The Learning Services Peer Tutoring Program recently received a Level 2 certification in addition to the Level 1 certification it already holds through the College Reading and Learning Association’s International Tutor Training Program Certification. The advanced Level 2 certification provides an additional level of credibility to the Peer Tutoring Program as well as the work being done by the peer tutors.
Peer tutors must complete a certain number of training hours and go through an evaluation process to receive any of the certifications. Similar to the requirements for Level 1, students must complete 10 hours of additional training and 25 hours of tutoring to get a Level 2 certification. Peer tutors who have completed all the steps necessary to receive the Level 2 certification are at an advanced level of understanding and skill in their job.
Julia Rowe (C’23), a head tutor for the university, stated, “The training for the certifications has more opportunity to give extra information or strategies depending on what the presentations are. They can build on the skills that tutors already have and help tutors handle situations better when they come across one.” She added her thoughts on how the presentations can also, “give a good background of what they can improve on themselves with self-evaluations of how they’re tutoring so that they can just keep building on what they know.”
After receiving a Level 1 certification in 2011, Kristin Sites, Associate Director of Learning and Success, worked hard to earn the Level 2 certification for the Learning Services Peer Tutoring Program. Sites added that she is the only person involved in certifying the program and completing the application process. She explains how she uses the Head Tutors to help with the training sessions.
“Each year, four returning tutors help me with running the tutor trainings and with communicating with the rest of the Peer Tutors on staff,” Sites said. “We started this in the 2018-2019 academic year, and the Head Tutors have assisted me with creating and presenting some of the training sessions, which has really helped me to be able to run enough training sessions to reach Level 2.”
The Learning Services Tutoring Program plans to apply for Level 3 certification in the future. Sites explained that it is “an additional level of credibility for the work that we do and an assurance to the public that we are maintaining certain standards of excellence in terms of tutoring.”
Available free to all students, the Peer Tutoring Program works to help Mount students develop a better understanding of their course content and find more efficient study skills. Students who feel they need additional assistance with their courses are encouraged to take advantage of this program.
“It is always just good to have someone that has been through the course and can help you with study techniques, information that is important and discover different ways of learning,” said Abby Zeigenfuse (C’23), who has been a peer tutor since her sophomore year.
To request a Peer Tutor students should fill out the Learning Services Peer Tutor Request Form (jotform.us). For further information about the Learning Services Peer Tutoring Program visit Peer Tutoring | Mount St. Mary's University (msmary.edu).