Peer Tutoring Program Expansion
Designing and executing a data-informed growth strategy to expand a peer tutoring program, increasing tutor capacity, student reach and academic impact.
Context
- Peer tutoring program had limited participation despite being a paid opportunity
- Low awareness across campuses and among students
- Insufficient number of tutors to meet student demand
- Gaps in coverage for high-need courses and evening support
- Inefficient matching and scheduling processes
- Growing need for academic support in first-year and high-risk courses
The Problem
- Too few tutors to support student demand
- Limited visibility and awareness of tutoring opportunities
- Difficulty recruiting tutors with the right expertise and availability
- Inconsistent faculty engagement in identifying strong candidates
- Inefficient processes for connecting tutors and students
My Role
As Associate Vice President for Teaching and Learning, I led the strategy in partnership with the Senior Director of Student Support Services, who managed day-to-day operations. Together, we designed and implemented a plan that would:
- Increase the number of qualified peer tutors
- Expand student access to tutoring services
- Improve coverage for high-demand courses and time slots
- Strengthen faculty engagement in recruitment
- Create a more scalable and sustainable tutoring model
Approach
1. Awareness and Recruitment Strategy
I launched a multi-channel campaign including campus flyers and digital outreach, student communications from leadership and QR-enabled materials for easy access and sign-up. I repositioned peer tutoring as a flexible, remote-friendly job and resume-building opportunity.
2. Faculty-Driven Talent Identification
I partnered with faculty to identify high-performing students and encouraged direct, one-on-one outreach to potential tutors, shifting from passive referrals to active recruitment conversations.
3. Incentives and Role Design
I introduced targeted incentives to address gaps in coverage, such as higher pay for evening hours, opportunities to work alongside faculty in quasi-TA roles and campus-based perks and recognition. I created a digital badging system (in collaboration with instructional design) to recognize sustained tutoring contributions and provide resume-ready credentials (e.g., subject-area expertise badges).
4. Operational Improvements
I addressed inefficiencies in tutor-student matching and scheduling, expanded flexibility in tutor availability and course coverage and improved alignment between tutor expertise and course needs.
5. Data-Driven Iteration
I analyzed course-level demand, tutor availability and utilization and student engagement patterns. I continuously refined recruitment, incentives, and coverage strategies.
Impact
Program Growth
- Increased peer tutors from ~15 to ~30 (+50%) within six months
- Expanded student reach from ~50 to ~130 students per week
- Increased course coverage from ~15 to ~18 courses across key programs
Student Outcome Impact
- Improved performance in high-risk courses, particularly:
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Fundamental Nursing courses
- Contributed to measurable gains in first-year retention
- Increased student satisfaction, with strong positive feedback and repeat tutor requests
Operational Impact
- Improved alignment between tutor expertise, course needs and scheduling
- Increased availability of evening and high-demand support
- Reduced strain on overstretched academic support teams by distributing workload more effectively
Tools & Capabilities Demonstrated
- Program design and growth strategy
- Cross-functional collaboration (faculty, marketing, student support)
- Data-informed decision-making
- Student success and retention strategy
- Incentive design and engagement strategy