Campus News

Rockford, Ill. – Rockford University is proud to announce that its Center for Learning Strategies (CLS) received the College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA) Level 1 certification for its Peer Tutoring Academic Support Program.  

CLS provides a range of academic support services to Rockford University students. It emphasizes quality teaching with a strong commitment to aid each student in attaining academic potential and motivating them toward independent learning and improved personal achievement.‌

CRLA-certified programs demonstrate high standards in the fields of tutoring and learning assistance. This certification provides recognition and positive reinforcement of the successful work completed by Rockford University tutors and peer educators and augments program credibility for its administrators and institutions. CRLA certification also sets professional standards of skill and training for tutors and peer educators.

“Receiving the College Reading & Learning Association Level 1 certification is a huge accomplishment for our department and our institution,” said Karen Walker, Ed.D., Dean of Academic Support. “Over the past two years, our team has worked hard to enhance our peer-facilitated academic support services. Our peer tutoring program is now aligned with internationally recognized best practices in higher education and our Peer Tutors can earn recognition for their efforts to help other students succeed in their coursework at RU.”

CRLA certification also creates added benefits for Rockford University such as improving career-readiness by providing high quality professional development for tutors, creating additional opportunities for students to connect to faculty, and strengthening the connection between class curriculums and academic support services.

Since 1989, more than 1,000 college tutor training programs around the globe have received CRLA certification at one or more levels. Rockford University’s certification is valid for two years.

ABOUT ROCKFORD UNIVERSITY

Rockford University is a private four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The University offers more than 80 majors, minors, and concentrations, including the bachelor’s degree completion program for a B.S. in Management Studies. Through its Graduate Studies department, degrees are extended to include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), and Master of Education in Urban Education, (M.Ed.). Rockford University is home to one of only 11 Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapters in Illinois, the most prestigious honor society in the United States. Named by The Princeton Review as a Best Midwestern College and is a U.S. News & World Report Best Midwest Regional University, Rockford University currently serves approximately 1,250 full-and part-time students.