Student Resources
The College of Public and Community Service takes pride in offering a social justice curriculum to people who want to make a difference (locally, nationally, and internationally) in the lives of their friends and neighbors, in their communities and neighborhoods, and in their cities, towns, and states. To support its students as they work through the curriculum, various support services are available. We want students to succeed!
The Tutoring Center
The primary purpose of The Tutoring Center is to assist students with their academic writing skills. It is fair to say that the college tends to be a writing intensive college as learners engage the social justice curriculum to demonstrate learning outcomes through various written assignments related to courses, some of which have service learning, internship, experiential, and/or online components. The college wants its graduates to demonstrate proficient academic writing skills.
The Professional Writing Program
All students at the college are required to take a Professional Writing course. The college offers four primary majors: Human Services; Gerontology; Community Studies (a campus-based option, and an online option for those who have 90 credits), and Labor Studies. Each of these professions may necessitate different kinds of writing skills. The college, therefore, wants to expose its graduates to generic professional writing skills, as well as to professional writing skills that may be unique to each profession.
The Summer Writing Program
When indicated, the college also offers a Summer Writing Program to assist students with strengthening their writing skills. This is a course designed to assist students with better understanding academic writing standards as they pertain to thinking critically about a thesis, a body, and a conclusion regarding various topics of interest. It also will assist students in better understanding how to frame particular presentations in writing, with clarity, purpose, and appropriate concepts and grammar. We encourage students, therefore, to take advantage of this opportunity when it is offered. We see the Summer Writing Program as another opportunity to help students move through the curriculum and be successful in demonstrating course-based learning outcomes.
The Cohort Model
The college has a long and rich history of using a cohort model to create a sense of community and support among students. Cohorts contribute significantly to the issue and dynamics of student success. The newest iteration of this cohort model at the College of Public and Community Service is the requirement that all students at the College participate in five Foundation courses. The five foundation courses focus on: Concepts of Community; Concepts of Social Justice; Civic Engagement; Diversity and Cultural Competence; and Media and Society.
Advising
There are at least two levels of academic advising related to the college: University-related advising and college faculty related advising
University Advising: At the University Advising Center, students who have less than 60 credits may receive academic advising, particularly in relation to meeting General Education Distribution requirements. The goal is for the University Advising Center to also work closely with the directors and faculty of each of the college’s majors to ensure that each student’s needs are being successfully addressed.
Faculty Advising: As part of their college faculty responsibilities, students are assigned to particular faculty advisers. The college encourages its faculty (and staff) to engage in what can be called “Wholistic Academic Advising.” This strategic approach to academic advising takes into account the whole person, and seeks to assist students in developing an academic plan and in maintaining academic focus as s/he manages various kinds of stresses and challenges faced in other aspects of her or his life space The premise is that student success can be enhanced through individualized and personalized attention, and by having the student to “identify” with an academic faculty advisor, who is also an understanding and caring mentor.
An Empowering Academic Evaluation System
As of fall 2010, the college utilizes a grade, with faculty narrative feedback, for students. That is, not only do students receive letter grades for their academic work, faculty seeks to provide written feedback for guidance in strengthening knowledge and skills. This kind of evaluation provides students with a richer understanding of a particular grade as it relates to specific course-based learning outcomes. It aligns with the rigor of the traditional grading system, but also enriches that system with narrative feedback, thereby fostering greater self-awareness, and enhanced success and self-empowering perspectives with respect to particular knowledge and skill sets.
