Peer Tutoring

Tutor requirements: To be eligible to become a tutor, students must meet all the following requirements:

• Be legally entitled to work for any employer in Canada.
• Be enrolled at Algonquin College in at least level 3 of a program (exceptions can be made for 1-year programs).
• Receive a minimum A- grade in a course(s) previously completed and selected to tutor.
• Maintain a Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
• Receive a positive reference from a Professor or Coordinator.
• Complete the application and training requirements.
• Commit to at least 5 hours of availability per week.
• Offer tutoring for ALL courses they are eligible to tutor (A- or higher), exceptions can be made. 

Peer Tutoring will accept applications for tutors a few times per year. Prospective tutors must follow the instructions provided at that time.

Yes. Peer Tutors are paid minimum wage.

Tutors are limited to 24 hours in appointments per week. Tutors can manage their own Peer Tutoring schedule based on their availability.

Peer Tutors provide guidance and instruction on concepts already learned in class and help facilitate students’ independent learning. Peer Tutor’s do not complete, correct, or proofread assignments. They do not teach course material, however, they can clarify and deepen the understanding of the course material students are having difficulty with. Peer Tutor roles and responsibilities are discussed in more detail during Peer Tutoring Orientation Training.

You must have a grade of A- or higher in the course you wish to tutor.

Students are expected to follow the Algonquin College policy on student conduct (SA 07 – Student Conduct), which states that “all students and prospective students will conduct themselves in a manner that respects the rights of all members of the College Community and College property.”

Under SA 07- Student Conduct, Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, “Assault, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment and/or other conduct, which result in members of the College Community perceiving threat or danger.” Please see the full policy for a more complete list of actions that are considered Misconduct.

This policy defines the format and expectations of peer tutoring sessions.

• Tutoring is a one-on-one service only.
  • Attempts by tutors or tutees to circumvent this policy may result in suspension from the service. Circumvention of this policy will also result in the tutor not receiving compensation for hours worked.
• Role of tutors:  Tutors act as a guide to help tutees with their course material. Please keep in mind that tutors are fellow students in higher levels of their program; it would be unrealistic to anticipate them having all the answers to every question, as they are not experts. However, tutors are well-equipped to provide assistance in understanding course materials, clarifying concepts, offering study strategies, and helping you navigate through challenging topics. Their role is to support your learning journey and facilitate a deeper comprehension of the subject matter.

Remember that tutors cannot complete assignments or homework for tutees, and doing so would be considered an act of Academic Misconduct. Tutors are not allowed to teach tutees material that has not already been covered in their course.

• Required Materials:  Tutees are expected to provide a detailed description of what they need help with at the time of booking and bring their study materials (textbooks, class notes, questions, etc.) for their session.

This policy outlines the payment expectations for tutoring.

The fee for tutoring sessions is $8.00 per hour.

Before requesting a session, tutees must set up a payment method in the Peer Tutoring booking system by adding a bank card to their account.

After a student sends a booking request, the tutor can accept or decline the request.

• If a tutor has accepted the booking request, the payment will be collected at the start of the session.
• If a tutor has not accepted a booking request and it shows as expired, the student will not be charged.
• If an accepted booking shows “Payment Failed” status, the student can reach out to the Peer Tutoring Coordinator for assistance. Note: Tutors must not proceed with the appointment because they will not be paid for this time.
• If a tutor has declined a booking request, the student will need to send a new request for a different time and/or to another tutor.

Students who are experiencing financial barriers and would like to apply for sponsorship are encouraged to contact the Peer Tutoring Coordinator for information on financial supports available at the college.

• Booking appointments with a sponsorship: When a sponsorship letter is submitted to the Peer Tutoring Coordinator, there could be up to a 24-hour processing delay. Please note that the Peer Tutoring office is closed during the weekend, so sponsorships will be processed on the next business day. Sponsorship is applied to a tutee’s account in the form of coupons which are used as a method of payment for bookings. Tutees should select a coupon in the Coupon field in the booking window. One coupon = 1-hour session
• Sponsored Tutoring Hours: Must be used in accordance with sponsorship policies. Tutees cannot save hours to use outside the guidelines laid out in the sponsorship agreement. Attempts to do so may disqualify tutees from using the sponsorship in the future
• Multiple Sponsorships – Financial Aid: Tutees are not permitted to access the Financial Aid Sponsorship if they are already receiving another form of sponsorship for Peer Tutoring.

Tutees can send a booking request minimum 12 hours in advance and must wait for a notification email that the booking has been accepted by the tutor. Tutees can see their session requests and accepted bookings in the Calendar in the Peer Tutoring booking system.

Once a tutor has accepted or declined the booking request, the tutee will receive a notification email.

• If the request has been accepted, it will show as “Accepted” in the Calendar.
• If the request has been declined, the tutee should look for another available time slot or another available tutor.
• If a session request has not been accepted 1 hour before the session and shows as “This event is waiting for a response” in the Calendar, the tutee can contact the Peer Tutoring Coordinator.

Tutees and tutors join online sessions by clicking “Actions” and “Open Zoom” in their Dashboard in the Peer Tutoring booking system. The location of in-person sessions is confirmed by the tutor.

Last-minute requests: Sessions requested between 12 and 24 hours in advance are considered last-minute requests, and a special cancelation policy applies. See the cancellation policy for full details.

If there is no tutor available, students can contact the Peer Tutoring Coordinator.

If a tutor would like to receive tutoring, they must inform the Peer Tutoring Coordinator.

This policy defines what constitutes as a no-show and explains the consequences for tutees or tutors when they fail to arrive/attend a scheduled appointment.

Tutors or Tutees who fail to cancel and do not show up for their session are marked as a No Show. In case of no-shows, tutors and tutees are only required to wait 15 minutes.

• If a tutor does not show up within 15 minutes of the session start time, the tutee is entitled to a refund. The tutee should email the Peer Tutoring Coordinator to report a no-show and request a refund within the next 7 days. Alternatively, the tutor can arrange a make-up session at a new time. No new booking requests are required in this case.
• If a tutee does not show up within 15 minutes of the session start time, the tutor is entitled to receive payment for the booked time. The tutee will not be refunded for the missed hour. The tutor should email the Peer Tutoring Coordinator to report a no-show.
• If a tutee/tutor does not show up for a session three (3) times, they will lose access to the peer tutoring service until further discussions with the Peer Tutoring Coordinator.

NOTE:

If a tutor is unable to host the appointment, they must message the tutee and email the Peer Tutoring Coordinator to request to cancel the appointment.

If a student is a no-show, the tutor is eligible to claim the missed session hours for payroll.

This policy outlines the expectations for tutees and tutors when cancelling an appointment.

• Tutors/ tutees can cancel an appointment in the Peer Tutoring booking system no less than 24 hours before the session. In this case, the tutee receives the refund.
• Last Minute Requests Cancellation: Sessions requested between 12 and 24 hours in advance are considered last-minute appointments, and once accepted by the tutor, cannot be cancelled. A cancellation refund will not be issued to the tutee.

This policy includes information for students interested in becoming a tutor.

• Tutor requirements: To be eligible to become a tutor, students must meet all the following requirements:
  1. Be legally entitled to work for any employer in Canada.
  2. Be enrolled at Algonquin College in at least level 3 of a program (exceptions can be made for 1-year programs).
  3. Receive a minimum A- grade in a course(s) previously completed and selected to tutor.
  4. Maintain a Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
  5. Receive a positive reference from a Professor or Coordinator.
  6. Complete the application and training requirements.
  7. Commit to at least 5 hours of availability per week.
• Applying to become a Tutor: Peer Tutoring will accept applications for tutors a few times per year. Prospective tutors must follow the instructions provided at that time.
• Compensation: Tutors are paid minimum wage.
• Hours: Tutors are allowed to work up to 24 hours per week.

If a student (tutee or tutor) wishes to appeal the application of a Peer Tutoring policy or express a concern regarding an unsatisfactory experience, they must contact the Peer Tutoring Coordinator at ormanm@algonquincollege.com.

The Coordinator will connect with the student to discuss the situation in detail and determine an appropriate course of action.

Peer Tutors provide guidance and instruction on concepts already learned in class and help facilitate students’ independent learning. Peer Tutor’s do not complete, correct, or proofread assignments. They do not teach course material, however, they can clarify and deepen the understanding of the course material you are having difficulty with.

You will need to have ready any materials needed for your tutoring sessions such as textbooks, class notes, etc. Your Peer Tutor will need to know what material you are having difficulty with so please come prepared with questions.