Ava Chuppe
Contributing Writer
[email protected]

The Lowry Tutoring Center has seen shortages in workers and students attending and facilitating sessions, for the past few months.

Tutoring Coordinator Sarah Williams said this is the smallest number of tutors the program has ever seen.

“We had to cut a few of our smaller-interest subjects for this semester just because we didn’t have a tutor that could cover them,” Williams said. “Where we are really short is in math, especially for in-person tutoring.”

Students can still go to the Ross Math Lab in Faculty Hall Room 109 for math tutoring sessions, including some upper-level courses. A schedule for these sessions can be found at murraystate.edu/mathematics under the “Ross Mathematical Studies and Career Center” tab.

Williams said the shortages are part of a wider trend.

“In my department, as well as some other departments across campus, we’ve seen not just a shortage of tutors, but a lack of student interest in attending some campus programs and events altogether,” Williams said.

Based on the conversations she has had with students, Williams said the lack of attendance can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many students got used to being fully online, and now that we’re back in person, I’ve had some tell me that it’s a struggle to want to participate in things they don’t absolutely have to,” Williams said. “Others are enjoying being back in-person and want to be out making up lost time with friends instead of spending extra time in academic settings.”

Other students may not use the Tutoring Center because it does not offer upper-level course tutoring. Junior professional writing major Hannah DuBois said she turns to classmates when she needs assistance but would recommend the Tutoring Center.

“I’ve used the tutoring center before and it was helpful,” DuBois said.

The Tutoring Center has received numerous requests to offer sessions for Organic Chemistry and Ethics, which they have recently added. Though the Tutoring Center primarily covers University Studies courses, Williams said she hopes to expand the Tutoring Center’s offerings.

“If a student is struggling in a course, but we don’t offer tutoring for it, I encourage them to reach out to me and I’ll see if we can either find a tutor for it or see if another office on campus covers it,” Williams said.

Williams added that the RacerWorks program has also had difficulty maintaining student interest. RacerWorks provides students with free workshops conducted by faculty and staff on a number of topics.

Ann Matheny, coordinator of RacerWorks, said her program will continue to offer sessions until the last week of class.

“These free workshops are a great benefit to students,” Matheny said.

Any student with at least a sophomore status and who has completed each subject they are interested in tutoring with a grade of A or B can apply to work at the Tutoring Center on Handshake. Though tutoring is free for students, tutor positions are paid. Preference is given to students who can cover multiple courses or disciplines, though anyone meeting the requirements is encouraged to apply.

This semester, the Tutoring Center is offering in-person tutoring for some biology, chemistry and math courses on Mondays and Thursdays from 11-4 p.m. in the Lowry Center. They also cover these courses and others online through Penji, a free tutoring app.

To learn more about in-person and virtual tutoring sessions through Lowry Tutoring Center and RacerWorks, visit murraystate.edu/provost, then click on the “Center for Academic Success” tab.

Anyone with questions about on-campus tutoring options can contact Sarah Williams at [email protected].