3.4.9 Academic support servicesThe institution provides appropriate academic support services. Judgment of Compliance Compliance Narrative of Justification Bennett College provides appropriate academic support programs and services that foster and refine intellectual integration and skill-building activities and practices that ensure learning that lasts. The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology is the central office responsible for Academic Support Services. The mission of The Center is to increase student retention through strengths-based initiatives, excellence in teaching, and infusion of innovative technology across the curriculum and fostering those philosophies that create environments which honor the teaching and learning processes. The evolution from learning centers to strength-based centers mandated that we as educators think holistically about student success and how faculty, staff, parents, and the institution can collaborate to ensure success for diverse learners by identifying their strengths. The major goal of the unit is to provide academic support programs and strengths-based initiatives that foster student academic success and retention. Through provision of placement testing, academic advising, individualized learning skills sessions and workshops, peer tutoring, peer mentors, first year experience initiatives and honors seminars, the CTLT staff and faculty promote academic success by guiding students to become effective independent and intentional learners who achieve their maximum learning potential. (Catalog 2006-2007, pp. 44-45). Bennett College promotes success for all its students; consequently, it provides academic support for those students who may be at-risk of completing their college education. The major goal of these support programs is to provide academic support services that will foster student retention and academic excellence. Although many of our students have regular college admit status, the College is aware of and responsive to the needs of those students who are academically challenged. The increasing number of students who were being placed on academic probation became a serious concern of the faculty and administration. A study of Academic Probation Reports and a review of the activities of the Learning Center revealed that the College needed to develop a more aggressive and creative way to help students achieve academically. Additionally, faculty needed to become more aware of diverse ways in which to teach, motivate, and help students learn. These findings led to the reinvention of the existing Learning Center and the renaming of it to The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology in 2003. CTLT provides leadership to four academic programs: Academic Development Services, Academic Advising and Assessment, Disability Services, and Learning Communities. Faculty and staff are made aware of the program services by presentations at faculty meetings and at division meetings, faculty development institutes, Open House and Parent Weekend presentations by CTLT, distribution of CTLT program brochures, newsletters, and informal discussions. Students gain knowledge of the Academic Support programs through freshman Orientation and the Orientation class, ASSURES meetings, academic advisors, professors, upperclassmen who have received academic support services, Learning Specialists, and newsletters, and program brochures. The frequency of program usage by students is recorded by tutorial log ins, log-ins at PLATO and the Writing Labs, student log-ins in offices of Academic Support Services, and weekly reports of Learning Specialists and peer tutors. The frequency of program usage by faculty is determined by the records of faculty using the Early Advantage Referrals. The program descriptions and assessment methods of the four academic support programs and services are listed below. Each program has its own office within the administrative unit. Following each program description is the identification of the place where the resources are located. 1. Academic Development Services Academic Development Services is designed to provide supportive services to meet the identified needs of first year students, students on academic probation and student with disabilities relative to their achieving success and graduating from Bennett College. Academic Development Services provides leadership over the following components for students: 2. The ASSURES Program Academic Advising and Counseling The ASSURES program is an academic enrichment and early intervention program for first-year students who have academic enrichment status or who are on academic probation. The major program focus is on students achieving success in and graduating from Bennett College. Monthly ASSURES meetings are held with academic enrichment and academic probation students to provide academic coaching and skill-building activities. (The ASSURES Program). Assessment Process: Students complete surveys on the services offered. Weekly meetings are held with facilitators of the ASSURES program. The records of students’ retention rate are important assessments of Academic Development Services. 3. The Summer Academy The Summer Academy is a bridge to success program that provides the opportunity for first-year students, Emerging Scholars and regular admitted students, to get a head start on their college courses. Students take up to 7 hours of developmental and or first year courses. The Summer Academy provides students with a transitional experience designed to foster a sense of community and to engage them in taking ownership of their own learning. The Summer Academy is a residential five-week program where faculty and staff work collaboratively to present students with a holistic approach to learning. This approach integrates academics (English, Mathematics, and Reading) experiential learning and service learning projects. A required study hall and an Orientation course add to the seamless components of the curriculum structure. Assessment Process: Student, faculty, and staff use program surveys to critique the TSA program. 4. Orientation Class The Orientation courses are designed to integrate ideas and to give a supportive voice, Students focus on eight core values: spirituality, time management, etiquette, study skills, organizational skills, note-taking, (Orientation Class Manual) 5. The Academic Advising and Assessment Program The Academic Advising Program is a discipline-based program designed to support and strengthen the academic programs. The program, intrusive, prescriptive, ad integrative, fosters high levels of student retention while aiding in the institution’s thrust toward student retention and academic excellence. The Academic Counseling/Advising Program provides assistance to students who can benefit from alterative forms of academic, social, and personal integrations, planning and monitoring. Services include assessment of a special need, advising, learning improvement resources, accessibility, classroom support and other services that promote independent learning and increase confidence in the students’ ability to succeed while enrolled at Bennett College. (Academic Advising and Assessment Operational Manual). The program functions include
Assessment Process: The program is assessed by quarterly and annual reports. Students complete surveys. Surveys are reviewed by Institutional Effectiveness and CTLT. The results are used as evidence for making new program interventions and as a guide for strategic planning. (End of Year Reports). 6. Academic Assessment The Academic Testing Program at Bennett College consists of a series of entry, mid-point and exit tests and inventories required for all students. The Academic Testing Program at Bennett College exists to determine entry-level developmental, general education, and major courses; to identify students’ academic strengths; to measure students’ proficiency in critical thinking, reading, writing, math, and English. First year and transfer students are required to take skill Assessment placement tests that assess students’ skills in reading comprehension, arithmetic, algebra, and college-level math. (College Catalog 2006-2007, pp. 53-54; Advising and Assessment Manual). At the beginning of the fall semester, first year students -are given the ACCUPLACER Placement exam which serves as a diagnostic for the appropriate assignment of courses. 7. Learning Communities The program of Learning Communities is one of the new curricular reform initiatives through which many first-year students discover new approaches to learning and the value of life-long learning. First year students, especially “Emerging Scholars,” are encouraged to register for at least one Learning Community during their first semester and to begin building an anchor of success. It is through the design of learning communities that many “Emerging Scholars” develop proficiencies in reading and writing. They discover new and meaningful ways of unleashing the inner self and of giving voice to reality. Students participate in a collaborative discourse surrounded by integrative activities that foster intellectual inquiry and that perpetuate the development of critical thinking skills. Faculty work collaboratively to teach developmental and interdisciplinary courses in innovative ways that promote critical and reflective thinking. Students increase academic success by joining learning communities where faculty set high, clear expectations and other rich opportunities for them to develop skills in meaningful contexts. Assessment Process: Faculty and student surveys of Learning Communities and mid and annual reports constitute a bank of assessments on the Learning Community program. 8. Early Advantage Referrals Early Advantage Referral system provides faculty with a vehicle for documenting and referring students who are experiencing challenges relevant to attendance, performance and ability. Referrals are channeled through the Office of Disability Services. Faculty complete EAR forms for students who have below a “C” average in the course. A CTLT staff contacts the students and schedules an academic advising appointment and assigns students to Learning Specialists and or tutors in the area of subject need. Assessment Process: Student and Faculty surveys are the tools for feedback used in evaluating the Early Advantage Referral system. Essential academic support activities are provided to Bennett College students through three academic support labs. 9. PLATO Lab The PLATO Lab is an online tutorial system which serves as a supplementary aid for students taking some general education courses, but specifically taking developmental courses. Emerging Scholars, first-year students who are admitted to conditionally to the College and require academic support services in the areas of study skills, motivation, and academic enhancement. These students often possess academic promise, but require academic monitoring, tutorial support and academic counseling to be successful in the collegiate environment. Emerging Scholars are required to attend PLATO lab on a weekly basis. Assessment Process: A computerized system called ACCUPLACER enables the Academic Development Services staff to monitor the hours of the participants. Students must complete a participation agreement pledging their commitment to the program and outlining the time in which they will complete their hours. (See The ASSURES Program). 10. Writing Lab The Writing Lab is a resource lab in CTLT. The lab is staffed with Learning Specialists and tutors who are English Majors. One-on-one and small group tutoring is available. (See Writing Lab Reports) 11. Math Lab The math lab provides soft-ware for intensive tutorials. Students who place into Math 099, developmental math, have required lab attendance in addition to the math course. Assessment Process: Reports from student survey and periodic grade reports serve as the major tools of the math lab assessment. (Developmental Math Reports). 12. Disability Services Disability Services (DS) exists to assist the College with its mission of creating an inclusive and welcoming community for all students. Disability Services works to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to education and opportunities in the academic community. The Office of Disability Services works with faculty and students to identify and implement appropriate accommodations. The staff works with students to identify individual learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses in order to develop appropriate educational recommendations. The staff assists students in making decisions about curriculum choice, course section selection, needed academic support and any associated academic concerns that arise. The Office of Disability Services is an educational resource that offers the following accommodations and services:
Assessment Process: The CTLT Staff meets weekly to access services and to get feedback generated through faculty, staff, and students. Student Surveys are administered and the results are used in the planning phase of new program interventions. 13. Learning Specialists Learning Specialists are college graduates who hold at least a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the discipline in which they are providing tutorial support and work on a part-time basis. The Learning Specialists also serve as academic coaches. They are charged with the tasks of monitoring students’ academic performance and reporting challenges that may impede students’ academic progress. (Academic Development Services Handbook ). Assessment Process: The records of students’ improvement in area tutoring are charted for continued growth and measurement. 14. Student Tutorials Student tutors provide academic support for students in the Emerging Scholars population. Tutors hold a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average and are recommended by the College faculty. Students are encouraged to attend the classes in which they tutor, take notes, and hold study sessions outside of the official class time. Assessment Process: The record of students’ official grade reports serve as tools for assessment. 15. Community Service Community service refers to duties that a person performs for the benefit of her local community. Community service helps to respond to critical needs in communities and is a part of problem-solving initiatives in education, public safety, the environment, and other human needs. The College has mandates that all students must complete a total of forty (40) hours of community service before graduation. Transfer students must complete a minimum of ten hours for each year of matriculation at the College. (See Community Service Packet). Students consult with the Community Service Resource Guide to match their individual interests and skills with one of the many non-profit community agencies in need of assistance. Assessment Process: Work satisfaction reports from faculty and or staff who coordinate the projects and student reports constitute the assessment for Community Services. Other programs and services include:
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