network for excellence in
    mathematics and statistics support

Operating a mathematics and/or statistics support centre

Guides and reports

  • Tutoring in a mathematics support centre – a guide for postgraduate students (sigma Guide)

    This guide has proved invaluable over the years and is still used as the basis for tutor training programmes run by sigma Network members. It is relevant for any tutor, not just PG students who take on a tutoring role.. In addition, it contains activities which can be used during training sessions to simulate working in a mathematics support centre. (2011)

  • Report into the changes in Mathematics and Statistics Support practice during Covid-19 (2020)

    This is a report into the way higher education institutions are adapting their mathematics and statistics support provision in the light of the restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic and institutional lockdown of 2020.

  • Maths support for students (LTSN MathsTEAM Project Report)

    This report contains a comprehensive collection of case studies examining mathematics support and resources in 2003. Some aspects appear dated today, and some institutions have changed their provision since this was published, but it is an interesting “snapshot” of the state of provision in the early years of HE maths support. (2003)

  • Gathering student feedback on mathematics and statistics support provision (sigma Guide)

    Students are the primary stakeholders in mathematics and statistics support activities and improving their university experience and  their understanding of the mathematics and statistics they need for success in their courses is an important objective for all who work in support centres. Gathering feedback from the students who use mathematics support is an ongoing and important element of a centre’s work.  This guide is the culmination of the collective effort of the many individuals who have offered suggestions and advice and provided samples of the measuring instruments used in their own institutions.(2012)

  • Report on appointment booking methods used in support centres

    This report by Charlotte Barton, University of Surrey and David Bowers, sigma Network presents responses to a survey in March 2015 on systems used for taking appointment bookings in HE academic support centres.

Short manager and tutor resources on access topics

The following resources provide short starting points on various access topics for managers and the tutors they manage. Tutor resources are also suitable to be laminated and made available within a centre and may be used with a student. These resources were produced and reviewed by members of the Accessibility SIG and collaborators. Further topics will follow.

Promotional resources

Photos and imagery

A range of photos and mathematical imagery (plots, fractals, …) are available for you to use in promoting your support centre:

This includes 100+ photos and 30+ mathematical images.

A guide to creating your own plots and fractals with MATLAB is available: Creating images with MATLAB

Quotations from famous mathematicians

Quotations are great for posters, leaflets and social media, and are popular with students.  These PowerPoint files contain 300+ quotations from famous mathematicians, one per slide.

Some formatting ideas are given, alongside guidance on how to use this resource, but slides are largely unformatted. There are two files:

Mathematical jokes and puns

Jokes and puns are also great at attracting attention, and are popular with students.  There are 50+ individual images available for you to use, many of which are sized to be compatible with social media: