Tutoring is one of the numerous ways OMSE fulfills its purpose of giving students the opportunity to excel academically at the University of Maryland. We have offered tutoring services since our start in the 1970s.
The OMSE tutoring program uses a unique model that leverages evidence-based practices of consistency and collaborative learning. Students request tutoring for their course(s), and our staff works to match them with a tutor based on the course and availability; tutoring sessions then occur weekly throughout the semester.

Key Facts:

The OMSE tutoring program is…

• Free!
• Open to currently registered UMD undergraduate students
• Based on small group tutoring sessions (2-4 students)
• Staffed by trained peer tutors
• Weekly for the duration of the semester (as opposed to as-needed or drop-in tutoring)

Want to tutor?

If you are seeking a paid position as an OMSE tutor, see Become a Tutor. If you are interested in tutoring as a service learning opportunity, check out our Service Learning Certificate program!

Tutoring Objectives
As a result of attending tutoring, students will be able to better comprehend and retain course material and concepts. Additionally, students will build skills that will transfer to future courses, including:

1. Developing effective study skills that transfer to future courses and build stronger independent, resourceful learners.
2. Learning about the cognitive processes underlying learning.
3. Strengthening their confidence in themselves as learners, as well as their belief that they can tackle academic challenges.

Get Tutoring
Start meeting with a tutor early! Although students can request a tutor at any time in the semester, tutoring is most effective if you begin early.

• Request tutoring
• Tutor availability is NOT guaranteed and is subject to tutors’ course offerings and schedules.
  • The more availability you provide on the request form, the more likely you are to be matched with a tutor.
  • 100- and 200-level courses are more likely to yield matches than upper levels.
• If you are matched, you will receive an email with information from OMSE Tutoring with next steps.
• Students who match for tutoring are expected to attend weekly for the full semester.

Please be patient with the tutoring staff; matching takes time.

OMSE Tutoring Policies

Attendance
Students who request tutoring and are assigned tutors must attend all WEEKLY tutoring sessions, unless early notice has been provided. Missed/unexcused absences will impact the student’s ability to request tutoring in the future.

Students with two unexcused absences will be dropped from the tutoring session. Excused absences include illness, academic schedule conflicts, or emergencies. It is the student’s responsibility to provide notice of any absence before the session occurs by emailing the tutor and copying omsetutoring@umd.edu.

Scope of Tutors’ Work
OMSE tutors work with students to build academic skills that will transfer to future courses and to enhance understanding of course content. It is beyond the tutors’ scope to re-teach a class or lecture; students should come prepared to both ask and to answer questions. Tutors will ask questions designed 1) to ascertain the students’ current understanding, and 2) to guide students toward developing their own comprehension of the material.

Campus Closure/Weather
In the event that the college closes due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstance, any tutoring sessions scheduled for that day are cancelled and will proceed the following week.

If the campus has a delayed opening or closes early, only the sessions scheduled during the closure will be cancelled (e.g., a 9am tutoring session would be cancelled for an opening delayed until 11am, but a 12pm session would proceed before an early closure at 2pm). All other sessions on the affected day will occur virtually, with the tutor sending a Zoom link to the student(s).

See this table for the winter weather tutoring schedule.

Empty Sessions
If no students attend a scheduled session, that session is considered empty. The tutor will wait 15 minutes for the students to arrive, but is not required to wait thereafter. After two empty sessions, the session will be closed or filled with a new group in need.

Tutor Talk Video Series
Check out OMSE’s Tutor Talk videos for informative, on-demand videos developed by tutors that cover everything from calculus to mitosis and to supply & demand to preparing for challenging courses! Stay tuned for more videos!

Contact
Hours
Fall & Spring Semesters
Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Break schedules vary.

Location
4130 Campus Drive
Suite 1101 Hornbake Library South
College Park, MD 20742

Email: omsetutoring@umd.edu
Phone: (301) 405-5616