SMU Achieves CRLA Tutor Training Certification
Samuel Merritt University (SMU) today announced that its tutoring program has earned the International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA), a national standard of excellence for tutor training and academic support.
Earning this certification is a significant achievement for any institution. Most programs typically spend about two years working through CRLA’s review process, but SMU completed the full cycle, including feedback rounds, revisions, and documentation, in under one year. For SMU students, it is a signal that the academic support they rely on meets nationally vetted standards for effectiveness, consistency and equity.
The certification comes during a period of growth for SMU’s tutoring program. Student participation grew from 15% in Spring 2025 to 25% in Fall 2025, indicating that now one in four SMU students attends at least one tutoring session.
The approach behind SMU’s tutoring model is grounded in established student-development theory. As Alexander Astin’s Student Involvement Theory describes, the more time and energy students invest in meaningful academic and co-curricular activities, the more likely they are to learn, persist and complete their programs. Tutoring provides exactly that kind of structured, high-impact engagement.
SMU also leans on Sanford’s Challenge and Support Theory, the idea that students succeed when high expectations are matched with strong support. For SMU learners, that looks like tutors guiding them through complex material in a way that builds confidence, helping them stay engaged in even the most demanding courses.
These theories show up directly in students’ experiences. Many students describe tutoring sessions as the moment when a confusing concept finally makes sense or when they walk out feeling more confident and capable than when they arrived. In SMU's fast-paced healthcare programs, the support tutoring provides strengthens academic performance but also reinforces students’ sense of belonging in the profession they are preparing to enter.
The benefits extend beyond students receiving tutoring as SMU’s tutors themselves gain substantial professional preparation. Tutors take part in regular training, yearly evaluations and monthly meetings that help them build strong communication and teaching skills. Spending so much time with the material helps reinforce what they’re learning in their own programs and gives them a head start on boards and clinical work. They also get hands-on career prep, such interview practice, résumé support and guidance on how to talk about their tutoring experience in professional settings. For many, tutoring becomes a meaningful part of who they are as future healthcare professionals.
CRLA certification affirms that SMU’s training model is meeting national standards of quality, and more importantly, creating real value for both sides of the tutoring relationship. For students, the program supports persistence and long-term retention in rigorous healthcare programs. For tutors, it offers structured preparation for the workforce, emphasizing core competencies for the healthcare careers they are stepping into.
About Samuel Merritt University
Since 1909, Samuel Merritt University (SMU) has been a leader in healthcare education, preparing students to meet critical workforce needs across California. With campuses in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco Peninsula and Fresno, SMU has continually expanded its impact, becoming a doctoral-granting institution in 2002. In 2024, SMU opened its Fresno campus to address Central Valley healthcare challenges. The new City Center Campus in downtown Oakland will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a Health Sciences Simulation Center and a Motion Analysis Research Center, reinforcing SMU’s commitment to training compassionate, skilled healthcare professionals.
To learn more about programs and admissions, visit www.samuelmerritt.edu.
SMU Contact:
Erika Sánchez Nelson, Ph.D.
Director of Academic Support
enelson1@samuelmerritt.edu
Media Contact:
Greg Allen
PRForSMU@bospar.com
