Indigenous Support Service's
ITAS Frequently Asked Questions
For Students
Q1. How do I find a tutor?
You should fill out an ITAS Student Application form for every semester you are seeking tuition. You are also responsible to ensure that the ITAS Educational Assessment form on the back of the application is filled out and completed by a Learning Skills Advisor or lecturer on your campus at CSU.
When the Student Application has been approved, the ITAS Coordinator at CSU will match you with a suitably qualified tutor from the list of registered tutors or we are happy for you to find your own tutor.
In some cases it may be difficult to locate tutors to work with students within the area that you live. If the ITAS Coordinator cannot locate a suitable tutor from the tutor database, they will make enquiries with organisations that are in your local area. If the ITAS Coordinator cannot locate a suitable tutor, then it is up to you to enquire or organise a tutor yourself. These may include any or all of the following:
· Primary or High School Aboriginal Education Assistants (AEAs) teachers or principals
· Indigenous education centres (TAFE, Universities)
· Land Councils
· Local AECG
If you live outside of Metropolitan Sydney, you will be able to help by making these enquiries yourself, because you are more likely to have connections with the people in your local area.
Q2. Can I find my own tutor?
You are free to nominate a tutor of your choice if you know of someone who may be suitable. However, approval of these arrangements can only occur if:
· The prospective tutor can demonstrate they have suitable qualifications
· The prospective tutor registers as an ITAS tutor at CSU
· The prospective tutor is not your regular (university) course tutor or lecturer or a member of your immediate family or (if applicable) your employer or supervisor at work.
If/when you have located a person who may be suitable, you should contact the ITAS Coordinators at CSU or ask the person to contact us so that we can check their qualifications and register them if they are suitable.
Q3. How many hours tutoring can I have?
DEEWR ITAS Guidelines allow for a maximum of two hours per subject per week.
Q4. When and where can I have my tutorial sessions?
ITAS tutorials may take place at any time agreed by you and the tutor, as long as the dates on which they take place are not outside those specified in the tutor's contract.
Q5.
I need more tutorial sessions but my tutor's contract has expired. What can I do?
You must lodge a written ITAS Application for Additional Hours available from the ITAS Coordinator on your campus. In this application you must provide reason/s why you are requesting the additional assistance. Note: DEEWR ITAS Guidelines stipulate the maximum amount of additional assistance is limited to five hours in total, i.e. if you are enrolled in four subjects, the maximum additional assistance that can be approved is a total of five hours, not five hours per subject.
Q6.
I need more than five hour’s additional assistance. What can I do?
Students requesting ITAS assistance in excess of the additional five hours must demonstrate that there are exceptional circumstances that justify the assistance. Requests for additional assistance must be put in writing to the ITAS Coordinator. The letter should state your name, student ID number, course of enrolment and the subject/s for which additional assistance is sought. Most importantly, it should clearly state the nature of the exceptional circumstances as well as the reason/s why additional assistance is being sought.
Q7.
What if I don't get along with my tutor?
If for some reason you don't get along with your tutor, you should first try to work the problem out directly with the tutor. If you cannot resolve the issue you can approach an appropriate staff member of the Indigenous Student Services staff at CSU and explain the problem to them. Indigenous Student Services staff may then undertake to resolve the issue by approaching the tutor on your behalf or by arranging a meeting between a Indigenous Student Services staff member, the tutor and you so that the issue can be discussed and resolved.
For Tutors
Q1.
I am registered as an ATAS/ITAS tutor elsewhere. Is this transferable?
No. In Universities, ITAS is implemented according to the administrative policies and practices of the individual contracted institution. As a result, methods of ITAS tutor registration, contract and pay arrangements vary from institution to institution.
Q2.
How much work is available?
This varies according to:
· How many students are enrolled in the discipline / subject areas that tutors propose to work in
· The number of tutors available in the subject / discipline areas in which students may request assistance
· The amount of funds available to CSU, Indigenous Student Services to meet student requests for ITAS assistance
· The amount of ITAS assistance requested by the student and approved by the ITAS coordinator. Note: DEEWR ITAS Guidelines stipulate a maximum of two hours per subject per week.
Q3.
How much will I be paid?
The current rate of pay for ITAS tutors is set at $46.59 per hour for one-on-one tutorial sessions and $62.12 per hour for small group tutorial sessions.
Q4.
I have a Ph D. Do I get paid more?
No. ITAS tutorial work is not equivalent to the work expected of faculty based lecturers and tutors.
Q5. What if I don't get along with my student?
If for some reason you don't get along with your student, you should first try to work the problem out directly with the student. If you cannot resolve the issue you can approach an appropriate staff member of the Indigenous Student Services staff at CSU and explain the problem to them. Indigenous Student Services staff may then undertake to resolve the issue by approaching the student on your behalf or by arranging a meeting between a staff member, the student and you so that the issue can be discussed and resolved.
Q6.
My student didn't show for a scheduled tutorial session. What should I do?
Please see the ITAS Student Roles and Responsibilites and contact the ITAS Coordinator for more details.
Q7.
Where and when do tutorial sessions take place?
The time and place of tutorial sessions is a matter for negotiation between students and tutors.
Note: Indigenous Student Services has very limited space and cannot guarantee that suitable venues for ITAS tutorials can be made available when needed.
Note: The ITAS Coordinator cannot take responsibility for negotiating or booking time/s and venue/s for tutorial sessions to take place between students and their tutors.
Q8.
My tutor contract has expired but my student needs more tutorial sessions. What can I do?
The student must lodge a written ITAS Application for Additional Hours available from the ITAS Coordinator. In this application students must provide reason/s why they are requesting the additional assistance. Note: DEEWR ITAS Guidelines stipulate the maximum amount of additional assistance is limited to five hours in total, i.e. if the student is enrolled in four subjects, the maximum additional assistance that can be approved is a total of five hours, not five hours per subject.
Q9.
My student needs more than five hours additional assistance. What can I do?
Students requesting ITAS assistance in excess of the additional five hours must demonstrate that there are exceptional circumstances that justify the assistance. Requests for additional assistance must be put in writing to the ITAS Coordinator. The letter should state the student's name, student ID number, course of enrolment and the subject/s for which additional assistance is sought. Most importantly, it should clearly state the nature of the exceptional circumstances as well as the reason/s why additional assistance is being sought.
Note: ITAS tutors may provide students with guidance to write such applications on the basis of this information but they are not authorised to write them on the student's behalf.