Tutoring & Learning Center rebuilds community after a year of changes
By Katie Frost
In the past year, the Tutoring & Learning Center at St. Kate's has experienced some major changes, and as the new school year begins, they’re super excited to lead with a new focus. With shifts in staffing, the tutoring center is getting back on its feet with new opportunities for students to find engagement and community. Nellie Larson ‘28 (Mathematics & Quantitative Economics, she/her), a tutor who helps in the reading and writing department as well as the mathematics and science department, shared in a short interview how these changes have affected the tutors and the Tutoring & Learning Center itself. She shared that the tutoring center has experienced significant changes, especially regarding the staffing in some of their leadership roles, and that this year, the tutoring center is focusing on rebuilding a community in the hopes of making tutoring more approachable and structured for the students of St. Kate's.
One huge change, specifically for the reading and writing section of the Tutoring & Learning Center, has been their new director, who came in last spring to help with the tutoring section and make more events possible. Additionally, the mathematics department has been working through obstacles related to leadership, as they are in the current process of finding a director for their section. Nellie shared that these changes regarding staff turnover, especially as previous tutors graduate and new tutors join, have been challenging but very exciting and rewarding as their community grows.
So, what are some actual changes that will be noticeable with the tutoring center this year? Besides the change in staff, this year the tutoring center is really focusing on forming student-led committees and creating a space that is for more than just getting help with assignments. The center is working on a variety of cool events that can create a space for students to grab snacks, meet people, and connect with their community. For example, the tutoring committee is partnering with the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) for a storytelling event in October. The event will mainly focus on giving people a space to talk about their experience with the ICE occupation and how related events affected them and their communities. This event is set to offer arts and crafts, snacks and a safe space to decompress and share with others who might have had similar experiences.
During the interview, Nellie shared that the tutoring center noticed a significant decrease in the number of students coming to the center for help during the ICE-related events. Since then, the center has been searching for ways to accommodate students and get them reconnected with the community, and this event with the IWCA is a great way to go about it.
The Tutoring & Learning Center is shaping up to have an incredible year of events, productivity, community, and more. The best way to get connected with the community and these events is to swing by the tutoring center in the library and talk to someone about any upcoming events of interest. The flyers for events and resources can also be found up around the CDC, residence halls and anywhere else you might see event flyers.
Whether you’re looking for academic support or a place to find community and connection, the tutoring center is becoming a place where anyone in the community can feel they belong.
