Yes! The QCC Student Learning Center and the Campus Writing Center recently merged and now comprise the Center for Tutoring and Academic Support (CTAS).

For a classroom visit, where a CTAS staff member will visit your online or on-campus classroom early in the semester and give a brief introduction to our services, complete this request form.

The Life Lab (Room L-105) offers space for self-study, tutoring, and workshops for students taking General Biology (BI 201/202) and Anatomy & Physiology (BI 301/302). The Life Lab is equipped with human anatomy models, microscopes, and slides. Students are free to use the models for self-study or with a tutor. Microscopes and slides are available for use with staff assistance.

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Our tutors use a student-centered approach to support your students' academic growth and intellectual confidence.

Course-specific tutoring sessions focus on reviewing course content. Tutors may also help students in understanding their textbook, reviewing relevant terms and vocabulary, working on practice problems, practicing oral communication and pronunciation in foreign languages, learning study skills, and conducting research.

Sessions with a writing tutor can cover anything writing or reading related – at any stage of the writing process – such as: Understanding the assignment or reading comprehension, brainstorming ideas, crafting a thesis statement, improving organization, paper format or genre, grammar and punctuation, proofreading strategies, research and citations.

You can be assured that CTAS tutors do not correct or edit students' papers, homework, or other assignments. Additionally, we cannot give answers or do homework for students. Instead, we aim to help students develop the skills and confidence to do their work independently.

Policy on working with Midterm / Final Exams (WRITING)

TAKE-HOME FINAL/MIDTERM EXAMS (Outline, essay or a series of shorter writing “responses”): The CTAS default policy is to help students with ANY writing task for any course they are currently taking. If a student brings any type of writing-related assignment designated as a “take home exam” to the center with the goal of having a tutor review the writing or offer any other assistance, it is the tutor’s job to ask the student if they have permission (from their instructor) to work on that exam with a CTAS tutor.

1. If the student says they do have permission to get help with the “exam,” the tutor may read and provide feedback just as they would with any other paper.
2. If the student says they do not have permission to work with a tutor on a writing “exam,” tutors may not read or offer feedback on any pre-written papers, paragraphs, or outline that will be used for that exam. However, tutors may still discuss “generic” writing / outlining strategies that students may apply later to their exams.

In most cases, QCC instructors DO allow their students to work with CTAS tutors when writing / preparing for exams. But, it is the student’s responsibility to follow any guidelines set by their instructor regarding academic integrity.

Policy on working with Homework / Take-home exams (SUBJECTS)

Tutors cannot help students with take-home tests or actual questions from homework assignments/lab reports. This includes completing or correcting an assignment for or with a student. However, tutors can help students understand the content of a homework assignment or lab report by providing similar examples. Tutors may also help students learn studying techniques in order to prepare for a test.

In live distance tutoring sessions in Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, students and tutors can talk using audio and (if desired) video, chat, share files, share screens, and use the whiteboard. CTAS tutors receive extensive training and practice in using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra's many features. In addition, we have tech support staff available if needed during the sessions, and instructional videos and tipsheets for students on our website.

All CTAS tutors receive regular and comprehensive training in national models of student-centered learning; they undergo training when they are first hired, before each semester, and during the semester.

CTAS tutor training covers topics such as: Tutoring pedagogy and the tutoring cycle, discipline-specific tutoring techniques and best practices, questioning techniques which teach students to think deeply about the material, ELL and learning issues, approaches to help students' anxiety and apprehension towards a subject, study skills to help students become better learners (such as test taking skills, textbook reading skills, and writing skills), and using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra for live distance tutoring.

Our tutors range from academically strong QCC students to experienced educators with M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Many CTAS tutors are working on 4-year degrees, graduate degrees, or research; some are current adjunct instructors or retired K-12 teachers.

If you'd like to refer a specific student for tutoring, use Starfish to send an official referral. Our dedicated advisers receive and follow up on these referrals. You can also informally encourage any and all students to come to CTAS for academic support, either verbally or through your syllabus or feedback on assignments.

To confirm that a student received tutoring at CTAS, log into Starfish and go to the "Meetings" tab in your student's profile. Any visits to CTAS will be indicated, with the date and time of the session, and the subject for which the student was tutored.

Our mantra is "early and often." While we welcome students to visit us at any time, we highly encourage them to learn about CTAS and come for tutoring early in the semester. This will give them a familiarity and comfort with how tutoring works, so they will be ready to take full advantage of academic support as their workload grows more challenging. You can help students learn about our services at the start of the semester through sharing our flyer, linking to our website, scheduling a classroom visit, and making early referrals.

To speak with a staff member live during business hours, simply stop by our Front Desk in L-113. To connect virtually, go to our home page and click on the “Virtual Front Desk” icon in the top right corner.

You can also direct any questions to our main email address: AskCTAS@qcc.cuny.edu and a staff member will respond during office hours. We hope to hear from you soon!