Increase of tutoring requests at Rimmer Learning

By Paige Asberry
Staff Writer

With the beginning of the school year comes new classes, new teachers, and new struggles. For this semester in particular, the tutors at Rimmer Learning Center have seen a massive influx of new tutees. Over the last year, Rimmer has more than doubled the number of students that seek tutoring services. Most of the tutoring requests that Rimmer sees are for the sciences – chemistry, biology, and anatomy and physiology.

When asked if she thought the years of online Covid schooling had anything to do with the increase of requests, Writing Paraprofessional Jessica Owens, who arranges meetings between students and tutors, said “Yes, absolutely. We see students that did not have access to proper learning materials, and they realized that they need in-person teaching. We have the capacity to offer that to them.”

Owens also said that tutoring has spread across campus by word of mouth. She has visited over 30 classrooms to talk about the various subjects and services offered by Rimmer Learning Center.

“People realize that tutoring isn’t nearly as scary as it seems,” she said.

Wichita freshman Alexia Gonzales said that she knew she would need help in biology, and reached out quickly for a tutor.

“It’s helped me get a better understanding on the subject itself and a better grade,” she says.

While the number of students seeking tutoring has grown, the number of tutors has not. Rimmer currently employs 17 tutors, and is always seeking to hire more, especially ones that can assist in the higher levels of math. Kimberly Shea, the math paraprofessional, has noticed an increase in students that come in for the higher levels of math, particularly trigonometry, statistics, and physics.

Shea has taken to learning physics on her own time to better aid students.

As the semester draws to a close, the amount of students taking advantage of the math and writing labs is predicted to increase by close to double.

“I am amazed by all the tutoring services Rimmer offers for free, as going out and hiring a private tutor could cost anywhere from $30-$50,” Owens said. “It’s an incredibly beneficial resource for all HutchCC students.”

Visits: 162