Recently, the Mathematics Department at Pace University established a new policy starting this semester that would require students who receive exam scores under a threshold of 95% to attend math tutoring in the learning commons. This policy was put into place in order to increase the engagement of math tutors. While this is an understandable cause, the new policy's detriments unfortunately outweigh the benefits for many students.

At the time of this writing, spring break is at the end of the week and students are inundated with midterm obligations. As such, many of us are reluctant and in some cases even unable to schedule an appointment in the learning commons. Even students who got a 95 or higher have the onus placed on them to reach out to the learning commons and declare their exemption. The making and attending of these appointments offer no inherent credit to students' grades, but failing to do so results in a failed homework grade.

Furthermore, many students feel they're in no need of tutoring. A grade between 90 and 95 is considered satisfactory to most beyond the need of any additional effort. Lack of tutoring also doesn't always correlate with the reasons students may not get 95 or higher. External distractions, mental health, lack of effort and time constraints are all common and plausible hindrances that tutoring cannot rectify. 

The university is struggling to reconcile the funding of the tutoring program with the lack of student engagement and are putting the burden on the student body. As our college careers become increasingly difficult, this policy becomes decreasingly tenable to no direct benefit of many students. We ask the department to retract this policy and avoid placing any further fruitless burden on the students of Pace University.