Academic Success Center

The Peer Tutoring Program provides support for coursework outside the areas covered by the Math Center and Writing Center. Available to all undergraduate students for most 100-200 level courses, students can request a 1:1 tutor. All tutors have excelled in the courses they support, earning at least an “A-”, are trained, and enjoy supporting their fellow students.

Interested in becoming a peer tutor? Please complete the peer tutor application and email to studentsuccess@wne.edu.

Peer Tutor Request Form

Supplemental Instruction, or SI, is an academic support program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions to enhance student performance in traditionally difficult courses. SI offers regularly scheduled study sessions that are driven by students’ needs. SI sessions are led by students who have demonstrated academic competency in the subject area. SI Leaders attend class with the students and are trained in facilitating group activities using collaborative learning methods. SI is not tutoring, but rather learning how to learn a particular subject. Students who regularly attend the weekly SI sessions often earn higher course grades.

Drop-in tutoring is a free and useful resource for students who have specific questions and/or are challenged by the material being covered in a course. Drop-in tutors are students who excelled in the course(s) they support. Students attend drop-in tutoring to work on homework assignments, prepare for exams, and even learn how to learn information better. Drop-in tutoring is also a great place to make new friends among your classmates and to form study groups. Please view the Drop-in Tutoring Schedule or visit the Student Success Center to learn more about how you can best utilize drop-in tutoring for support in one or more of your classes!

The Academic Progress Monitoring Program is designed to monitor students' academic progress throughout the semester. Monitors work with these students on a weekly or biweekly basis throughout the semester and help students identify and overcome roadblocks in order to reach their academic goals. Academic Progress Monitors work closely with faculty and various coaches as well as with the various support offices on campus such as Student Accessibility Services, Counseling Services, Health Services, and Peer Tutors to assist students in meeting their academic goals. Monitors are frequently in touch with faculty, partnering to coach effective academic lifestyles. Students can request the help of a monitor by calling the Academic Success Center at the beginning of the semester.

The Early Alert System, or EAS, helps to identify students at the earliest sign of academic trouble. EAS is an on-line system where faculty can share concerns about students, including attendance and class performance. Once the EAS report is submitted, a member of the Student Success Center staff reaches out to the student to provide any necessary support and to encourage the use of the various resources on campus. 

Professors can also acknowledge a student’s excellent work through the Early Alert System. Acknowledging exemplary work demonstrates to students that such behavior is valued and can reinforce positive behavior. These students who are identified by professors for exemplary work receive a letter from the Director for Student Success/Engagement.

The Student Success Center provides workshops on various topics related to academic success. Topics include study strategies, test-taking, time management, and more. Workshops are available to any class, department, floor, group, organization, or team. The Student Success Center also invites departmental collaboration and is willing to tailor workshops as needed.

To schedule a presentation or workshop, contact the Student Success Center. Please schedule workshops at least two weeks in advance for the best options regarding availability.

Contact information:
Campus Center 137
Phone: 413-796-2027
Email: studentsuccess@wne.edu

Workshops Offered:

Student Success Center Overview Presentation

Staff members are available to give an overview of the Student Success Center’s services, including Peer Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, Academic Progress Monitoring, Life Skills Mentoring, College Success Coaching Experience (LA 103), Early Advisory System, student outreach, help center referrals, Alpha Lambda Delta, and individual appointments. (Presentation length: 15-45 minutes)

Academic Skills Presentation

Students are presented with tips for being successful in college. These tips cover a broad range of skills that will assist students in completing their academic goals. (Presentation length: 30-45 minutes)

Time Management and Organization Workshop

Staff members provide hands-on approach to organizing time, planners, course materials, and study space. Students will leave the workshop with multiple strategies for managing their time and organizing their academic life. (Presentation length: 20-45 minutes)

Note-taking Skills Workshop

There is no one way to take notes in college, so staff members present tips and multiple approaches to taking useful class notes. Students are encouraged to try several approaches and determine which approaches work best for them. (Presentation length: 20-40 minutes)

Study Skills and Test-taking Workshop

Collegiate academic expectations require that students entering college expand their study skills in preparation for a more rigorous testing environment. This workshop provides study and test-taking skills and tips as students prepare to take exams. (Presentation length: 20-45 minutes)

Academic Goal-Setting Workshop

Goal-setting is an important skill not only in the collegiate setting, but also over the course of one’s lifetime. This workshop teaches structured goal-setting and provides students with guided self-reflection. (Presentation length: 30-45 minutes)

Learning Styles Workshop

Each of us prefers particular ways of learning. This workshop provides students with an opportunity to assess how they best learn. Students will also learn about different learning styles and how to approach class material in a way that best fits their learning style. (Presentation length: 20-40 minutes)

Tailored Workshops

Feel free to request a workshop tailored to specific needs and subjects. The staff can accommodate various lengths of time and topics, given enough advance notice.

The College Success Coaching Experience (CSCE) is a semester-long class that focuses on a series of interactive academic success skills presentations and one-to-one coaching sessions. During CSCE classes, students will discover their strengths, learn how to apply them in the college classroom, and build academic confidence through the learning and application of these skills. The CSCE class focuses on skills that are used in all content areas, and include time management, organization, communication, study skills, and test-taking skills. Students are able to take the skills learned in CSCE and apply them directly to their classes. An Academic Success Coach conducts the CSCE class and mentors students during individual coaching sessions throughout the semester. Class sections have a 1:18 Academic Success Coach to student ratio.