LAC and CAE provide opportunities to improve acadmics
Shelby Collins
Junior Copy Editor
Hudson Valley offers help to students who would like to raise their GPA through the Center for Academic Engagement and the Learning Assistance Center.
“A main thing that we offer is academic coaching. [We provide] tips, techniques, strategies, as well as some extra support, some encouragement,” said Jessica Gilbert, an academic coach and the site supervisor for the CAE. “We work with students one-on-one and in small groups, giving them the skills they need in order to be academically successful here.”
Gilbert continued, “[We help with] organization, time management, how to study. We also provide students with someone to help hold them accountable and to be there saying, ‘Here’s your to do list, did you get everything done? Are you on task and doing what you need to be doing?’”
The main focus of the content tutoring at the LAC is math, though there are several other tables dedicated to various subjects. Students can fill out a request for study group through the Hudson Valley website. Students will be prompted to set up a study group to receive help from a tutor for a specific class.
“What’s nice about our set up is that the type of tutors that I hire are the good students, but they’re also in here getting help. They’re a great role model for the other people that are in here and are like ‘You’re down here getting help too?’” said associate professor and LAC educational specialist Donald Frament.
The LAC offers full workshops to hone certain skills, including textbook-reading, note-taking, test-taking and time management. They also take recommendations for new workshops.
The CAE offers mini-workshops on a variety of other topics including procrastination, memory skills and more, to complement the full sessions offered by the LAC. These are offered at different time intervals so services can be available to all students.
According to Gilbert, “As soon as you start to feel a little bit overwhelmed, go see somebody, whether it’s us, the LAC or your professor. Start with your instructor and see what they can say, and your instructor might refer you here.”
Frament believes that students should avoid ‘the wave’ and come into the center sooner to avoid problems that may arise later on. “It’s much easier to recuperate if you start strong, or if you come in sooner,” said Frament.
The college uses a referral system to provide students with the appropriate help. Students can be referred by their professors to the CAE or various other services. Also, the academic coaches at the CAE may refer students to other services on campus.
“We do a lot of referrals to other services, from the LAC and the Writing and Research Center. We don’t do any content tutoring here… We also refer to the Wellness Center, Student Activities, the Career Center and to advisors,” said Gilbert.
The LAC is located in the basement of Marvin Library, and the CAE is located upstairs in the campus center, room 230.
“It’s unfortunate, I mean, I’ve see the tours come through here. But I’ve had students in their fourth semester get sent down here for something, and they say ‘I wish I knew this was here.’ They know it’s here, but they don’t know what it is or how it can be helpful,” said Frament.
All students are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by the LAC and the CAE. The CAE also has Veteran Mentors for active military, or relatives and spouses of active military, to provide support and answer questions.
Frament said, “We love what we’re doing. We see students get success that didn’t have it and it’s like ‘what a difference!’ [The students] appreciate what happened, and they think ‘Wow, I really can do this.’”