Become a Tutor: Information
Are you interested in becoming a tutor for the Office of Student Success? We welcome applications anytime throughout the semester and will keep them on file. If the need arises for a new or additional tutor and your application meets the qualifications, you will be contacted for an interview. We ARE always accepting new applications but are NOT always actively hiring. See below for any subjects we are actively hiring for and check back regularly for updates.
Required Qualifications:
Our tutors must:
- be currently enrolled at Wichita State University
- have a Social Security card
- have taken the course at WSU and earned an A.
- be in good academic and judicial standing with the University
- have the ability to successfully complete training*
*The training date will be selected and shared in advance. All tutors are required to attend training.
There is more to being a successful tutor than having achieved academic success. While you must be knowledgeable in the subject you are tutoring, competence alone will not guarantee your success as a tutor.
Other personal characteristics necessary include:
- Genuine interest in, concern for, and a sincere desire to help others and help students succeed academically at Wichita State University
- Dependability – Be reliable by keeping appointments, being on time, and being prepared
- Patience - Explaining a concept once or twice may simply not be enough; it may take a long time before any improvement is noticeable
- A positive attitude toward learning. Be a good role model. If your attitude about school, teachers, etc., is good, your influence may reach beyond the subject matter you are teaching
- Enthusiasm
- Listening skills - Listening is the most important aspect of good communication
- Empathy - the ability to see and feel things as others see and feel them
- Sensitivity to students’ needs and problems
- Good hygiene - Personal cleanliness is important for positive interactions with others
- Initiative - the ability to see what needs doing and do it
- Flexibility - A subject may be taught in many different ways. As a tutor, you need to discover new and interesting ways of presenting the material, keeping in mind the individuality of each student with whom you work and trying to adopt methods and techniques that will be most helpful for that student
- Adaptability – the ability to improvise if tutoring conditions are not the best, or if materials or equipment are inappropriate or insufficient
- Ability to work with a diverse group of people
- Ability to provide guidance, support and motivation for others