The Bakersfield College Tutoring Center has reduced the number of training workshops for new tutors, citing budget constraints as the cause.
As a result, students will see a slight decrease in the selection of subjects available to be tutored in, particularly in the math and science areas.
The BC tutoring program employs over 100 peer tutors, as well as several full and part-time staff members.
Hilary Neumeister, professor and tutor trainer, and Susan Pinza, professor of academic development, are two of the program’s coordinators.
They explained the cuts made to the program this semester.
“We had an administrative change in the number of workshops that we were going to offer for new tutors, which, in fact, we believe may have impacted our ability to tutor across the curriculum,” said Neumeister.
The center went from hosting training workshops five days a week in the spring to just two at the beginning of the fall.
A third workshop was added a few weeks ago in the hopes of attracting more tutors and expanding the scope of subjects available for students to be tutored in.
Pinza and Neumeister agree that three workshops is the minimum amount needed for the tutoring center to be of most benefit to students.
“When we were limited to two days a week, we limited the number of [tutors] that were available and it turned out to be somewhat subject related,” said Neumeister.
A fourth workshop is planned for the spring semester, which Neumeister says will help broaden the cross-section of subjects available for students to be tutored in.
Despite the recent cuts, the tutors, coordinators, and professors at the Tutoring Center remain committed to helping students succeed.
“We are very pleased and proud of the program and how we have made a difference for students on campus,” said Neumeister.
The Tutoring Center is located upstairs in the Student Services building and offers free one-on-one tutoring sessions for all students in all subjects, with a few exceptions. Sessions are limited to once a week per subject.
Students can contact the Tutoring Center at 395-4430 to schedule a 45-minute session or drop-in for a 15-minute session on a first-come, first-served basis for English and math.