This document introduces Megan Penyack and Martine L. François from Salem State University and provides an overview of the university's tutoring program and the new Science Tutoring Center. It discusses the barriers to creating a science center previously, how they obtained a grant to fund the center, and how they have collaborated with existing resources. It also outlines their plans to assess the impact and future of the Science Tutoring Center.

1. MEGAN PENYACK
MARTINE L. FRANÇOIS
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

2. WHO ARE WE? WHO ARE
YOU?
Megan Penyack, Coordinator of Academic
Services
Martine L. François, Science Tutoring Center
Coordinator, TRIO Science Coordinator
A bit about you…

3. SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY
@ A GLANCE Type: Public 4-year and higher
 Enrollment: 7,700 undergraduate enrollment (IPEDS, fall 2012)
76% Full-time; 24% Part-time
61% Female; 39% Male
70% White; 10% Hispanic/Latino; 8% Black or African American;
3% Asian; 2% Two or more races; 3% unknown; 4% Non-
resident alien
 Residence: 95% In-State; 4% Out-of-State; 1% Other countries
 Graduation Rate: 45% overall (150% time)
 Income: ~40% of fulltime freshmen are Pell Grant-Eligible
 First-Generation: ~35% of undergraduate students
 International Status: ~500 students

4. OVERVIEW OF TUTORING
PROGRAM Approximately 75 tutors for Nursing, Science, Foreign
Language, and other subject-area courses
 Tutors are primarily undergraduates
 Training takes place each semester; working on
application for CRLA Level 1 certification
 One-on-one and small group peer tutoring
 Takes place any day of the week including evenings and
weekends, primarily in Library
 Appointment-based tutoring through TutorTrac; students
make their own appointments
 Walk-in hours now available through Science Tutoring
Center

5. CONNECT

6. WHY A SCIENCE TUTORING
CENTER?
Salem State currently has the following
support centers in place:
 Writing Center
 Math Lab
 Foreign Language Lab
 Accounting Lab

7. BARRIERS
 No Space
 No Money
 But everyone is in
agreement that this is a
good idea.

8. THE GRANT
The Strategic Plan Grants Program provides
support to new, creative ideas for Salem
State University programs. These ideas are
expected to advance the strategic goals of
the university.
(Copies of the my grant)***

9. SHARE

10. COLLABORATION
 Use existing infrastructure
 Tutors: Categorized tutors by subjects they tutored.
Any tutors for Chemistry, Biology, or Physics courses
are considered “Science Peer Tutors”
 Created “Science Tutoring Center” Subcenter in
TutorTrac
 Advertise Science Tutoring Center in Peer Tutoring
marketing materials and emphasize the walk-in hours
 Space
 Use existing unclaimed space
 Collaborate with faculty
 Many faculty promote Science Tutoring Center in their
courses as an option

11. WALK-INS/APPOINTMENTS

12. STC

13. USE OF GRANT MONEY
Actual budget sheet used? Or explanation or
both?

14. FUTURE OF STC
Submitting new grant…
Assessment plans
?

15. ASSESSMENT
 Use reporting mechanisms in TutorTrac to assess usage
(which courses/sections; how many unique students are
using the service)
 Surveys through Survey Monkey
 Focus Groups
 Training Evaluation (connect responses from students to
tutor training—are the tutors implementing what we are
teaching them in training sessions?)

16. INSPIRE

17. WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT
STEPS?
…

18. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US:
MEGAN PENYACK
(MPENYACK@SALEMSTATE.E
DU)
MARTINE L. FRANÇOIS
(MFRANCOIS@SALEMSTATE.E
DU)