Rick Sheets Outstanding Tutor Award

History of the Award

The Outstanding Tutor Award was established in 1995 by CRLA’s International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) committee, and was renamed the "Rick Sheets Outstanding Tutor Award" in 2016. This award is given annually to one peer tutor from any one of our 1200+ certified tutor training programs. It honors the work of undergraduate student tutors who contribute much to the academic success of their peers and motivate and inspire others through their dedication and passion for their work.

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for the best of the best! Applicants must:

• Be an undergraduate student at the time of nomination with at least 3.0 GPA,
• Currently serve as a tutor in a CRLA ITTPC-certified program,
• Have earned recognition at level 1, 2, or 3 through a CRLA-certified tutor training program,
• Have a strong history of development and success as a tutor.

**NOTE: Programs may only submit one nominee for consideration.

 

What does the Outstanding Tutor receive?

• A plaque and $250 honorarium
• Invitation to CRLA Annual Conference
• Recognition at the CRLA Annual Conference
• Publicized biography on the CRLA website
• Reimbursement of up to $250 of travel expenses

How do you nominate a tutor for this award?

To be considered for this award, applications should include:

• Application form completed by the tutor’s supervisor
• Attached to the application, you must upload the following:
  • Letter of support from a faculty member who teaches in a subject they tutor, but who is not affiliated with your tutoring center or program
  • A copy of the nominee’s unofficial transcript to verify GPA
  • A copy of the nominee’s highest-level ITTPC certificate of completion
  • A copy of the tutor’s most recent tutor evaluation (dated within a year of nomination).
  • Nominee’s essay (see below for the prompt and requirements)

Student Essay
In addition, the nominee should write an original essay of 500-750 words addressing the following topic:

From your perspective as a tutor, what innovations and ideas do you have for faculty that would further enhance your students' academic successes? 

This original essay must be double-spaced in Arial or Times New Roman, with the tutor’s full name and nominating university or college name in the header. References, if used, do not count toward the word count limit, but should be cited using either MLA or APA guides. Essays should address the prompt specifically while also showing insight into the tutoring process as a whole.

To submit documentation:

1. Please upload each document as a separate file in application itself, named with the tutor’s name.

a. File Name Examples:

i. Smith, Josie- Letter
ii. Smith, Josie- Transcript
iii. Smith, Josie- Certificate
iv. Smith, Josie- Evaluation
v. Smith, Josie- Essay

NOTE: All applications, including attachments, must be received no later than 11:59 PM on June 30, 2025. Partial or incomplete applications will not be considered. Application materials will not be returned.

Once an award recipient has been chosen, all nominees will be notified via email.

Questions?
Please send an email with the subject line “OTA 2025” to: Cheryl Capuchina, ITTPC Assistant, at ccapuchina@nctc.edu.

 

Previous Award Recipients

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