Opinion: Letter
Fund peer tutors
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Also by Letters to the Editor:
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I am infatuated with MTV’s “College Life.” When my friends and I gathered in the living room for last Monday night’s episode, I wondered what was so alluring about this show. I think there is a trace (OK, fine, a lot) of schadenfreude in our excitement, and it is a nice bonding experience for us gathered around that TV. But for me, the roots lie deeper.
What I find absolutely enlightening is seeing an epic academic fail in all of its flaming glory. To give a recap a recent episode: We find out that that our protagonist, Kevin, goes nuclear on his first pair of calculus exams (in the range of 30 to 40 percent). Two hundred and fifty people received either Ds or Fs in Calc 221/222 last fall, so I definitely empathize. We all should want to succeed in school; I think that is why the Madison Undergraduate Initiative focuses so much on increasing resources available to undergraduates (like Kevin). More staff means more opportunity. But, as Kevin has thoroughly demonstrated, more opportunity to succeed can also mean more opportunity to fail.
Our professors can teach until they are blue in their faces, but ultimately, it is on us, as students, to learn. Teaching is only 50 percent of the equation. Learning is the other 50 percent. What is so brilliant about the initiative is it understands that investing in the 50 percent that supports learning ensures these teaching resources are utilized correctly by students, thereby maximizing the value of every dollar spent on teaching.
That is why a including peer mentoring and an expansion of GUTS in the Undergraduate Initiative is a shrewd investment. There has been criticism that the term “pedagogical techniques” is jargon for phantom programs, or to help someone just get a Ph.D., and I sympathize with the feeling to loathe paying more money. But I want people to understand there are real benefits to the initiative that are not here to waste money, and they were even developed by undergraduates for other undergraduates when we saw a real need.
We currently have a program in the Biology 151/152 curriculum called GUTS Skill Acquisition Guiding Experience, where students have returned to serve as peer facilitators. Because they understand how to succeed academically, they know how to hold themselves accountable to learn. Thus, they are the ones that can create a culture of accountability for students, like Kevin, to follow.
To understand the magnitude of the problem, note a recent
Our weekly sessions were designed with the real world in mind. The students make presentations on a randomly assigned segment of material from the prior week and are cross-examined by other students. You find out very quickly if you understand the material, and even more quickly if you are not willing to hold yourself accountable to accept your mistakes and improve. If you are, our facilitators are here to guide you.
In return, they receive two credits, become better at leading students and get to know staff for references. GUTS can serve as a nexus for a unified approach to develop peer mentoring programs on this campus by serving as a contractor to multiple departments. This was a path-dependent strategy: GUTS is the best foundation since it is an already existing organization, which reduces startup costs while utilizing existing infrastructure.
I believe this program is a unique opportunity to make the
Becoming skilled at learning lets people save time while earning better grades. I want students to enjoy all that
Shuhan He
Senior, biology
He2@wisc.edu
8 Comments | Leave a comment
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Not to super-oversimplify your article, but why choose Kevin as your example? You picked a kid who got drunk the night before his midterm. No amount of tutoring can save a kid like that, that is just stupid. So Kevin is part of that 1/3 that expect B’s for attending, but I think most people in classes here know what they are up against, and know the amount of work required to succeed. And they don’t drink the night before midterms and blame their RA for their failures.
Otherwise your ideas should be considered.
I agree with the general premise of this letter; however, it is important to note a few things about GUTS.
1) GUTS is funded by segregated fees, and is thus student run and the funding is provided through 128 funding, not tuition or GPR dollars.
2) A result of #1, this service is not free for students. In fact, with a $143,000 budget for next year, GUTS is the second largest of GSSF groups in terms of budget for Fiscal Year 10, lagging well behind the largest budget, MCSC at $273,000.
3) Currently, GUTS operates with 2 graduate assistants and 15 student hourlies, totaling just shy of $103,000 of their budget. They also “employ” a considerable number of peer tutors at no cost.
4) To replace this no cost system with additional segregated fees would likely not be a fiscally viable option; however, I think it would be valuable for the proliferation of GUTS’ services on campus to supplement the segregated fees already contributed with additional funding, and perhaps this could be a consideration for the use of MUI funding when looking into advising and other undergraduate services.
SSFC Chair Emeritus Kurt Gosselin
At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
12:40: I think you have a good point, but two quick notes. Its also pretty clear that you are a good student. But I think you would be surprised how many people just don’t understand the basic concepts that you talk about, like hard work. I think you may also underestimate the sheepishness of undergraduates. The beautiful thing about peers is that they can do things that TA’s and professors could never do, like call them to make sure they are on task. We just need to have the peers in place.
Kurt,
I am really glad you understand the general premises, but even more surprised there are at least a few people reading this article. As for your points, yes you are correct, number 4 is the model we are looking at. Ultimately, however, I think that as long as we keep developing a good program that is of use to students, these things will take care of themselves. As one of my best mentors always says: “people who want to help you, will cut through red tape for you. People who want to stop you, will do so with red tape”. We’ll keep working on making a better program and I have confidence that these things will sorts itself out.
Thanks for the read,
Shuhan
To respond to 12:40 AM, it is clear from the success of the program (I.e. significantly increasing student test scores who participated in the program over kids who didnt in the same class), that ordinary UW students do not know the amount of work or the efficiency of their studying to succeed.
If students really studied so well, the program would have a no or near negligible effect.
Going along with the College Life example, I think something needs to get done for students during their freshman year. I came into college with great study skills, and most of my college classes are easier than my AP high school classes. But for the kids who sailed through high school at the top of their classes without cracking a book, college classes where they have to not only show up but also synthesize material is hard. Let’s try to even the playing field for people who weren’t ever challenged in high school and teach them how to step up early on instead of spending their other 3 years making up for that first semester 2.0.
I am pissed. Yes, pissed. I am an extremely successful student at this school who has utilized EVERY SINGLE DUMB F-ING PROGRAM that they offer. And I have slowly realized one by one that none of these work. I have to work my ass off twice as hard because of the confusion and communication errors between my “peer mentors” and my professors. Questions are never properly answered and I can saw with confidence that I end up doing better once I drop the program. There is so much more to say but I just got bored. Just saying that more money for these programs or what not will never ever work. We need smaller classes and more time with professors (even though most of them are worthless idiots as well).