rev. 2008
International Tutor Program Certification
New Program Application Packet
_X_Application Cover Sheet
_X_List of Documents
_X_ Program Overview
_X_ Summary Chart
_X_ Verification of Tutor Training Program
Application Cover Sheet
1. CONTACT PERSON: Claire Robinson
ADDRESS: 1309 Blossom Street
ADDRESS:
CITY, STATE ZIP: Columbia, SC 29201
PHONE: 803-777-4885
FAX: 803-777-0053
Email: claire.robinson@sc.edu
INSTITUTION TO BE CERTIFIED: University of South Carolina
Type of Institution: __2 year X4 year
CRLA member: _XYes __No
PROGRAM NAME (LIST BELOW AS IT WILL BE PRINTED ON CERTIFICATE):
Academic Centers for Excellence
INSTITUTION NAME (LIST BELOW AS IT WLL BE PRINTED ON CERTIFICATE):
University of South Carolina
CERTIFICATION LEVELS REQUESTED
_ X_ REGULAR LEVEL 1
_ X_ ADVANCED LEVEL 2
X_ MASTER LEVEL 3
APPLICATION FEE: (Effective July 1, 2005, application fees will be as follows:
1 level $100; 2 levels: $150; 3 levels: $200)
_X_ - Check already mailed
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List of Documents:
Please list the files you will be attaching to document that you meet certification requirements: (usual documentation
could include syllabus, program description, time logs, brochures, tutor training guides, web pages, handouts) This is
usually the last step in the process.
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Training schedule, meeting agendas, training power point, study skill project description, study skill
modules, ACE Coach commitment form, Appreciative Advising information, 3-session outline,
beginning and ending a tutor session, ACE appointment checklist, potential questions for an ACE
session, qualities of a good helper, communication pyramid, referral skills description, study skills case
study, student specific case studies, confidentiality statement, academic plan, overview of U101
presentations, analyzing your LASSI scores, academic advising tip sheet, ACE study strategies at a
glance, 3 easy steps to mapping your plan, intake forms, selection criteria and process, ACE coach
evaluation, evaluation rubric, ACE history, example tracking sheet
For all documentation, please see the PDF file for ACE CRLA level III certification. The table/chart lists all
documentation in relation to the Level I,II, and III certification criteria, as well as provides quick links to all
materials.
OVERVIEW COMPONENTS OF THE TUTOR PROGRAM TO BE CERTIFIED
ACE Program Review
1) Program history
The Academic Centers for Excellence (ACE) currently offers all students at the University of South Carolina a wide range of
academic resources, including study skill development, math tutoring, writing consultations, self-assessments, online resources, and
academic coaching. ACE is a service offered through the office of Resident Student Learning, within the Department of University
Housing. University Housing is part of the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support.
1995: Dr. Gene Luna (the then Director of University Housing) and Andy Fink (then Associate Director of Residence Life) worked to
create an “academic buzz” in the University of South Carolina residence halls. This led to the onset of the Resident Assistant Student
Success Initiative (SSI), several living and learning communities, and the development of ACE. ACE began in three first-year
residence halls, in the three areas of campus, offering residential students math tutoring and writing consultations. These services were
offered through a partnership with the respective academic departments, Math and English. Students were able to use ACE services by
meeting with tutors and consultants at their convenience. University Housing funded all ACE services.
Fall 2005: Within the office of Residential Learning Initiatives, Anna Mcleod and Jimmie Gahagan received a SEED grant to develop
an additional service within ACE offering study skill development resources. Given there was no other area on campus students could
go to receive basic academic help, ACE was able to fulfill this need. University Housing continued to fund all of ACE services.
Fall 2006: The Division of Student Affairs took on new responsibilities and several new initiatives under the title “academic support”.
Special emphasis was placed on retention initiatives, as the Board of Trustees charged the campus to move from an 86% first to
second-year retention rate, to a 90% retention rate. A new office was created under the leadership of Dr. Chrissy Coley, the Student
Success Center (SSC). The SSC offers several academic services, including Supplemental Instruction (SI), course specific tutoring,
the First-Year call center, and special student population resources. The SSC also included an ACE office in order to be a “one stop
shop” for students. The SSC gave ACE its fourth location on campus, and was open to all students at USC (not solely residential
students.) Funding for ACE also changed with the onset of the SSC. Given that ACE services were open to all students, and the
Division created a centralized office of Academic Support, the ACE budget was then moved from University Housing to Division
funding.
Fall 2007: ACE academic success coaching services expand from just study skills to a wider range of services, including advising,
mentoring, and general academic success strategies. Coaches are seen as experts in helping students transition to USC, create an ACE
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Academic Plan, connect with professors, and navigate the many campus resources. Through several successful partnerships, ACE
Coaching quickly became a highlighted resource on campus.
Fall 2008: In addition to the continued offering of math tutoring and writing consultations, twenty-three graduate students currently
serve as ACE Academic Success Coaches. With the guidance of Dr. Jenny Bloom, Appreciative Advising is now an integral part of
ACE Coaching. Coaches use the five stages – disarm, discover, dream, design, deliver – to help students reflect on their passions and
strengths, while building a plan for their future success.
Spring 2009: All first- year academically deficient students on USC Columbia’s campus will be mandated to come to an ACE
appointment and meet with an ACE Coach before being able to register for fall classes. This mandate will hopefully target students
early in their college career and help them develop a plan to get their GPA above the probation status.
2) Program objectives
 The Academic Centers for Excellence provide free academic success coaching, after-hours Writing Center
consultations, math tutoring, and additional resources for all students at the University of South Carolina. The
Academic Centers for Excellence (ACE) offer all students at USC an opportunity to learn and apply the skills
needed to succeed in college. Whether you need assistance writing a paper after-hours, help with a Calculus
problem, or tips on how to study smarter, ACE is a great resource for every student at the University.
Student Learning Outcomes - Students working with an ACE Coach will:
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Learn and develop a variety of study skill strategies to help them be successful in their academics endeavors
Identify their learning style though self-assessment tools
Identify areas of academic strength and weakness (Coach will use Strengths-based approach )
Learn, understand, and practice study skills in the ACE session
Develop and practice study skills during personal study time and in class.
Student will discuss effectiveness with an ACE Coach
Be knowledgeable of the various campus resources and have a basic understanding of what each office offers
Reflect on academic experience and complete an ACE Academic Plan
3) Reporting lines: ACE is a service offered through the office of Resident Student Learning, within the Department of
University Housing. University Housing is part of the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support. There is one
full time Coordinator position (Claire Robinson), three Graduate Assistants for ACE (20-30 hours per week), 25 ACE
coaches, and three student assistants.
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4) Sources of funding
 ACE has two main sources of funding: Tuition funds (A-funds) and Housing Funds (D-Funds). Tuition
funding is managed through the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support and supports much of
the payroll and educational supplies of ACE. University Housing also funds ACE via student residential
fees.
5) Services and students served
 Academic Success Coaching: ACE Coaches help students develop goals, reflect on their academic strengths
and weaknesses, refine study skills, and create an Academic Plan. ACE Coaches are all graduate students at
USC, primarily from the Higher Education and Student Affairs masters program or the Counselor Education
masters program. Coaches focus on strengths and help students build from their successes. Academic Success
Coaching is also an integral part in the Academic Recovery process.
 Study Skill Development: Students who work with an ACE coach are encouraged to study smarter…not
harder. By developing effective study skills and learning new strategies, students can maximize their study
time. ACE Coaches are knowledgeable of a range of study skills such as time management, reading
comprehension, note taking, concentration, exam preparation, and test-taking strategies.
 Writing Consultations: In partnership with the USC English Department, ACE offers one-on-one writing
consultations. Masters’ and Doctoral students are hired to work in the residence hall ACE offices. Writing
consultants can help students brainstorm ideas for a paper, help refine writing skills, and offer suggestions for
improving text.
 Math Tutoring: In partnership with the USC Math Department, ACE offers one-on-one math tutoring.
Undergraduate students are hired to work in the residence hall ACE offices after-hours, between 6:00pm8:00pm. Math tutors focus on 100-level math courses and serve students on a drop-in basis only.
6) Program location and facility
 ACE has four locations on USC’s campus: three in residence halls and one in the main library. The ACE
offices are strategically located in all areas of campus and are especially convenient for first-year
students, as the residential locations are located in first-year residence halls. Specifically, the locations
are as follows:
- Thomas Cooper Library/ Student Success Center
- Columbia Hall (North Campus)
- Sims (Central Campus)
- Bates House (South Campus)
- For directions to ACE, visit: www.sc.edu/ACE and click on “locations”
7) Training guidelines (administration; selection, hours, tracking, evaluation, etc.)
 Mandatory ACE Coach training occurs over the course of five days in August and continuously
during bi-weekly meetings throughout the semester. Training is conducted by the ACE Coach
supervisor, as well as some returning ACE Coaches. All of the ACE Coaches are graduate
students in either the Higher Education and Student Affairs or the Counseling masters programs
at the University of South Carolina. They each have a bachelors degree and maintain and 3.0 or
higher in their masters program. Over 90 hours of ACE Coaching occur weekly between the
four ACE offices and 20 ACE Coaches. Coaches track their appointments through shared
Google documents.
8) How you generally conduct your training. (group size, meeting frequency/length, type of presentation)
 Training is conducted in a classroom located in a residence hall and in conference rooms in the
student union. The training group consists of the ACE Coaches, the supervisor, and student
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workers. The August training lasted 20 hours over the course of five days and consisted of
power point presentations, large group discussion, small group discussion, case studies, and
activities. Bi-weekly meetings last an hour and consist of presentations, lectures, discussion, and
activities.
A. AMOUNT/DURATION OF TUTOR TRAINING
1) List the number of hours involved in your tutor training, 2) whether you have met or exceeded the
minimum, and 3) the Documentation you have attached as a file to confirm your compliance (an
example might be: Tutor Training Syllabus, pages 2-4):
For all documentation, please see the PDF file attached for ACE CRLA level 3 certification.
Number of Hours for Level 1: _20 (10 hours total are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: training schedule and training power point
Number of Hours for Level 2: _20_ (10 hours total are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: training schedule and training power point
Number of Hours for Level 3: _20 (10 hours total are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: training schedule and training power point
B. MODES OF TUTOR TRAINING
1) List the training modes involved in your tutor training, 2) whether you have met or exceeded the
minimum, and 3) the Documentation you have attached as a file to confirm your compliance (an
example might be your Tutor Training Syllabus, pages 4-6):
Level 1: Required beginning of the year training, bi-weekly ACE Coach meetings, and special tutor
projects
(classroom/workshop plus any two others are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: training power point, training agenda, study skill case studies, special tutor project
description and examples, bi-monthly meeting agendas
Level 2: Required beginning of the year training, bi-weekly ACE Coach meetings, and special tutor
projects
(classroom/workshop plus any two others are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 2 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: training power point, training agenda, study skill case studies, special tutor project
description and examples, bi-monthly meeting agendas
Level 3: Required beginning of the year training, bi-weekly ACE Coach meetings, and special tutor
projects
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(classroom/workshop plus any two others are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 3 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: training power point, training agenda, study skill case studies, special tutor project
description and examples, bi-monthly meeting agendas
C. AREAS/TOPICS TO BE COVERED IN TUTOR TRAINING
List which topics you cover in your tutor training, whether you have met or exceeded the minimum, and
the Documentation you have attached as a file to confirm your compliance (an example might be your
Tutor Training Syllabus, pages 7-8):
List which topics you cover in your training for Level 1: Appreciative Advising, counseling skills,
communication, Walter Pauk study skills, anxiety/mindfulness, self-assessments, academic plan,
appointment logistics, academic advising, SAP students (satisfactory academic progress), partnerships,
programs, managing the ACE office, academic success presentations
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
(at least 8 specific topics of the list of 15 are required)
Documentation: commitment form, appreciative advising article, 3-session outline, beginning and
ending an ACE session, ACE appointment checklist, potential questions for an ACE session, ACE
session goal sheet, qualities of a good helper, communication pyramid, referral skills and contact sheet,
study skill case studies, student specific case studies, Walter Pauk activity, confidentiality statement,
FERPA, Academic Plan, University 101 presentation handout, analyzing LASSI scores, academic
advising, ACE study strategies at-a-glance
List which topics you cover in your training for Level 2: Appreciative Advising, counseling skills,
communication, Walter Pauk study skills, anxiety/mindfulness, self-assessments, academic plan,
appointment logistics, academic advising, SAP students (satisfactory academic progress), partnerships,
programs, managing the ACE office, academic success presentations
The requirements of Level 2 are: Met ___ or Exceeded _X__
(a review of Level 1 and 4 additional topics )
Documentation: commitment form, appreciative advising article, 3-session outline, beginning and
ending an ACE session, ACE appointment checklist, potential questions for an ACE session, ACE
session goal sheet, qualities of a good helper, communication pyramid, referral skills and contact sheet,
study skill case studies, student specific case studies, Walter Pauk activity, confidentiality statement,
FERPA, Academic Plan, University 101 presentation handout, analyzing LASSI scores, academic
advising, ACE study strategies at-a-glance
List which topics you cover in your training for Level 3:
Appreciative Advising, counseling skills, communication, Walter Pauk study skills,
anxiety/mindfulness, self-assessments, academic plan, appointment logistics, academic advising, SAP
students (satisfactory academic progress), partnerships, programs, managing the ACE office, academic
success presentations
The requirements of Level 3 are: Met _X_ or Exceeded ___
(a review of Levels 1 and 2, and four additional topics )
Documentation: commitment form, appreciative advising article, 3-session outline, beginning and
ending an ACE session, ACE appointment checklist, potential questions for an ACE session, ACE
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session goal sheet, qualities of a good helper, communication pyramid, referral skills and contact sheet,
study skill case studies, student specific case studies, Walter Pauk activity, confidentiality statement,
FERPA, Academic Plan, University 101 presentation handout, analyzing LASSI scores, academic
advising, ACE study strategies at-a-glance
D. REQUIRED TUTORING EXPERIENCE
1) Explain how you keep track of your tutors’ actual tutoring experience, 2) whether you have met or
exceeded the minimum, and 3) the Documentation you have attached as a file to confirm your
compliance (an example might be your Tutor Time logs):
Level 1: We use various tracking documents (depending on which population the student falls under, ex:
SAP, journalism, drop-in, etc) and each Coach updates the document as they have appointments. We
have 4 offices which in total have about 90 hours of ACE tutoring a week.
(25 hours of tutoring experience is the minimum) Level 1: Met __ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: example of tracking document
Level 2: We use various tracking documents (depending on which population the student falls under, ex:
SAP, journalism, drop-in, etc) and each Coach updates the document as they have appointments. We
have 4 offices which in total have about 90 hours of ACE tutoring a week.
(a total of 50 hours of tutoring experience is the minimum) Level 2: Met ___ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: example of tracking document
Level 3: We use various tracking documents (depending on which population the student falls under, ex:
SAP, journalism, drop-in, etc) and each Coach updates the document as they have appointments. We
have 4 offices which in total have about 90 hours of ACE tutoring a week.
(a total of 75 hours of tutoring experience is the minimum) Level 3: Met ___ or Exceeded _X_
Documentation: example of tracking document
E. TUTOR SELECTION CRITERIA
1) Explain how your tutors are selected (must meet at least two of the criteria).
Level 1: All of the ACE Coaches are graduate students in either the Higher Education and Student
Affairs or the Counseling masters programs at the University of South Carolina. They each have a
bachelors degree and maintain and 3.0 or higher in their masters program. To become an ACE Coach
you must submit an online application which gets reviewed by the supervisor. The supervisor will then
conduct an interview with the ACE Coach hopeful. All of the information about the ACE Coach
position is posted on the website.
Level 1: Met __ or Exceeded _X__
Documentation: Tutor selection criteria and application
Level 2: _X__ Met at Level 1 or ___ Listed Below
Level 2: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation (not needed if met in Level 1) :
Level 3: _X_ Met at Level 1, ___ Met at Level 2, or __ Listed Below
Level 3: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation (not needed if met in Level 1 or Level 2) :
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F. TUTOR EVALUTION CRITERIA
1) How are your tutors evaluated? Check all that apply.
Level 1:
_X_an evaluation is in place
_X_it occurs on a regular basis
_X_results are made known to tutors
___ Other ________________________________________
Level 1: Met _X or Exceeded ___
Documentation: Tutor evaluation criteria and evaluation rubric
Level 2: _X_ Met at Level 1 or
___an evaluation is in place
___it occurs on a regular basis
___results are made known to tutors
___ Other ________________________________________
Level 2: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation (not needed if met in Level 1) :
Level 3: _X_ Met at Level 1 or
___an evaluation is in place
___it occurs on a regular basis
___results are made known to tutors
___ Other ________________________________________
Level 3: Met ___ or Exceeded ___
Documentation (not needed if met in Level 1 or Level 2) :
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