Tutoring in the Academic Resource Center

Not able to come in during our Drop-In Tutoring hours? Students are able to schedule after-hours appointments Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by using TracCloud. View the instructions for scheduling. Appointments are subject to tutor availability and will be held via Zoom. Requests for after-hours appointments require 48-hour notice. Requests made after 12 p.m. on Friday may not be honored until the following week. For help making an appointment, email us at arc@brightpoint.edu.

Unable to come in during our drop-in tutoring hours or make an after-hours appointment? Students are able to schedule a virtual appointment by using TracCloud. View the instructions for scheduling. Appointments are subject to tutor availability and are available Monday through Thursday, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in the Virtual ARC. Requests for virtual appointments require 48-hour notice. For help making an appointment, email us at arc@brightpoint.edu.

Enter the Virtual ARC

Directions to log in

The Writing Center

The Writing Center offers an asynchronous form of tutoring through our online submission service. With our online submission service, students can submit papers to us electronically, and our tutors will then provide feedback via email. The turnaround time for submissions is usually 48 hours. Students can submit their papers by using the Online Paper Submission Form. 

The STEM Center

The STEM Center also offers an asynchronous form of tutoring through our online submission service. Students may submit questions to us electronically, our tutors will then provide feedback via email. Our turnaround time for submissions is usually 48 hours, though this time can vary depending on volume of usage. Please note: students must show work.

If students have multiple questions, they will be redirected to our drop-in tutoring services, or asked to make a virtual tutoring appointment. Students can submit questions by using the Math Submission Form.

The ARC can help connect you with fellow students in study groups—please email us if you are interested in forming a study group.

You are considered a BCC student, and therefore have access to all college student support services, such as ARC tutoring, the Writing Center, the STEM Center, and Brainfuse. Tutoring is free, and there is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions you can join each semester. 

What Is Brainfuse? 

In addition to drop-in tutoring and Zoom appointments, students have access to tutoring through Brainfuse. Brainfuse is a comprehensive suite of online tutoring, self-study, and collaborative tools designed for college students.

How Can I Access Brainfuse? 

Access Brainfuse by logging into your Canvas and selecting the app within your specific courses. Please click here for step-by-step instructions on how to access Brainfuse.

What Services Does Brainfuse Higher Ed Offer? 

• Live Tutoring: Submit a question in our online classroom and receive live, one-on-one assistance from a Brainfuse tutor. 
• 24-Hour Writing Lab: Submit your writing and get constructive feedback from our expert writing instructors. 
• MEET: Easily set up real-time meetings and study groups with friends and colleagues through the MEET online classroom. MEET is an ideal platform for group collaboration, whether it’s working together on a project, studying for a test, or struggling through a difficult homework assignment. 
• Brainwave: A Brainwave is a recording of your activity on the Brainwave Notepad. Create a Brainwave by simply typing or drawing on the Brainwave Notepad. Everything you do on the notepad can then be played back like a movie. Record brainwaves for yourself or share them with others. Brainwaves are particularly useful when conveying complex ideas that involve sequence, motion, and process 
• Flashbulb: Create your own flashcard sets or visit our vast library of flashcards. 

How Does the Brainfuse Writing Lab Work? 

We offer several types of writing assistance: 

• Live Writing Assistance – Live help during the initial stages of the writing process, with a focus on organizational structure and fluency. 
• 24-Hour Writing Lab – (For more detailed help) Simply submit your writing and our instructors will provide you with detailed comments usually within 24 hours. It should be noted that the purpose of the writing lab is not to do the writing for you but to help you become a better writer by focusing on areas such as voice, word choice, grammar, content, sentence fluency, and organization. 

What Resources Are Available to Nursing Students?

Submit to the Nursing Writing Review

The Nursing Writing Review is an asynchronous service where students submit Nursing or Health Sciences-related written work and receive feedback from a qualified Nursing tutor. Work submitted to Nursing and Health Sciences tutors will be critiqued primarily for strengths and weaknesses related to Nursing and Health Sciences content. The tutor will give the student steps to follow to improve the submission and provide critique on items such as Introduction/Conclusion, Content Development, Organization, and Use of Resources.

Schedule a Session with a Nursing Tutor

Students can book a session in advance with a qualified Nursing or Health Science tutor in any of our Nursing or Health Science subject areas. Sessions can be booked in 30-minute increments, up to 24 hours in advance, and will utilize the features of our Brainfuse platform, including the Whiteboard, chat, audio, and video.

Schedule Support for ESL Nursing Students

Specialized tutors are available to support ESL Nursing students. Tutorials are grounded in nursing-specific scenarios and content to help improve fluency, speed, and critical thinking.

Nursing students can drop in Sunday through Thursday evenings, 7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. EST, to meet with a Brainfuse tutor in the Nursing subjects.

What Resources Are Available to ESL/ELL Students?

Students can:

• Interact with a Spanish tutor for Live Help subjects. Students would select "tutorial en español" under Preferences to work with a bilingual tutor.
• Connect with an ESL tutor as a topic/subject in the Language Lab area, so students could work with a live tutor to improve their English skills.
• Submit a writing assignment to the Writing Lab, using the ESL Writing subject.

In a Live Help session, the chat window exchanges between a tutor and student can be converted into over 250+ languages, available through Google Translate.

Students can use modules within SkillSurfer (ESL/ELL) and/or LEAP (Reading, Writing) for additional resources.

Brainfuse Hours

Monday - Sunday: 12:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. 

*Brainfuse is available 12:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. during the mini sessions outside of major holidays.

How often can a student utilize Brainfuse?

Students are allotted 300 minutes per semester but can request additional hours by emailing arc@brightpoint.edu.

Brightpoint offers all students the opportunity to access Kurzweil 3000, an educational technology that provides reading assistance, comprehension support, and support for improving writing and test-taking skills. 

Do you enjoy helping your peers with coursework? The Academic Resource Center (ARC) invites you to apply for student employment as a peer tutor. The ARC provides academic support to all students enrolled at Brightpoint. The ARC’s primary goal is to create an open atmosphere of learning for all students. We assist students in numerous academic disciplines through a variety of tutoring techniques by addressing student’s individual needs. 

The ARC peer tutor will support student learning by providing free tutoring services to Brightpoint, becoming Brightpoint students. Peer Tutors assist with subject-area knowledge and serve as a model student, demonstrating techniques, attitudes, and philosophies of successful learners. This position requires the employee to have strong communication skills and the ability to adapt his or her tutoring methods to meet the needs of the student. Peer Tutors must possess the desire to see students succeed in a collegiate setting. The position may require tutoring in both individual and group sessions. Tutors may be asked to assist with additional tasks to support faculty and staff, such as embedded tutoring and campus and virtual workshops. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Participate in initial training for developing tutoring techniques and ongoing refresher training sessions as required. 
• Attend required staff meetings. 
• Provide tutoring in specific academic subjects to individuals or small groups. 
• Support and encourage independent learning by applying training and following expected procedures. 
• Document session’s progress using required database software (TutorTrac/Navigate) 
• Serve as a resource for other tutors in the same academic subject. 
• Attend all scheduled tutoring appointments, and notify the coordinator if appointments must be canceled or reassigned. 
• Create resources on an ongoing basis for Libguides, workshops, embedded tutoring and faculty and staff. 
• Present ARC presentations and workshops as needed. 
• Maintain a clean environment within the center. 
• Perform miscellaneous duties as directed. 

Minimum Requirements: 

• If Federal Work Study- Work Study Awarded for the semester(s) that you will be employed. 
• Enrolled in minimum one credit at Brightpoint Community College 
• Ability to maintain student confidentiality 
• Good academic standing (3.5 GPA is preferred) and demonstrated success (A's) in the course to be tutored
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills 
• Basic knowledge of computers (including some Outlook, Microsoft Word and Excel experience) 
• Maintain high standards of professional conduct working with students, staff, and faculty. 
• Respect for diversity of students, staff, and faculty, including race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender and other forms of diversity. 
• Willingness to work as a team member with other students, staff, and faculty. 

If you are interested, and/or have a passion for helping your peers succeed, please apply by filling out our online application. 

In addition to student worker positions, the ARC also offers Professional Tutor Positions. Professional Tutor positions are based on availability. To see if we are hiring Professional Tutors, please visit the Brightpoint Employment Opportunities page.

Q: What is the Academic Resource Center?
A: The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is Brightpoint’s tutoring center dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals. The ARC provides free tutoring support for students in a wide variety of subjects, including writing, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), business, and study skills/tech help.

Q: What resources does the ARC provide?
A: The ARC offers drop-in tutoring at both the Midlothian and Chester campus (typically Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.) in both our STEM and Writing centers, virtual weekend tutoring sessions, weekday zoom appointments, and online submission reviews for papers and Math questions. We can also help form student study groups, create a study plan for the semester, and help you write or refine resumes and scholarship essays. Additionally, we have online resources in the form of our LibGuides, which cover writing, math, science, and study skills. Finally, we offer multiple workshops throughout the semester, such as our Thesis Statement Workshop and our TEAS Prep workshops. All links to our services, including Zoom meetings and appointment forms, can be found above.

Q: What are the operational hours of the ARC?
A: The ARC is open for drop-in tutoring Monday - Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at both the Midlothian and Chester ARC. Weekday Zoom appointments are available Monday - Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tutoring sessions are based on tutor availability and are available through EAB Navigate in the myBrightpoint portal.

Q: What subjects do your tutors cover? 
A: Check out our Course Proficiencies List to see what subjects our tutors cover. This list is updated each semester. Need help with a class, but don’t see it listed here? Email us!

Q: Can I request a specific tutor?
A: We cannot guarantee that a specific tutor will be available when you enter the ARC. Tutor availability is subject to change. We do not accept requests for specific tutors for after-hours appointments.

Q: Does the ARC help with specific math problems?
A: Yes, our math tutors can help you with whatever problem you are working on, given that it is not for a quiz/test/exam.

Q: How do I share my screen in Zoom?
A: When you are in a breakout room on Zoom, there will be a green button at the bottom of the window (next to the chat feature) that says, “share screen." After clicking it, you will be prompted to choose which window or application you wish to share. Select the appropriate window and click the blue “share” button. The tutor should now be able to see your screen.

Q: How does the appointment system work?
A: Students are able to schedule weekday zoom appointment and/or after-hours appointments by using EAB Navigate in the myBrightpoint portal. Appointments are subject to tutor availability.

Q: Does the ARC notify instructors?
A: Yes. Every time you come into the ARC, we log you into our system, which will automatically email your instructor at the end of the day to let them know you came to see us.

Q: Do instructors conduct student engagement hours in the ARC?
A: Many instructors will have their student engagement hours in the ARC, but others will host their own Zoom meetings or meet in their offices. It is best to ask your instructor for clarification.

Q: What is a citation and how do I create one?
A: A citation is an in-text acknowledgement of the source from which you got your information. This often involves referencing the name of the author or the name of the source itself. These references are required in any academic paper and are crucial to avoiding plagiarism. Our Style Guides LibGuide can walk you through the creation of a citation, or you can come talk to one of our writing tutors!

Q: How do I create a Work/s Cited page?
A: This will depend on which style your professor has asked you to use. You can visit our Style Guides LibGuide for information on each type, or you can ask one of our writing tutors for help.

Q: Can you suggest a graphing calculator?
A: Each class you take will have different requirements for the type of calculator you can use. It is best to consult your syllabus or ask your instructor what they recommend. Our tutors sometimes use Desmos, an online graphing calculator, which they find useful.