Tutoring Center Frequently Asked Questions

Fall 2023-Summer 2024 requests:

Math 1040 - Statistics (2,822 requests)
Chem 1210/15 - Principles of Chemistry I and Lab (1,512 requests)
Math 1010 - Intermediate Algebra (1,507 requests)
Chem 1220/25 - Principles of Chemistry II and Lab (1,284 requests)
Math 1060 - Trigonometry (1,027 requests)
Math 1210 - Calculus I (1,010 requests)
Acct 2010 - Accounting Principles (923 requests)
Math 1050 - College Algebra (842 requests)
Chem 1110/15 - Elementary Chemistry and Lab (775 requests)
CSCY 2100 - Spreadsheets (650 requests)
Biol 1610/15 - General Biology I and Lab (575 requests)
Chem 1120/25 - Elementary Organic Bio-Chemistry and Lab (462 requests)
Math 1220 - Calculus II (663 requests)
Physics 2010/15 - College Physics and Lab (426 requests)
Math 1030 - Contemporary Mathematics (356 requests)

These courses are known as "historically difficult" courses. They also have high enrollment. Simply put, they are difficult courses and lots of students take them. You will see roughly this same list at every university.

Yes, students are expected to:

Be an active participant in your education.
Have materials available (e.g., class notes, assignment guidelines, textbooks, calculator, etc.)
Be prepared. Come with questions or an idea of what you would like to cover. Help guide the tutor to your needs whether that be course content, study skills, or test-taking strategies.
Attend class lectures (online or in-person). Tutors are undergraduate students, not professionals in the field, so they are not a substitute for class instruction.

Students can expect tutors to:

Be supportive and professional.
Answer questions and provide explanations and advice to the best of their ability.
Work WITH you but not FOR you.
Be mindful to not violate SUU's academic integrity policy.
NOT correct your homework, projects, take-home exams, or math labs. They will provide useful comments and suggestions to help foster independent learning.
NOT try to predict what your grade will be on your assignments and cannot speak for your instructor. Please ask your instructor for any clarification on an assignment or a grade.

We serve roughly 1,200-1,500 undergraduate students each semester across all our services.

Check in using one of three methods:

Our front desk computers
The "Tutoring Queue" link on the left side of your MySUU portal
The "Queue for a Tutor" button on the drop-in tutoring webpage.

Answer the questions and submit your request, then find your seat. Your request will alert tutors that you are ready for assistance. A tutor will be with you as soon as they are available.

Yes. Drop-in tutoring and recurring one-on-one tutoring are offered online (as well as in-person). Visit these pages (drop-in tutoring and recurring tutoring) to learn how to access each.

Drop-in tutoring - If we are busy (lots of students wanting help), probably about 20-25 minutes. But you can re-queue yourself for more help if needed. Tutors can spend more time if it is slower.

Recurring one-on-one tutoring - These appointments are 45-minutes long with the same tutor each time.

We typically serve over 150 courses each semester.

Visit the drop-in tutoring page to see all our tutors and the courses they serve. You can use the drop-down fields to filter by subject and course. Tutors also serve the labs for courses, but to keep the lists a little more streamlined, the labs aren't listed.

There are numerous courses we never get requests for and therefore don't regularly have tutors for them.

The Writing Center helps with writing assignments for any course.

The Public Speaking Center helps with Communication courses and other courses requiring presentations.

Foreign Language tutoring is provided by the Department of Foreign Languages and Philosophy (although we typically have tutors who can serve Spanish courses and sometimes other foreign languages).

Contact us at tutoringcenter@suu.edu and ask if a tutor for the course is possible. Sometimes we have a tutor who has had the course, but hasn't listed it. The course might be served by the Writing Center or the Public Speaking Center. But you may have to work with classmates or visit your instructor during office hours.

No. Because of the nature of graduate study, it is rare for universities to provide tutors for graduate courses. Graduate students should seek the assistance of their instructor or classmates.

Drop-in and group tutoring are FREE for all students.

Recurring, pre-scheduled, one-on-one tutoring is the only service that has a small fee and we've tried to keep the cost low for students. ($12 per 45-minute appointment, billed when tutoring is discontinued.)

Recurring one-on-one tutoring is the only service that requires a pre-scheduled appointment and allows you to work with the same tutor each week for 45 minutes each time.

Unfortunately, no. This would increase demand so significantly that we would quickly run out of tutors and leave some students without help at the most critical time. Instead, we encourage students to come early and often for tutoring assistance, as well as to take advantage of any Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) groups that might be available and can serve higher-volumes of students.

Because tutors graduate soon after taking these courses. Upper-division students are encouraged to use professor office hours and/or work with classmates.

It varies. Mornings and later evenings tend to see less demand, but we also have fewer tutors on at those times to match (also most students are in class at 9:00, including tutors). Our busy times tend to be right before an exam or when homework is due (when the rest of your classmates also come in). So start studying early and don't wait until the last minute.

Parents looking for a tutor for their K-12 child should contact the SUU STEM Center. Non-SUU students should contact their educational institution, as most have tutoring support. They can also contact the Career and Professional Development Center to enquire about posting a job to hire a private tutor. The Tutoring Center does not arrange private tutoring for non-SUU students or Concurrent Enrollment students.