Academic Services

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Academic Services

The Advising Center works with all newly admitted students in academic advisement, course scheduling, and selection of a major. Upon the declaration of a major, students are advised in their academic department; however, their academic adviser in the Advising Center will continue to work with them in areas of university policy and personal advisement. Additionally, the Advising Center offers career planning as well as programs for students in academic difficulty.

The academic success centers at the university consist of the University Writing Center, the Mathematics Tutoring Center, the Student Technology Assistance Center, and the Catamount Academic Tutoring (CAT) Center. Services are available during fall, spring, and summer semesters and are offered to students without charge.

University Writing Center. Graduate assistants collaborate with students of all class levels and majors on their writing assignments, including but not limited to annotated bibliographies, abstracts, essays, critiques, research papers, creative writing projects, political science portfolio writing samples, and business management portfolios.

Always beginning with writers’ ideas, graduate tutors help writers with brainstorming, prewriting, drafting, and revising. By offering writers workable strategies, tutors move clients toward increased competence and confidence. In addition to one-on-one collaborative help, the center offers numerous handouts, called mini-courses, tailored to specific academic writing needs. Visit the Web site at www.wcu.edu/writingcenter for hours, writing resources, distance education resources, staff information, and helpful links. To make an appointment, call 828-227-7197. Visit the center in Hunter 161.

Mathematics Tutoring Center. The Mathematics Tutoring Center provides tutoring in all lower-division mathematics courses and computer science classes, and can assist with mathematical content in courses outside the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. Student peer tutors and graduate assistants are available on a drop-in basis to provide assistance with homework, review concepts, help with math study skills and exam preparation, and answer questions about math courses. Individual, regularly scheduled tutoring appointments can be arranged. The Center offers workshops on strategies for success in the study of mathematics, use of graphing calculators, and has a library of supplementary textbooks for student use. Visit the center web site at http:// www.wcu.edu/mathlab/ or call 828-227-2300 for information.

Student Technology Assistance Center. The Student Technology Assistance Center offers assistance to students based on their individual needs. Students needing help with word processing, spread sheets, databases, electronic presentations, campus network tools (such as WIN, MyCat, VAX/VMS, etc.), or the Internet (such as web browsers, web page design assistance, newsgroups, e-mail, chat, etc.), can stop by or call for an appointment. Although appointments are not required, they can be beneficial for the student by ensuring one-on-one appointment time. Check the Web site at http://www.wcu.edu/techassist/ for more information and for dates and times of workshops.

Catamount Academic Tutoring Center The Catamount Academic Tutoring Center is designed to ensure the academic success of all Western Carolina University students by offering free peer tutoring, workshops, and other resources to improve learning. Trained peer tutors facilitate small-group sessions for most 100 and 200-level classes. Tutors offer strategies for effective study and efficient time management, and they facilitate collaborative groups in which each student is involved with actively exploring and learning the material. Visit the CAT Center website (http://www.wcu.edu/catcenter) or call 828-227-2274 to schedule a tutoring session or to learn more about workshop offerings in areas such as Time Management, Note Taking, Goal Setting, and Exam Preparation.

New Student Orientation. To make the transition to college life easier, Western offers orientation programs for new students and their families. Students attending orientation have a chance to meet other new students, talk to their professional academic adviser, and register for their classes. Orientation is the time for students and family members to become familiar with the academic demands of the university, to meet the faculty, and to learn more about the concerns that accompany campus life. For more information, call 828-227-7087.

The Office of Special Programs/Teaching Fellows Program. The Office of Special Programs/Teaching Fellows Program in the College of Education and Allied Professions assists in organizing special events in the college (e.g., student recruitment activities, scholarship awards) and coordinates the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program for the university.

The Office of Professional Examinations oversees administrations of the Graduate Record Examination (subject tests only), the Praxis Series, Scholastic Aptitude Test, ACT, Law School Admission Test, and the National Counselor Examination. Visit the website at http://www.wcu.edu/catcenter/OPE.html for registration and exam-preparation information.

For information about the Miller Analogies Test, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Institutional SAT, or the verbal portion of the SAT (for pre-nursing students), call 227-3264.