Published September 20, 2008
Written by Grace Chen
As students transition to the demands of community college courses, many individuals quickly realize that they are in need of added academic support. While instructors are able to assist during office hours, community colleges also offer resource centers, and even some college courses, to help provide students with added assistance.
Community College Academic Resource Centers
Iowa Lakes Community College
With over five campuses across the state of Iowa, Iowa Lakes Community College provides students with a resource center at each of its campus locations. At the resource centers, students can specifically seek help for academic issues; for example, “Students may request individual tutoring, help with proof reading papers, and/or assistance in developing good study skills.” As many new community college students struggle with essays, homework assignments, or even with issues of organization and memorization, the academic resources at community college campuses can be avenues of beneficial support.
Added to the resources of academic assistance, community college students can also find out information about generalized entry exams, or class placement exams. Furthermore, Iowa Lakes Community College requires “each incoming freshman be assessed. Assessment results help guide students into appropriate academic courses. Students are assessed using ACT, ASSET, or COMPASS in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.” To become prepared and aware of the testing information, students can utilize the campus-wide resource centers to find out sample test questions, testing dates, and testing strategies.
Terra Community College
Located in Fremont, Ohio, Terra Community College is another institution gaining recognition for its outstanding student outreach programs. TCC has five specific academic outreach organizations to help students excel in various specific areas of study. As the school explains, “Terra Community College is dedicated to your success. To help you identify, plan for, and achieve your educational, career, and lifelong learning objectives, we have established a number of support services.”
Terra Community College’s resource programs focus on core areas of support, as the five centers are designed to help students in areas of math, writing, general course assistance, general online tutoring, with an added “Learning Achievement” center. Core subject areas, such as the math and writing centers, have their own office hours and are free for students. As for TCC’s online education tutoring, they have designed a program that enables students to conveniently seek help without having to visit a campus resource office. The online site, www.smarthinking.com, asserts that “highly qualified and well trained educators make the difference in student success. Using the Internet to connect students with professional educators, SMARTHINKING has the online tutoring, writing services, and homework help that students need to succeed. Tutors are available up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a variety of subjects.” Additionally, students can visit SMARTHINKING in order to gain help in areas of writing, essay grading and review, custom support, technology support, and even support for English language learners.
Developmental Community College Courses
Sussex Community College
Located in Newton, New Jersey, Sussex Community College is another school that provides students with developmental support in order to help foster academic success. Offering developmental classes in the core subjects of reading, writing, math, and algebra, “the Developmental Studies program is designed for students who are not academically prepared to enter the regular college curriculum and serves as a bridge between the student's current educational level and the typical college classroom experience. Its purpose is to help students achieve a level of academic competence that will enable them to work successfully in college-level courses.”
With the support of Sussex’s Developmental Courses, students are provided with classes that have limited enrollments to reduce the student-teacher ratio, while providing new community college students with positive and one-on-one interaction early on in their academic career. Furthermore, “Developmental Studies courses are pre-requisites to college-level courses which require skill in any area in which a student shows a lack of proficiency as determined by the College Placement Test.” Since Sussex requires proficiency and placement tests, Sussex aims to continue their dedication to students of diverse learning abilities by providing programs, such as the Developmental Courses, of support early on.
How Can I Find Academic Support at My Community College?
As each community college offers its own unique set of resources, students can find out about academic resources by visiting their college’s website for research, or by meeting with an academic advisor. Also, if a student is struggling in one particular content area, oftentimes meeting with the specific course instructor can provide students with beneficial information about a community college’s specific avenues for academic guidance.
References:
Hudson Valley Community College, available at https://www.hvcc.edu/lac/
Iowa Lakes Community College, available at http://www.iowalakes.edu/student_life_services/success_center/academic_assistance/index.htm
Sussex Community College, available at http://www.sussex.edu/areasofstudy/divisions/devstudies/index.htm
Terra Community College, available at http://www.terra.edu/support/academicassistance.asp
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