Academic Support: Having Those Difficult Conversations With Your Student
Being a parent is hard! Especially a parent of a college student. Although difficult, it is also rewarding to watch them become independent, self advocates right before your eyes.
Because students aren't always thriving when it comes to their academic endeavors, the Student Learning Center encourages ongoing conversations with students about academic support. Students may find it hard to open up. We hear a lot of responses like, "It's fine," "I'm good," and "It's okay." What do these responses mean? What do they tell us about how the student is actually doing in school?
The Student Learning Center staff are here to help your student — and to help you, the parent — with some of those difficult conversations around student success. The center has assembled a variety of resources:
Questions? Contact Lee Cope, executive director of the SLC, at copeiial@appstate.edu or 828-262-8679. Please know the Student Learning Center is here to help!
The following services are available to all students through the Student Learning Center. Please see the Staff Directory for unit contacts.
Services
One of our most flexible free services is one-on-one study skills consultations with a college study skills specialist. In our meetings, students have a chance to describe desired goals and work together with the learning specialist to review strategies and create an individualized plan to help achieve those goals. Study skills consultations are available year-round. Request and Individual Consultation with a learning skills specialist.
Academic Strategy Workshops are available to any university-sanctioned group, including classes, residence halls, and clubs/organizations. A variety of specific topics are available through our Workshop Request Form, but workshops are flexible and can be tailored to meet a variety of needs. Workshops are available in the fall and spring semesters.
Students who wish to build on their academic skills, including time management, study strategies, reading efficiency, and other areas, may consider registering for a 1-credit hour graded elective academic success course. These courses are generally 1/2-semester courses, available year-round. See course offerings.
As-U-R is an intensive, long-term, mentor based student support program focused on supporting students with executive function challenges (EFCs). Executive function challenges are defined as chronic difficulties in organizing, planning, and carrying out tasks and some college students with EFCs may have previously been assessed for or even diagnosed with ADHD or a learning difference, but others may not, despite struggling with such tasks.
Students must be admitted to ASU through the regular admissions process in order to be considered for As-U-R admission. Applications for As-U-R are accepted on an ongoing basis from high school seniors, transfer students, and current ASU students.
LEAD Chemistry Tutoring is provided for all students who want to improve their understanding of course material and their grades. Studies show that students who attend this form of tutoring regularly can earn up to a letter grade higher than those who choose not to attend. See LEAD Tutoring Schedule.
Drop-in/walk-in support for some of the most high demand courses on campus. Students do not need an appointment and can visit learning labs for the entire duration of operating hours and multiple visits per week. See all schedules for Learning Labs.
Peer Academic Coaches (PAC) empower you to be a self-directed learner and overcome barriers to your academic success through guided weekly meetings on topics such as time management, study skills, organization, campus resources, and goal setting. PAC are upper-level, undergraduate students, selected for their exceptional academic habits and interpersonal skills, who receive training in evidence-based coaching strategies. PAC hold one-on-one coaching appointments and provide drop-in academic support in the PAC Learning Lab.
Course and section specific tutoring for up to 3 students in a group. Small Group Tutoring appointments are often only one (1) student but can have up to three (3) students from the same section of a course in each session. Appointments can be scheduled up to one week in advance.
Make a Referral
If you are concerned about the academic performance of a currently enrolled student, please complete the Student Referral Form and a member of our professional staff from the Student Learning Center will reach out to the student.