Tutors and student assistants of the Center for Teaching and Learning who are graduating helped shred the “old black book” at a recognition ceremony Wednesday.
Because the CTL has moved entirely to an online appointment system, the hassle of the black book of physically writing down appointments is gone.
The appointment system is not the only thing changing in the CTL, however. Tutors and students assistants alike will be moving on to graduate school, Teach for America, medical school and law school.
Anthony Winston, manager of tutorial services and supplemental instruction, said that celebrating these graduates is good thing.
“I think it’s important because this is a situation where students have actually given back to their peers, and these students literally changed lives of some students on campus,” Winston said. “We have students that come back and utilize our service time and time again, and I think it makes a difference.”
Nine tutors and two student assistants will be graduating from the CTL in May or August.
At Wednesday’s ceremony, each of the students received a certificate with their name and recognition from CTL, as well as small mementos.
Richard Livingston, assistant director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, said he hopes more students can take advantage of this free service.
“Obviously, we’re a service that is available to the entire student body, so any student can come and make use of our tutorial services and our academic support services,” Livingston said. “We serve students all the way from freshman all the way up to seniors and even sometimes graduate students. It’s all free, and it’s available to all students to make the best of their college education.”
Winston believes that by being a tutor or student assistant in the CTL, a student can benefit not only other students, but themselves as well.
“A number of our tutors have come back to say, ‘I’m very happy that I became a tutor for the Center for Teaching and Learning because when I was preparing for my graduate entrance exam, the information came to me so easily.’ The information that they tutor on a daily basis kept them current with the information that they needed for the entrance exam.” Winston said.
Winston also believes that it is good for students to be employed on campus so they can utilize their skills and get experience.
Because the CTL has now moved to online appointments, they hope to see more students accessing the free service.
“We have now started online appointments system that has worked really well for us, and we’re so happy that we can now offer better services to the undergrad population at large,” Winston said. “It’s so much more convenient for students.”
The online system can be accessed through CTL’s Web site at www.ctl.ua.edu.
“Many of [the students] have worked here several years,” Livingston said. “It’s a rewarding job, and we just wanted to recognize our graduating seniors for the work they’ve done and the impact they made on the lives of so many students.”
