About

Covel AITC Peer Learning Services

Who are we? We are students from Academics in the Commons (AITC), a program providing students with transitional academic guidance for over 20 years at UCLA.  We provide academic help through the Covel Peer Learning Labs, the campus’s only free student support service for undergraduates. We offer free help to undergraduate students in math/science coursework and writing across the curriculum in a supportive, collaborative environment.  Furthermore, our sister service, the Peer Advising Network offers individual mentorship to incoming first years and transfer students while Workshops provide invaluable career and academic guidance.

On Monday, March 7^th, Assistant Vice Provost Penny Hein-Unruh announced our closure for the 2011-2012 academic year in the name of “restructuring” academic support services at UCLA. However, no contingency plan exists to “restructure” academic student support to continue our services for the coming academic years.

This decision to close the Covel Peer Learning services affects several populations on our campus: students who use Covel Peer Learning Labs, student leaders who work at Covel Peer Learning Labs, professors, graduate students, and – yes – even administrators.

The UCLA Reputation

Without Covel Peer Learning Labs, UCLA will be the only UC campus that does not provide free learning support to its general undergraduate population. Administrators, do you really want to admit this to prospective students, nervous to enter a large institution for fear of not receiving personalized help?

The Students

In the 2009-2010 academic year, approximately 3,000 students were served per quarter – and that was with the suspension of the Composition/ESL Lab. Every year, there are students who want math/science assistance, but who are not able to enroll given the high demand. The Composition/ESL Lab (which was promised three years of funding after its “temporary” suspension in 2009-2010) has become an especially large support network this academic year. With UCLA’s writing requirements and individualized classroom declining, many students still continue to struggle with the high standards for university writing.

The Student Leaders- Peer Learning Facilitators

The 120 students who work at Covel become empowered communicators with their peers to help others value their learning at UCLA. Peer learning facilitators are, indeed, leaders, but they provide a personalized group discussion that many UCLA students never experience in large lecture courses.

The Graduate Students and Professors

Professors and graduate students, too, benefit from their students attending peer learning sessions. Just read scholar Kenneth Bruffee’s seminal “Collaborative Learning and ‘The Conversation of Mankind.” It is a well-proven fact that developed collaborative learning and academic leadership skills hold immense educational value in and out of the classroom.  Furthermore, these collaborative skills practiced in peer learning sessions motivate students to become holistic and self-motivated learners.

Thank you for reading our letter and supporting us in our goal to better undergraduate education.