rev. 2008
International Tutor Program Certification
Re-certification Application Packet
Compliance with federal copyright law is expected of all CRLA ITPC programs. It is our legal and ethical
responsibility to give authorship credit for all materials we use in the classroom and for tutor and mentor
training. Additionally, it is our legal and ethical responsibility to purchase (or have students purchase)
copyrighted materials. Programs found to be in violation of copyright law will lose their certification.
Re-Certification Application Cover Sheet
1. CONTACT PERSON: Timothy Pure
PROGRAM NAME: Rutgers Camden Learning Center (RCLC)
INSTITUTION: Rutgers University, Camden Campus
ADDRESS: Armitage Hall, Room 231
ADDRESS: 311 N. 5th Street
CITY, STATE ZIP: Camden, NJ 08102
PHONE: 856-225-6442
FAX: 856-225-6443
EMAIL: tpure@camden.rutgers.edu
CRLA member: _x_Yes __No
Type of Institution: __2 year _x_4 year
2. RE-CERTIFICATION LEVEL(S) REQUESTED
_ x_ REGULAR LEVEL 1
_ _ ADVANCED LEVEL 2
_ _ MASTER LEVEL 3
3. APPLICATION FEE: (Effective July 1, 2005)
Any 1 Level = $100; Level 1 & 2 or Level 2 & 3 = $150; All 3 Levels = $200
Make a copy of this page, attach a check payable to--CRLA/Tutor Program Certification-and mail to:
ITPC Certification
c/o Rick Sheets
12422 West Aurora Dr.
Sun City West, AZ 85375-1924
The federal I.D. # is 95-3177158. We cannot accept Purchase Orders
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List of Documents:
Please list the titles of the documentation files you are attaching to your application to verify that you meet
certification requirements: (usual documentation could include syllabus, program description, time logs,
brochures, tutor training guides, web pages, handouts.) Be aware of copyright concerns in the
documentation you provide.
Note: This is usually the last step in the process.
1. Description of Tutor Training Modules
2. Hours Tutored Spring 2009 (documentation example of how we track hours tutored through
AccuTrack software- note, this document is only for Spring 2009 semester)
3. 2009CRLATutors (Excel spreadsheet with hours of training, number of online sessions used, and
tutoring hours)
4. Tutor_PGL Application (Application for position of tutor)
5. Tutor Recommend (Faculty recommendation form for hiring tutor)
6. Peer Evaluation Observation sheet
7. Sample PowerPoint slideshow- “Learning Disabilities.”
8. Sample PowerPoint slideshow- “The Tutoring Cycle”
9. Possible solutions to role plays from “The Tutoring Cycle.”
OVERVIEW OF THE TUTOR PROGRAM TO BE CERTIFIED
Please provide a two-page overview summarizing how your tutor training program fulfills the requirements
of the level or levels of certification you are seeking. The purpose of this overview is to provide the
Reviewers with the background information necessary to understand your program. This overview should
include:
1) Program history
2) Program objectives
3) Reporting lines
4) Sources of funding
5) Services and students served
6) Program location and facility
7) Training guidelines (administration; selection, hours, tracking, evaluation, etc.)
8) How you generally conduct your training. (group size, meeting frequency/length, type of presentation)
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Rutgers University is the state university of New Jersey. The Camden campus, located in
Camden, New Jersey, is home to approximately 5,400 undergraduate and graduate students. The
Rutgers-Camden Learning Center (RCLC) came into existence on September 26, 1992 and has
operated continuously since its opening day. The RCLC is located in Armitage Hall, one of the
primary classroom buildings for the College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-Camden.
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The RCLC offers individual and small-group tutoring for most undergraduate subject areas,
peer-led study groups, writing assistance, weekly academic support workshops, academic coaching,
and learning assistance for students with learning disabilities. In addition, the RCLC liaises with oncampus groups such as Athletics, the Educational Opportunity Fund, Student Support Services/TRiO,
and Residence Life in order to bring academic support services to a larger group of students.
Services are offered both in the Rutgers-Camden Learning Center, as well as at locations
throughout the campus. Peer tutoring and writing assistance most often occur within the RCLC
offices, as the facility is designed to accommodate up to twelve concurrent tutoring sessions. The
RCLC has several computer stations where tutors can take advantage of relevant software such as
MyCompLab for writing assistance or SAS for statistics tutoring. In addition, in the spring of 2009, the
RCLC conducted its first distance tutoring session, utilizing distance learning hardware and software.
Review sessions and academic support workshops are typically held in classrooms throughout the
campus. RCLC staff is also a strong presence at campus events for incoming students, so as to
better familiarize new Rutgers-Camden students with the academic support services available to
them.
The RCLC is headed by Dr. Robert L. Ciervo, who is the Director. Reporting to the director is
the Learning Specialist, Timothy S. Pure, and the Office Secretary, Annette Robinson. The RCLC
reports to the Associate Dean for the Educational Opportunity Fund and University College in the
Rutgers-Camden College of Arts and Sciences. The RCLC is funded through the Dean’s Office of the
College of Arts and Sciences.
Utilization of the Rutgers-Camden Learning Center services continues to grow. During the
2007-2008 academic year, there were 2276 tutoring appointments. During the 2008-2009 academic
year, there were 2916 tutoring appointments. 573 of those appointments were for writing assistance.
In addition, there were 1050 peer-led review sessions facilitated by RCLC student employees for
courses such as Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Algebra, Accounting, and Nursing.
The RCLC hires Rutgers-Camden students who have demonstrated high achievement in the
subject areas for which they will be tutoring. The RCLC hires undergraduate and graduate students to
serve as peer tutors and writing assistants. Course content peer tutors are selected from applicants
who have completed the course for which they seek to tutor with a grade of B or higher or graduate
students who have completed similar courses at other institutions with a grade of B or higher. All
writing assistants that are hired must be enrolled in either the M.F.A. or M.A. programs within the
English department and have past tutoring experience. In addition, all applicants must have at least
one reference form completed by a faculty member from either Rutgers or their undergraduate
institution before being interviewed.
The College Reading and Learning Association’s International Tutor Training Program has
been an invaluable asset for assuring that the RCLC can provide high-quality tutoring services to
Rutgers-Camden students. Using the CRLA Level 1 Tutor Certification requirements as a framework,
the RCLC has developed a tutor training program for all incoming tutors. During the 2007-2008
academic year, sixteen tutors received Level 1 certification. During the 2008-2009 academic year, an
additional eight tutors received Level 1 certification.
The RCLC tutor training program is supervised by the Learning Specialist, Timothy S. Pure.
New tutors are strongly encouraged to participate in the program. The benefits of the program are
discussed by the Director during the hiring process; these benefits include a $0.50 per hour raise for
tutors who successfully complete the training program, an awards banquet at the end of the academic
year for all certified tutors, and the use of CRLA Tutor Certification as a talking point in future job
interviews. Drawing on the CRLA guidelines, new tutors must complete at least 10 hours of tutor
training sessions, as well as a minimum of 25 hours of tutoring in order to achieve Level 1
certification.
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Tutor training sessions are conducted throughout the academic year, with tutors’ progress
continuously monitored by the Learning Specialist. Each session is typically offered twice, so as to
account for the varied schedules of the undergraduate and graduate students who tutor for the RCLC.
In addition, six of the sessions are available online through Sakai, an open-source collaboration and
courseware management platform that has been adopted by Rutgers University as its online course
content framework. Although six sessions are available, tutors are allowed a maximum of four
sessions that are not held in-person. The online sessions typically take the form of an audio-narrated
slideshow with interactive elements, or web quests.
Sessions are conducted in 1-hour increments, with the sessions tailored to the needs of
Rutgers-Camden students. Subjects include Learning Styles, Learning Disability Awareness, Active
Listening & Communication, and English as a Second Language. The tutor training sessions vary as
to type of presentation, with sessions using slideshows, role plays, problem solving, individual
conferences with the Learning Specialist or Directs, or simulated assessments in order to maximize
understanding. Tutors receive evaluations from the Director, the Learning Specialist, and from other
tutors through our “Peer Evaluation” module. In addition, through the use of Accu-Track, tutors
receive direct feedback from the students whom they instruct.
LEVEL 1: TOPICS, MATERIALS, AND DOCUMENTATION SUMMARY CHART
(Applicable ONLY for Level 1) (To add rows to table, tab last field)
<Please see attached “Description of Tutor Training Modules” for more detailed
information>
Topic
When
Covered
Amount
of time
The Tutoring
Cycle
September
1 hour
Learning
Disabilities
October
Large Group
Instruction
October
1 hour
Large Group
Instruction
PowerPoint Slideshow, Learning
Styles Assessment, sign-in sheets,
online quiz (Sakai)
February
1 hour
Large Group
Instruction
PowerPoint Slideshow, sign-in
sheets, role play scripts, online
quiz (Sakai)
On-Going
1 Hour
Small Group
Instruction with
relevant faculty
Sign-in sheets, Other materials
at the discretion of each
instructor.
March
1 Hour
Large Group
instruction with
outside expert
PowerPoint Slideshow, sign-in
sheets
1 hour
Learning
Styles
Active
Listening &
Communicatio
n
Content Area
Trainings
ESL
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Methods
Large Group
Instruction
Materials Used/ Documentation
PowerPoint Slideshow, Staff
Manual, Role Play scripts
(attached), sign-in sheets, online
quiz (Sakai)
PowerPoint Slideshow, sign-in
sheets, online quiz (Sakai)
Tutor Training
Make Up
Session
On-Going
1 hour
Individual
Webquest
Online session only. Uses Sakai
and a module from CCSF
LERN-10. Online quiz as postassessment on Sakai.
Varies.
Individual
Conference
with Learning
Specialist
On-Going
1 Hour
Individual
Conference
Conference
with Director
of RCLC
Peer
Evaluation
September,
January
1 Hour
Individual
Conference
Staff Manual, Accu-Track
software.
On-Going
1.5
hours
Peer Evaluation Observation
Sheet
Tips &
Techniques
April
1 Hour
Observation of
other tutor,
meeting with
Director of RCLC
Large Group
Instruction
PowerPoint slideshow, Handout
on study skills, sign-in sheet.
LEVEL 2: TOPICS, MATERIALS, AND DOCUMENTATION SUMMARY CHART
(Applicable ONLY for Level 2) (To add rows to table, tab last field)
Topic
When
Covered
Amount
of time
Methods
Materials Used/ Documentation
LEVEL 3: TOPICS, MATERIALS, AND DOCUMENTATION SUMMARY CHART
(Applicable ONLY for Level 3) (To add rows to table, tab last field)
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Topic
When
Covered
Amount
of time
Methods
Materials Used/ Documentation
VERIFICATION OF TUTOR TRAINING PROGRAM
Please complete a "Verification of Tutor Program(s)" for each program you want to be certified. For example, if
you wish to have a “Mathematics Center Program” certified at Levels 1 & 2, please complete the verification for
Levels 1 & 2. If you also have a “Writing Center Program” with a different training program that you wish to
have certified at Level 1, you must submit a totally separate application, with its own separate fee, and
complete its own separate verification form.
Please refer "CRLA'S REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION OF TUTOR PROGRAMS" for a
complete list of all LEVEL 1, 2, and 3 requirements for a program to be certified.
The "necessary documentation" required for each criteria consists of patterns of evidence of the what,
how, and when of the training program. It should include enough samples and documentation to
enable CRLA Reviewers to verify the excellence of your program(s). Examples of documentation
include:
1) course syllabi, workshop overview, or program description
2) titles and ISBN numbers of copyrighted books, videos, DVDs, surveys, and other training
materials used
3) URLs of web pages or websites
4) flyers/posters/memo samples
5) worksheet samples
6) handout samples
The better the documentation you provide, the easier it will be for the reviewers to certify your
program(s); however, brevity is appreciated so condensed but complete documentation is requested.
Any complete files you feel should be attached, should be listed in the section above called List of
Documents.
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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). List only for the
levels for which you are applying:
Number of Hours for Level 1: _10__ (10 hours total are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met _x_ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
(Please see attached “Description of Tutor Training Modules” and “2009 CRLA
Tutors”)
Number of Hours for Level 2: ___ (10 hours total are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
Number of Hours for Level 3: ___ (10 hours total are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
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). List only for the
levels for which you are applying:
Level 1:
(classroom/workshop plus any two others are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met _x_ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
(Please see attached “Description of Tutor Training Modules”)
Level 2:
(classroom/workshop plus any two others are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 2 are: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
Level 3:
(classroom/workshop plus any two others are the minimum required)
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
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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 only for the levels for which
you are applying:
List which topics you cover in your training for Level 1:
_____English as a Second Language___
______Tutor Responsibility____________
______Learning Styles______________
______Active Listening_______________
______Learning Disabilities___________
______Modeling Problem Solving__ ___
______Study Skills__________________
______Referral Skills_________________
______The Tutoring Cycle_____________
______Tutoring Ethics/Plagiarism________
______Adult Learners_________________
The requirements of Level 1 are: Met __ or Exceeded _x__
(at least 8 specific topics of the list of 15 are required)
Documentation:
(Please see attached “Description of Tutor Training Modules” as well as “Peer
Evaluation” observation sheet and “Possible Solutions to Role Plays from The
Tutoring Cycle”. We have also attached the PowerPoint slideshows for “The
Tutoring Cycle” and “Learning Disabilities”)
List which topics you cover in your training for Level 2:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
The requirements of Level 2 are: Met ___ or Exceeded ___
(a review of Level 1 and 4 additional topics )
Documentation:
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List which topics you cover in your training for Level 3:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
The requirements of Level 3 are: Met ___ or Exceeded ___
(a review of Levels 1 and 2, and four additional topics )
Documentation:
D. REQUIRED TUTORING EXPERIENCE
1) Describe 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) List only for the levels for
which you are applying:
Level 1: The Rutgers-Camden Learning Center utilizes the Accu-Track software program,
which automates tutor and student sign-in and sign-out. The Learning Specialist downloads
this information into a spreadsheet where tutor progress toward Level 1 Certification is
monitored.
(25 hours of tutoring experience is the minimum) Level 1: Met __ or Exceeded _x__
Documentation:
(See attached “2009CRLATutors” and “Hours Tutored Spring 2009”)
Level 2:
(a total of 50 hours of tutoring experience is the minimum) Level 2: Met ___ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
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Level 3:
(a total of 75 hours of tutoring experience is the minimum) Level 3: Met ___ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
E. TUTOR SELECTION CRITERIA
Describe how your tutors are selected (must meet at least two of the criteria). List only for the
levels for which you are applying:
Level 1:
_Interview plus written approval of a content /skill instructor______________
_Grade of A or B in subject being taught_____________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Level 1: Met _x_ or Exceeded ___
Documentation:
(Please see attached “Tutor_PGL Application” and “Tutor Recommend”)
Level 2: ___ Met at Level 1 or ___ Listed Below
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Level 2: Met __ or Exceeded ___
Documentation (not needed if met in Level 1) :
Level 3: ___ 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) :
F. TUTOR EVALUTION CRITERIA
How are your tutors evaluated? Check all that apply. List only for the levels for which you are
applying:
Level 1:
_x__an evaluation is in place
_x__it occurs on a regular basis
__x_results are made known to tutors
___ Other ________________________________________
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Level 1: Met _x_ or Exceeded ___
Documentation: The RCLC utilizes the software package Accu-Track for managing tutoring
appointments, along with tutor sign-in and sign-out times. Students who finish their
appointment complete a tutor evaluation through Accu-Track. Evaluations are routinely
discussed with tutors. Tutors are also evaluated through individual conferences with Learning
Specialist and Director, as well as self-evaluate through the “Peer Evaluation” program.
Attached is a copy of our “Peer Evaluation” observation sheet.
Level 2: ___ 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: ___ 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) :
By submitting this application, you as program contact/liaison with CRLA’s International Tutor Certification
Program agree to continue to follow the guidelines you have submitted in this application.
Once your program is re-certified, CRLA will provide you with a certificate certifying your program for up to five
years and will provide you with a CRLA ITPC certificate template you may use and adapt to include your
institution’s information/logos/signatures/colors.
Six months before the end of your renewal period, you will be expected to apply for re-certification. Each
re-certification granted for this program will be for up to five years. Re-certification is patterned after the initial
certification application requirements and documentation, so be sure to archive your initial documents to use
as a reference to update with current program information for your re-certifications.
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