For many college students, finding academic support can be a major challenge. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC) makes this task easier by offering its extensive resources through fellow students.
The TLC offers services in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), writing, academic coaching, technical foundations, and more. A team of more than 80 tutors provides peer-to-peer support through individual and small group work. With coursework and career-related support offerings, students from a variety of disciplines give and receive help from the center.
According to Jennifer White, assistant director of TLC, STEM is the subject area where most people seek help. “Chemistry and biology are often really challenging for new students,” White said. There are a variety of math and science support services available, the most popular of which is the STEM Drop-in Center on the first floor of the Chemistry Biology Building (CBB).
Maisie Christison, an environmental science student and tutor at the STEM Drop-in Center, thanks the TLC for her academic development.
“I see a lot of students nervously poking their heads in the door on their first visit. I recognize those fears, but I’m here to help and I enjoy it,” Christison said. “I find tutoring incredibly rewarding because when you help others, you learn your own material better. The best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else.”
While the TLC offers traditional tutoring and academic support services, White emphasizes the diversity of the center’s offerings. In addition to tutoring in four service areas, the TLC offers a variety of program options, including after-school tutoring in foreign languages, professional writing assistance, and courses offered for university academic credit.
“This semester, I will be teaching a course on critical thinking,” White said. “This will fulfill the university’s critical thinking requirement while teaching academic study skills.” All courses offered by TLC have the prefix PSL (Post-Secondary Learning) and include instruction in time management, writing support, reading for the humanities, and more.
Looking ahead to the 2024-25 school year, TLC is planning an expansion to provide tailored support to students after the pandemic.
White has noticed two big changes in the type of support students are seeking. The first is general academic support. Academic coaching services at TLC have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, and an expanded team of 25 academic success coaches are preparing to support their fellow students this fall.
“That means getting to the root of the problems,” White said. “Some people don’t have trouble understanding concepts, but rather trouble staying organized, managing their time, or developing effective study habits. It’s important to have someone to sit down with and hold you accountable when it comes to developing those habits.”
The second point is tech fundamentals. As students transition from high school to university, there is also a transition to using new learning technologies like Canvas and Microsoft Suite. “It’s important to help students learn how to use new software because there can be a learning curve,” White said. This year, TLC is looking to incorporate tech fundamentals into its STEM Drop-in Center and help students adapt to new learning technologies.
The TLC has multiple locations on the Stevens Point, Wausau, and Marshfield campuses. The Stevens Point campus headquarters is located in Room 234 of the Collins Classroom Center (CCC). White and Christison both attest to the camaraderie among students who spend their free time at the center.
“If you just need a place to study and enjoy being around other people, you can hang out,” White said. Christison notes that there are always nice conversations at the CBB and CCC.
If you are a student seeking academic support, contact [email protected] or visit the TLC in CCC 234. For more information about the center’s offerings and resources, visit the Tutoring-Learning Center.
