"The director is going to provide real training for tutors," said Dean of Students Ben Lieber.
The director will have an advanced degree in mathematics or science and advanced training in quantitative skills. He or she will fill a full-time position, working in conjunction with faculty to design support programs and offering personal tutoring to students.
The Quantitative Skills Center provides tutoring services for chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, physics and psychology. "It is a relatively small number [of students] who use it," said Professor of Economics Geoffrey Woglom, who chairs the economics department.
Associate Professor of Mathematics Gregory Call said that he has been very satisfied with the work of the center in the past.
In addition to tutoring four days a week, the center provides lecture teaching assistants, who take notes on a class and hold a weekly review session. Call said that he hopes to work with the new director to design pro-educator support programs for students. Another goal is to expand the summer science program, a small pre-orientation program in the sciences for incoming freshmen, according to Call.
Traditionally, the Quantitative Skills Center has been run by the quantitative fellow, a recent graduate of the College. Randy Laguilles '97 currently holds the position. The position of fellow will remain in the new arrangement and will report to the director, but the fellow will no longer be responsible for the management of the Center. The position will represent more of a "supporting" role, according to Laguilles.
The search for a director began more than a month ago after a recommendation by the Committee on Academic Support. The Committee hopes to bring several candidates to the campus by November and to make an appointment by spring.