CORD Tutor Training Programs Earn CRLA Certifications

Two of The CORD's tutor training programs have earned Level 1 certification from the College Reading and Learning Association's International Tutor Training Program. Programs earning certification include the tutor training program, renewing the program's prior certification, and the Writing Studio, which is the studio's first stand-alone certification separate from The CORD's larger tutor training program.

The College Reading and Learning Association's mission is to help administrators in postsecondary settings develop and deliver exemplary tutor and peer education training. The ITTPC program is a tutor training certification program created by the association that certifies tutors in postsecondary educational institutions. Tutors complete a rigorous training program aligned with ITTPC's training protocols designed to help postsecondary institutions create, improve, and expand tutor and peer educator training for campus programs. This association's certification provides recognition and reinforcement of tutors' success, establishes standards for training tutors, and increases tutoring program credibility on campus and internationally.

To achieve the Level 1 renewal certification, tutors in the Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence completed moore than 11 hours of synchronous and asynchronous training covering 11 topics and two self-reflection opportunities. Each certified tutor also completed 25 student contact hours. After becoming certified by the College Reading and Learning Association, tutors participate in continuous professional development on topics such as habits, grit, procrastination, and metacognition and have opportunities to participate in presentations at CORD team meetings, book studies, and a new mentoring opportunity launching this fall.

"CRLA certification is an important cornerstone for us in many ways, but one of the biggest benefits is providing our student employees with a meaningful and beneficial professional development experience," said Caroline Beringer, tutoring program coordinator. "For campus and within our larger community, CRLA certification sets us apart, as it provides an internationally accepted set of standards that our staff practice daily."

This year, the Writing Studio also decided to seek and was awarded certification independent of the larger peer tutor training program. To achieve certification, the Studio's tutors completed over 13 hours of synchronous and asynchronous training covering 11 topics. They included writing-specific topics, such as helping students at different stages of the writing process, the roles consultants can take as they respond to writing, and helping students think critically about their writing context.

"By seeking independent certification for our writing consultants, we were able to focus more on writing-specific topics that are meaningful to the students we serve," said Dana Blair, Writing Studio coordinator. "Because our consultants are trained via an internationally accredited program, we can also be sure that our student interactions reflect the most up-to-date, evidence-backed methods in peer tutoring and writing."

To learn more about The CORD's tutoring programs, visit https://success.uark.edu/academic-initiatives/index.php.