The fate of the University Learning Center’s new Kerrey Hall Tutoring Program hinges on student interest: If students use it, it may expand into the other dorms but if they don’t, administrators said they’ll have to cut it altogether.
In partnership with Student Housing and Residence Life, the “Residence Hall Tutoring” program runs on Sunday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. It allows residential students living in any of the eorms to sign up in the Kerrey Hall lobby for 30-minute sessions with an on-site tutor to receive help with writing or time management.
Since the program’s launch in late February, it has received a low attendance of students, making it uncertain whether the service will continue into the next semester.
According to Alex Mahon, assistant director at the University Learning Center, only five students have utilized the new service.
Meghan Heidenberg, a Photography major at Parsons said she wouldn’t be interested in using the new program as leaving her room at Loeb Hall on Sunday nights doesn’t sound like the most appealing option to her. “I do my papers so last minute that going out of my way to get help from someone is the last thing I would focus on.”
However, administrators initially created the new service because there was a surge in students seeking tutoring and academic help.
Mahon explains that the program was created after the Learning Center saw a rise in the number of students making appointments with an increase of almost 100 sessions from Spring 2015 to Spring 2016.
“Our goal with the program is to get students to know about and use the services on-campus that can really help them succeed with college and hopefully will get them to become a part of The New School community.”
Allison Pinz, a Design and Management major at Parsons is a frequent user of the new tutoring program and finds the service extremely helpful.
“The first time I used the service I went in for time management and I never would have done that if I scheduled an appointment at the Learning Center,” she said.
Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the University Learning Center offers tutoring sessions in a variety of areas such as ESL and graduate writing through scheduled appointments. Unlike the Learning Center, the “Residence Hall Tutoring” program only offers assistance in general writing and time management and runs once a week. It is also located within one of the student residence halls rather than an academic building and does not require an appointment.
“Sunday nights was a time where we felt like students were already busy working on projects for the upcoming week,” Mahon said. “So, it would be a good time for people to stop by in their pajamas and get someone to look over their work.”
With the program only open to residential students, Mahon believes this new service is a convenient and flexible resource for students with any last-minute questions or concerns about their work or managing their schedules. Students who live off-campus are encouraged to make an appointment and visit the University Learning Center between Monday-Friday.
Although Pinz is in favor of the program, she believes that it being held only at Kerrey Hall is an inconvenience for people living in the other dorms. “Not that many people are waiting in the lobby for an appointment so maybe if they have the program in the other dorms that might change.”
The new program will be considered for expansion into the Stuyvesant Park residence hall if they receive enough positive feedback from students, according to Alisa Bayes, director of Residence Life. “We would love to offer this service in more halls and use this semester as a beta test,” Bayes said.
She also informs that the students who have used the service will be surveyed to find its strengths and weaknesses and to decide whether the program will be worth continuing in the fall.
If demand for the service grows, the University Learning Center will consider offering more of its tutoring services such as math and Adobe Creative Suite and longer appointment times.
With the end of the semester approaching, Mahon predicts that there will be a greater turn-out in the weeks nearing finals. “If students really think this is a great service, come and use us and that way we will make sure we keep it on.”