by Dolores Greenawalt, PhD
Across the United States, many universities have specialized areas of focus that attract students. However, there are many other factors that contribute to students' overall sense of fit at a university: the size of the campus, ease of navigating it, extra-curricular activities, and other departments outside of faculty and classes. There are many other departments and offices, such as learning centers, that work with students daily -- and they are arguably as important as the classes students take each semester.
In particular, learning centers can be a meeting place for students and offer a variety of important services to aid in their studies. Those who work on campus should have a good understanding of the services a learning center can provide so students can get the help they may need throughout their time on campus.
About Learning Centers
Learning centers are often staffed by employees who are generalists (and can support students in a wide variety of subjects), as well as employees with advanced degrees who can help with specific subjects. This is a great area for those who want to work with students but don't want to -- or can't -- teach in the classroom. These unsung heroes work directly with students and may work with them throughout their four years on campus.
A university's learning center area offers a centralized location on campus for support such as:
- Tutoring for certain classes
- Peer-to-peer help in subjects like writing, math, nursing, and engineering
- Group tutoring sessions led by students who previously took the classes and understood the materials well
- One-on-one time with staff who can teach time management, offer specialized help in planning how to succeed in classes, and lend an ear when needed
- Support creating study schedules and devising study strategies
These are just a few of the helpful services that a learning center may be able to offer. Depending on the exact support the student needs, the staff from the learning center area may work with the instructor to create a plan for them. Alternatively, staff may coach students on how to communicate with faculty and better advocate for themselves. The learning center area is also a place where students can gather with others to work on group projects or meet others who are taking the same class as them.
Creating Awareness
During freshman year, students may not even realize this place exists because it wasn't a focus on the university tour, or students may feel shy about coming because they feel like they don't need the help.
The learning center area is extremely valuable to all parts of campus, including faculty, staff, and students. Lisa Degen, academic strategy and math corequisite specialist of the learning commons at Carroll University says, "the Learning Center (LC) is valuable to faculty as it provides an additional opportunity for their students to learn and practice course content outside the classroom in small- or large-group tutoring sessions. It's valuable for students because they can ask questions of a peer tutor in a supportive environment when they may feel less empowered to speak out in a large class. And, the LC is valuable to tutors who are still students themselves, as they are able to strengthen leadership skills, regularly review content from previous courses to reinforce understanding, and lay a foundation for their professional life after college."
To increase awareness of the learning center's valuable services, staff should prioritize educating - and building relationships with -- faculty members. By creating relationships with departments and sending out monthly emails about happenings in the learning center, staff can give faculty information they can advertise to students. To show a face with the name, staff from the learning center can attend faculty meetings to provide updates on current services and inform faculty about special sessions that may be coming up for mid-terms or exams. Visiting classrooms and letting students know how the learning center can help is another way to get students acquainted with the space. Providing print and electronic advertisements with information is nice for students in case they need to be reminded of what services are offered.
Remember
All departments provide something valuable to a campus. They are integral to creating an atmosphere where students can learn, thrive, and prepare for life after graduation. The learning center is a valuable piece of this puzzle.
This article is republished from HigherEdJobs® under a Creative Commons license.