ITTPC certifies tutor training programs and authorizes tutor training programs to recognize tutors who have met their institution's CRLA ITTPC tutor training program requirements. We do not certify tutors or tutor-trainers.

Once an application is approved, CRLA will send an email to each contact person listed on the application. The email will contain a letter of congratulations; a certificate for your program listing the levels approved and the dates of approval; a template file for you to use to provide recognition for tutors who complete your program at each level; and a sample press release to use at your discretion.

No, there are no deadlines to apply. However, there are deadlines to renew.

Initial certification lasts for two years, followed by renewal, which is every four years thereafter. Certification is an ongoing process with renewal scheduled on a regular basis.

No. However, we encourage you to become a member of CRLA.

CRLA membership has many advantages, including regular newsletters, discounted conference and Summer Institute registration, access to Taylor & Francis publications such as the JCRL (Journal of College Reading and Learning), professional networking and leadership opportunities through the Special Interest Groups and State/Region/Chapter meetings and events.

Yes, CRLA provides many opportunities to learn about certification through intensive half-day pre-conference sessions, concurrent sessions at annual, local and regional conferences, and a multi-day training on tutor training development and implementation at the CRLA Summer Institute.

Attending training is not a requirement for certification, however it is highly recommended and consistently lauded as a valuable professional development experience for the Learning Assistance community.

Additionally, the CRLA ITTPC Standards, Outcomes, and Assessments, with Expanded Guidance for Developing and Implementing Tutor Training Programs (2nd Ed) is written in support of CRLA certification and provides a clear path toward successful development of your program and completion of your certification application. It is a “must-read” for anyone interested in certifying a tutor training program.

No. However CRLA’s International Peer Educator Training Program Certification (IPTPC) does certify SI leader training programs (as well as mentor, coach and classroom leader training programs) and in many ways parallels ITTPC requirements. Information on IPTPC is available under the Certifications menu.

Yes! Compliance with copyright law is expected of all certified ITTPC programs. It is your legal and ethical responsibility to give authorship credit for all materials used for tutor training, and to only distribute copyrighted material in a way congruent with copyright law. ITTPC programs found to be in violation of copyright law may lose certification.

If you have any questions about how to best comply with copyright, we encourage you to seek the expertise of a campus librarian or copyright compliance officer.

The certification approval email contains your recognition template(s). If you cannot find your recognition template, send an email to certifications@crla.net requesting it. Include the name of your college or university in your request, as well as your ITTPC ID (if known).

International Tutor Appreciation Week (ITAW) is celebrated annually during the first full week in October. It is a celebration to let tutors know how much they are appreciated for all they do for students each year.

Appreciation Week also gives students, faculty, staff, and campus administration the opportunity to thank tutors.

Suggestions for ITAW:

• Make posters announcing International Tutor Appreciation Week
• Ask students to write notes to tutors they wish to thank
• Invite faculty to thank the tutors for their departments
• Promote ITAW through the center or department social media
• Write personalized thank-you notes from the supervisor to each tutor
• Ask university president, chancellor, or dean to write or record a special thanks to tutors

We recommend that all interested applicants review the ITTPC Standards, Outcomes, and Assessments, with Expanded Guidance for Developing and Implementing Tutor Training Programs (2nd Ed) publication, which outlines the requirements for certification and includes several handouts and checklists to help you with building a tutor training program as well as begin preparing your program for certification.

Although not required, we encourage you to take advantage of the following:

• CRLA’s Annual Conference
• State/regional/chapter (SRCs) CRLA conference sessions
• CRLA Special Interest groups (SIGs)
• The CRLA Summer Institute
• Webinars (see LRNASST listserv)
• Read the sample materials posted on this website
• Contact certified programs in your area

Each program recognizes its tutors as they meet criteria set by CRLA guidelines. We suggest that each level take no longer than a semester for ease of scheduling and faster tutor development. However, the time frame for each level can be a year or more, depending on the training program, program volume, and institutional/program needs.

CRLA ITTPC certifies training programs (not plans for training programs), which necessitates the training having been designed and implemented prior to submitting the application. Therefore, CRLA considers the certification to be retroactive for up to one year from the date of the initial certification approval, as long as the tutors have met the requirements as outlined on the approved application.

Yes. Each CRLA ITTPC level requires 10 or more hours of training, with at least five hours of tutor-trainer-led, interactive, and synchronous (TIS) training. The remaining five hours at each level can be TIS, self-paced, or any combination of training modalities.

Because tutoring involves an interactive exchange between tutor and student, CRLA believes the training should also be interactive and involve the exchange of information and feedback between tutor and supervisor.

No. A tutor does not need to renew their credentials. The certificate they receive recognizes them for the work they have done in completing training at a CRLA-certified tutor training program. However, we support continual learning-- including formal and informal learning opportunities-- for all tutors, even those who have already completed training.

It is up to the new training supervisor to make this determination. The new supervisor should consider if the tutor-candidate has an understanding of the topics important to the program, comparable to other tutors who have completed that level of training. Additional training topics or sessions may be required.

CRLA ITTPC offers “multi-program” certificates for situations like this question describes. In order to qualify for a multi-program certificate, the programs involved need to meet the four criteria for certification (selection, training, experience, evaluation) in the same way. The programs do not have to be in the same physical location at your institution (but do need to be at the same institution).

While there can be variation in training modalities or paperwork, CRLA ITTPC expects that programs under a single certificate collaborate on their training design and deliver comparable training including the same ITTPC topics for their training (even if not all-- or any-- training sessions are done together). Otherwise, we suggest the programs apply for certification separately.

NOTE: Programs who are certified under a single certificate are not required to train their tutors together. Programs can also vary in the types of training engagement (perhaps one program does a particular activity that the other does not), and they can choose to highlight different areas or strategies within the ITTPC topics they’ve selected. Here are two examples to highlight this difference:

• The programs may have selected, “Tutoring in Subject Areas and/or Specific Skills” with one program focusing on strategies for mathematics tutors and another focusing on strategies for chemistry tutors.
• The programs may have selected “Working with select populations” they may choose to highlight different populations based on their program needs).

For certification purposes, a program is run out of a single unit or office, has a unified goal or mission, and can articulate a clear hierarchy of leadership within a single unit or department.

The following examples will help you to identify whether you indicate “single-program” or “single-campus” on your application for certification.

• Dr. Jones runs a tutoring program that is one of several unrelated programs at their institution. Dr. Jones applies for a single program, single campus certification, separate from any applications submitted by other programs at their institution.
• Director Jenkins runs a tutoring program on the main campus of their institution, and sends trained tutors to a satellite campus to work with students there. Director Jenkins is responsible for all selection, training, experience, and evaluation of the tutors at main campus and the satellite campus. Director Jenkins applies for a single program, multi-campus certification.
• Dr. Ruiz runs a tutoring program in collaboration with colleagues at the same institution. They have the same selection, training, experience, and evaluation processes as their collaborative colleagues. Dr. Azur and colleagues apply for a multi-program, single-campus certification.
• Director Azur and their colleague Dr. Smith both run separate tutoring programs at the same institution. They collaborate on the tutor selection, training, experience, and evaluation components. Director Azur’s program exists on both main campus and two satellite campuses. Director Azur and Dr. Smith apply for a multi-program, multi-campus certification.
• Dr. Li and Ms. Adkins both run tutoring programs at the same institution. While they collaborate on some elements of training, their selection criteria and evaluation metrics are completely different. As a result, Dr. Li and Ms. Adkins choose to apply for separate certifications-- one for each of their programs-- rather than aligning selection and evaluation.

As of 2021, certified ITTPC programs may add another tutorial program or satellite campus to their certificate at any time by completing an Application for New Certification (formerly “Stage One”), with information about all programs/campuses and the training that has been designed together.

Any time you are adding anything (level, program, or campus) to your certified program, you will complete the Application for New Certification.

NOTE: For certification purposes, a program is run out of a single unit or office, has a unified goal or mission, and can articulate a clear hierarchy of leadership within a single unit or department.

To add a level, a program must first design and implement the training for that level at least once. Then, with the documentation collected, the program will complete an Application for New Certification (formerly “stage one”), with both their currently-certified level information and the level they wish to add.

The most cost-effective way to do this is to wait until your program is up for renewal; however, you may add a level at any time. This process will make sure that your certification timelines always align, and that any changes you have made to your program as you added the new level are reflected accurately.

No. ITTPC and IPTPC are separate programs within CRLA and require two separate applications. For currently-certified ITTPC programs who wish to add mentor training certification, please see the Certification Requirements page for IPTPC.

Beginning in 2021, ITTPC- and IPTPC -certified programs at the same institution may choose to collaborate on the delivery of certain training topics (as indicated by a * on the topic list). However, each program needs to submit a separate certification application for either ITTPC and/or IPTPC.

When you submit your ITTPC application, the CRLA Main Office first determines if the application and payment are in order. If there are any issues at this point in the process, the Certifications Administrator will reach out to the primary contact on the application via email or telephone to try to resolve the issue. The application is then posted internally, along with other applications waiting for review.

Most applications are reviewed within 4-6 months, depending on the time of year.

Any time you want to add a level (or additional campus or program) to your current training program, you will complete the Application for New Certification, including all of the current and all of the new level and/or program information. When approved, your training certification expiration dates will be set based on the most recent application completed.

To determine whether to submit the Application for New Certification, consider:

• Are you applying to certify your program for the first time? Or applying after a lapse in certification?
• Are you seeking to add a level, add a program, or add a campus?
  • If the answer to either question is YES, this is the application you should submit.

To determine whether to submit the Application for Renewal of Certification, consider:

• Are you applying for a renewal of an existing certified program?
• Are you seeking certification with the same levels, programs, and campuses as your previous application?
  • If the answer to both questions is YES, then this is the application you should submit.

CRLA ITTPC asks applicants to submit their Application for Renewal of Certification a few months before their expiration date, as a courtesy to the reviewer teams. However, programs officially have until the last date of their certification to submit for renewal.

If an applicant wishes to submit their Application for Renewal of Certification after their current certificate has expired, they may do so for up to six months (180 days) past the renewal date, which will incur a $100 late-application fee.

After a lapse of greater than six months (181+ days), programs will need to complete the Application for New Certification.

ITTPC accepts payment by credit cards and school or personal checks. CRLA is not able to accept Purchase Orders. CRLA's Federal ID# is #95-3177158. Click the button for Download the CRLA W-9 Form

Certification is an on-going process.

• Certification for new programs, and programs adding new levels/programs/campuses is valid for two years.
• Certification for programs seeking renewal with no additions is valid for four years.
• In order to maintain certification after the first renewal, the program must continue to renew every four years.

No. A program is only authorized to recognize tutors as having met the ITTPC tutor training requirements during the dates listed on its program certificate.

Once a program is certified or re-certified, the primary contacts on the application will receive an email that includes the program certificate as an attachment (PDF), as well as the PowerPoint template for the tutor recognition certificate(s). Your Center’s certificate is valid for the dates indicated on the PDF.

ITTPC reviewers are a dedicated group of professionals working, or retired from, the field of Learning Assistance. These volunteers are current members of CRLA and have experience with creating and/or managing ITTPC-certified programs. See our “Contacts” page for a list of our current Certifications team.

In order to become a reviewer, you must be (or become) a current CRLA member and work with a certified ITTPC program (or have previous experience working with a certified ITTPC program). Reviewing is a valuable professional development opportunity and a great way to develop a network of colleagues involved in tutoring and tutor training programs.

If you would like to become a reviewer, please contact the ITTPC Coordinator for more information (contact information available in the tab labeled “Contact”).

Because CRLA certifies tutor training programs rather than individual tutors, a tutor needs to complete training through a post-secondary institution with a CRLA-approved ITTPC program in order to receive a recognition certificate. Interested tutors or tutor candidates should investigate employment and/or volunteer opportunities with a certified program.

Tutors should contact the program and institution who provided the certification. CRLA ITTPC does not collect or store records of which tutors have or have not completed CRLA-certified training programs.

No. Your program certificate is for your program to display as a certified ITTPC program and notes the certification dates for your program. It should not be modified or changed.

However, you may make additional copies of your certificate as needed.