PATH(S) TO SUCCESS
FIND OUT MORE at
success.stevenson.edu
ADVANCING THE MISSION
It also helps with one of his goals, which is to increase awareness options. “These experiences equip students with firsthand
of the Link’s complimentary services, which include tutoring, knowledge and skills that enhance their Stevenson education
testing, and mentoring. and give them an edge in their future personal and professional
When it comes to tutoring services, Gillett says, students can
She, too, believes that the office’s new location in the
peer. And setting up an appointment couldn’t be easier. “They Center for Student Success can only be advantageous. “Our
can stop in, call our front desk, or make an appointment online.” new location is convenient for students to access and allows
Maximizing tutors, resources, and the subsequent impact on for obtaining information on multiple complementary
student learning success, the specialized courses the Link provides experiences within one centralized location,” she says. “The
tailored tutoring for courses identified as being among the most Experiential Learning Center is also beneficial in that it enables
challenging. For the spring semester, for example, tutors were our office to host events and meetings about the many study
available for classes ranging from Organic Chemistry and Human away options, both domestically and internationally, on site.
Anatomy to Introduction to Statistics and General Physics. We also host drop-in advising hours for students who have
The tutoring program is staffed by qualified peer tutors through quick questions or want to connect with peer advisors that
the College Reading and Learning Association training program have knowledge and/or personal experience in study abroad/
as well as several professional tutors in particularly challenging away.”
courses. The tutors themselves attend training workshops each In addition to her administrative role in the Center for
semester to earn individual beginning, advanced, or master levels Student Success, Moran oversees the Office of Service-
of certification. “We’re one of the largest student employers at the Learning, which she calls a powerful form of experiential
University,” says Gillett. “We have 45 peer tutors, 15 front desk education. “It enhances opportunities for learning and
receptionists, and three graduate students to support students.” student development—academically, personally, civically, and
The Link’s testing services cover both make-up exams as well as
professionally,” she says.
exams requiring special accommodations, which are coordinated Service-learning offers both short- and long-term oppor-
closely with the Office of Disability Services. Testing services in tunities, Moran adds. “Students in service-learning courses
the Link also include placement testing for incoming freshmen are actively engaged in authentic, hands-on experiences
during Mustang Days. which help them become skilled in relating theory with
Comprising the mentoring aspect of the Link’s services for practice, ultimately, making them competent and competitive
freshmen students is the Partnerships and Student Success (PASS) in their respective fields, while enhancing their employment
program, which is directed by the Academic Link and supported by opportunities.”
the Admissions Office. PASS students work with Stevenson faculty
and staff who have agreed to serve as mentors. The primary goal
of PASS is to provide a one-on-one opportunity to help students
transition to a college landscape.
“We already serve a large number of undergraduate students
through all three services,” says Gillett. “Specifically, since the
start of the 2016-2017 academic year, 758 students have utilized
the Academic Link for more than 3,000 appointments. Our new
location will give us even more exposure, so we hope to see those
numbers continue to rise.”
The Experiential Learning Center
Steering Students in the Right
Direction
Success, in Gooden’s opinion: “We serve as a compass for all
students to help them navigate successfully at Stevenson. We
can direct students to the resources they need to be successful.
And they can then map their own direction, not just in college
but in life.”
Thanks to the new center’s set-up, a freshman student can
now walk into Garrison Hall South, take a right, and meet with
his or her Student Success Coach. Based on that conversation,
the student could then decide to drop in at the Academic Link
they’ve learned in the classroom and apply that to real-world and make an appointment for tutoring or testing. Finally—and
situations. In the Center for Student Success, opportunities to possibly inspired by the visits to the other offices—the student
do so are offered through the Office of International and Off- can walk into the Office of Experiential Learning to find out
Campus Study and the Office of Service-Learning. what opportunities will enhance his or her education. And all
Off Campus Study, firmly believes in the value of experiential
learning when it comes to study abroad and domestic study away
VENTURES/SPRING 2017
Manuszak Legacy Endures
Through Landmark Bequest
The most important takeaway about the new Center for Student
The conce