The sign outside of College of DuPage (COD)’s tutoring hub in the Student Resource Center (SRC) room 2102 features a new name this fall, but the mission inside remains the same. When students step through the doors of what was previously called the Learning Commons, they are greeted by peer tutors, study groups and professionals skilled in various fields of study. To better promote their goals through their name alone, SRC 2102 is now rebranded as the Tutoring and Academic Support Center (TASC).
“We wanted a name that really reflects what we do every day,” Anne Guenther, manager of TASC, said. “TASC isn’t just a space for tutoring; it’s a place where students can get help in writing, math, science and more. Whether that be through one-on-one sessions, study groups or embedded classroom support.”
In December 2022, a campus survey confirmed that new and returning students alike weren’t sure what the “Learning Commons” actually was, she said. That feedback sparked the center’s push for a clearer name. On Sept. 3, TASC hosted a grand unveiling to the community to celebrate its new chapter.
“We finally just decided to call it what the students have always been calling it and known it to be, which is tutoring,” Guenther said. “As much as we’d like to be a space like that for students to just hang out and talk, we don’t have the space to allow for that and are more academically focused.”
TASC offers COD students free academic support through course-based tutoring, math, writing, reading and speech assistance, placement test review, general education development (GED) materials, English as a Second Language (ELS) support and help navigating myACCESS and Blackboard. Services are free for currently enrolled students, part-time or full-time.
Students can walk in for help with Writing, Reading and Speech or Math assistance. More specialized subjects, like anatomy and physiology, often involve scheduling appointments with dedicated tutors.
Tutors, like anatomy and physiology tutor Jaclyn Kirchens, often have experience and background in the field they are working on. Kirchens is a recent graduate of the COD nursing program and has been tutoring anatomy and physiology in the center for two years. When she was studying, Kirchens said she used the tutoring center a multitude of times, and always encouraged students to take advantage of the resources offered at COD.
“The tutoring department is not just for those who struggle in their classes,” she said. “It’s for everybody. Sometimes just talking through difficult concepts can make a huge difference when trying to understand.”
Students can also utilize the space as a study area, like third-year psychology student Taha Raheem.
“My first two years here, after class I’d head [to TASC] with my headphones, write down everything I had to do, plan my calendar, do some homework or reading,” Raheem said. “I’d stay maybe 30 to 40 minutes. It’s quiet, everyone’s respectful, and the tables even have built-in chargers — which is a total lifesaver when you forget to charge your laptop.”
But while the center provides resources for students in a variety of subjects, Raheem said he sees many students still hesitate to ask for help.
“I love getting help, but the most difficult part is asking for it,” he said. “You have to weigh the pros and cons, and take control of your academic journey.”
The hesitation comes from feeling like they “should already know” the material or worrying about judgment from peers, Raheem said. One way to combat this, he suggested, is for instructors to introduce these resources openly in class, framing academic support as normal and valuable to the learning process.
“Consistently reminding students that this is a resource could be super helpful to break the stigma of asking for help,” Raheem said. “Making this idea of getting help low-judgment can really help students feel more comfortable asking.”
TASC is located in SRC room 2102. Their hours depend on the services you are seeking, such as reading, writing, speech assistance and math assistance being selectively available over the weekend but tutoring being unavailable on Saturday and Sunday. To learn more about TASC, call (630) 942-3940 or email [email protected].
