Spring Break
Monroe campus has learning center, too
LUCIA PILIAR
Issue date: 2/15/04 Section: News
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The Monroe Campus in Tannersville has its own Learning Center.
Like its counterpart on the Bethlehem Campus, the Monroe center helps students achieve their potential by providing a positive learning environment and highly trained and certified tutors.
The Monroe operation became a learning center in January 2001, but it was a struggle.
"When I came in the fall of 2001, people were still tutoring in the hallway, in the classrooms, the lounge - wherever," recalls says Barbara Benner, manager of the Learning Center. "We had to do something. We needed something more substantial."
Adviser Kathie Weichel remembers the way it was. "During the fall 2001 semester, I was still coordinating the tutoring program, but as our numbers increased, so did the need and request for tutors. We continued to use classrooms 113 and 112 as our Learning Center."
They were just treading water, she says.
"On the whole, I would say we were just managing to keep our heads above water. I'm happy to say that beginning with the spring 2001 semester, we had an established space for the Learning Center as well as a coordinator. Having an actual 'home' and coordinator has made a tremendous improvement to our tutoring program."
Forty tutors work at Monroe's Learning Center, most of them NCC graduates or students studying toward degrees.
The numbers of students who seek tutoring continues to grow as the student population skyrockets on the Monroe Campus.
Many are beginning to realize the advantages of using the help that's available, say those who work in the Learning Center. Last semester, students sought one-on-one tutoring in math, English, comprehensive reading, computer science, biology, speech, macroeconomics, accounting, Spanish and art history.
"Walk-in" tutoring has grown greatly during the past year. Tutors are almost always available even without an appointment for students who need quick help.
"I would say the vast majority of our tutoring was done through the 'walk-in' tutoring center," which is staffed with Math and English specialists, Weichel says.
Like its counterpart on the Bethlehem Campus, the Monroe center helps students achieve their potential by providing a positive learning environment and highly trained and certified tutors.
The Monroe operation became a learning center in January 2001, but it was a struggle.
"When I came in the fall of 2001, people were still tutoring in the hallway, in the classrooms, the lounge - wherever," recalls says Barbara Benner, manager of the Learning Center. "We had to do something. We needed something more substantial."
Adviser Kathie Weichel remembers the way it was. "During the fall 2001 semester, I was still coordinating the tutoring program, but as our numbers increased, so did the need and request for tutors. We continued to use classrooms 113 and 112 as our Learning Center."
They were just treading water, she says.
"On the whole, I would say we were just managing to keep our heads above water. I'm happy to say that beginning with the spring 2001 semester, we had an established space for the Learning Center as well as a coordinator. Having an actual 'home' and coordinator has made a tremendous improvement to our tutoring program."
Forty tutors work at Monroe's Learning Center, most of them NCC graduates or students studying toward degrees.
The numbers of students who seek tutoring continues to grow as the student population skyrockets on the Monroe Campus.
Many are beginning to realize the advantages of using the help that's available, say those who work in the Learning Center. Last semester, students sought one-on-one tutoring in math, English, comprehensive reading, computer science, biology, speech, macroeconomics, accounting, Spanish and art history.
"Walk-in" tutoring has grown greatly during the past year. Tutors are almost always available even without an appointment for students who need quick help.
"I would say the vast majority of our tutoring was done through the 'walk-in' tutoring center," which is staffed with Math and English specialists, Weichel says.