Academic Learning Centers

The Ruth G. Shaw Academic Learning Center (ALC) is committed to helping you overcome difficulties with academic coursework, promoting your independent learning, and to proactively helping you develop the skills necessary for academic and life-long learning success.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, we have moved to online tutoring. Schedule tutoring appointments using Schedulicity, and your tutors will send a Webex link to your email on the day of your tutoring session. Please contact us at alc@cpcc.edu or 704.330.6423 with any questions or concerns.

All Academic Learning Center tutors hold at least a bachelors degree in a relevant area. Our tutors also complete specialized training in tutoring techniques and participate in continuing education activities.

We offer two tutoring format options:

  1. tutoring for specific subjects by appointment with our Central Piedmont Academic Learning Center tutors, and
  2. 24/7 tutoring for a wide variety of subjects with Smarthinking

Academic Learning Center Tutoring Subjects

You must be enrolled in a for-college credit course at Central Piedmont to use the Academic Learning Center. There is no charge for our services. Wingate students taking classes at Central Piedmont through the cooperative learning program may also use our services. We offer tutoring in the following subjects:

  • Math and Accounting
    • Developmental Math, Math 110-285
    • Math tutors can also help you with your Ti-83/84 graphing calculator, which is recommended for most college level math classes. Ti-83/84 workshops are offered at the beginning of the semester for college algebra, pre-calculus, and statistics students, and later in the semester for Math 080 students.
    • Tutoring for accounting, macro and micro economics, and Intro to Finance is also available online at smarthinking.com.

    Math and accounting

  • Writing

    For any course's writing assignment:

    • Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure
    • Literature
    • Reading review
    • Proposals, outlines, speeches
    • Research documentation

    Writing tutors do not operate as a proofreading service — you should bring the writing assignment given by the instructor and all work you have done on the paper.

  • Sciences
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Anatomy
    • Computer lab (student use)

    Sciences

  • History

    Academic Learning Centers do not provide history tutoring, but history tutoring is provided by the history department's History Student Success Center.

  • Central Piedmont Placement Test

    The Academic Learning Centers do not provide tutoring to help prepare for Central Piedmont placement tests. Visit the Testing Center placement tests page for placement test prep information. Once you have taken the placement test and are enrolled in a Central Piedmont course, you may use our services.

Make an Appointment with an Academic Learning Center Tutor

You cannot schedule your appointment over the phone. You must use Schedulicity to make an appointment.

Video: How to schedule a tutoring appointment

  • Complete the Student Tutoring Agreement

    Complete the student agreement using your Central Piedmont account. Student agreements may take at least one business day to process. Once the agreement is processed, you can schedule an appointment using your Schedulicity account (Step 2).

  • Create a Schedulicity Account

    Create a Schedulicity account using your Central Piedmont email by either downloading the Schedulicity app or by going to schedulicity.com. You will not be able to make a tutoring appointment from your Schedulicity account until your student agreement has been processed.

  • Schedule Your Appointment in Schedulicity

    Make an appointment using Schedulicity. If you have completed the student agreement, please ignore the "Not accepting new clients" message.

  • Appointment Policies

    We use Schedulicity to schedule appointments.

    • Appointments are not mandatory. However, we do encourage you to make an appointment, especially when you want to guarantee a specific date and time with a tutor.
    • You are allowed two tutoring sessions per week, per subject.
    • The tutoring center accepts walk-ins, but appointments will take priority over walk-ins.
    • If you are not able to keep your scheduled appointment, please cancel the appointment by contacting the academic learning center or by using Schedulicity.
    • If you have four no-shows, you will lose the privilege to make appointments via Schedulicity for the remainder of the term (you will be able to visit as a walk-in only).
    • Tutoring sessions are generally limited to 30–60 minutes in length. Once your tutoring session has ended, you may be asked to leave the area so that other students waiting feel free to enter for their session.
    • You are allowed two Writing Center visits per week (on different days) and two visits per paper. This does not include a brainstorming session (if needed).

  • Cancellation Policy
    • You must cancel at least one hour before your appointment, or you will be considered a no-show.
    • If you have four no-shows, you will lose the privilege to make appointments via Schedulicity for the remainder of the term (you will be able to visit as a walk-in only).
    • If you are 10 minutes late or more for an appointment, you will be counted as no-show. You will only receive the remainder of your allotted time if it has not been taken by a walk-in student.

Get 24/7 Tutoring with Smarthinking

  • Find Your Smarthinking Account Username and Password

    You should have received an email in your student email account from Smarthinking with instructions on how to access your account. You can find your Smarthinking username and password in this email.

  • Login to Smarthinking

    Go to the Smarthinking website and log in with your username and password to take advantage of their 24/7 tutoring services.

    If you did not receive an email with a Smarthinking username and password or cannot access Smarthinking, contact Florence Patterson at florence.patterson@cpcc.edu.

Your Responsibilities

Tutoring is not a substitute for class — you are not allowed to attend a tutoring session instead of your class. We are here to supplement the instruction that you receive from your classroom instructor. For many math classes, if you have already missed a class you should see your instructor or a classmate about what you missed. There are online videos available for most courses throughout the Blackboard component of the course (My Math Lab, Math XL).

  • Plan Ahead
    • Do not wait until the night before or the day of to study for a test, quiz, or assignment.
    • Try to meet with a tutor at least a week prior to a test.
    • Bring relevant information to the tutoring session such as textbook, notes, study guides, and assignments.
    • Bring the written instructions from the instructor.

  • Know Your Assignment
    • Be very familiar with your course assignments by reviewing all of your work thoroughly before meeting with a tutor.
    • You should have some working knowledge of the subject matter before requesting assistance.
    • Be prepared to ask specific questions during your tutoring session.
    • You are encouraged to try to complete the assignment so that the tutors can review your work and help to make corrections in areas of concern.

  • Actively Participate
    • Play an active role in your tutoring session.
    • Ask relevant questions.
    • Make an attempt to complete the assignment and provide it to your tutor for the session.
    • Tutors are not substitutes for your instructors, but instead they will help clarify a skill or concept.

Writing and Public Speaking Resources

The Latest at Central Piedmont