Yale College provides tutoring in a range of academic subjects and in a variety of formats, from drop-in sessions and one-time appointments focusing on a single assignment to long-term assistance in a particular course of study. While tutoring programs differ in scope and arrangements, they are alike in that they are all available to Yale College students without charge.
Science and Quantitative Reasoning
Tutoring in science and quantitative reasoning courses (including QR courses in the social sciences, such as economics) is provided through two programs: the Residential College Math and Science Tutoring program and the Science and QR Tutoring program.
The Residential College Math and Science Tutoring program offers tutoring at scheduled times in the residential colleges and in the Science and Quantitative Reasoning Center. The program provides tutoring in all areas of math and science as well as in economics and is available to any Yale College student on a walk-in basis. Tutors in the program, approved to be such by the DGS or the DUS, are advanced graduate students chosen not only for their command of various scientific subjects but also for their ability to communicate with undergraduates clearly and effectively. Because each tutor specializes in her or his own subject area, students are encouraged to seek out the help they need most from tutors in any of the colleges or at the Science and Quantitative Reasoning Center. Areas of expertise and office hours for tutors are available at each residential college dean’s office and on the program's Web site. Students do not need a referral from an instructor or a dean to gain access to these services, although instructors often do advise students to seek out these tutors for help with a specific problem set or other assignment. For further information about this program, please consult the program's Web site or contact Kailasnath Purushothaman, 20 SSS, 432-1037.
The Science and QR Tutoring program offers one-on-one tutoring to students who are experiencing extended academic difficulty in a specific science or quantitative course (including economics). For purposes of eligibility, "academic difficulty" is defined as currently earning or likely to earn a grade of C or below in the course. Students who need such assistance should be referred to the residential college dean, who will help the student with the simple application process to obtain a private tutor. These tutors are advanced undergraduate, graduate, or professional students who have been certified by their academic departments or programs as qualified to provide academic support in one or more specific Yale College courses. Students are eligible for up to ten hours of individual tutoring per course each term, free of charge. If additional tutoring is required, the student may submit a written request for up to four additional hours to the program's coordinator, Frank Robinson, 20 SSS. For further information about this program, please consult the program's Web site or contact Frank Robinson, 432-7128.
Writing
As part of Yale's effort to improve the quality of undergraduate writing, the Yale College Writing Center provides a Bass Writing Tutor in each of the twelve residential colleges. Each tutor is available for approximately ten hours a week to work with students on any writing project: course papers from across the curriculum, senior essays, graduate school and fellowship applications, or anything intended for publication. The Bass tutors (also known as the Residential College Writing Tutors) have substantial experience in drafting and revising prose—as classroom writing teachers or as professional editors and writers—and they provide an important resource for both students and faculty. Tutors usually meet with students by appointment on a one-to-one basis to discuss rough drafts of work in progress.
Another resource, called the Writing Partners, offers drop-in help with writing at the Writing Center, 35 Broadway. Writing Partners are Yale College or graduate school students selected both for their writing skills and for their ability to talk about writing. They can give feedback at any point in the writing process, from brainstorming to final revision.
Neither the Bass tutors nor the Writing Partners provide full editing or rewriting services. Their goal is to help students learn something about writing; the focus is more on the writer than on the particular paper being revised. But even this narrower focus can lead to greatly improved essays, and students who see a tutor for multiple sessions can make substantial progress as writers over time. Instructors who believe that a student's work would benefit from additional help with writing should suggest that the student make an appointment with a Bass Writing Tutor; no referral from an instructor or a dean is required. Students often begin with the tutor in their own college, although they are welcome to see tutors in other colleges and to visit the Writing Partners.
While some writers whose first language is not English may need more specialized assistance, faculty members should still encourage them to meet with a residential college writing tutor. This is the best resource for assessing a student writer's needs. The Yale College Writing Center offers additional resources for ESL writers when required. Freshman international students in particular are offered the chance for regular meetings with a Writing Partner during their first term.
For more information about writing resources, visit the Writing Center Web site. Questions or suggestions about tutoring, or about other ways the Writing Center can help you and your students, should be directed to Dean Alfred E. Guy, Jr., the R. W. B. Lewis Director of the Yale College Writing Center, 432-7492. Instructors who have concerns about the written work of a student whose first language is not English should contact Assistant Director Ryan Wepler, 432-0189.
Humanities and Social Science
The Humanities and Social Sciences Tutoring program offers one-on-one tutoring to students who are experiencing academic difficulty in a specific humanities or social science course (excluding economics courses). For purposes of eligibility, "academic difficulty" is defined as currently earning or likely to earn a grade of C or below in the course. Students who need such assistance should be referred to the residential college dean, who will help the student with the simple application process to obtain a private tutor. These tutors are typically advanced undergraduates whose major is in the same department or discipline as the course.
Tutors normally must be requested within the first seven weeks of the course, i.e., by midterm. Students are eligible for ten hours of individual tutoring per course each term. If additional tutoring is required, the student may submit a written request for up to four additional hours to the program's director, Dean Alfred E. Guy, Jr., 35 Broadway, second floor. For further information about this program, please consult the director at 432-7492.
Tutoring for economics courses is available through the Science and Quantitative Reasoning Center.
Foreign Language
The Center for Language Study (CLS) offers one-on-one foreign language tutoring for Yale students enrolled in foreign language courses. Any enrolled student may request a language tutor, from those who are struggling in the language to those who simply want more conversation practice. Each student is eligible for up to ten free sessions per term with a faculty-approved CLS tutor.
The Center also offers weekly drop-in tutoring sessions at Bass Library from 7 to 9 p.m. in Spanish (Tuesdays), Chinese (Wednesdays), and French (Thursdays). Any Yale student—whether undergraduate, graduate, or professional—may attend these sessions.
To request a tutor or to read more about foreign language tutoring and drop-in sessions, visit the CLS Web site. For additional information, contact Suzanne Young, CLS Associate Director, 370 Temple St., 432-0168, suzanne.young@yale.edu.
