By Abbey Olsen
The College of Biology and Agriculture introduced a new program this semester that aims to invite all students to become tutors ? an idea that is spreading across BYU.
?Having everyone helping each other is kind of a Zion idea,? said Audrey Megerian, the college?s advisement center director. ?The idea is lifting each other so everyone rises together.?
The program, ?Succeeding Together: Tutoring in the College of Biology & Agriculture,? works through Tutoring Services at BYU to get students both to sign up to become tutors and to get the tutoring they need.
?We feel it is this generation that gets this principle, that in addition to their own education, they can actually help others to succeed,? Megerian said.
The idea of inviting students to tutor their classmates came after a couple years of unsuccessfully trying different programs to meet the academic needs of students, especially freshman, at the college, Megerian said.
She said the new program is a win-win situation.
?In tutoring, the tutors, those who are teaching, obviously get better and then those who are being taught also get better,? she said.
The idea of succeeding together is not just being applied in tutoring, Megerian said. Professors are adopting teaching methods that encourage students to work together to understand the material.
?It''s as if it is in the air and many are feeling it,? Megerian said. ?Many students have expressed they are tired of the fierce competition in their classes, preferring a more cooperative situation.?
Tanner Clark, student co-chair for the tutoring committee on the BioAg Student Council, said the committee has gone into classrooms to give five-minute presentations encouraging students to not only become tutors, but to simply help each other.
Brian Elledge, a volunteer tutor and pre-dental major, said the program provides an incredible opportunity to serve others.
?I honestly feel a portion of the Spirit that accompanied me during my mission,? he said. ?Tutoring others is so much more than a great addition to one?s resume; it is the chance to lift and encourage others.?
Sheldon Nelson, professor and chairman of the Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, said this program is one of the most exciting opportunities he has seen in his 33-year career.
?I think it not only fits in perfectly with the aims of the college, but that it has an opportunity to expand to other colleges as a successful model for other universities around the country and the world,? Nelson said. ?I think as the word spreads, it will be a star performer.?
Nelson said the program is catching on quickly with nearly 200 students who have already signed up to tutor.
The College of Biology and Agriculture is one of the first colleges to actively promote a program in conjunction with Tutoring Services to encourage students to help out. The Honors Program is also engaged in Tutoring Services, and the Humanities and Physical and Math Sciences colleges are considering similar programs.
Theodore Okawa, the coordinator for tutoring at BYU, said the initiative of the College of Biology and Agriculture to actively promote volunteer tutoring has helped meet the Tutoring Service?s need for hard science tutors.