HWS News
24 February 2021 Teaching Fellows Program Expands
Hobart and William Smith academic support program now spans 16 departments, with both in-person and remote sessions.
Beyond the support of expert faculty and staff, HWS students rely on direct, ongoing academic assistance from their trained peers through the Teaching Fellows program. Coordinated by the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL), the program has been a tutoring resource for more than a decade, expanding further this semester with fellows now representing 16 departments.
"The Teaching Fellows started with five departments in 2007 and has continued to grow, evolve and adapt to support student success at HWS," says Ruth Shields, associate director of the CTL. With hundreds of students utilizing Teaching Fellows services annually, Shields says "we are excited to welcome six new departments to the program this year, offering students more resources in more disciplines than ever. No matter where students are in their academic career, we are here to make sure they have the tools to get to the next level."
Teaching Fellows are peer-learning facilitators, nominated by faculty within specific departments and trained by CTL staff. They direct conversations, ask questions to challenge students and gauge foundational knowledge, provide feedback, and suggest study strategies.
Teaching Fellows hold regular, group-oriented evening hours in the departments they support Sunday through Thursday and are available to all students. To allow students and tutors to engage with faculty and access necessary resources, Teaching Fellows are situated in each departments academic building.
The program's expansion this semester is supported by a gift from HWS Trustee-elect Josephine Grayson P'18 and her husband Peter Grayson P'18.
Teaching Fellow-supported departments include:
Anthropology
Biology
Chemistry (Introductory and Organic)
Computer Science
Economics
English
Entrepreneurial Studies
Environmental Studies
Geoscience
International Relations
Mathematics
Music
Media and Society
Philosophy
Physics
Sociology
For more details on the program, visit the Teaching Fellows homepage or contact Ruth Shields at shields@hws.edu or (315) 781-3959.