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The College of Arts and Sciences leads the way in supporting students with five learning centers spread out among its departments. The Biology Learning Center, Chemistry Instructional Center, Geosciences Learning Hub, Math Learning Center and the Writing Center all provide tutoring resources to students by walk-in or appointment.
“We wanted to make it easy for students to find help,” said Associate Professor Karen Viskupic, who organizes the Geosciences Learning Hub with the help of a College of Arts and Sciences Innovation Lab Grant. “It’s working really well.”
The learning centers are placed all around campus, at accessible locations for students that make sense for the classes they support. Procedures differ across departments, but each center is well-staffed with faculty, graduate students and peer tutors.
These resources benefit majors and non-majors alike, helping students build the confidence and skills necessary to tackle some of the most challenging courses needed for their degrees. The results are tangible. Students who visited the Chemistry Instructional Center at least three times a semester boosted their GPAs by half a point on average.
Students from outside the college also benefit from these support systems. The Writing Center in particular caters to students from any major, offering a second location in the Micron Business and Economics Building to expand their ability to help students build written communication skills relevant in all fields of study.
Students who visited the Chemistry Instructional Center at least three times a semester boosted their GPAs by half a point on average.
Learning centers help students in multiple ways. Tutors build teaching and communication skills that help in their careers. They also reinforce course material and studying skills by working with their peers.
“It’s good to know you are having an impact with someone other than yourself,” said Dinh Tran, a biology and chemistry major working in the Biology Learning Center.
It’s not just Boise State students who recognize the great work our learning centers deliver. In 2023, the Math Learning Center won two national awards for innovations in student success. The 2023 Degree Completion Award from the Association of Public Land-grant Universities and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Beacon Award for Excellence in Student Achievement and Success. These awards affirm the hard work of our student support staff.