Peer Power

Present and future alums foster academic success through internationally recognized tutor program

From the Winter 2024 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

When Lauren Troisi needed help understanding the material in her introductory biology classes, she turned to peers. “My friends and I would meet in study groups, which was super helpful,” she says. “How a professor first explains a concept may not always make sense to you. But when someone else explains it a different way, you understand. Everyone learns differently.”

Having experienced how peer support made a crucial difference, Troisi, as a junior, joined the ranks of the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) tutoring program in 2021. In 2022, she earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular & cellular biology (with a minor in chemistry), but her desire to help continued. After graduation, she returned as a professional tutor.

"I love to hear success stories,” Troisi says of students who initially struggle but who, with tutoring, get back on track. “They come back and tell me they did so much better.”

Tutors are paid, but their services are free to students. Students who are looking for help with coursework, assignments and exam prep sign up for online or in-person sessions with tutors in similar studies or degree programs through SHU’s Pioneer Academic Support Services (PASS) Portal. Recently, the CTL tutoring program received a prestigious international certification from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA), which recognizes SHU’s commitment to academic success and support.

Tutoring at SHU is a longstanding resource, but the CTL tutoring program is the latest iteration of that support. Over the past two years, the CTL has made a dedicated effort to refine and professionalize SHU tutor hiring, onboarding, training and assessment processes. On average, about 100 to 150 peer and professional tutors are available at any given time to SHU’s graduate and undergraduate students, says Lisa Henderson, assistant director of tutoring and writing support at the CTL.

"Peer tutoring is highly beneficial because tutors have firsthand experience with the course material and can offer valuable tips and insights for success,” she says. “Having navigated the same challenges, peer tutors can empathize with students and provide practical strategies that have worked for them in the past.”

Victoria Shannon ’26, who is in SHU’s Bachelor’s-Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Dual Degree Program, is in her second year as a peer tutor. She taps her knowledge of biology, physics and exercise science—the latter is her major—to help others excel. She recalls working with a student who reached out to her after receiving a score of 50 on the first biology test of the semester. By the next test, the student’s score had jumped to 85. By semester’s end, the score was hitting the 90s. “I can remember there were times when I was doing homework problems and I had no idea where to start,” Shannon says. “Sometimes, all you need is a starting point—and that makes all the difference.”

Joe Nowak ’24, a SHU finance and accounting major pursuing a Master of Science in accounting, completed his first year virtually during the pandemic with the help of multiple resources, including class sessions, professors’ office hours, online resources and self-teaching. “This enabled me to gain a much better understanding of the material than if I had simply shown up to class and done the homework,” he notes. That experience inspired him to become a tutor as an undergraduate—a role he has continued. There are only a few tutors in his subject, and he doesn’t want to let the tutees down. “I wanted to help my peers come to a deep understanding of the material that they could apply to their class-based assignments and careers down the line.”

Peer tutoring helps students retain and, ultimately, retrieve what they’ve learned, says Elizabeth Luoma, executive director of the CTL. “Tutoring can help move students from more passive study strategies, such as simply rereading or highlighting their notes or textbooks, to more active study strategies including working on practice problems and engaging in conversation with a partner, which promote retrieval practice and long-term learning retention,” Luoma says.

While faculty are outstanding experts in their fields, students are sometimes challenged by academic language or jargon, she says, adding that “support from a peer tutor who has recently taken a similar course can help in this translation” into plain terms.

Tutors don’t provide answers to tests or homework assignments. They share tools and skills that help students find answers on their own. “Some students want to go over the concepts in detail, others might want study tips and still others need time management skills,” Troisi says. “Sometimes, they just want someone to bounce ideas off, or they’re looking for support to know that they are not alone—and that they’re going to be able to get through this.”