ACADEMIC ADVISING AND TUTORING

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences are assigned to a faculty member in the student’s declared major to serve as an academic advisor. Students are required to meet with the academic advisor each semester to discuss course selections and address concerns. General Studies and General Science students are advised by a member of the Office of the Dean until the major is declared. The Application for Graduation should be completed one semester before the expected graduation date.

TUTORING

The College of Arts & Sciences provides small group tutoring sessions for select courses. Tutoring sessions are open to all undergraduate students, regardless of major. Tutors are upperclassmen that have been recommended by the department chairperson. Under special circumstance, one-on-one tutoring is available upon request.

COLLEGE TRANSITION PROGRAM

The College Transition Program (CTP) is a year-long program for incoming College of Arts and Sciences students who meet selected criteria.  Extra assistance and support is given to these students throughout their first year to assist them in successfully transitioning to college level coursework.  The goal of the program is to give students who may struggle with the adjustment to college the extra assistance and resources they need to succeed at Ohio Northern University and graduate with a degree.

By meeting individually with students, recommending specialized courses, monitoring academic progress, and providing access to the variety of services offered throughout the University, the CTP partners with students as they work to become academically successful at Ohio Northern University.

When students have questions, concerns or problems, the CTP should be their first step towards getting answers.

WHAT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR?

Prior to Classes Starting

• The CTP Coordinator places students in specialized classes designed to assist with academic success in college and in appropriate major and general education courses.
• The CTP Coordinator contacts students for an initial meeting to occur during the first 3 weeks of the term.

During the Academic Year

At the first meeting, the Coordinator…

• Reviews the purpose of the CTP
• Reviews the student’s schedule
• Introduces University resources
• Discusses tips for student success
• Reviews use of an academic planner
• Addresses any questions or concerns the student may have
• Schedules follow-up meetings

At the bi-weekly meetings throughout the year, the Coordinator and student…

• Review the student’s academic progress and success, as reported by the student and the student’s professors
• Address any academic concerns
• Discuss helpful campus services and study skills techniques

During registration periods, CTP students receive guidance with course selection.

• Each CTP student should enroll as a full time student with a complete course load.
• Each CTP student has an academic adviser in his or her major department who will assist with course selection.
• The CTP Coordinator reviews student schedules and addresses any concerns.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, AND COURSES FOR CTP STUDENTS

• The trained peer tutors of The Writing Center aid students in developing writing skills by working with them one-on-one.
• Free tutoring is provided for select courses through the College of Arts and Sciences.
• An Introduction to College Writing course (AASG 0991) is required for students with an English ACT score of 16 or below (SAT verbal score below 410).
• An Introduction to College Reading course (AASG 0971) is required for students enrolled in AASG 0991 and for students with a Reading ACT score of 18 or below.
• A Study Skills course (AASG 0961) is required of all students admitted into the College Transition Program.

CONTACT

Michelle Falke is the College Transition Program Coordinator. She joined Ohio Northern University in 2016 as assistant to the dean for special programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Science Education degree from the University of Dayton. Michelle can be reached at m-falke@onu.edu.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

The College of Business assigns academic advisors in August for incoming freshmen and transfer students. All members of the college’s full time faculty are responsible for student advising. The faculty receive periodic training related to academic advising, particularly involving curricular topics and changes.

TUTORING

Student tutoring is provided on an as needed basis in the principles of accounting and economics  courses. Please contact your professor or the associate dean if you are in need of support.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Beginning with registration for the freshman fall quarter, each student is partnered with an engineering faculty member for course registration and academic performance advising. Students in special situations may be assigned to work with the assistant dean of admissions and advising. Students’ high school transcripts are carefully screened for math and science classes, in addition to ACT/SAT performance scores. Based on this and a possible calculus readiness test, the advisor assigns students to appropriate freshman physics and calculus course sequences to promote solid knowledge in these fundamental areas. The faculty advisor continues meeting with each student at least once per quarter to ensure proper sequencing of topics and completion of graduation requirements. Students also are provided with a Bear Tracks 101 Registration and Advising Handbook, which contains useful information from calculator and computer policies to curriculum requirements for various majors and minors within the college.

TUTORING

We strive to meet the educational needs of all our students. Tutoring is often key to assisting students as they master new material. All faculty at the university maintain a minimum of five office hours per week, and class sizes are small enough that students can easily ask questions within lecture sessions. If further help is required, students are encouraged to make an appointment to meet with their professor. Free student-led tutoring sessions are available for courses offered within the College of Arts and Sciences. Also, the engineering honorary society, Tau Beta Pi, provides weekly tutoring sessions on freshman and sophomore year engineering course topics. An additional unique feature of the College of Engineering is the common freshman core course sequence for engineering majors. These core courses allow students to quickly form study groups since they have three of their four courses in common each quarter. This peer support assists students as they transition from high school study habits to the more independent college study environment. The peer support network will continue throughout the upper-level courses due to the highly residential nature of the campus, and the team-based environment of laboratory and design problems within the college.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

The College of Pharmacy assigns academic advisors to students at the beginning of their first year. Students are notified in their first POP class and are asked to meet with their advisor prior to scheduling. Advisors are trained by the college and receive periodic updates on student progress and/or early warning advisories. The student retains this advisor until they complete their fifth year. At this time, advising transfers to the Office of Experiential Education within the college.

TUTORING

The College of Pharmacy provides student tutors in all subject areas. The student tutoring program is student managed and operates on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays in RE 212 from 6-9 p.m. Tutors are hired based on their application, academic standards and interviews. Tutors are available during the hours of the tutoring center unless approved by the director of pharmacy student affairs. Contact information for all tutors is available in the College of Pharmacy dean's office.