The Learning Center Portland
The Portland Learning Center is located on the second floor
of Luther Bonney Hall, in 253.
All USM Learning Center Services are FREE to USM Students!
The Portland Center is the larger and more comprehensive Learning Center. It offers peer tutoring in writing, mathematics, and English as Second Language (ESL) as well as help in basic computer literacy and in study skills. Other subject areas may be available, upon request.
The Tutors: All tutors are USM students or faculty who have excelled in what they are offering to teach. Most USM Learning Center tutors are required to participate in a tutor training program at Levels I & II, which is certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Level III is an option for all tutors. The tutors are recommended by faculty.
Writing: Bring assignment directions or drafts of essays, and writing tutors will help you at any point in the writing process, from brainstorming to final editing. You do the work. The tutor's role is to help you become a better student. If you want a qualified student or faculty member to look at your work and talk it over, tutors are very helpful sounding board.
Basic Computer Literacy: All tutors can usually help with basic literacy for word processing programs such as Word Perfect and MS Word.
Mathematics: The math tutors will help you get past the rough spots in most math courses. Tutors will never replace your instructor but can help you better understand confusing math concepts. When you come for an appointment, bring your textbook. Try to be specific about the concept for which you are seeking clarification.
Study Skills: Individual consultations and study skill handouts and other materials are also available to students. The Center Director is available for individual consultations with students who are referred to her directly by faculty, or other staff associated with Advising Services, Office of Support for Students with Disabilities, Athletics, etc. All tutors will also respond to study skill questions during the content tutorials as well.
ESL: The Learning Center is associated with the English as a Second Language Program and offers structured support for selected students.
Hours: The Portland Learning Center
Monday through Thursday: 8 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Friday:
8 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
NOTE: Tutorial hours may be flexible, depending on when tutors are available and the level of demand.
NOTE: The Learning Centers are closed when USM classes are not in session.
Appointments: Strongly encouraged. Walk-ins
accommodated on a tutor available basis.
Call 780-4228 or stop by. TT(Teletex/TDD) 780-5646
Appointments are 50 minutes long. Try to be
on time. If you must miss an appointment or must be late, please call.
PORTLAND LEARNING CENTER TUTORING SESSION INFORMATION
SETTING UP AN APPOINTMENT
1. Please tell the Front Desk
Attendant your: a) name, b) telephone number, c) course number
(e.g., ENG 120, MAT 120), and d) professor’s name. It is also helpful to math
tutors if you identify your math textbook.
Important: Check-in with the Front Desk Attendant when you arrive so
that we will know you are here and make sure your tutor is available. Please do
not go directly to your tutor without first checking-in with the Front Desk
Attendant.
2. Due to high tutor demand, tutoring sessions are limited to
one appointment per day. If a tutor is available
upon completion of your first session, you may sign up for a same-day
second session. However, you cannot make the second same-day appointment in
advance.
3. Appointments may be made up to two weeks in advance. We do not make automatically scheduled appointments, e.g., every week at 1pm. (ESL is the only exception to this rule.) Please see the Manager of the Learning Center, Kaoru, for scheduling ESL tutoring appointments.
4. Always call the Learning Center at 780-4228 when you have to cancel your appointment. This helps other students who want tutoring that day.
5. Tutors are available only for the subjects in which you are enrolled in the current semester. Please contact the Manager of the Portland Learning Center, Kaoru, if you have any questions.
NOTE: Upon your request, tutors will send a note to your professor explaining that you met with a tutor and worked on the subject.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEEING WRITING TUTORS
1. Please bring double-spaced, typed papers when you see a writing tutor. It’s so much easier for tutors to look at your paper when it is typed, but this is not required.
2. If you have a paper that exceeds 5 pages, please give a copy of the paper to the Front Desk Attendant in advance of your appointment. This will help writing tutors to become familiar with the paper in advance, so as to be more time efficient.
3. Please do not expect tutors to go over longer, complex term papers within a 50 minute tutoring session. Longer papers usually require more than one session, unless you are able to specifically focus your help requests.
4.The Learning Center is not a “drop-off and pick-up” proof-reading service center. If a tutor is to assist you with editing, instruction must be part of the tutorial in order to be ethical.
PREPARATION FOR TUTORING SESSIONS
Tutors are not your teachers. Do as much as you can first and do not expect tutors to give you answers without your engaged participation. They DO NOT solve your assigned mathematical problems or write your papers for you. However, they will help and support for you to independently solve problems and improve your skills.
We try our best to maintain a quiet study environment in the Learning Center.