NECQL 2025: Tutor Training Summit

The Student Academic Support Center at Bates is excited to host this year’s annual conference for the Northeast Consortium for Quantitative Literacy on April 12-13, 2025. This year’s theme is devoted to the work we do training students to provide peer-led academic support particularly for STEM and QR. While this is the annual meeting for NECQL, we extend an open invitation to anyone who works to administer an academic support center in the Northeast and beyond! 

The 2025 NECQL meeting is co-sponsored by the Dean of Faculty/Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bates.

This year’s meeting includes a registration fee of $100. But we are offering an Early Bird fee of $75 for those registering by March 1st.

Register here!

Proposal Submission Deadline: March 11, 2025

Submit Proposal

Would you like to present at the upcoming Tutor Training Summit?  We expect this year’s theme will attract many academic support center directors/coordinators and those who oversee support for QL/QR programs — all with an interest in training tutors.

We welcome proposals on various aspects of training tutors as part of administering an academic support center. All attendees of the Summit are invited to submit a presentation proposal, you do not need to be a member of NECQL, nor do you need to have many years of experience in your current role.

Session Formats: We anticipate having a variety of sessions throughout the 2-day conference in any/all of the following formats: 

  • Interactive Workshops (~55 min)
  • Presentations (~25-55 min)
  • Lightning Presentations (15-min each)
  • Poster Session 
  • Round Table Discussions (~25-55 min)
    • “Four Corners Debate on CRLA” – conference organizers plan to facilitate a debate (of sorts) on the pros and cons of CRLA certification.  We seek 2-4 people occupying both sides of the debate who are willing to give a 3-5 minute argument on why they are in favor or are opposed to using CRLA certification at their institution.
    • We welcome other round table discussion ideas.
  • Panel Discussions (~25-55 min)

If you are unsure as to whether or not your topic idea is appropriate, we encourage you to submit anyway.

If you are interested in presenting but are still looking for topic ideas contact us at sasc@bates.edu.

I. “Thinking with Things” Keynote Workshop by Sarah Kuhn

We are excited to announce that Sarah Kuhn, Professor Emerita at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, will facilitate the Keynote Workshop on Saturday April 12.  Sarah is a proponent of thinking and learning through employing not only our minds, but also through using our hands and bodies. In her book Transforming Learning Through Tangible Instruction: The Case for Thinking With Things, Sarah makes the case for using physical materials/manipulatives as part of the active learning process. Sarah will facilitate a workshop inviting us to think with things as we consider how we structure and conduct our tutor training sessions.  

II. “Mapping the Tutoring Training Curriculum” Poster Session

Tutor training curriculum differs from one institution to the next depending upon a variety of factors.  As such, the conference organizers plan to host a “Mapping the Tutoring Training Curriculum” Poster Session.  We would love for each institution in attendance to provide an outline of their tutor training curriculum in the form of a poster. 

These posters will provide holistic snapshots for all attendees to see multiple models for training that align with program resources and the associated institutional culture. 

No abstract is necessary.   If presenting the training curriculum poster is all you plan to present then you do not need to complete the proposal form, but expect the conference organizers to reach out to verify your plans.

III. “Four Corners Debate on CRLA Certification”

Some institutions devote considerable time to aligning with CRLA certification standards while others do not. We plan to facilitate a debate (of sorts) on the pros and cons of CRLA certification. We seek 2-4 people occupying opposite sides of the debate who are willing to give a 3-5 minute argument on why they are in favor or are opposed to using CRLA certification at their institution. Reach out to Grace (gcoulomb@bates.edu) if you are interested in defending a particular viewpoint.

Bates has partnered with the Hampton Inn Lewiston-Auburn, 15 Lincoln St, Lewiston, ME 04240.

We’ve reserved 30 double/queen rooms on 4/11 and 4/12 for $159/night. Reservations for this block must be made before March 11, 2025.  To make a reservation, call the hotel at 207-344-1000 and select “0” to be connected with the front desk, if that doesn’t work then stay on the line to be connected with the front desk. A representative at the desk can assist you with making a reservation. Be sure to mention the NECQL conference at Bates College.

Amenities include complimentary hot breakfast buffet, parking, wifi, fitness center, and indoor pool.

Bates is located in Lewiston, the second-largest city in Maine. It’s on the Androscoggin River, about 40 miles north of Portland and a 2 hours 20 minute drive north of Boston.

This campus map may be configured to show electric car charging stations and accessible parking.  

All sessions, except lunch on Saturday, will be held in Dana Hall.  Participants can pick up their welcome packet and enjoy a continental breakfast on Saturday 4/12 on the ground floor of Dana Hall accessed via the entrance along Alumni Walk. Dana is highlighted in purple on the map below.

Driving
You may park in any faculty/staff or visitor parking area. Faculty/staff spots are open to visitors during the weekend. In particular, we recommend parking along Bardwell Street or in the faculty/staff lot adjacent to Lake Andrews.  Note: parking in the Lake Andrews lot will require participants to ascend a set of steps to reach the level of Alumni Walk.  Both lots are highlighted in red on the map below.  Street parking may also be available; please be mindful of posted parking signs.

Bates campus map with annotated parking

Flying 
Several airlines serve the Portland International Jetport (45 minutes from campus), and Amtrak’s Downeaster links Boston and Portland. The LAP Commuter Bus links Portland and Lewiston.

Ground transportation from the Portland area is available via taxi, rental car, private van/car or bus.

NECQL stands for the Northeast Consortium for Quantitative Literacy — this organization was founded  in the late 90s by a collection of faculty across many disciplines to focus on practices and research associated with promotion of quantitative literacy (also known as numeracy) across the curriculum. 

NECQL became a nexus in the northeast for many of us at small liberal arts colleges and community colleges in New England and New York who worked in isolation to run math/stem/quantitative support centers. In the last 10-15 years, all original founders have retired.  Simultaneously, membership within this group has shifted such that nearly all members are people overseeing math/stem/quantitative support centers and several members are from the south or midwest — one might argue convincingly that the name NECQL no longer fits.  As such, the focus of recent annual meetings centers on providing support to students, administration of such programs, and associated challenges — in those instances where quantitative literacy is central to the discussion it’s primarily in terms of providing support to students in Q-courses. 

In other words, this group has evolved into a collection of people who run academic support centers focusing on STEM and QR support!