Tutors working in Niagara University’s Academic Success Center are well-trained to assist their peers to become confident students, according to the internationally recognized College Reading and Learning Association, which recently certified the center’s peer tutoring program for Levels 1, 2 and 3. Certification provides positive reinforcement for tutors’ successful work and sets a standard of skills and training for tutors, according to CRLA.

“Becoming CRLA certified provides benefits for tutors and their students,” said Julie Czyrny, coordinator of tutoring services, who led the accreditation process. “Tutors benefit from the professional development and career preparation that enable them to meet internationally recognized standards, and their students become independent learners, which is the ultimate goal of tutoring.”

Czyrny added that Level I certified tutors traditionally receive more frequent positive feedback on their effective communication skills, the way they encourage participation and questions during sessions, and the helpful study strategies and test-taking tips they offer their tutees.

To achieve certification, the Academic Success Center developed a tutor training program that meets CRLA’s rigorous standards and successfully completed the International Tutor Training Program Certification peer review process. Some of the strengths of NU’s tutoring program, as noted in the peer review, include observing tutors before they begin, which provides them with the opportunity to ask questions and improve their confidence, and a self-reflection process that enables tutors to enhance their experience and growth.

For more than 30 years, CRLA has been a leader in learning assistance, reading, and academic support programs, with almost 1,300 members and over 2,000 certified training programs worldwide.