Student Learning Center (SLC)

What can I expect from a tutoring appointment at the SLC?

Whether your appointment is on campus or online, you can expect a warm, supportive environment and a tutor who's eager to help you learn. While we can't take the place of attending class or do the work for you, we can clarify concepts, provide guidance and feedback on assignments, and answer any questions you may have along the way. Check out our SLC Tutoring Philosophy for more information. 

Is tutoring free?

Yes! There is no charge for SLC services.

What subjects can I get tutoring on?

Generally, we can provide tutoring on any subject taught at RMCAD. While we do accept walk-in appointments, we suggest that you schedule an appointment ahead of time to ensure that you're paired with the right tutor. 

What do I need to bring to tutoring? 

If you'd like help on an assignment, please bring any related materials you have (drafts, research, thumbnails, preliminary drawings, etc.). Coming prepared with specific questions is also helpful but not required.

How does tutoring work for an online student?

Online tutoring happens via Google Meet, which allows us to share screens and see what you're working on. Note that you must have Google Chrome downloaded. If you've never used Google Meet, feel free to contact us at learning@rmcad.edu or 303-225-8605 so we can walk you through the process!

Cancellation Policy

We understand that life happens and that you might need to cancel an appointment. However, if you do need to cancel, we ask that you give us a minimum notice of one hour.

Lateness Policy

If you are more than 15 minutes late to your appointment, we reserve the right to mark the appointment as a no-show. 

No-Show Policy

Please respect our tutors' time! If we have scheduled an appointment for you and you miss it, you are preventing other students from scheduling an appointment during that time slot. For this reason, after missing three appointments, you will no longer be able to schedule appointments online. However, you can still schedule appointments by emailing us at learning@rmcad.edu or calling us at 303-225-8605. 

What is an embedded tutor?

An embedded tutor partners with an instructor to support students during a course. As part of the class, an embedded tutor is available to help students with midterms, assignments, and projects. However, an embedded tutor is distinct from a course instructor. An embedded tutor does not have authority to manage responsibilities primarily held by the instructor such as providing extra credit opportunities, grading assignments, or allowing extensions. An embedded tutor is also not a teaching assistant or a substitute teacher. Instead, an embedded tutor helps students access learning resources, understand assignments, and meet their instructor’s expectations. 

What does an embedded tutor do?

An embedded tutor reaches out to students frequently throughout the term to offer help with the course content and assignments. An embedded tutor is available to:

• help students schedule tutoring appointments
• help students access SLC resources
• help students with assignments and projects
• recommend tip sheets, videos, etc. 
• refer students to the instructor for clarification
• connect students to other campus resources 

What the SLC Can (and Can't) Do for You

Our mission at the SLC is to provide a supportive environment that promotes active learning and enables students to develop the strategies and tools they need to become strong, independent learners. To achieve this goal, we have specific policies and tutoring techniques that we use. Below, we’ve provided a more detailed list of what you can and can’t expect from us. 

We CAN*: 

• Help you work through specific challenges you’re experiencing with software, an assignment, a course, etc. If you’re struggling to understand or complete an assignment, we can look at it with you and offer suggestions, techniques, tips, strategies, etc. Coming to the tutoring appointment with specific questions and concerns is particularly helpful. 
• Help you develop academic skills. Need assistance with time management or goal setting? Want to learn how to effectively and efficiently break down an assignment? Are you struggling with reading? We can help!
• Help you brainstorm. Coming up with an idea for a paper or a project can be difficult. We’ll help you get started. 
• Help you revise your paper. If you have a draft of an essay, it’s a great idea to have someone else read it and give you feedback, no matter how confident you are in your writing. Book an appointment with one of our writing specialists; they can provide suggestions for improvement. 
• Help answer questions. Do you have questions about writing, software, art, or a specific assignment? If we don’t have the answers, we’ll work with you to figure it out. 
• Offer critique. Need an extra pair of eyes on a creative project before you turn it in or put it in your portfolio? We’re happy to take a look and offer feedback and suggestions. 
• Help you achieve your goals. If you have specific academic goals, we can come up with a game plan for achieving them. 
• Direct you to appropriate resources and people. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll direct you to those who can help you.  

* This is not an exhaustive list of what we can do for you! Please contact learning@rmcad.edu if there is something you want help with that’s not on this list. 

We DON’T: 

• Teach courses. It’s not your tutor’s responsibility to teach you the course. We can, however, help you understand concepts, show you how to use tools for certain software programs, go through instructions with you, etc. 
• Give out all the answers. Your tutor can guide you to a right answer or give you suggestions for how to complete an assignment, but, depending on what you need help with, they won’t simply tell you what to do. 
• Have all the answers. Your tutor does not always have the answer, and there might be more than one way of doing something. Ultimately, your tutor is not responsible for the work you turn in—you are! 
• Proofread your writing for you. Don’t expect us to proofread or copy edit your writing for you. However, we can proofread it with you during an appointment. 
• Watch you do your homework. Tutoring sessions are a time for you to work with your tutor on specific assignments or topics. They are not an opportunity for you to simply get your homework done. 
• Help you with quizzes and tests. Unless we receive written communication from your instructor saying otherwise, we can’t help you with the content of your quiz or test. We can, however, help you prepare for a test or quiz and provide you with study strategies. 
• Do assignments for you. Never expect your tutor to do an assignment for you. 
• Provide textbooks and software. Contact the library, Spectrum (campus store), or TechBar for help with textbooks and software. 
• Solve technical issues. If your problem is related to an issue with the software, we will do our best to help if we know a solution. However, we encourage you to contact TechBar for any technical issues regarding software.