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Student Success

Academic Support Services

The Burton Center for Student Success

The Burton Center for Student Success is a “one-stop-shop” for all academic support. The Burton Center houses the Division of Student Success which includes First Year Programs, Academic Advising, Peer Tutoring/Coaching, Disability Services, Foundation Courses including College Reading, Introduction to College Writing, and Introduction to College Mathematics, and the Academic Success Program.

Our faculty include Dr. Fiona Chrystall, Ms. Laura Padgett, Ms. Faith Shaffner, Ms. Lizette Thompson and Ms. Lella Shaffner. Together with the staff of our tutoring center we strive to provide academic support services that ensure the best possible opportunity for you to succeed at Lees-McRae and beyond!

Tutoring Services

The Burton Center houses our peer tutoring services. Tutoring is available in nearly every discipline (per your request) six days a week. Our hours are from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Sunday. Tutoring is offered on a first come-first served basis and is delivered by highly trained peer tutors who complete a 3-hour credit course, Peer Tutor Seminar, prior to their employment in the Burton Center. The Burton Center offers mid-term and final exam review sessions, writing workshops, academic coaching, learning style assessment, group study sessions, and development of academic action plans all to help you to enhance your academic achievement.

Tutoring Schedule

Apply to be a Peer Tutor/Peer Coach

Any student who would like to apply to be a peer tutor/peer coach in the Burton Center for Student Success must meet the following criteria:

  1. Must complete an application and return to Ms. Laura Padgett.
  2. Must complete an interview with the Director of the Burton Center.
  3. Must have and maintain a cumulative 3.0 grade point average.
  4. Must have a B+ or higher in any course for which you wish to be considered a tutor.
  5. Must have at least one faculty recommendation from a course for which you wish to be considered a tutor.
  6. Must complete SSC 351: Peer Tutor Seminar, a 3-credit hour course which prepares students to become peer tutors and/or peer coaches.

Learning Style Assessment

When you come to the Burton Center for the first time to seek tutoring in any subject, you can expect to complete a Learning Style Assessment before your tutoring session begins. Our tutors are trained to read the results of your assessment and then apply their understanding of your learning style to each tutoring session. For instance, if you are predominantly a vision learner, our tutors are equipped to use visual examples and tools to assist you as you learn. Tutors will also assist you in applying your learning style to your own methods of studying and academic success.

In order to expedite this process you may follow this link to an on-line assessment, complete the assessment, print the results and bring them with you to your first visit to the Burton Center. We will keep your results on file and add them to your profile on the Burton Center Tracking System. Index of Learning Styles Questionaire

C.A.T.S. (Challenging Athletes to Succeed)

NEW! Athletics and Student Success have combined to provide new and improved ways for student-athletes to enhance their academic performance. C.A.T.S (Challenging Athletes to Succeed) is a new program hosted by the Burton Center for Student Success and in collaboration with the NCAA Compliance Department. Student-athletes will take part in guided study labs that will provide guest speakers, career and life workshops, study/learning/time management/organization workshops, group learning opportunities, and much more.

Contact Mr. Jeff Watson, watsonjw@lmc.edu or Mrs. Laura Padgett, padgettl@lmc.edu for more information.

Foundations Program

Program Mission: The mission of the Foundations Program is to provide instruction and academic support to students who are not developmentally ready for the content and/or rigor of the academic requirements of the Core Curriculum in the areas of writing, mathematics, and reading. Central to the program philosophy is the teaching of students in a holistic manner, thereby not only remediating cognitive deficiencies in the discipline areas but also promoting their emotional and intellectual growth as college students.

Upon completion of placement testing, each student will be placed into courses in which he or she has the greatest potential to succeed. Foundations courses are a great starting place for students to be introduced to the rigor of college academics. Students taking one or more of the Foundations courses can expect to find the courses challenging but helpful, the faculty with high expectations but supportive and the experience rigorous but fulfilling. Students may find the sample syllabi for each class below especially helpful in knowing what to expect upon entering this program.

Included in the Foundations Program are three courses:

Academic Success Program

The Academic Success Program at Lees-McRae College was developed many years ago to provide resources and support to students who were struggling to maintain satisfactory academic standing (Please see the Academic Standing Policy in the College Catalog). Included in this program are two courses SSC 188 or 288: Learning Lab (1 -2 credit hours) and SSC 221: Academic Success Strategies (3 credit hours), individual consultations with Student Success faculty, and development of individual academic action plans.

Academic Action Plans are developed through the collaboration of the student and a Student Success faculty member. Each action plan is tailored to address the specific academic needs of the individual student. Together the student and faculty member determine which study, learning or academic strategies need to be developed in order for the student to experience success in their courses. Recommendations for tutoring, group study, learning style assessment, academic or personal counseling and other services are often included in each plan. Any student, regardless of their academic standing, may seek to work out an academic action plan with a member of the Student Success faculty.