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Show Nontraditional 'a home away from home' By HEATHER HUNT - WOOD asst. news editor The Signpost Sherri Harward began her college career at Weber State University 22 years ago. As a single mother, she couldn't afford to take her children to day care. "I was living on $250 a month and Pell Grants," Harward said. So Harward brought her 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter to school with her. "I had to bring my kids to class," Harward said. "Some professors thought it was great. The only professor that had a hard time with me bringing my kids to school was a geology professor." But that was in 1982, and WSU has changed a lot since then. Now, Harward, along with many other nontraditional students, have the option of a low-cost, on-campus day care. The Nontraditional Student Program and hourly child care opened in the fall of 2000 as a new division of Student Affairs. The hourly child care costs $2.50 per hour for each child. "Students can make semester reservations and leave their children up to four hours a day," said Jennifer Grandi, the Nontraditional Student Programs and Services S VV' l y-stat... & kJ jr v. t Services We Provide: Computers Study lounge Kitchenette Free hot drinks Hourly Childcare Free Workshops Free Parties & Family Activities Pinnacle Honor Society Scholarships Peer Mentors & Free Math Tutor Come by and see us! NoBtrsditionil Studint Projnmt ii loeitid ii thi $hiohrd Union Building, Room 220 M-Th 7:00m - 7:C0pm, F 7:00im - 5:00jni For mor information, phon: 626-7794 Student Center coordinator. "We also offer backup care when space is available. We fill up quickly because our center is small." The definition of a nontraditional student is a student of any age if he or she is married, divorced or has children. Also, students 25 years or older have nontraditional student status. Hourly child care is only one of the many services the Nontraditional Student Center offers. The center also provides a computer lab, hot kitchenette with free drinks, study lounge, mentors, educational peer workshops, scholarships, information and referrals. "The Nontrad Center is a home away from home," Grandi said. "It is friendly, and students who feel uncomfortable socially or academically will find the resources to help them adjust to the demands of college. We involve students in our programming and activities, so there is always something educational and something fun going on." Grandi said students should come by the Nontraditional Student Center, located in Room 220 of the Shepherd Union Building, just upstairs See Nontraditional page 20 Academic Support offers free tutoring By COLLEEN BATCHELOR A & E editor The Signpost Often, students are overwhelmed with grasping certain subjects. Before they let their grades suffer, they can seek free tutoring through Academic Support Services and Programs. Some of the programs offered are Tutoring Services, the Writing Center and the Drop-in Math Center. These programs otter tutoring in math, English, Spanish, history and science, just to name a few. Tutoring is not limited to the Weber State University Ogden campus; students can get help at WSU-Davis Campus (in the computer lab), WSU-West center in Roy, as well as online math help at departments.weber.eduassp mathonline or online writing help at departments.weber.edu writingcenter. The Drop-in Math Lab is located in the Student Service Center, Room 164, and is open from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. They primarily focus their tutoring for Math 950, 960 and 1010; however, if knowledgeable tutors are available, they will help students for higher-level math classes like 1050 or calculus. Tutors are expected to have been successful in the math classes they are tutoring in, but according to Terry Kidd, who supervises the drop-in math program, being smart isn't the most important to eoK(Tj& Mm QliEtDuboD ... - Wkat is a nontraditional'student you as "We try to provide an environment where students feel comfortable." -Terry Kidd, drop-in math program supervisor requirement for a tutor. "My philosophy has been that I would rather find somebody maybe who wasn't an A student, but had the ability to help," Kidd said, "more than having somebody who was really bright but couldn't talk on a level that the students need help on." Kidd said many students come to the drop-in lab to do homework. That way, a tutor is available if the student is stumped on a problem. "We try to provide an environment where students feel comfortable," Kidd said. Kidd has also recently put together a math manual with easy step-by-step instructions for working through math topics students most commonly struggle with. "They get the information they need," Kidd said, "and they get it explained on a level that's easier to understand than trying to read a math book." Tutoring Services is where students can go to make appointments for one-on-one tutoring. Although the drop-in tutoring that is provided through places like the math labs or the Writing Center is convenient for students with changing schedules who can't commit to a specific meeting time each week, pflD m& o iP (;J i Anesiffiifttti:at Is eiihsr 25..-ye:cf-jcfid- crafsrent students aren't always guaranteed to get help immediately. Drop-in centers can have unpredictable busy periods, where students may have to wait for help or compete with other students to get their questions answered. Scheduling a tutor through Tutoring Services guarantees the studentone-on-one help for up to two hours a week. Also, Tutoring Services offers tutoring in subjects beyond math and English. Most of the tutoring offered at WSU is paid for through developmental fees. All students who are lacking proficiency in math or English pay the developmental fee as part of their tuition. "Because we rely largely on developmental fee money, we only tutor lower-division courses," said Lynnae Dopp, director of Tutoring Services. Students receiving tutoring through Tutoring Services are required to take responsibility for what they get out of their sessions. Dopp stressed that tutoring is not meant to be a substitute for classroom work or attendance. "Tutees need to be in class," Dopp said. "They need to do all their reading; they need to attempt all their homework See Tutoring page 30 r It |