College students with questions about an assignment are known for seeking out their professors during their office hours. Students in math classes at Lander University have other options, which include a visit to the Faculty Tutoring Room.
In the past, some of the tutoring was done by undergraduates, who were paid to attend introductory courses and then tutor students in those classes, part of a campus-wide effort to improve retention rates by boosting the performance of students in freshman-level classes. When funding for the program was discontinued, Lander math faculty stepped up.
The class he helps students with more than any other, according to Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Chris Duncan, who puts in time each week, is Math 121: Mathematics for Business, Life Science, and the Social Sciences.
"It's a very tough class. It's applications-heavy, heavy on the context," he said.
Duncan called Room 103 in Laura Lander Hall "a great resource for students, although it's not the only one. The Academic Success Center offers peer-tutoring, and many students use that service as well."
There are several reasons for the continued popularity of the Faculty Tutoring Room, according to Professor of Mathematics Dr. André Michelle Lubecke, who was instrumental in getting it started when she served as department chair.
"Many students are less intimidated coming to LL103 for help from their instructor than going to an instructor's office. Also, since the schedule of instructors is outside the door, students can seek out a different instructor for a different approach to material," she said.
The room is often in use even when no faculty members are present. "Students will sometimes come in a little before their class to work with others or go directly from their class to LL103 to work on the homework assignment for the day," Lubecke said.
Professor of Physics Dr. David Slimmer, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, said the Faculty Tutoring Room has met with great reviews. "The students have told me it works out well. They get a different perspective from what they've seen in class."
With three places they can go for assistance, Slimmer said that students in math classes at Lander "have no excuse to say they couldn't get help."