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The Academic Skills Center offers programs to assist students in attaining academic success. The Center recognizes that learning assistance is most effective when developed in the context of the student's strengths and the requirements of specific academic programs. To achieve these goals, the Academic Skills Center offers academic support services and programs for all students as they matriculate at King’s. The Academic Skills Center offers the following support and programs:
The Tutoring Program provides support to King’s students through a variety of tutorial and learning services in our academic courses. To find out more about the tutoring program, please visit the Tutoring Home Page.
The Writing Center at King's is staffed by a director and eight peer tutors who provide one-on-one conferences to any student seeking to improve his or her writing. This service is not limited to students in English classes; the tutors are available to help with any type of writing. Tutors can offer suggestions and advice at all stages of the writing process, from understanding the requirements of an assignment to developing ideas and approaches, organizing material, and writing clearly, coherently, and correctly.
Writing center tutors do not tell students what to say or how to say it. They do not write papers for students, and they are not a proofreading service. Their goal is to help writers reach their own goals and to provide whatever assistance they can to make the task of writing more rewarding and the results more effective.
Start your first semester this summer through the College Entry Program at King's. The College Entry Program prepares students for the challenges of college life. Each summer students with a variety of interests and majors take advantage of the College Entry Program to master academic skills, to build self-confidence, and to experience college life.
- Advantages of the College Entry Program
Start your first semester this summer through the College Entry Program at King's. The College Entry Program prepares students for the challenges of college life. Each summer students with a variety of interests and majors take advantage of the College Entry Program to master academic skills, to build self-confidence, and to experience college life. The College Entry Program can offer these advantages.
- Advantage 1
Accelerated college program. College Entry permits students to earn up to six college credits in the CORE curriculum at King's. Each three-credit course, successfully completed, is applicable to the first year of study.
- Advantage 2
Small class size. College Entry classes are limited to fifteen students to ensure a maximum learning environment. College Entry faculty know their students and work with them to develop course competency and academic confidence.
- Advantage 3
Smooth transition from high school to college. Academic support staff and career planning professionals are available to assist College Entry students in developing time management skills, study strategies, library research skills, and career planning strategies.
- Advantage 4
Priority advisement and planning. College Entry provides students with the opportunity to assess academic potential and to plan an individualized fall schedule with the professional advisement staff.
- Advantage 5
Successful outcomes. College Entry Students consistently achieve grades which equal or surpass those of classmates in later semesters.
The First Year Academic Studies Program (FASP) is specially designed to assist learning disabled students matriculating at King’s College. The three-step program focuses on developing course-related learning strategies, self-advocacy skills, and self-confidence for first-year students.
FASP is affiliated with the college’s Academic Skills Center, which coordinates a diverse network of academic services including a Tutoring Program, a Writing Center, Learning Strategies Workshop Program, a summer College Entry Program, and advocacy for special needs for students.
The Program recognizes that the first year of college is a year of transition for learning disabled students. The need for independence and self-confidence must be balanced with the development of successful strategies for learning and self-advocacy. To facilitate this transition, the First Year Academic Studies Program enrolls students in regular Core classes at the college, but supports each class with a structured, supplementary program of course-specific learning strategies.
Students accepted in the First Year Academic Studies Program will meet individually and in small groups with a Learning Disability Specialist who will design a program of learning strategies to meet the specific learning profile of each student. A minimum of three meetings a week are scheduled in the fall semester and one meeting in the spring semester. Students are taught skills which they learn to adapt directly to courses to help them better. The approach varies, depending upon the course.
Support during the first year is more intense. Subsequent years are less intense, allowing the LD student to develop more independence. As students matriculate the first year, counselors will continue services such as untimed tests, as needed.
In addition, the Learning Disability Specialist and other Academic Skills staff will act as advocates for the students in the first year and mentor students as they develop self-advocacy skills. Toward the end of the first year, they learn to be advocates for themselves and achieve a level of independence for their specific needs.
Students also are counseled in selecting the best occupations for them to pursue.
- Special Orientation Program
- Specialized training on transition to college for learning disabled students
- Learning Strategies Workshop Program (facilitated by the Director of the Academic Skills Center)
- Time Management
- Organizational Strategies
- Memory Strategies
- Note-taking Strategies
- Test-taking Strategies
Learning Strategies Workshops will be offered in both Fall and Spring Semesters
Core 150 Human Behavior and Social Institutions - Fall Semester -- First Year
Core 100 Critical Thinking - Fall Semester -- Second Year
A fourth hour session per week with a Learning Specialist will be scheduled for these Courses. The fourth hour will focus on the application of specific learning strategies for each course.
The First Year Academic Studies Program is a supplemental program of assistance in addition to tuition and fees.
Fall Semester
CORE 099 — Thinking and Writing (Writing I)*
CORE 150 — Human Behavior and Social Institutions*
CORE 130 — American Civilization*
CORE 115 — Effective Oral Communication**
Spring Semester
CORE 110 — Effective Writing (Writing II)*
CORE 132 — Twentieth Century Global Perspectives
CORE 100 — Critical Thinking
CORE or Major Course
* A fourth class meeting per week with a Learning Specialist will be scheduled. The fourth session will focus on the application of specific learning strategies for each course.
Students applying for the First Year Academic Studies Program must complete the following process:
- Applicants must complete an application for admissions to King’s and a supplemental application for the Freshman Academic Studies Program.
- Applicants must submit a current psycho educational evaluation including a Wais-R and three letters of recommendation.
- Applicants must interview with the Director of the Academic Skills Center.
Application deadline is April 1.
For more information on how a disabled student can make the most of his or her college years, contact:
Jacintha Burke
Director
Academic Skills Center
Phone: 570.208.5800
E-mail: jaburke@kings.edu
A student with a disability is continually challenged to maximize their educational potential. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 guarantee the rights of all students to equal access to an education which is limited only by personal ability and not by physical or psychological disability.
The goal of the King's College Disability Services Program is to maximize a student's educational potential while helping them develop and maintain independence. The program philosophy is one that encourages self-advocacy.
Any student with a disability who is considering King's College is eligible for a comprehensive pre-admission interview and is offered information on services and resources of King's Disability Services.
New students are provided with priority scheduling that allows them to schedule their classes at a given location or at certain times of the day, if needed.
Academic testing accommodations and proctoring for special needs are available. Students are provided with assistance, as needed, with orientation, registration, on-campus housing arrangements, tutoring, and contact with faculty regarding academic accommodations.
A pre-college summer program provides students with a transition to college academics (3 or 6 academic credits available.) Extended time and distraction-free environment for exam taking are also available.
A collection entitled, "Career Resources for Disabled Students," is located in the Career Planning and Placement Office, which also provides career exploration and job search skills training.
King's Disability Services provides a liaison role with community resources, including the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania Blindness and Visual Services, and Recording for the Blind.
Services are available to any member of the King's community - student, faculty, or staff member - who has a disability. Individuals eligible for service include, but are not limited to, those with mobility, orthopedic, hearing, vision, or speech impairments, as well as those with learning disabilities. Individuals with temporary disabilities, such as those resulting from injury or surgery, are also eligible for services.
- Physical orientation to the campus
- Regularly-scheduled sessions with Academic Skills Staff to coordinate individual support services
- Taping of textbooks and other written materials not available through Recording for the Blind (RFB)
- Visual Tech magnifying machine in library
- Assistance with identifying readers
- Technical assistance in adapting materials and requirements with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Blindness and Visual Services (BVS)
- Referral and liaison services with BVS and RFB
- Orientation to accessibility features of all campus buildings, including accessible entrances, curb cuts, modified restrooms, computer lab adaptations and power door openers
- Disability parking permits and parking spaces
- Regularly-scheduled sessions with Academic Skills Staff to coordinate individual support services
- Referral for accessible housing on or off campus and for personal care attendant needs
- Liaison services with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)
- Regularly-scheduled sessions with Academic Skills Staff to facilitate individual support services
- Coordination between student and faculty regarding the use of assistive devices (tape recorders, auditory trainers, etc.)
- Assistance in locating note-takers
- Liaison with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
- Regularly-scheduled meetings with Academic Skills Staff to monitor academic progress and to coordinate individual support services
- Referral and liaison services with books on tape services provided through Recording for the Blind (RFB)
- Taping of textbooks not available through RFB
- Coordination with student and faculty of assistive devices (tape recorders, spell-checkers, talking calculators)
- Individual development of academic support strategies (time management, note-taking strategies, textbook reading skills, test-taking)
- Individual assistance with organizing, composing and revising writing assignments.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL LEARNING
- Plan a realistic schedule. If reading or math is a problem, do not schedule all reading or math classes during the same quarter. Consider a reduced course load.
- Use priority scheduling to plan breaks that will facilitate your mobility and transportation needs between classes.
- Plan ahead (at least one quarter in advance) for use of taped textbooks. Find out through the course department what books you will need to have on tape.
- Plan your transportation needs and routes prior to the first day of classes. Orientate yourself to buildings and classrooms or seek individual orientation from a friend.
- Discuss your disability and appropriate accommodations with your instructor at the beginning of each semester. Complete upon testing accommodations form.
- Meet with your instructor to discuss academic problems. He or she may be able to explain an unfamiliar concept, refer you for tutoring, or be willing to meet with you more regularly.
- Plan ahead for exams. If you require testing assistance, make arrangements with our office at least five days before the exam.
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