I’m curious as to why the student paper would write a supposed news article about Ology without checking out the facts with the developmental mathematics department or the UVU Tutor Lab.
Your writer has basically written an advertising piece without labeling it as such for a private, off-campus, tutor service. I accept the fact that Ology does pay for advertising in conjunction with the paper, but I would not think that is enough to get free copy.
As the developmental math advisor, I hear complaints regularly from students who have given around $1500 to Ology and the schools they work with and end up with no credit and no refund. Ology is a pay in advance program for small group tutoring to help you pass a class through independent study at BYU or Barton College in Kansas. The guarantee requires you to attend every tutor session and to complete all homework and tests in the home study program to get a refund if you don’t pass.
UVU students have already paid a lab fee with their tuition that allows them free tutoring in LA 201 six days a week including an online option and a private session option. They may also take Math Pass if they need a review which is only a one credit class done online and is based on diagnostic tests. Students only need to work on areas where they are weak and then they are allowed to take a final test to show that they are ready to move to the next class in the sequence. The Structered Learning Assisted program lets students enroll in a class with a few extra class sessions each week with a facilitator to provide additional assistance for students that need more help than a regular class provides.
When I teach math courses, I too can guarantee that students who attend every class, complete all the homework assignments, and take every test will pass the class. Students who meet with their teachers when they have questions, who use the tutoring services on campus, and who prepare for class are almost always successful.
Robert M. Williams
Developmental
Mathematics Advisor
