The Academic Success Center
The Academic Success Center (ASC) is here to help all Hawks succeed! Our services focus on helping students with academic resources. The ASC is a great space on campus to do homework, study, do group work and get tutoring as needed. Our tutoring is always free and we cover a variety of subjects.
Other services we provide include reviewing previous exams, improving your math placement test scores, studying for upcoming tests, overcoming challenges when completing homework and answering other questions in one-on-one or small group settings. You can also come visit the ASC in the T Building to access computers/printers, use our books and other academic resources, or just as a place to focus on studying. We have rooms that you can book for small group work, or to have a place to access remote services while on campus.
In Winter 2023, we will be extending our hours to close later. Our winter hours will be Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 7 pm, so please stop by the ASC in the early evening if that works best for your schedule.
Our Mission
The mission of the Academic Success Center at Columbia Basin College—a Hispanic-Serving Institution—is to provide the guidance, strategies and resources needed to support students through their CBC coursework and to build self-efficacy in our diverse student body, so that every CBC student is confident in their own ability to succeed, no matter their background.
The ASC provides a safe, collaborative space where our peer and professional tutors and other ASC staff can create and encourage opportunities for transformative learning on students’ path to completion, and where students can feel that they are not alone in their academic and learning journeys.
We offer tutoring in the following subjects:
- Accounting
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Japanese
- Math (Pre-College through Calculus)
- Physics
- Psychology
- Spanish
- Sociology
- Writing for all subjects & classes
- Bilingual Spanish/English support in a variety of disciplines
For a complete list of subjects and classes covered by ASC tutors, come in to the ASC or view our tutoring schedule on the ASC Canvas page.
ASC Tutoring
Drop-in tutoring with the ASC is available on campus Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 4:30 pm in the T Building, Room T433. You can also find the schedule for drop-in tutoring on our Canvas page. Our tutors may be working with multiple students during drop-in tutoring hours, but rest assured that your questions will be answered. Contact us if you have any questions about accessing drop-in tutoring or how to find the help you need.
We also offer tutoring by appointment in writing (for all classes and subjects—not just English!), which allows you to reserve one-on-one time with just you and the tutor. You can find instructions and book an appointment on our Canvas page. Contact us if you need any assistance in booking one-on-one tutoring appointments in our Writing Center.
The ASC works closely with faculty around campus and we provide group study sessions for select classes, which are facilitated by a tutor and offer additional opportunities for practicing concepts and discussing questions with others in your class. You don’t need to have specific questions or need help to join a group study session; the tutor will have activities and practice problems prepared and you can listen to the questions of other students to help enhance your own learning. Visit our ASC Canvas page to view our group study schedule.
Our math tutors are available to assist students who are retaking the ALEKS placement test to place into a higher level math class. If you are a student looking for help in achieving a higher ALEKS score, come in to the ASC in the T Building, Room T433, give us a call at 509-542-4676, or send us an email at ascFREECOLUMBIA_BASIN.
The ASC is certified by the College Reading & Learning Association, under the International Tutor Training Program. This means our tutors are trained to not just help you with course concepts and challenges, but also to help you learn how to learn better. ASC tutors receive regular training in learning and tutoring theories and tutors who complete our CRLA-approved training plan are eligible to earn International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) as Stage 1, Level 1 tutors. Faculty, staff, students or tutor applicants interested in learning more can contact our department at the telephone number or email address below.
Peer Mentoring
The ASC also provides a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring program for CBC students. Peer Mentors will provide support in several areas, some of which include:
- Developing academic skills and confidence – learning new strategies around taking notes, using office hours, how to study, test-taking, engaging with Faculty and staff around campus, etc.
- Serving as a navigator to campus resources – where to go for financial aid, checking out a laptop, meeting about future careers and all of the other amazing resources available to CBC students
- Helping students understand that college has its difficult moments, and the Mentor will be able to give options on what could be done to make it through the tough times
If you’d like to schedule a meeting with a Peer Mentor, you can find the Interest Form on the ASC Canvas page or you can come in to the ASC and do a paper version of the form.
eTutoring
If you don’t see the subject you need help with listed above, or if the times available for ASC tutoring don’t fit with your schedule, you are also able to take advantage of eTutoring, which is a free tutoring service available 24/7, including options for evenings, nights and weekend hours.
You can access eTutoring to view schedules, submit papers to the Writing Lab and get help through our ASC Canvas page or through the eTutoring link in the left-hand menu of any of your CBC Canvas courses. If you have trouble accessing eTutoring or have questions about what eTutoring offers, contact us at the telephone number or email below!
Check out what a current CBC student has to say about using the eTutoring service for help with her math coursework:
“I just used eTutoring for the first time for some questions I had on my last test. It was really helpful and the tutor was very knowledgeable! The link is on our Canvas page…I’ve been hesitant in the past to use the eTutoring link because I thought it would be a ‘robot’ helping me but it was a live person through Zoom. Hopefully it can help some of us especially since we may not all be able to meet when an ASC tutor is available. Good luck to everyone in all of your classes!”
eTutoring offers the services detailed in the dropdowns, below.
The eTutoring online writing lab allows you to submit a draft of your paper to a tutor, ask for specific feedback and receive your work back with a tutor’s response within 24 to 48 hours. This asynchronous writing help works great if you don’t have time to meet with our ASC writing center tutors during their scheduled tutoring times.
Live eTutoring allows you to meet with a tutor for a one-on-one session in a variety of subjects, via a fully interactive, online environment. Live eTutoring help is available during the weekdays, in the evenings and on weekends—so if you are a working student, you can still get the help that you need.
Finally, eTutoring allows you to submit a specific question for any of the subject areas covered, and an eTutor will respond to your question within 24 to 48 hours. eQuestions are a great option if you just have a quick question but none of the ASC tutors are available at the time you need your question answered.
