Special Features: Resources to Support Student Learning
Last Updated: July 2007
Marietta College provides a variety of resources to provide each student with an opportunity to develop skills in and out of the classroom.
Academic Resource Center
The Academic Resource Center (ARC) was established in the fall of 1999 through a grant from the Teagle Foundation. The ARC has grown in many ways and is constantly evolving to fit the needs of those it serves. The primary mission of the ARC is to provide resources and services to assist all Marietta College students in the acquisition of information and development of skills to achieve their academic potential. In addition to individualized services for students, ARC resources are available to all members of the campus community. In other words, our mission, quite simply, is to help students become better students. Better can be defined differently for each student, but essentially, it means increasing a students academic confidence and self assurance.
The ARC, located on the third floor of Andrews Hall, is adequately staffed with a Director, Disabilities Specialist, Secretary/Tutor Coordinator, work-study students, and student volunteers. On average, 30 to 50 students serve as peer-to-peer tutors each semester. As a component of the academic division of the College, the Director reports to the Provost. Regular operating hours are: 3:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Friday. Extended hours are offered around final examinations.
The Academic Resource Center provides a variety of services to the Marietta College community. These are identified as direct and indirect services. Indirect services are defined as contact and outreach by ARC Staff with students encouraging them to utilize the ARC. Direct services are defined as individual appointments and ongoing assistance with ARC Staff and tutors.
Direct Services
The ARC Director and Disabilities Specialist are available to meet with students on an individual basis to discuss areas of academic difficulty. Some of the areas that are typically discussed include learning style, note-taking, reading comprehension, test preparation, test-taking, memory, time management and organization, and motivation. The Staff work with faculty on meeting the needs of the students and monitoring their progress.
Tutoring services are coordinated through the ARC. Individual and drop-in peer tutoring are available. Services to students with disabilities are also coordinated through the ARC. Students meet with the Disabilities Specialist or Director to determine the best accommodations to fit their documented disability and courses in which they are enrolled.
Workshops dealing with a variety of academic issues are offered. Workshop topics include Note-taking, Test-taking, Motivation, Test Taking, Preparing for Finals and Success Strategies. The ARC also has available a resource library on various study strategies. Presentations are often offered to the various fraternities and sororities on campus. The ARC Staff have also been invited by faculty to present to their classes on particular study strategy areas.
Indirect Services
There are various programs coordinated by the ARC that are geared towards retention and helping students target academic problems early. The Early Alert Program and the Early Academic Warning Program are two such programs. These two programs are designed to reach students early in the semester in hopes of encouraging them to utilize the resources available.
The ARC Computer Lab has ten computers available for student use. In addition, the lab offers two scanners, the Kurzweil Read/Scan program, internet access, and Microsoft office packages. The lab is also used as a study area and for tutoring sessions.
The Academic Resource Center Staff take great pride in the individualized services they provide students. Staff strive to work with each student in addressing their needs and determining the best course to success. The number of students utilizing the ARC continues to grow. The data demonstrates that when students choose to accept the assistance of the ARC and are willing to work at improving their academic performance, there is an increase in GPA and in retention rates.
To ensure that the ARC is meeting the needs of the students, an assessment plan was developed. The impact of the services provided by the ARC is somewhat difficult to assess as many factors influence a student’s academic success; however, the assessment plan is designed to gain such insight. The goals of the ARC and corresponding outcomes are:
Goals
| Goal | Outcome |
|---|---|
To provide students with information to assist them in becoming independent and active learners, by positively impacting students study habits and academic performance. |
Increase in GPA, increase in course grade following tutoring services, retention figures. |
To assist students in the adjustment and transition to college and in developing confidence in their academic performance. |
Retention figures, satisfaction indicated on questionnaire. |
To ensure that students with documented disabilities receive appropriate accommodations they are legally entitled to receive. |
Headcount/ARC, satisfaction indicated on questionnaire. |
To provide services and resources to the entire college community. |
Headcount of students receiving services in the ARC, attendance figures at workshops, lab usage figures. |
To positively impact student retention and graduation. |
Retention figures and graduation rates. |
