Academic Services provides a variety of services to promote academic achievement and enrich student learning. In partnership with faculty, students, and staff, the office supports many of the critical student transitions, which are associated with each of the four undergraduate years. This includes summer orientation programs, major declaration assistance, work with faculty to facilitate student success in the classroom, services for students with disabilities, assistance to students on academic warning or probation, programs that recognize academic achievement, and support to students seeking specialized post-graduation scholarships and fellowships. Academic Services facilitates the procedures of the Board of Academic Standards (BAS) and oversees the operations of the Writing Center, Math Workshop, Foreign Language Learning Center, and the Oral Communications Center.
Early Alert System
Faculty, staff and parents can report student concerns using an Early Alert reporting form. Faculty and staff use the form when they observe any student struggling academically or personally. Parents can use the form to report family or other personal issues that might affect the student's performance or well-being. Academic professionals then contact students to help them get appropriate support.
Supporting Students with Disabilities
Wittenberg University is committed to responding to the needs of students with disabilities as outlined both in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and ADA Amendment Acts (ADAAA) of 2008. We work with students to determine appropriate accommodations and to facilitate implementation of support. Students with disabilities are responsible for providing Academic Services with appropriate documentation of their disability and arranging an appointment to assess their needs. Following the appointment and the review of appropriate documentation, the Director of Accessibility Services will make a determination of eligibility. Once accommodations have been finalized, students will receive letters for each of their professors listing their accommodations. Students are encouraged to communicate the disability and special needs to course professors early in the term; however, this is left entirely to the individual's discretion. Click Here for more information about Accessibility Services
Supporting Students on Academic Probation/Warning
We believe that students on probation need special advising to help them make the fundamental changes that will enable them to become successful. Therefore, students on academic probation are encouraged to meet frequently with their advisers. In addition, first-year students on academic probation or warning are encouraged to complete an assessment and meet with an Academic Services staff member to discuss their adjustment to college life and transition issues that can impact academic performance.
Faculty Advising
Academic advising at Wittenberg is provided by members of the Wittenberg faculty. Basic to Wittenberg's mission is a deep concern for the welfare of each of its students and the education of the whole person. Accordingly, an important responsibility of its faculty is to provide advice for each student about educational, vocational and personal planning. This approach is person-centered, treating each student as a distinct individual. The university also recognizes that personal growth and maturity are reached through acceptance of responsibility. Wittenberg, therefore, affirms the primary responsibility for the pattern and outcome of the student's educational program, while the development of social responsibility lies with each student. Even though advisors are available to help with decisions, students are ultimately responsible for their own academic choices and success. Academic Services and First-Year Seminar Program also provide support to students experiencing academic or personal difficulties that interfere with their academic success.
The Parent Connection
At Wittenberg, we value our relationship with the parents and guardians of our students and you are important members of our community. Several times each academic year, we put together a newsletter to help connect parents to the student experience. The focus of our parent newsletter is to provide information about important deadlines and academic policies, tips for supporting your student, and information on programs and resources that will help you to coach your student to make the most of their Wittenberg experience.
Tutoring
If students need extra support in a class, they should first contact the professor. Most members of the faculty devote much time to out-of-class contact with students, but the student is expected to take the initiative. Information about how to contact available peer tutors is available via links to Academic Learning Centers below.
Wittenberg Academic Learning Centers
Because of the emphasis Wittenberg places on the ability to write well in all disciplines, students find the Writing Center* a valuable resource regardless of their field of study. Student writing advisers provide professional assistance with all types of writing projects, working with writers at every stage of the process: from brainstorming, to drafting, to final editing.
The Math Workshop* provides tutoring for students in all levels of math, ranging from basic math skills to calculus. Students regularly use the workshop as a place to study, both alone and in groups. Students who are having trouble with a math course find that the Math Workshop provides a comfortable and friendly environment where help is readily available if needed.
Equipped with the latest in computer hardware and pedagogical language software, the Language Learning Center is a vital resource. While first and second semester language students are required to spend time in the center as part of their class, many students come independently to work and interact with the large group of tutors, including both native speakers and students returning from overseas.
The Oral Communication Center provides students with direct assistance on oral communication assignments of all types, including formal presentations, discussion/debates, class participation, class leadership and brief oral reports. Working one-on-one with a trained tutor, students can learn how to develop, organize and deliver the content for these assignments effectively.
* Tutoring program certified by the College Reading and Learning Association.
Supplemental Instruction
Certain sections of first-year courses at Wittenberg offer Supplemental Instruction (SI). The SI program provides regularly scheduled, out of-class, peer facilitated sessions. SI sessions are not a simple re-lecture but an interactive, collaborative review of the difficult material in the course. National statistics show that students who participate in SI perform better, often a full letter grade higher, than their non-participating peers in the same course.
Career Services
Career Services helps students make connections: with vocation, with majors, with internships and with potential employers. A student's success in using those connections to find their calling will ultimately depend on the steps they take to build self-knowledge and experience while at Wittenberg. The Career Services Office is a four-year journey that moves students from high school into the world after Wittenberg. Students can take assessments to learn about their interests, skills, abilities and values. The Career Services Office staff can help students bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world and synthesize their experience into a strong resume.