Academic Support Programs

Overview:

The mission of the Office of Academic Support Programs is to offer comprehensive coursework and services to both native and non-native speakers of English with the goal of helping students to succeed in their studies. The focus of the program is on academic instruction and tutoring, following careful assessment of student writing, critical thinking and mathematics capabilities. Program faculty and staff collaborate with departments across the University with the aim of strengthening the undergraduate experience.

Academic programs include: General Education courses in Critical Analysis, Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning, and academic courses for non-native speakers of English; a Graduate College of Education course in teaching reading and writing across the curriculum for secondary teacher candidates, and field placement in the Reading, Writing, and Study Strategies Center; and a cooperative education field experience course in mentoring first year seminar students. Academic Support Programs faculty conduct assessments of writing and critical thinking for placement of all new students in Critical Analysis general education and ESL courses. Academic Support Programs staff also offer consulting for faculty seeking assistance in curriculum in undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the College of Nursing.

Instruction in verbal skills, English for non-native speakers, and mathematics is offered through the alternative admissions program, Directions for Student Potential.

Tutorial programs include: individual and group tutoring in course content across all disciplines through the Subject Tutoring Program; tutoring in quantitative reasoning, mathematics and computer science through the Math Resource Center; tutoring in general education capabilities of writing and critical analysis through the Reading, Writing, and Study Strategies Center; tutoring for ESL courses; and consultations for graduate students, both native and non-native speakers, in critical analysis, research and scholarly writing through the Graduate Writing Center.