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 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. New tutors will also participate in a one-credit course, INTR-205 - Peer Education: Theory and Practice, to enhance their professional practice as peer educators and leaders.
If you are interested in becoming a peer tutor, please complete the . The program team will then contact you once the tutor applications are live.
Embedded 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.
You may contact your professor to ask about embedded tutoring offered in your course.
Information for Faculty
Faculty may request an embedded tutor to support your course(s).
Embedded tutors partner directly with you and your course. This can take many forms, including regular drop-in hours, small group tutoring sessions, or attending class meetings to support student learning. You and your tutor(s) can decide together on the approach that 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 encouraged to recommend students. While we try to honor faculty recommendations, an existing peer tutor may be assigned if they are already trained to support your course.
Each fall and winter term, faculty can request an embedded tutor 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 may request embedded tutors for courses beyond these introductory offerings.
Once you have submitted your request for a peer tutor, the program team will recruit and onboard tutors and will assign them to work with you at the start of the new term via an introductory email.
Please note that, in addition to embedded tutoring, students may schedule one-on-one tutoring sessions through . All tutoring scheduled through Penji is managed by the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning and is separate from the embedded tutoring format.
Embedded Tutoring Roles and Responsibilities
The Harte Center
We take care of:
- Recruiting and onboarding requested tutors
- Providing training through INTR 205 – Peer Education: Theory and Practice
- Paying tutors
- Supporting faculty in their mentoring roles
- Handling performance or conduct concerns
Faculty with Embedded Tutors
Faculty partners are responsible for:
- Adding tutors to their Canvas course(s)
- Conducting meetings with tutors for support, guidance, and feedback
- Communicating expectations to tutors, including course content, teaching methods, and assessments
- Encouraging tutors to book tutoring spaces (via 25Live) and promote their tutoring hours within the course
- Inform the Peer Tutoring Leadership Team of the anticipated duration of your embedded tutor assignment
Embedded Peer Tutors
Embedded Tutors are responsible for:
- Partnering with faculty in support of their assigned course(s)
- If accepted, participating in tutor training (INTR 205 – Peer Education: Theory and Practice)
- Promoting their tutoring efforts within the course
- Reserving tutoring spaces through 25Live
- Maintaining professionalism and ethical conduct
- Having adequate availability to commit 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 for additional information and resources on the peer tutoring program.