The Learning Center has continued to attract students to get help in their classes since the center opened in January 2001.

Although TLC offers several programs, its main focus now is Partners, a program that helps students that are struggling academically.

Each student in the program is assigned a TLC tutor whom they meet with a few times a week, said Mary Beth Haydon, director of The Learning Center.

Through the program TLC tutors help the students achieve better grades, gain study habits and skills, understand concepts for their classes, prepare for class and learn time management. The tutors help students to accomplish this by going over the syllabi, going over productive study habits to fit that specific student and helping with homework.

“(As) partners, (they) go over what is expected between the student and tutor,” Haydon said.

Haydon said that she has found the center makes a difference in a student’s grade point average. How much a student’s GPA can improve depends on how often they use the center. Haydon said students also gave “very positive response(s) and good feedback.”

Those who are successful in the Partners program and achieved better grades are more likely to comeback to TLC for help in other areas, Haydon said.

Antonio Veals, a junior from Jeffersonville, Ind., is one of the students who gets help at TLC. He said he thinks the tutoring offered by TLC is better than other tutoring programs he’s attended.

He said he enjoys how flexible TLC is with the scheduling. He can make an appointment or just drop-in when he has the time.

He spends about two hours a week at the center, he said.

“I like the idea of it,” he said. “I can schedule my own times and get studying done during the day.”

The center’s tutors like Nashville junior Bill Lacap also see benefits from working with students. For example, they are pleased to see when a student they’re tutoring improves and receives higher grades.

“It has made me feel good doing something for someone else,” he said.

Tutors like Julie McDaniel, a junior from Wichita, Kan., chose to work at TLC because it is a paying on-campus job.

“I thought it would be good. I get to help other students, and I also I get to study on my own,” McDaniel said.

Reach Kara Kozusko at [email protected].