Rutledge Presents at Tutoring Conference
Junior English major Hannah Rutledge presented two sessions on plagiarism and joined five peer tutors from Gordon State College’s Student Success Center plus Assistant Vice-President for Academic Excellence Peter Higgins, GSC Tutoring Coordinator Dr. Erik McCarthy, and Student Success Fellow Kathryn Gunn to the 17th Annual Georgia Tutoring Association (GaTA) Conference at Middle Georgia State University in Macon Saturday. 
Rutledge said giving up a Saturday to attend the conference was well worth it. “After being a peer writing tutor for a year, the GaTA Conference was a new and charming addition to my tutoring experience,” she said. “It was encouraging to hear about other tutors’ challenges, while also learning the approaches and methods these tutors are implementing in their centers. I left the conference feeling motivated and enlightened!”
Rutledge, along with fellow Highlanders Aliya Burroughs, a junior Biology major; Kiara Darden, a junior Biology major; Charles Stewart, a sophomore Mathematics major; Katie Janssen, a sophomore Psychology major; and Andrew Manautou, a sophomore English-Creative Writing major, joined approximately 100 other tutoring professionals in Macon for a day of professional development, learning, and networking.
Other University System of Georgia (USG) schools sending student teams to the GaTA event included Georgia State University; Georgia College and State University; the University of West Georgia; Valdosta State University; and ABAC.
Rutledge’s presentation, “Avoiding the Net: How Peer Writing Tutors Should Approach the Issue of Plagiarism in Their Sessions,” was one of only two sessions asked to be “encores,” delivered at both a morning and an afternoon session.
“Over the years, GaTA has been a terrific opportunity for our student tutors to hone their skills, learn new techniques, bond as a team, and network with their peers from across the system,” said Higgins. “It’s a true confidence builder for our tutors to see first-hand that they are just as smart, knowledgeable, and professional as the student tutors from Georgia State, Valdosta State, or any of the bigger USG schools. We had a great time this year, and we are all so proud of Hannah for having her presentation proposal not only accepted, but also placed twice on the conference schedule.”