Frequently Asked Questions About the CAST

Please carefully read over the Student Tutoring Agreement. This document outlines how the Center for Academic SucceSs & Tutoring (CAST) operates as well as the expectations and responsibilities of students who use the Center's services.

The role of a tutor is to provide additional assistance to students with their coursework. Tutors are not course instructors; they are not substitutes for attending class and they are not responsible for teaching the course material. Rather, tutors are available to help students clarify course content and develop effective ways to learn the material. Tutors also provide learning resources and study strategies that students can utilize for exam preparation.

Please be advised: It is strictly against the Center's policy to assist students with any graded material, including homework, projects, take-home exams, etc. In addition, tutors are not permitted to directly provide students with answers for assignments.

Although tutoring is not available for every subject or course offered at the College, the CAST typically facilitates assistance in over 100 courses each semester, including some in: Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Dental Hygiene, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Nursing, Physics, Psychology, and Spanish. Assistance in additional subject areas may vary each semester based on staffing. 

Always visit the Tutoring Courses page for the latest tutoring course availability.

The Center's services are available to all Farmingdale State College students for courses in which they are currently enrolled. 

Please note: The Center is not able to assist individuals who are not current students of the College (i.e. alumni, transferred to another institution, community member, etc.), or for courses in which they are not currently enrolled at the College (enrolled at FSC, but seeking tutoring in a course they are completing at another institution).

All of the CAST's services, including face-to-face tutoring, online/remote tutoring, and academic coaching are provided free of charge to all currently enrolled students.

The Center is open to students Monday through Friday, on days when classes are in session during the Fall and Spring semesters. Operating hours vary each semester based on the tutoring schedule. The Center is not open during the January intersession. Limited tutoring services are typically available during the summer.

Students are permitted to schedule one tutoring appointment per course per day. Lab and theory are counted as one course. In order to provide all students with an equitable experience, we do not permit back-to-back or double appointments for the same course in the same day.

Face-to-face tutoring and coaching sessions are conducted in the Center's facility in Greenley Hall (Library), Room 302. Remote sessions are held on Google Meet.

Typically, there are around 15-20 peer and 8-10 professional tutors each semester. Peer tutors are faculty recommended, must have received an A- or better in each course they tutor, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Professional tutors must have at least a Bachelor's degree and at least one year of tutoring or teaching assistant experience in a higher education setting.

Before coming in for a tutoring session, it is highly recommended that students do the following:

• Go to class, listen attentively, take notes, and address questions with your instructor to clarify any difficulties or problem areas. Remember: tutors are NOT teachers. They are not responsible for teaching you any material. Rather, they are available to assist you with specific concepts that you learned in class.

• Attempt to do your assignments and practice problems before coming to your tutoring sessions. Tutors are NOT permitted to do any assignments for you (exams, quizzes, homework, etc). This is a violation of the College's policy on Academic Integrity.

• Identify specific concepts/areas where help is needed prior to attending your session.

• Come prepared with all necessary materials: notes, books, handouts, etc. The Center does not maintain copies of textbooks or other class materials. However, students may utilize textbooks on reserve from the Library.

No, unfortunately, the Center does not provide tutoring for any type of standardized test, including but not limited to GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT. 

No, the Center does not provide or facilitate any private tutoring services. Additionally, the Center's services are only available to currently enrolled students at the College. Regrettably, the Center does not provide any services for alumni, local community members, K-12 students, etc.

The Center for Academic Success & Tutoring (CAST) strives to foster an environment that is inclusive of students of all abilities. To enhance and provide an equitable student experience, the CAST offers several reasonable accommodations that are available for any student to request at the time of their tutoring or academic coaching appointment. Students are not required to disclose a disability in order to receive an accommodation as it pertains to tutoring services.

Students with a documented disability are strongly encouraged to register with the Disability Services Center (DSC) to receive classroom related accommodations. Some accommodations approved by the DSC, such as extended testing time, are only available for the classroom setting and do not carry over to tutoring services. Therefore, the CAST does not provide back-to-back tutoring or coaching appointments for the same course, or extended tutoring or coaching time (time and a half or double time) as a reasonable accommodation.

Available tutoring related accommodations are listed below:

• Extra time to enter or exit the physical space
• An aide or scribe to accompany the student during the session
• Intermittent breaks during the session
• A distraction reduced space*
• An accessible, height adjustable table*
• Use of assistive technology, such as closed captions, dictation, text to speech, and screen reader
• Audio recording of a tutoring or coaching session^

*Note #1: This accommodation is dependent upon available space during the time of the appointment and it is not guaranteed this will be available to all students at all times.

^Note #2: The CAST kindly asks that any student who wishes to record their tutoring session notify the tutor or coach prior to initiating recording.

We value your privacy. Students should not send any medical or personal information to the CAST. Students with questions or concerns about accommodations should contact the DSC for further assistance. 

Tutoring sessions are not conducted while a student is in class or attending another meeting.

For online appointments, we highly recommend a private, distraction-reduced area if possible. 

You may bring a beverage to your session. Due to allergen risks among students and staff, we kindly ask you to enjoy food prior to your appointment outside of the Center in designated spaces.

Please visit the Center for Academic Success & Tutoring Employment Opportunities page for more information.