At a glance
“It is clear that tutoring isn’t just helping these students pass their courses but also building skills that make them stronger more self-sufficient learners.”
Deanna Gannon
The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. continues to support peer tutoring service at Alfred State. The generous annual donation of $6,500 has helped students achieve success and continue towards their academic goals.
Since the 2010-2011 academic year, the Foundation has provided funding to the college’s peer tutoring program. As a result, the program has fulfilled more than 2,781 student requests, providing more than 16,621 hours of support.
Alfred State offers free peer tutoring services for most courses. Peer tutors are students who have earned an “A” or “B” in a course and have received special training. Sessions are usually face-to-face, but online tutoring may be arranged upon request.
Students receiving assistance through peer tutoring have earned a significantly higher GPA (0.97 GPA points on average higher). Furthermore, the peer tutoring program has initiated a Tutor Training Program to enhance the service provided with the integration of online and face-to-face training provided.
Casey Cowburn is the peer tutoring coordinator in Alfred and Stephanie DeRue serves as tutoring coordinator and coordinator for disability services in Wellsville.
Deanna Gannon, a tutor in biology and chemistry courses, mentioned “One of the most rewarding aspects is seeing students return for continued support. I have worked with several students, and it is incredible to see their progress - not just an understanding of the material, but in how they apply concepts we discussed in previous sessions. They come back more confident, asking deeper questions, and using strategies we worked on to approach problems more independently.”
She continued, “It is clear that tutoring isn’t just helping these students pass their courses but also building skills that make them stronger more self-sufficient learners.”
The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. is a private foundation dedicated to improving the college community through the support of educational programs. The board of directors governs the activities pursued by the foundation and is made up of representatives from alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of the college.