Become a Tutor: Qualifications & 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.

To begin - 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 in the content of a course alone will not guarantee your success as a tutor. Below are a list of qualifications and interpersonal/professional skills that we look for in our peer tutors.

Required Qualifications

To apply for a tutoring position with the Office of Student Success, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Current enrollment at WSU or Senior Audit
  • An earned grade of B+ or better in the course you are applying to tutor
  • In good academic and judicial standing with the University
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to work with a diverse group of people
  • Ability to provide guidance, support and motivation for others
  • Perform tasks in an ethical and professional manner
  • Must have an interest in helping students succeed academically at Wichita State University
  • Have the ability to successfully complete tutor training*

*The training date will be selected and shared in advance. All tutors are required to attend training.

Other Preferred Interpersonal Skills

  • 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
  • Positivity - Especially 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 - Students might come to you with more stress than just their course work, be sensative to those concerns as well as other needs and problems that might arise
  • 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


If you have what it takes to be a peer tutor, we would love for you to join our team! Click here to apply.

 

Updated 4/25/2022 - If you have any questions regarding this application, please contact the Shocker Learning Center at 316-978-3023 or email Caitlin Jordan at caitlin.jordan@wichita.edu.