Peer Tutor Guidelines

 1.    Conduct:  The tutor-tutee relationship is a professional, working relationship. A friendly and comfortable rapport can make the learning experience more effective, but socializing should be kept to a minimum during tutoring appointments. Tutors and tutees should maintain a respectful relationship. Sexual, racial and/or physical harassment by either party will not be tolerated.

2.    Scheduling and cancelling sessions:  You and your tutee will arrange a schedule based on need. If a session must be cancelled, tutors and tutees should provide at least 24 hours notice to each other. Tutors are instructed to wait only 15 minutes when tutees fail to show up for a scheduled session; tutees should do the same. If sessions are missed more than three consecutive times or a tutee does not respond to a tutor's contact within two weeks of the pairing being made, the tutoring service is no longer considered necessary and will be cancelled.

3.    Sessions with tutees: It is expected that tutors provide no more than two hours of tutoring per student per course each week. Any additional weekly tutoring hours require prior approval from Class Dean Shirley King.

4.    Role of the tutor:  After the initial meeting with the tutee, the tutor is to contact the tutee's instructor to discuss ways to help the tutee, however the role of the tutor is not to interact with an instructor on the tutee's behalf. It is not appropriate for a tutee to call upon a tutor on a regular basis to answer quick questions outside regular scheduled meetings. Also, if a tutor is the tutee's TA, the tutor is not to mark the tutee's assignments or exams.  

5.    Tutoring venues: Tutoring should be conducted in a safe, public area on the campus. Other people should be in the general vicinity. An academic building might be appropriate during the day, but is not after hours when no one is around. Possible locations include group study areas in libraries, empty classrooms with the door left open, and student lounges. Inappropriate locations include private residences, licensed establishments, and classrooms with closed doors. 

6.    Academic integrity and plagiarism:  Where any work of the tutee is subsumed in whole or in part by the thoughts of the tutor, both parties are subject to an allegation of plagiarism. Tutors and tutees are often surprised by the range of activities officially considered plagiarism.  Tutors and tutees should not work on assignments that will be handed in.