Math Tutoring | Washburn University

Free tutoring can help you succeed

The Mathematics and Statistics Department has two free tutoring facilities on campus available for Washburn students enrolled in mathematics courses numbered MA 151 and below. No appointment is needed. There is no cost associated with tutoring at Washburn.

The Richard E. Shermoen Mathematics Learning Lab

The Mathematics Learning Lab is staffed by two full-time Mathematics faculty members and peer tutors. The Lab specializes in tutoring students in MA 090, MA 095, MA 108, MA 112 and MA 116. Students in MA 117, MA 123, MA 140, MA 141 and MA 151 are encouraged to visit the Mathematics Tutoring Center in Morgan Hall if possible.

Location: Main floor of the Plass Learning Resources Center

Face-to-face hours:

Mon. - Thurs: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fri: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Zoom* hours:

Monday through Thursday: 5-8 p.m.
Sunday: 1-5 p.m.

*Your math instructor or one of the Lab staff can provide the link ID and Passcode for the Zoom tutoring option.

If Mabee Library is closed, no Zoom tutoring is available.

The Harlan J. Koca Mathematics Enrichment Program Center

The Mathematics Tutoring Center in Morgan 252 is staffed by peer tutors who are typically math or science majors. The Center specializes in tutoring students in MA 108, MA 116, MA 117, MA 123, MA 140, MA 141 and MA 151. Students in MA 090, MA 095 and MA 112 are encouraged to seek assistance at the Math Learning Lab in Mabee Library if possible.

Location: Morgan 252

Face to Face hours:

Mon - Thurs: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fri: 9 a.m. to noon

Begins the second week of regular semesters.

Zoom* Hours:

Monday through Thursday 5-8 p.m.
Sunday 1-5 p.m.

*Your math instructor or one of the Lab staff can provide the link ID and Passcode for the Zoom tutoring option.

If Plass is closed, no Zoom tutoring is available.

The Center @ Morgan 252

The Center also is a study lounge for math majors.

The Math Tutoring Center (Morgan 252) and the Math Learning Lab (Mabee 304) offer free assistance to Washburn students enrolled in MA 151 and below. Both locations are open Monday through Friday on days that regular classes are in session. The Math Lab also offers some weekend hours when Washburn is in session. The hours of operation vary a bit each semester.

Our tutoring facilities are an extra resource to assist you in learning mathematics. They are here to supplement, not replace, the information learned in class and from individual instruction with the professor.

To use the Math Tutoring Center (Morgan 252) or the Math Learning Lab (Mabee 304), just walk in during operating hours. No appointment is necessary. There is no cost.

Please scan your Washburn ID at the kiosk when you come in.

On-duty tutors wear name badges so they can be easily identified. When you have a question, ask a tutor for assistance. If the tutor is busy helping another student, raise your hand so the tutor knows you are waiting.

Tutors are there to help you learn, not complete your assignment for you. If you ask several questions of the same type, the tutor may ask you to try working problems on your own and then come back to see how you are doing. This is to help you learn, not to avoid helping you.

The tutors expect that you have some basic knowledge of the subject matter. You should read the relevant text sections and attempt some homework problems before seeking help from the tutors. Here are some other guidelines that will help in making your visits to the Tutor Center productive.

Attend class: Some instructors will supplement the book material with material of their own. Or, instructors may present the material in a different way than is given in the text. The tutors do not attend your class and will be unaware of any additions and/or changes. Also, many times there are several different ways to do a problem. It is your responsibility to know if your instructor has told you to do a problem in a specific way.

Bring your book: Reading homework directions directly from the text will help orient your tutor to the type of problem you are working on. Also, each text presents material a little differently and, as such, may ask homework questions from a standpoint different from what the tutors have previously seen. The tutors may need to browse through your book in order to understand the specific viewpoint used by your text.

Bring your calculator and manual: Some mathematics courses require a graphing calculator. There are many different types of graphing calculators and your tutor may not be familiar with your calculator model. Tutors cannot be expected to know where to locate specific function keys on every type of calculator.

The Math Learning Lab (Mabee 304) has 30 computer stations available for you to work on math assignments. At times there are classes in the Lab, but there are always at least 10 open computers available. The Lab is staffed by two full-time Mathematics faculty members and peer tutors.

The Math Tutoring Center (Morgan 252) does not have computer stations. You can work on traditional paper/pencil assignments or bring your own device. The Center is staffed by peer tutors and is conveniently located across the hall from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The Center also serves as a study lounge for math majors.

How to Become a Tutor

Need some extra cash? The Math Tutoring Center and the Math Lab need tutors. Please contact the Math Department about becoming a tutor, even if you're not a math major!

The department receives many phone calls each week from current Washburn students as well as parents in the area who are seeking a private tutor for themselves or their children.