Rebecca Shields

The Wintrode Student Success Center will be full of activity as it creates a comfortable environment for students to get the tutoring they need in classes when they struggle.

Jody Owen, the director and tutoring coordinator at the center, is actively involved in informing students about all the help and support offered at the center.

“Tutoring is available to everyone,” said Owen, “and we would like to help them meet their goals.”

There are a wide variety of subjects as well as types of students who go to get help. Some of the subjects that have active tutors this semester are accounting, biology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, economics, physics and Spanish. There are also many subjects that Owen will find tutors for upon request from students.

“We set goals for our tutors and our students,” said Owen.

Some students that have higher grades but are working to get into specific programs use the tutoring services to help them meet those goals. Other students use the services to help them with the classes that they struggle with the most.

Many tutors have a great amount of training. “Our tutors train between 25-30 hours per semester,” said Owen, “and some are even returning for their fifth semester.” The tutors have two kinds of certification and Owen says they are working on a third.

The center is run through the College of General Studies. It provides a wide variety of tutors and subjects. There are also many other programs offered in the center. These include the Writing Center, TRiO Programs and the Office of Disability Services.

Each of these services is helpful to all students by separating and specializing in each subject.

Andrew Schnyders, a freshman civil engineering major, said he would definitely use these services. “The more help I have offered, the better,” he said. “College is a different experience, and it would be nice to have extra help and support.”

Many SDSU students do not realize that this center has been around since January 2005, but the building behind Crothers Engineering Hall is remodeled. It used to be the Campus Ministries building.

Some students do not believe that they will have the time for tutors. The best part about the tutoring center is that all the hours are online and Owen will set up a time with a tutor to work around the student’s schedule.

The center is a place for any college students who want to either raise their grades a bit higher or do better in a class they are failing.

Oct. 8 through Oct. 14 is National Tutoring Week. Some events that the center is hosting are the Academic Success Fair on Oct. 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the Open House and Dedication on Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit the center’s Web site at

http://generalstudies.sdstate.edu/tutoring.