Peer Tutoring
Meet with a peer tutor for support with a course
The Peer Tutoring Program provides assistance for students with the academic content of their courses. Upper-division students are available to tutor students in most lower-level courses at the University, free of charge.
Program Mission Statement
To foster a positive and encouraging learning environment where diverse groups of students can achieve academic success. Through working in partnership, highly skilled tutors will empower students by providing them with the tools to become effective independent learners while increasing their confidence in their skills and abilities.
Peer Tutoring FAQ
Our peer tutors can help to strengthen your knowledge of a particular course or subject. Tutors are not there to do the work for you; rather they will guide your learning, enabling you to become more confident and independent in your understanding of the course material.
All undergraduate students can attend peer tutoring. The Tutoring Program is not only for students who are struggling, but for those who would like an extra boost towards achieving a desired success level in their classes. Students report that the chance to study alongside a peer boosts their motivation and desire to learn.
Please access the Penji platform or download the Penji app. Once you have accessed Penji, you will see the peer tutoring community and will be able to schedule a one-off session with a tutor, or a recurring session if you would prefer to meet more regularly.
You will be able to select tutoring from a list of courses you are currently taking, and will then select a date, time, and peer tutor you wish to work with. Once your session is confirmed, you will receive an email confirmation from Penji with the details. Please save the meeting invite so you are reminded of your tutoring session.
Our tutors support a range of entry-level courses across multiple subject areas. Once on Penji, you will select from a list of courses that you are currently enrolled in at W&L. If, for some reason, we cannot find a tutor for the course you request, you will have an option to notify us and we will suggest alternative forms of academic support.
You are encouraged to think about specific areas of your course you would like support with. You will maximize your tutoring session by arriving with specific questions, problems, or areas you would like to work on with your peer tutor.
You will see a chatroom feature on Penji and you are encouraged to use this to chat with your tutor before the session if you have questions. You may also contact your tutor in other ways if you prefer, such as via email.
This will largely depend on your unique needs as a student. Tutors will usually start a session by understanding your learning goals, and the particular challenges you might be experiencing with the course content. The tutoring session will then be tailored to the information provided. Tutors are trained to ask effective open-ended questions throughout the session to guide your understanding of important course concepts and ideas.
- Develop your understanding of course material.
- Increase your confidence as a learner (self-efficacy).
- Increase your independence in studying and learning.
- Work through problems and ideas in a supportive and non-judgmental setting.
- Build a relationship with a peer over an extended period of time.
The Harte Center for Teaching and Learning welcomes peer tutors who are highly motivated and committed to student learning. Peer tutors support fellow students by providing one-on-one and small-group tutoring in courses that align with their strengths, passions, and interests. Tutors will also participate in ongoing training and events to enhance their personal and professional skills.
Please email the peer tutoring leadership team if you are interested in becoming a peer tutor at peertutors@mail.wlu.edu.
Department Tutoring
In addition to scheduling one-on-one tutoring sessions through Penji, you may also have a peer tutor embedded in your course. Embedded tutors are there to support your learning in different ways—offering drop-in hours, small-group study sessions, and even assistance during class. To see whether your course has an embedded tutor, you can click on “view department tutoring” on the Penji platform and select the course you are looking for. Additionally, you may contact your professor to ask about tutoring offered in the course.
Information for Faculty
The Peer Tutoring Program offers two ways to support your students: independent tutoring and embedded tutoring.
Independent Tutoring
In this model, tutors meet one-on-one with students through sessions scheduled via the Penji platform. Independent tutors are not assigned to specific faculty members but work centrally within the Harte Center.
Some tutors will meet their tutees for a single 60-minute tutoring session, while others will meet more regularly if their tutees can benefit from additional support. We encourage tutors to have as much weekly availability as possible on the Penji platform for tutees to schedule with them.
Independent tutors are encouraged to stay up to date on course topics and materials by connecting with faculty teaching the course. Tutors in this model typically support a range of courses across departments and have earned at least a B grade in the courses they tutor.
Embedded Tutoring
In the embedded model, a tutor partners directly with you and your course. This can take many forms, including regular drop-in hours, small-group tutoring sessions, or even attending class meetings to help facilitate learning.
You and your tutor can decide together what approach best fits your course. Faculty mentors provide regular guidance and feedback throughout the term to help tutors grow in their roles.
Faculty may request embedded tutors for specific courses and are welcome to recommend particular students. While we always try to honor faculty recommendations, an existing peer tutor may be assigned if they’re already trained to support your course.
Each fall and winter term, faculty can request either independent or embedded tutors for the following term using the form below:
We ask department heads to coordinate requests for large, multi-section introductory courses (e.g., MATH 101 & 202, ECON 101 & 102). Individual faculty members are also invited to request tutors for their own courses beyond these introductory offerings.
Once you have submitted your request for a peer tutor, the program team will select and recruit tutors (as necessary) and will assign them to work with you at the start of the new term via an introductory email.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Harte Center
We take care of:
- Recruiting, selecting, and onboarding tutors
- Providing training through INTR 205: Peer Education – Theory and Practice
- Paying tutors
- Offering ongoing feedback through Penji
- Supporting faculty in their mentoring roles
- Handling any performance or conduct concerns
Faculty with Embedded Tutors
Faculty partners are responsible for:
- Adding tutors to their Canvas course(s)
- Meeting regularly with tutors for check-ins and support
- Communicating expectations about course content, teaching methods, and assessments
- Providing feedback to tutors throughout the term
- Staying in touch with the Peer Tutoring team
Peer Tutors
Tutors are responsible for:
- Partnering with faculty (when applicable) to support learning in the course
- Completing INTR 205: Peer Education – Theory and Practice
- Promoting tutoring opportunities within the department
- Reserving spaces for sessions through 25Live
- Maintaining professionalism and ethical conduct
- Committing at least 5 hours per week to the role
Support and Resources
If you have questions or would like to talk through tutoring options, please reach out to the Peer Tutoring Team at peertutors@mail.wlu.edu.
We also invite you to join the Peer Tutoring Program Canvas course for additional information and resources on the peer tutoring program.