On March 2, Kathryn Weller, a campus professional from Academic Support Programs, spoke in the East Room with students on available academic support and how to access it at the Markee Pioneer Center. Weller oversees campus tutoring services and the writing center. 

Weller encouraged students to sign up for tutoring using Navigate, a user-friendly smartphone app. Tutoring can be used to clear up any confusion in classes before meeting with instructors during their office hours. 

ASP offers a peer mentor program, academic coaching and a study buddies feature, a stress-free way to set up group study sessions with people in the same class or field of study, all within Navigate. ASP also offers study skills tutoring, which can be accessed by notifying ASP by email at [email protected]. Weller encourages open communication with tutoring and said she encourages students to email ASP with concerns on their tutoring experience. 

Weller reassured the students at the presentation that “asking for help is the independent thing to do.” Seeking advice and guidance and knowing when to ask for help is more responsible than avoiding help altogether. 

“None of these (academic resources) are the one thing that will fix everything,” Weller said and advised students to take advantage of academic relief programs. “There are no charges,” she added, for these resources because they are built into student tuition and fees already. 

At the end of the ASP presentation, students were reminded that academic stress is unavoidable and to make use of programs early and as often as they want to. The last slide of the PowerPoint, said, “These resources work best as consistent, proactive strategies, not last-minute emergencies.”