KCKCC students see success with tutoring services

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Students at Kansas City Kansas Community College who are struggling in English or mathematics have no need to worry. There are services on campus designed to help them excel in the classroom and correct any academic problems they might be having.

The Tutoring Services Program at KCKCC is led by Amanda Williams, assistant director of the Academic Resource Center and two coordinators – Dave Jones, Math Tutoring Coordinator and Carrie Dimino, Writing Tutoring Coordinator. The coordinators are brand-new positions added to expand and strengthen tutoring services on campus.

“We have been offering tutoring since 1986,” Williams said. “But we wanted to be able to provide full-time support in both areas and be more involved with the campus community. With two coordinators we have a better sense of the needs of our students.”

The Tutoring Services program at KCKCC is certified by the College Reading and Learning Association. It includes the Math Tutoring Center, which assists students with math courses offered at KCKCC and the Reading & Writing Center. Both are staffed by Professional Tutors. These tutors provide one-on-one assistance as well as Online Writing Consultations and individual/group peer tutoring. There is also a writing/math lab at KCKCC-Leavenworth.

Tutoring services are available from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays. New this semester is Saturday tutoring, which is offered from 9 a.m. to noon the last Saturday of each month. Tutors are also available at the new weekly Study Hall program. Tutoring is free and continues through May 13. It is open to all currently enrolled KCKCC students and no appointment is needed. The Math Tutoring Center and the Reading & Writing Center is located within the Academic Resource Center.

“What we are finding is that students who visited the writing center were much more successful,” Williams said. “If we can get them in here, they will be much more likely to accomplish their goals. The odds are really in their favor.”

Another option is online tutoring. Students need a Skype account as well as Internet access to use this service. Those who have a Kansas City Kansas Public Library Card can also utilize the free, real-time tutoring provided in partnership with Tutor.com. In addition, online writing consultations are available. A tutor will read and respond to an email within 24 hours, although that time could be longer if a paper is submitted after 12 p.m. Friday. A request can be submitted by sending an email to writingcenter@kckcc.edu.

“Students can get help with anything – resumes, application letters, papers for every course,” Dimino said. “We can help them write an essay or work on a post for a discussion board. We also can work on things like short answer questions. It’s often that students know how to answer the question, but they don’t know how to formulate it.”

More information on the Tutoring Services Program can be found at kckcc.edu/academics/academic-resources/tutoring-services or by calling 913-288-7218.