Academic Resource Center
Individual Academic Assistance
All enrolled students may schedule an appointment with a professional Learning Specialist for individual academic assistance. The Learning Specialist and the student will work together to identify the student's academic strengths and develop appropriate study skills and learning strategies. When students learn about their learning strengths and weaknesses, they are much better managers of their education. We also address motivation, values, teaching style preferences, time management skills, and metacognitive awareness.
The transition from high school to college-level reading, writing, and thinking typically requires new skills and significantly more time. The Learning Specialists help students identify areas that may need development and they work with students to strengthen those skills. Many students think they simply need to work harder, and not necessarily better, as they attempt to navigate the course demands in the first year.
Some students find it hard to talk directly with a faculty member, even when the faculty member is very approachable and encourages this dialogue. In some cases, a Learning Specialist will try to serve as a conduit for this relationship by working with the student and encouraging the student to speak directly with the faculty member. Role-playing these conversations helps the student articulate more precisely. The direction and support from the Learning Specialist helps build the dialogue between the faculty member and the student, a key to success at a small, private college.
Although Peer Tutors are a valuable and effective resource for students who are trying to improve their work in a particular class, a Learning Specialist is the perfect resource in other cases. When students feel as if their efforts are not reflected in their grades or that their motivation for academic work impacts their investment, a Learning Specialist may help identify ways to improve study efficiency or increase academic incentives and motivators. Additionally, Learning Specialists can be helpful when the student's learning style and the instructor's teaching style are "incompatible," or when the student simply wants to find ways to study more efficiently or to better understand him/herself as a learner.
Appointments are made in the Academic Resource Center, Seegers Union, 484.664.3433. Students with special needs or with disabilities that impact cognition are strongly encouraged to use this service.