Content Area Tutoring
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Funded by student fees, the Content Area Tutoring (CAT) program makes free one-on-one and small group tutoring available at both ISU's Pocatello and Idaho Falls campuses. Tutoring is available through the CAT program in all academic areas except writing and math, which are handled through the Writing Center and Math Center respectively. Students may request a tutor for their spring classes up until 5 pm on April 18, 2008.
CAT also provides student employment opportunities, allowing successful students to share their skills and experience with others. Most tutors are experienced graduate and undergraduate students who have obtained extra training as peer tutors. We're always looking for new tutors, especially in the sciences!
How does Tutoring Work?
To be tutored through the CAT program, you'll need to complete a Student Request for Tutoring form. You can pick one up at the CAT offices in Pocatello (Museum Building, Room 436) or Idaho Falls (CHE, Room 220), or you can print one out here, complete it, and bring it in to one of our offices.
After we receive your application, we'll see if we have any tutors available for that course whose schedules seem to work with yours. If we do, you'll get an email including your tutor's name, email address, and phone number. The two of you will get in touch with one another and together, you'll decide on a time and place to meet. If we do not have a tutor available for that course, we'll work on recruiting one and we'll email you to let you know that that's what we're doing.
Because tutoring resources are limited, we can't always arrange one-on-one tutoring; you may be assigned to a group. Either way, you can have as many tutoring hours each week as there are credits in the course. For example, you can have up to 3 hours of tutoring per week for a 3-credit course. If you attend both group and individual tutoring sessions, the same weekly limit applies. Some students choose to use all available hours; others are happy with one or two.
Tutors are not substitutes for attending class. They will not do your homework for you. They have been trained to guide you through coursework so that you can build your own understanding of the processes involved. Plan on attending your classes, reading your textbooks, and starting the assigned homework on your own. Your tutor can best help you when you come prepared with specific questions about the work you've already done.
Still have questions? Read our Student Policies, and feel free to email us at cat@isu.edu!