Transylvania University has good reason to celebrate National Tutor Appreciation Week, which runs through Friday.
Tutors and embedded learning fellows in the Academic Center for Excellence are playing an increasingly important role in student success. Last year, more than half of all Pioneers took advantage of ACE services.
“Our center follows best practices in tutoring and supplemental instruction that have shown to increase GPA, retention and graduation rates of students who participate regularly,” ACE Director Laura Scroggins said.
The ACE recently celebrated its new certification from the College Reading and Learning Association international accrediting body, along with its tutors who met the organization’s rigorous criteria. “This recognition highlights the professionalism and dedication of our tutors,” Scroggins said.
It also comes at a time when the program is experiencing fast growth.
The ACE recruited one of its largest tutoring staffs ever this fall: 44 of them covering 15 disciplines and more than 60 classes. Additionally, the Embedded Learning Forums targeting traditionally difficult subjects have expanded from three courses with eight sections to 13 with 28 sections. Popular offerings include Accounting, Organic Chemistry and, new this year, Physics I and Social Science Statistics. “Adding ELFs didn’t reduce tutoring demand — it brought more students to both,” Scroggins noted.
During the fall terms of 2022-24, the number of students who visited the free tutoring service rose from 571 to 712, and that stat for Embedded Learning Forums rose from 310 to 849. These are a diverse range of students, from high achievers to those needing extra support.
Maria Hayes ’26 said the program helped her overcome initial fears about Transylvania’s academic rigor. “I sought out the ACE for support, where tutoring helped me strengthen my academic skills and gain confidence as a learner. My own experience with tutoring inspired me to get involved with the ACE, to help other students navigate their academic experiences. My favorite part of tutoring is helping students build confidence and belief in their own ability to succeed.”
The ACE benefits the tutors as well, who are paid for their work. “Through tutoring, I’ve developed valuable interpersonal and teaching skills that have helped me grow both academically and personally,” added Hayes, who appreciates working with “supportive and kind” fellow staffers.
“Everyone expects their tutors to be smart, but what I am impressed by is how often our clients report that the students are kind and nonjudgmental,” Scroggins said.
The center also provides students with professional academic coaches, who work one on one with them to build personalized tools for success in the classroom. “Some students come voluntarily to get organized, while others meet us at key points like midterms,” Scroggins said.
Additionally, the ACE supports academic accessibility, like managing accommodation letters for students. And a testing center complements the center’s efforts, which also include the Writing Center.
