Student Job/Volunteer Opportunities
Employment Opportunities
Each term, the Mathematics Assistance Centre hires a team of 12-15 student staff to facilitate various help sessions at both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses.
While third- and fourth-year students are preferred, applications from students in the second year of their program will be considered as well. Only registered Laurier undergraduates may apply.
If interested, please fill out the appropriate application form(s), found below. Contact Tina Balfour or drop by LH1018-B to find out more information.
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- BrantfordBRANTClick this tab to view content pertaining to Brantford
Drop-in Help Session Peer Tutors
Thanks to the support of the Students' Union, the Mathematics Assistance Centre (MAC) operates a traditional drop-in help centre. The Student Study Centre is in room LH1018 on the first floor of Lazaridis Hall.
Any student taking a first-year introductory math course or an introductory statistics course (offered by the Department of Mathematics or another academic department) will be welcome to make use of the centre for individual or small group study.
MAC also runs weekly drop-in math help sessions in selected residences.
Senior students are required to form a team of peer tutors, who will provide explanations of concepts and strategies for problem solving to those students seeking math assistance through the drop-in hours.
Candidates must have earned a minimum grade of A- in at least two 100-level math courses, which are to include:
- One of MA110*, MA101, MA103; and
- One of MA121, MA122, MA170, MA205, ST259/260 (or any intro stats course, as offered by other academic departments); as well as
- An overall GPA of 7.0 or higher.
Additional qualifications include having excellent communication skills and the ability to model effective learning strategies.
The time commitment is six to eight hours per week, commencing the second week of classes. Rate of pay starts at $17 per hour.
Math Mentoring Program Peer Mentors/Tutors
Each academic term, the Mathematics Assistance Centre (MAC) offers a math mentoring program for specific 100-level mathematics courses. Reliable senior undergraduate students may be required to become peer tutor/mentors for:
- MA100: Introductory Calculus for the Natural Sciences
- MA101: Calculus I for the Natural Sciences
- MA110*: Introduction to Differential and Integral Calculus
- MA121: Introduction to Mathematical Proofs
- MA122: Introductory Linear Algebra
- MA129: Introductory Calculus for Business and Social Sciences
Responsibilities include conducting two one-hour study sessions each week for a small group of students (maximum of eight) who are repeating one of the relevant first-year math courses. Each session will aim to incorporate effective learning strategies while reviewing and reinforcing course content.
Peer Mentors will be expected to complete progress journals for each student and to meet with the MAC program coordinator on a regular basis.
Time commitment is approximately four hours per week. Training is provided during the beginning of the term. Rate of pay starts at $17 per hour.
Candidates must have earned a minimum grade of A- (i.e. 10 on the 12-point grade system) in the course for which they are applying, have excellent communication and organizational skills, and model good learning strategies. Only students with an overall GPA of 7.0 or higher will be considered.
Directed Homework Session Facilitators
Each academic term, the MAC conducts directed homework sessions for several math courses; which courses each term, depends on scheduling and budget:
- MA100: Introductory Calculus for the Natural Sciences
- MA101: Calculus I for the Natural Sciences
- MA110*: Introduction to Differential and Integral Calculus
- MA121: Introduction to Mathematical Proofs
- MA122: Introduction to Linear Algebra
- MA241: Statistical Methods for the Life Sciences
These 1.5-hour weekly sessions will be a modified form of Supplemental Instruction (SI), with which some students may be familiar. Each session will aim to incorporate effective learning strategies while reviewing and reinforcing course content.
Homework Session Facilitators may be expected to attend the course lectures and will conduct one homework session each week.
Time commitment is approximately four to six hours per week. Training is provided at the beginning of the term. Rate of pay starts at $19.50 per hour.
Candidates must have earned a minimum grade of A- (i.e. 10 on the 12-point grade system) in the course for which they are applying, have excellent communication and organizational skills, and model good learning strategies. Only students with an overall GPA of 7.0 or higher will be considered.
Drop-in Help Session Peer Tutors
Each fall and winter term, the Mathematics Assistance Centre (MAC) offers six to eight hours of weekly drop-in help sessions on the Brantford campus. Any student taking a first-year introductory math course or an introductory statistics course (offered by either the Department of Mathematics or another academic department) will be welcome to make use of these hours for individual or small-group study.
Two senior students are required to facilitate the sessions, providing explanations of concepts and strategies for problem solving to those students seeking assistance through the drop-in hours.
Candidate qualifications include:
- Successful completion of either:
- At least one of the following courses, with a final grade of B+ or better: MA100 (or equivalent), MA121, MA122, MA127, MA218, YC244; and
- At least one of the following introductory statistical courses, with a final grade of B+ or better: MB235, PS296, CC327.
- An overall GPA of 7.0 or higher.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to model effective learning strategies.
The time commitment is four to six hours per week, commencing the second week of classes. Rate of pay starts at $17 per hour.
Volunteer Opportunities
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Drop-in Help Session Volunteer Tutors
Does the job description for Mathematics Assistance Centre (MAC) peer tutors interest you, but you don't feel you have time to commit to the required six to eight hours each week? Are you looking for some great volunteer experience to add to your resume or application to teachers' college? Then consider volunteering in MAC's Student Study Centre.
The Student Study Centre, BA401, is the location for traditional drop-in math help open to students seeking assistance with first-year math courses and/or introductory statistics courses.
Candidates for volunteer positions must have earned a minimum of an A- grade in at least two 100-level math courses (MA101, MA103, MA104, MA110, MA121, MA122, MA170), as well as an overall GPA of 7.0 or higher. Either MA240 or any intro stats course, as offered by other academic departments, may be used in place of one of those listed. Additional qualifications include having good communication skills and modelling excellent learning skills.
The time commitment is a minimum of two hours per week, starting the second week of classes for the academic term hired.
Third- and fourth-year students are preferred but applications from students in the second year of their program will be considered as well. Only registered Laurier undergraduates may apply.
Drop-in Help Session Volunteer Application Form (Waterloo, Fall 2017)
Contact Tina Balfour or drop by LH1018-B to find out more information.
Drop-in Help Session Volunteer Tutors
Does the job description for Mathematics Assistance Centre (MAC) peer tutors interest you, but you don't feel you have time to commit to the required six to eight hours each week? Are you looking for some great volunteer experience to add to your resume or application to teachers' college? Then consider volunteering with MAC's drop-in sessions.
The sessions provide drop-in help for 100-level Mathematics courses (MA121, MA122, MA127), Teaching and Mathematics (YC243/244), and other fundamental quantitative problems from other courses, including probability and statistics (such as MB235, PS296, OL334, CC327).
Candidates for volunteer positions must have earned a minimum of an A- grade in at least two of the quantitative courses listed above as well as an overall GPA of 7.0 or higher. Additional qualifications include having good communication skills and modelling excellent learning skills.
The time commitment is a minimum of two hours per week, starting the second week of classes for the academic term hired.
Third- and fourth-year students are preferred but applications from students in the second year of their program will be considered as well. Only registered Laurier undergraduates may apply.
If interested, contact Tina Balfour.