FAQ

There are many reasons a student might utilize Study Partners, the most popular being:

• To build confidence in a specific subject/course/curriculum;
• To assist in maintaining good grades;
• To provide direction when falling behind in class;
• To help improve academic performance on tests, with projects, etc.;
• To aid with test preparation and knowledge retention;
• To grow study skills such as organization and note-taking;
• To support the understanding of course materials such as lectures and text-books;
• To advance course specific knowledge as it relates to utilizing critical thinking, synthesis, and problem-solving techniques.

Study Partners peer tutoring sessions for the Fall 2024 semester are offered both in person and online from September 3 – December 5. Students can schedule free, one-on-one appointments through Advise Assist (Mondays – Thursdays, 9:00am – 5:00pm, select “Study Partners Peer Tutoring” for your appointment) or through the Knack online platform/mobile app at a day and time mutually decided upon by the student and the Peer Tutor. Students are able to participate in one session per day per course, as long as a tutor is available. Learn more about scheduling options on the “Make an Appointment” page!

If you schedule a one-on-one tutoring session through Advise Assist, you will receive an email confirmation for your appointment. If you select the In Person option, your appointment will take place on the second floor of RBD Library in the Learning Commons area (when entering from the Mell Street entrance, go past the Panera on your left, past the restrooms on your left, then you will approach a waiting area on your right). When you arrive at the Study Partners waiting area, sign in on the iPad kiosk by inputting your Student ID # (e.g., 90…….). Click here for a video outlining the in-person check-in process. If you select the Virtual option, your email confirmation will include your Peer Tutor’s Zoom link.

If you schedule a session through Knack, you and your Peer Tutor will communicate through the app about where you will meet in RBD Library, or you will join the Knack Online Classroom directly from the platform for a virtual session.

Study Partners Peer Tutors are generally upper-level undergraduate students who display strong academic performance and leadership skills. Tutors are exceptional students with solid communication skills, a positive attitude, and expertise in study skill development. Each tutor is required to have two letters of recommendation from faculty and/or staff. Study Partners’ employees must be a currently registered Auburn University student and consistently maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Tutors have earned an “A” or high “B” in each course they tutor. Tutors are required to attend regular training sessions designed to improve general academic and helping skills, as well as resource knowledge and referral techniques.

In order to maximize a tutoring session, the following items are often beneficial to the experience:

• Textbooks, a list of concepts and questions, past assignments or tests, class notes;
• Other important info provided by the instructor (syllabus, practice problems, etc.);
• A good, if not great, attitude.

Tutoring sessions are scheduled as a one-on-one appointment with a Peer Tutor, meaning that additional students are not able to attend the session. Please note that if you are a caregiver, your dependent is welcome to accompany you to your appointment. 

To ensure quality of tutoring services, Peer Tutors are observed several times each semester. Your appointment may be observed by another member of the Study Partners team. These observations are designed to be non-intrusive to your session experience or learning process. 

As long as a tutor is available, students may meet with a Study Partners tutor one time per day per course. Back-to-back appointments with the same Peer Tutor for any combination of courses and/or multiple appointments in one day for the same course are not allowed.

Each semester, a listing of courses supported by peer tutoring can be found on the right-hand side of the Study Partners Peer Tutoring webpage under “Course List”. The Study Partners program mission is to provide tutoring for basic core courses required of most any major at Auburn University; however, if demand for a specific course is high Study Partners may include it in their course list. If support for a core course is not offered, students may submit a Core Course Support Request. Requests are reviewed weekly and when possible a tutor will add this course to their list of courses tutored.

Yes, Study Partners peer tutoring is a free service for enrolled Auburn University students. There is no charge to participate in Study Partners peer tutoring.

Students may expect the following from their experience with Study Partners:

• Confidentiality, Patience, and Respect;
• Knowledge about the subject area being tutored;
• A concentrated effort to aid in understanding difficult material;
• Good communication skills and help with study skill development;
• Ability to help identify learning obstacles and ways to overcome them;
• Ability to model good student behaviors

Academic Support is committed to serving all Auburn University students, and peer tutoring is designed to be a safe learning environment where all students are welcome, appreciated, and supported by their peers. In tutoring sessions, you can expect that the presence of any physical, verbal, graphic, written, or electronic representations of language, images, or behavior that create a hostile or intimidating environment will not be accepted. Additionally, insults related to ability, appearance, culture, gender, home language, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or social class will not be tolerated.

• HOMEWORK: Tutors will not do homework or take responsibility for a student’s learning, nor have all the answers to every question. Students should make notes of concepts they would like to strengthen their understanding of, as this allows the student and tutor to review such concepts and work through similar practice problems during the tutoring session. Additionally, please note that tutors cannot assist directly with lab work or graded web assignments as this is considered cheating.
• RESCUE: Nothing takes the place of consistent hard work throughout the semester; showing up for a tutoring session a week before, or the day before, a major test or final exam will not provide the extensive help the student may seek. Students benefit most from starting the tutoring process early in the semester and visiting often thereafter.
• TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A STUDENT’S LEARNING: Tutors can assist students in the learning process, but they are not responsible for what an individual student learns. A successful student attends class regularly, participates in class, consistently completes homework assignments, reads and is familiar with the textbook, and develops a relationship with their instructor.
• HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TO EVERY QUESTION: Tutors are well trained and knowledgeable about the subject they tutor, but they cannot be expected to know everything; although they CAN be expected to model the steps a successful student can use to find a solution.

Students are invited to contact Academic Support at academic_support@auburn.edu or 334-844-5972 to discuss how best to maximize the Study Partners experience.

If you are unable to attend an appointment, please cancel via Advise Assist or Knack (depending on which platform you booked your appointment through) as soon as possible. We ask that you cancel no later than one (1) hour in advance, as failing to do so will qualify as a No Show session.

Three No Show sessions (i.e., student is 30+ minutes late, student does not attend session, or student cancels within 1 hour of the appointment’s start time) in 120 days will lock the student account from scheduling future appointments (will appear as “No Appointments Available” on your Advise Assist scheduling screen). If your account is locked, you may email Academic Support (academic_support@auburn.edu) to set up a one-on-one meeting for discussing Study Partners policies and the next steps for unlocking your account.

If you experience issues with your appointment, please call 334.844.5972 or email academic_support@auburn.edu. If you reach out after AU office hours (Monday-Friday, 7:45am-4:45pm), please leave a message and we will be sure to follow-up with you as soon as possible.

First, please ensure that you are attempting to schedule a “Study Partners Peer Tutoring” appointment for “Course Based Tutoring” through Advise Assist. Then, confirm that the course you are requesting help with is one that you are currently enrolled in and is a course we support this semester (a full course listing is provided on our webpage). Students are unable to schedule appointments for courses they are not enrolled in or for courses we do not support that semester. If a student is not enrolled in any supported courses for that semester, they may not see “Study Partners Peer Tutoring” as an option on Advise Assist at all.

If your Advise Assist scheduling screen says “No Appointments Available,” this likely means that you have reached the maximum allowed no shows. Three No Show sessions (i.e., student is 30+ minutes late, student does not attend session, or student cancels within 1 hour of the appointment’s start time) in 120 days will lock the student account from scheduling future appointments. If your account is locked, you may email Academic Support (academic_support@auburn.edu) to set up a one-on-one meeting for discussing Study Partners policies and the next steps for unlocking your account.

If you are able to view the scheduling grid and simply do not see any open days/times for appointments, we may currently be booked for that particular course. Advise Assist appointment availability opens two weeks in advance. Students are highly encouraged to continue checking back, as we often have day-of cancellations that open up spots for other students. Additionally, students may choose to submit a tutoring request on Knack and/or utilize other support resources on campus.