Center for Student Success

The Center for Student Success (CSS) located on the ground floor of Spellman Hall below the Library and the Student Financial Services Office. We provide all students with the opportunity to become efficient and effective learners. The CSS offers tutoring, study groups, college skills workshops, and supervised study halls.

Students often ask a lot of the following questions about tutoring, but Step 1 is to purchase all of the required materials for the courses you are registered for. Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to find out what is required and order your books. When purchasing E-books make sure you aren’t ordering them too early as they expire. Each one will will indicate the expiration date. Make sure it is after the semester is over. Please visit the Virtual Follett Bookstore here.

Students must use the student application, Navigate, to sign up for tutoring. For help going through the Single Sign On process please reach out to us at academicservices@stac.edu or IT@stac.edu.

FRequently asked Questions

Who are our tutors?

This is a peer tutoring center, meaning that our tutors are students at the College. They have taken the courses you are in, with the professors you have, and are qualified to tutor you. All tutors must have earned consistently high grades in the subject they are tutoring, and are trained by the Academic Support Services Team. In addition, student tutors must have two faculty referrals before they can become part of the tutoring team.

Will there be a tutor for the subject I need?

Our roster of tutors varies from semester to semester. In every case, we do our best to locate a tutor for every subject we offer at the College.

Is tutoring just for failing students?

This is a common misconception. Students who are struggling in their classes are, of course, welcome to the CSS and usually find that, with dedication and consistent attendance, their grades improve. However, many of the students who come for tutoring are looking to turn a B or even an A- into an A. All are welcome.

What happens if I miss my session?

We naturally understand the scheduling conflicts and pressures students face – in fact, that is why we are here! However, you should do everything you can to attend the tutoring sessions you schedule. If you miss two appointments, you will be dropped from that time and will have to find another time for the tutor to meet with you. The CSS keeps records of attendance and missed sessions for each semester.

Will the tutor do the work for me?

No. The tutors are there to help you better understand the work you are doing and overcome the academic problems that are causing your grades to suffer. Someone else doing your work does not help you, so the tutors will work with you to become more independent so you can earn higher grades on your own.

Will the tutor check my spelling and grammar?

This is a little trickier than the last question. Tutors will read your labs, essays, and other writing, and will of course help you see where you are making grammatical errors. However, tutoring is not a drop-off service where you hand in a paper and pick it up fixed an hour later. Tutoring only works best when you are working with the tutor to address your particular academic difficulty.

Will my professor send me? Will my professor know I’m in tutoring?

Tutoring referrals happen in two ways: you can either be referred by your professor if they notice some specific areas to address with a tutor, or you can certainly self-refer whenever you start to feel uneasy about your potential to do well in a class. Either way, after each session the tutor sends a note to your professor detailing what you worked on and asking for feedback on other areas that may need to be addressed.