Students who have taken their papers to Sweetland Writing Center
for peer tutoring this fall have found more room and conveniences.
The Peer Tutor Program now has its own center, thanks to a donation
from former tutor Rob Cook.

Cook, who graduated in 2000, gave the $25,000 donation in late
2000 to honor his grandmother, Hazel Stimpson. His gift established
a center exclusively for the Peer Tutor Program, which allows
students to receive help writing their papers from other
students.

Cook also donated $50,000 to the University's C.S. Mott
Children's Hospital, and $25,000 to research being done at the
time. He declined to comment on the source of the money.

"The old center made things difficult for both students and
tutors, and I wanted a real center, specifically set up for
students. I thought this was a great way to give back," Cook
said.

In addition to the new center in room G219 of Angell Hall, which
opened Sept. 21, the program budgeted the donation for other
necessities as well.

"It gave us the ability to look for a new space. But we can also
purchase equipment and send tutors to writing center conferences
because of the donation," said Peer Tutor Coordinator Jennifer
Metsker.

As a peer tutor for two semesters, LSA senior Erin Cassard had
the chance to work in both settings. "Everything is a lot more
organized. I think it is easier for students to come in and know
what to do. I don't think the move has thrown people off," Cassard
said.

Before the new center was created, tutors and writers used room
444C in Angell Hall. They had to wait until classes ended and set
up the center temporarily every night. Now, the center is open
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, as well as its
usual time of 7 to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday.

"It is nice to have our own space that we can use how we want,"
Cassard said.

In addition, there are two computers that are used for the
Online Writing and Learning program. With the OWL program, students
can submit their papers via the Internet to a peer tutor, and
usually receive a response within 48 hours.

The Peer Tutoring Center is also connected to Sweetland's
Multi-Literacy Center, which helps students who are working on
electronic projects, such as PowerPoint presentations or
websites.

There are also several offices for professors and graduate
student instructors, and lockers for tutors to store their
belongings.

"The new center is great because it is broken up into smaller
rooms, and each tutor has their own table with the students," said
LSA junior Christy Marks, who used the service in past years and is
currently training to become a peer tutor.

The Peer Tutoring Center also features a waiting room for
students and a separate tutoring room, which seats about 15
people.