab to help with her calculus coursework. Sowards said though she is undecided in her major, she recognizes that many majors require math and she can use the extra help.
“It’s helped a lot. They stay with you and help with problems no matter how long it takes,” she said. “They’ll even go through problems twice or three times until you get it.”
Tutors for the math lab must pass Math 0900 through Math 2250 with a B+ or higher and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Statistics tutors must pass Stats 1040 through Stats 3000 with the same grade and GPA requirements as math tutors.
All tutors must also take a semester-long class taught by Rosenthal to attain nationally recognized tutor certification.
The math lab in TSC Room 314 is open from 8:30 am to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The statistics lab is open Monday-Thursday from 2-6 p.m. and Fridays from 2-5 p.m. in ESLC Room 243.
The Academic Resource Center also has private tutoring and all free drop-in tutor lab times listed on its Web site: www.usu.edu/arc.
-jminer@cc.usu.edu