ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Staff

Mark Pawlak (Program Director), Susan Irvings (Director, Critical Thinking), Cynthia Jahn (Director, Tutoring), Polly Welsh (Director, Directions for Student Potential; Assistant Director, English as a Second Language Center)

The Office of Academic Support Programs offers comprehensive coursework and services with the goal of helping students to succeed in their studies. The focus of the program is on academic instruction and individual and group tutoring. Office location: CC-1-1300; 617.287.6550.

Academic Support Programs include the Reading, Writing, and Study Strategies Center, English as a Second Language Center, Subject Tutoring Program, Mathematics Resource Center, Graduate Writing Center, and the Directions for Student Potential Program.

Courses

The Office of Academic Support Programs offers a series of courses that introduce students to the principles of college-level learning and give them intensive practice in the use of those principles in their other courses. Two courses (CRW Z111, CRW Z112) introduce students to academic thinking; they focus on the critical reading and analysis of texts drawn from courses across the curriculum, and in the writing of academic papers. CRW 221 is a critical analysis and writing course for new transfer students. Three other courses (MATHSK 097, MATHSK 098, and MATHSK 099) focus on helping students successfully learn quantitative material that they will encounter in various courses. Additional courses for students whose native language is not English (ESL100A-F) offer intensive work in listening and speaking and in reading and writing for academic purposes; see “English as a Second Language Center” on page 144.

The faculty also teach several General Education First-Year Seminars, as noted below.

Courses

First-Year Seminars

SEM G114
Investigations Across the Curriculum

SEM G120
Mind-Body Connections

SEM G122
Communication Technology

SEM G123
Cuba Today and Yesterday

SEM G125
Defining Freedom

For a complete description of these courses, see the “First-Year and Intermediate Seminars” section of this publication.

Critical Reading and Writing Courses

CRW Z111*
Critical Thinking I

This course focuses on the fundamental intellectual skills of critical thinking, reading, and writing needed to succeed in college level studies. Using materials drawn from various disciplines in the college curriculum, students develop their ability to recognize and discuss ideas. By learning to relate generalization to supporting ideas and to identify the patterns into which ideas are structured, students gain practice in applying effective strategies for understanding college material. The class meets on a regular basis in a computer lab where students use computers to develop these analytical capabilities and apply them to course work. 3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits (Pass/Fail only)

CRW Z112*
Critical Thinking II

In this course, students gain experience in the processes of intellectual inquiry as it is practiced in the liberal arts and sciences. Through both oral and written presentations, they analyze and interpret readings taken from college-level texts. They learn to distinguish the methods authors use in developing their ideas and the differences and similarities among perspectives of various authors, as well as to recognize implications and to question authors’ purposes. The class meets on a regular basis in a computer lab where students use computers to develop these analytical capabilities and apply them to course work.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits (Pass/Fail only)

CRW 221
Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking

Students practice critical thinking strategies and examine transfer students’ acquired knowledge by inquiring: How is knowledge transformed when it is transferred to new academic communities? What discipline-specific expectations can students meet by depending on prior experience? How do research criteria and restrictions differ by discipline and learning institution? Which schemata and theories work across disciplines?
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
While all ESL courses carry credit during the semester they are taken, only ESL load carries credit toward graduation.

ESL 100A
Speaking and Listening I

This course focuses on developing speaking and listening skills that will help students function in their other academic course work. Students participate in small-group work, make oral presentations, and report on first-hand research projects.
4 Lect Hrs, 4 Credits

ESL 100B
Reading Comprehension for College-Level Texts I

This course, which focuses on developing reading comprehension skills for college-level reading, must be taken in conjunction with ESL 100C. Students are introduced to a range of texts and asked to develop and analyze their own reading strategies through class discussion and written responses to the texts they read.
Corequisite: ESL 100C.
4 Lect Hrs, 4 Credits

ESL 100C
Academic Writing I

This course, which focuses on critical thinking and the writing process, must be taken in conjunction with ESL 100B. It encourages the expression of ideas through class discussion and journals and introduces students to more formal academic writing. Students learn to write critically about reading, and to develop strategies of brainstorming, revision and organization. They are evaluated on the basis of a portfolio of written work.
Corequisite: ESL 100B.
4 Lect Hrs, 4 Credits

ESL 100D
Academic Writing II

Like ESL 100C, this course focuses on critical thinking and the writing process. But it builds on and extends this work by the assignment of longer essays that require students to analyze and synthesize the readings. Students are evaluated on the basis of a portfolio of written work.
Corequisite: ESL 100E.
4 Lect Hrs, 4 Credits

ESL 100E
Reading Comprehension for College-Level Texts II

Building on strategies learned in 100B, this course focuses on developing facility with longer, and more complex academic readings.
Corequisite: ESL 100D.
4 Lect Hrs, 4 Credits

ESL 100F
Speaking and Listening II

This course focuses on developing speaking and listening proficiency in academic study. Students are given practice with academic lectures, note-taking, and oral presentations.
Prerequisite: ESL 100A or Placement.
4 Lect Hrs, 4 Credits

Mathematical Skills Courses

MATHSK 097*
Pre-Algebra Mathematics

This course aims to overcome students’ fears of mathematics. It builds self-confidence through successful mathematics skill development and problem solving. It lays a mathematical foundation for the study of algebra and exposes students to the kinds of quantitative reasoning encountered in the social and physical sciences. Topics include whole numbers; fractions; decimals; percents; signed numbers; graphing; dimensional analysis; English and metric measurement; perimeter, area, and volume; mean, median, and mode; simple interest; and formulas.
Prerequisite: A suitable score on the mathematics placement test.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits (semester credits but not graduation credit)
(Pass/Fail only)

MATHSK 098*
Fundamentals of Algebra

A course for students who never studied algebra in high school, or who studied it long ago or ineffectively. Introduction to algebraic notation and concepts so that students will be successful in math, and in introductory physical and social science courses. Development of successful study and test-taking techniques. Algebraic expressions—simplification, combination, and evaluation; linear equations—solving, graphing, and using them to solve word problems; exponents; scientific notation; and proportions.
Prerequisite: A suitable score on the mathematics placement test.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits (semester credits but not graduation credit)
(Pass/Fail only)

MATHSK 099*
Intermediate Algebra

For students with a weak math background who want to develop skills for further work in mathematics or science courses. Covers basic high school mathematics. Topics include multiplying and factoring polynomials, linear equations and straight lines, fractional exponents and radicals, ratios of polynomials, quadratic parabolas, systems of simultaneous linear equations, and word problems. Generally limited to students with fewer than 3 years of high school math preparation.
Prerequisite: A suitable score on the mathematics placement test.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits (semester credits but not graduation credit)
(Pass/Fail only)

*Students who place into MATHSK 097, 098, or 099 must take these courses before satisfying the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.