The Gateway Center has revised its tutor hiring policy, permanently disallowing all members of faculty from becoming tutors.

Beginning as a discussion item at the Academic Senate’s Feb. 12, meeting, Gateway Center instructors came to the senate looking for answers as to why the change was necessary.

According to Sheila Wiley, co-director of the Gateway program, the policy was implemented to realign Gateway with its fundamental vision, the peer tutor.

Wiley continued by mentioning that according to student surveys, there was an overwhelming desire for peer tutors from the student body, as well as what teacher’s saw as the best model.

Some Gateway instructors, such as Celeste Barber, mention that although they do not necessarily have a problem with the new policy, the way it was implemented was disorganized.

“The decision was presented to faculty two weeks after we had submitted our requests for Gateway tutors,” Barber said. “It was simply given to us through email as a directive.”

Taken directly from the Gateway Center’s tutor hiring website, “Gateway tutors consist of SBCC students, UCSB students, local educators, and retirees with expertise in a particular field, to name a few.”

Gateway Co-Chairs Jerry Pike and Sheila Wiley presented the revised policy at the Academic Senate meeting on Feb. 26.

The revised statement says that Gateway “stands by the policy of not hiring faculty as Gateway tutors…however, instructors who currently have faculty tutors may submit a proposal providing their rationale for continuing to keep the faculty member of as their Gateway tutor.”

The compromise helped Barber keep the adjunct instructor she has worked with for years as her tutor.

“I am grateful, my students will be the beneficiaries of her work on their behalf,” she said.