Academic Success Center Services

Tutoring is offered in the following formats: 1:1 (online or in-person), Group (online or in-person), or Labs (typically in-person only). 

One-on-one (1:1) tutoring allows the student to work individually with a tutor and focus on their specific questions/needs. Students can schedule 1:1 sessions in advance or drop-in, based on tutor availability. Any 1:1 session can be converted into a group session upon the student’s request as long as all students give permission to work together (specifically the student who scheduled the original appointment).

Group sessions involve two or more students and are used when students have a common objective/course they wish to review. Students can schedule group sessions in advance or drop-in, based on tutor availability. For example, students taking PHYS 151 from different instructors could have a group session to review similar topics or problem types. The primary advantage of group tutoring is the potential for peers to share a variety of views and information under the guidance of a tutor. Groups can also demonstrate and build cooperative attitudes and work skills; necessary requisites for the “real” world. Lastly, group sessions can be done as scheduled appointments or as drop-in sessions.

Tutoring Labs: Tutoring labs are a first-come-first-serve/drop-in type of model where tutors are available to help students for a particular time period for multiple courses in a specific subject. Students can receive 1:1 or group help in the lab setting, based on student traffic and tutor availability. For example, Math Lab may be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays by 1-2 Math Tutors from 2-6 pm in the Dawson Lobby for drop-in help in courses ranging from Math 120-181. This type of tutoring format was specifically designed for large in-person interactions based on the specific times and physical locations of the classes. The ASC offers specific in-person tutoring labs for select subjects (e.g. Math, Science, & Spanish) each semester pending tutor availability and space. For subjects/courses not offered in lab formats, students can schedule or drop-in for 1:1 or traditional Group sessions.

Coming Soon: Offline (asynchronous) Tutoringis being developed/evaluated by the ASC staff. This would involve allowing students to submit questions to ASC tutors virtually and tutors would respond in 24-48 hours with guided tips, resources, and questions to aid the student in answering submitted questions on their own.

The ASC has limited office hours and a limited number of tutors on staff. As such the college provides extended tutoring support via a professional tutoring service called Smarthinking Online Tutoring.

This service is intended for if/when students cannot access ASC campus tutoring. Smarthinking is free to all NSC students, available 24/7 for most subjects, and accessible via Canvas. All students are allotted an initial 10-15 hours of online tutoring for the year. If a student maxes out their 10-15 hours, they can contact the Academic Success Center to request more time, which is awarded on a case-by-case basis.