The institution provides appropriate academic support services. (Academic Support Services)

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Narrative: Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCtech) provides appropriate academic support services as referenced on pages 49-71 of the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Catalog, 2004. These services assist students in achieving personal and academic objectives. Comprehensive services are available to students via direct delivery of services by both faculty and staff. A variety of technological resources is utilized to deliver services. The College evaluates the use and effectiveness of these services through student utilization reports, student surveys, and course grade distribution reports. The need for programs and services is also addressed through the annual OCtech strategic planning process. Academic support services are funded through a combination of local College funds, state funds, and federal funds. A discussion of comprehensive academic student support services that are available to students at OCtech follows.

LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER

The Learning Resource Center (LRC), at the heart of the OCtech campus, provides a host of academic support services to both students and faculty. The LRC is discussed in greater detail in Compliance Report Narrative 3.8.1: Facilities and Instructional Support Services, in Compliance Report Narrative 3.8.2: Access to Instruction in Use, and Compliance Report Narrative 3.8.3: Qualified Staff. The LRC supports the learning needs of the student body by providing access to primary and secondary learning resources in print, audiovisual, and electronic formats and provides assistance in the development of skills necessary for the effective use of those resources. Access to resources includes items immediately available on campus, supplied over the Internet or electronic databases, and delivered or transmitted from another location.

Information about the LRC services is distributed through the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Catalog, the College’s public website, and the OCtech Student Handbook, as well as other support publications.

DISTANCE LEARNING HELP DESK

The Distance Learning Help Desk works to help students succeed in their distance learning classes. The Information Resources Consultant, as part of staffing the Distance Learning Help Desk, is responsible for conducting distance learning orientation for students taking distance learning courses. The orientations provide students with email, phone, and face-to-face support for students taking online courses, or using WebCT in traditional classes. The Information Resources Consultant is available to assist students from 8-5 Monday through Thursday, and 8-1:30 on Friday. The Help Desk answers questions about distance learning course offerings, orientation schedules, and technical issues related to WebCT, the OCtech online course delivery software.

TUTORING SERVICES

Tutoring Services are available at no cost to all students at OCtech. Tutoring services are funded in part by the Student Transitional Education Program (STEP) program and by Perkins Grant Funding. Tutoring services are conducted in the Tourville Lab and are scheduled by appointment in both individual and small group sessions. Tutoring is available to students in a variety of subject areas that include both general education and technical education courses.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Academic Advising services are available to assist students in fulfilling academic needs. Advising Services are coordinated through the Student Services Division. The purpose is to assist students in planning program and course selections to meet educational objectives. Advisor lists are provided to each academic department through the Office of the Registrar. Students are assigned faculty advisors during their first term of enrollment at the College, and advisors conduct formal academic counseling sessions with students by appointment during each semester’s published pre-registration period. During the advising process, the diverse ability levels of OCtech students are closely evaluated based on placement test scores, prior academic performance, personal priorities, educational objectives, and career goals. The result is increased probability of the student's achieving personal and academic objectives. The College also operates a formal Advising Center that is staffed with the Academic Advising Coordinator and faculty volunteers. A comprehensive manual is available to assist volunteers with serving students from all programs of study who seek the services of the Advising Center.

The Advising Center is open to serve students during exam periods at the end of the term and during the add/drop period after the start of each semester when faculty are unavailable for advising services. In addition to advising services available to students, the Coordinator for Advising Services provides advisor training each semester to faculty and staff at the College. In-depth advisor training is available to new faculty members, and refresher training is provided to faculty as needed or as requested.

The Advising Center served approximately 1,100 students in the fall of 2004 during a two-week period (exam week prior to the term’s end and during the add/drop period after the new term’s beginning date). The Advising Center Utilization Report reflects service activity for the past three years. The Advising Center position and services were established in 2001. Prior to that date, advising services were coordinated within each academic division. Two paraprofessionals in the Advising Center work with new and returning students who are unsure about career aspirations and/or are not achieving at their potential in technical programs at OCtech. Students are provided with individual academic and career guidance opportunities to ensure that they have a strong knowledge of job tasks as well as needed prerequisites skills. Opportunities for business and industry to showcase careers and for previous students to share their successes are also provided.

STUDENT TRANSITIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Student Transitional Education Program (STEP) is funded under the Department of Education Student Support Services TRIO Grant. The mission of STEP is to support the OCtech mission by providing academic support services to academically under-prepared, low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled students who are eligible for program services. STEP supports the College’s mission by providing academic support services to: 1) students who enter OCtech with academic deficiencies, and 2) students who require intensive academic support to achieve their academic goals. STEP provides both student and academic support services and operates to achieve the following objectives through its supportive services for eligible students:

• Increase retention rates
• Increase graduation rates
• Foster a climate of institutional support
• Facilitate the rate of transfer to four-year institutions for students who choose to earn a bachelor's degree

Serving approximately 250 to 300 students each year, STEP provides the following services: 1) academic, career, and personal counseling, 2) academic tutoring, 3)study skills workshops, 4)cultural activities, and 5) financial aid assistance to eligible participants via grant aid awards.

COLLEGE ORIENTATION 101

College Orientation 101 is a course designed to foster student success during the initial enrollment period at OCtech. In this course, students review and learn College policies and procedures as outlined in the College Catalog and the Student Handbook. They also learn how to prepare for academic success through instruction in time management, effective note taking, reducing test anxiety, and critical thinking skills. This course is recommended for first time college students, students in remedial education, and students who are having academic difficulties. The student’s academic advisor makes a recommendation to enroll in this course.

TOURVILLE LEARNING LAB

Tourville Learning Lab was established to support the academic needs of students and to provide access to the technological resources of the College to the general public. The Lab serves many purposes that include: tutoring services (central location), Internet testing for distance education students, Title IV Ability to Benefit testing site, and accessible location for general access to the web for both students and the general public. Since the opening of the Tourville Lab in April, 2003, over 55,000 visits have been made by students and the general public as outlined in the Tourville Lab Utilization Report. The Lab houses eighty-eight computers with access to network printers, and the PC’s also include academic support resources in particular subject areas to enhance learning opportunities for students.

WEB ADVISOR

Web Advisor is an internet-based service that provides access to each student’s own academic records twenty-four hours per day and seven days per week. Student accounts are activated once the student matriculates at OCtech. Through Web Advisor, students have access to course schedules, personal demographic information, and access to register for classes online. Web Advisor is a secure, password-protected website accessible through the OCtech public website at http://www.octech.edu.

CAMPUS CRUISER

Campus Cruiser is an integrated portal that gives students 24/7 access to campus information, announcements, communication to faculty and other students, and to students in particular classes. This product was made available to students in the Fall 2003 term. Tools available to students to enhance communication with the academic community include: electronic bulletin boards, chat rooms, discussion lists, and personal as well as college calendars. Students can view course syllabi, view grades and progress in specific courses through a secure login to their personal Campus Cruiser accounts. Students also receive an email account through Campus Cruiser. This service provides all OCtech students with a free email account. The access to an email account permits the College to send campus-wide announcements to each student’s email account. Students are assigned a Campus Cruiser login once they matriculate at OCtech. Access to Campus Cruiser is available at http://prod.campuscruiser.com/octech or from the OCtech public website at http://www.octech.edu. Student and faculty utilization continues to increase as the College develops new and innovative strategies to serve students through this media.

SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Services for Students with Disabilities are provided to students to fully comply with section 504 of the 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disability Act. The College is committed to making all program services and College activities accessible to all students. A student services counseling staff member is the designated Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. Policies and procedures are in place to address the needs of applicants and current students. The Coordinator also provides updates to laws and guidance to faculty in order to meet the needs of students who require special accommodations. A faculty handbook has been developed and is revised as needed to assist faculty members in ensuring that students are provided access to academic programs and services. The Coordinator for Students with Disabilities Services works closely with faculty members to ensure that reasonable accommodations are provided for students with documented needs.

SMARTHINKING

SMARTHINKING is an online tutoring service available to all OCtech students twenty-four hours per day and seven days per week. Tutoring is provided in the following subject areas: writing, mathematics, biology, chemistry, accounting, and foreign language. The College provides this service through the support of Perkins Funding. This service is effective with both distance education students and on-campus students.

WRITING AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS STUDIO

In the Spring 2005 term, OCtech opened a Writing and Professional Skills Studio in support of the College’s QEP process involving Service Learning. The Studio’s services will be available to faculty, staff, and students as part of the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan’s emphasis on reflective writing during and after service learning experiences. Because of the importance of writing in student success, the College plans to provide this service to enhance the writing skills of students across a variety of curricula. The Center is staffed with one faculty member and one part-time staff member. Existing faculty and peer tutors also provide volunteer services to students. All services are offered to students at no charge.

Evidence of Support: