SO YOU'VE JOINED THE WHARTON TUTORING PROGRAM…

A Guide For MBA Tutors At The Wharton School

MBA Program Office
Jon M. Huntsman Hall, Suite 300
(215) 898-7604

I. Welcome

Congratulations! The fact that you are reading this document means you have either done exceedingly well academically in or waived one or several of your core courses. Those of us in the MBA Program Office are grateful you're willing to share some of this knowledge with your fellow students. We hope you enjoy your role as a tutor; you have the opportunity to single-handedly improve other students' understanding and conceptual grasp of material that forms the foundation of a business education.

II. What Does All of This Really Mean?

Your tutoring experience will obviously depend upon your 'tutee.' There are several kinds of students you may encounter and each needs to be handled differently. Here are some suggestions for the three most common types of tutees.

1) Here is my list, let's get to work
The first type of tutee will come to you with a specific list of issues to be addressed. In this case, you simply run down the list and try to explain the issues in terms that you are sure the tutee understands. Sometimes, this may require going over the topic a number of times. If the tutee does not understand your first explanation, try again using different terminology or a different approach to the problem. Repeating the same explanation will only further frustrate the tutee.

This type of tutee enables you to focus quickly on the areas in which he or she needs the most help. The tutoring session is guided by a preset agenda and things usually move in a nice, orderly manner. In addition, if the tutee gets the list to you before the meeting, you can (and probably should) review the material. This makes the meeting flow smoothly and efficiently.

No matter how organized the tutee seems, make sure to find out the dates for midterms and finals so you can schedule meetings accordingly. If you have a big finance case due the same week that your tutee has a midterm, try to plan accordingly in advance.

2) I need help with my homework
This type of tutee generally comes to meetings with homework problems that he or she is having trouble solving. This is similar to the first type of tutee, except that instead of conceptual issues, these are assigned problems. This situation requires good judgment to avoid risking a breach of academic integrity.

Before I explain any further, this is a good place to expose you to the University's policy on Academic Integrity. The full Code is found at the end of this document. Please take few minutes to review it and note items A, F, and G as they can become an issue during the course of your work as a tutor. Do not risk your academic reputation by infringing on the Code.

The best way to protect yourself is to ask the tutee for a copy of the professor's homework policy. This is often stated in the course syllabus. Once you're sure where the professor draws the line between collective versus individual effort on homework, you will be able to avoid most academic integrity issues. If you're unsure about the situation, encourage the tutee to attend either the professor or TA's office hours for homework help.

If you've established that it's okay for a tutee to receive help with homework problems, you can work through the problems as you see fit. However, it is always best if the tutee has at least attempted the problem individually. Have them show you the point at which they ran into trouble. You can also change some of the facts of the problem and solve the modified problem with the tutee, leaving the actual problem for them to do individually. Always remember that if they cannot do the problem without your guidance, they are doomed on the exam.

If you bear these caveats in mind, it's possible to help tutees with their assigned problems, observe the Code of Academic Integrity, and provide a meaningful learning experience for the tutees.

3) The (Don't Know) Problem
Here is the scenario: you walk into the first meeting, sit down, and the tutee says, "I'm lost and I'm not sure where we should begin…."

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation. A lot of tutees simply don't know what they don't know. They feel they need help in the subject but they're not sure where to start. The first thing to do is ask if there is an exam or important assignment due in the next week or so (see note about Academic Integrity above). If there is, you should make that deadline your first priority. If not, begin reviewing the course material from just before the point that the tutee began to feel a need for additional help.

You can work through the textbook with the tutee, pausing to do the examples or end-of-chapter questions. If there's a bulkpack for the course, that can also guide the discussions. Any relevant current issues in the news should be used to illustrate points in the material. Oftentimes, sample exams are provided. Working through sample exam problems that test the relevant material can often help this type of tutee. Each week, you and the tutee can work three or four problems that test the material that was taught that week. This exposes the tutee to the complexity level they can expect to see on an exam.

Course webpages and the Lippincott library often have additional sample exams and practice problems. If you still have material from your days in the course, that can also be a rich source of review and practice material.

The (Don't Know) tutee usually offers the tutor a greater amount of flexibility. However, this type also places a greater burden on you since the tutor is responsible for setting a direction for the tutoring sessions. The tutee should try to source the relevant homework problems and sample exams, but you may need to offer additional suggestions.

III. Other Useful Tips

1) The First Meeting
When your new tutee first contacts you, you should ask a few key questions. This will help you to prepare for the meeting. It is helpful to know what book they are using, who the professor is, what the course webpage is, where they are in the course, dates for midterms and finals, and what issues they need help with. Go into the first meeting prepared and not only will you make a lasting, positive impression, but your meeting will be much more productive.

2) Meeting Places
People meet in apartments, public spots like cafes and bookstores, or rooms reserved on campus. Do not anticipate finding an empty classroom during evening hours; they are often full with groups of students studying.

As a word of warning, exercise caution when meeting in private, especially if you do not yet know your tutee well. This protects both you and the tutee from any number of problems that might develop.

3) Payment Negotiation
Everyone handles this in his or her own way. You might wish to meet with the tutee once to see if you are a good "fit" for each other. If the "fit" is good and both tutor and tutee know what to expect, you can negotiate a rate. This works better and the tutee is happier with it in the long run. Some tutors tutor for free, others charge. The hourly rates range from $20 to $30.

4) Your Goal
Remember, it's your goal to make the tutee independent of you. Everything you do for them should be done with this goal in mind. You'll want to encourage them to think on their own and solve their own problems. Doing this will promote success in their courses, and help build their confidence.

Appendix

University Code of Academic Integrity

Since the University is an academic community, its fundamental purpose is the pursuit of knowledge. Essential to the success of this educational mission is a commitment to the principles of academic integrity. Every member of the University community is responsible for upholding the highest standards of honesty at all times. Students, as members of the community, are also responsible for adhering to the principles and spirit of the following Code of Academic Integrity.

Academic Dishonesty Definitions

Activities, that have the effect or intention of interfering with education, pursuit of knowledge, or fair evaluation of a student’s performance are prohibited. Examples of such activities include but are not limited to the following definitions:

A. Cheating: using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance, material, or study aids in examinations or other academic work or preventing, or attempting to prevent, another from using authorized assistance, material, or study aids. Example: using a cheat sheet in a quiz or exam, altering a graded exam and resubmitting it for a better grade, etc.

B. Plagiarism: using the ideas, data, or language of another without specific or proper acknowledgment. Example: copying another person’s paper, article, or computer work and submitting it for an assignment, cloning someone else’s ideas without attribution, failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, etc.

C. Fabrication: submitting contrived or altered information in any academic exercise. Example: making up data for an experiment, fudging data, citing nonexistent articles, contriving sources, etc.

D. Multiple submission: submitting, without prior permission, any work submitted to fulfill another academic requirement.

E. Misrepresentation of academic records: misrepresenting or tampering with or attempting to tamper with any portion of a student’s transcripts or academic record, either before or after coming to the University of Pennsylvania. Example: forging a change of grade slip, tampering with computer records, falsifying academic information on one’s resume, etc.

F. Facilitating academic dishonesty: knowingly helping or attempting to help another violate any provision of the Code. Example: working together on a take-home exam, etc.

G. Unfair advantage: attempting to gain unauthorized advantage over fellow students in an academic exercise. Example: gaining or providing unauthorized access to examination materials, obstructing or interfering with another student’s efforts in an academic exercise, lying about a need for an extension for an exam or paper, continuing to write even when time is up during an exam, destroying or keeping library materials for one’s own use., etc.

If a student is unsure whether his action(s) constitute a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, then it is that student’s responsibility to consult with the instructor to clarify any ambiguities.