From the time of your acceptance to your first steps on campus, and subsequent years until your graduation, you can count on receiving ongoing support through our variety of programs and activities, including coaching and mentoring, walk-in appointments, study hall support, connections, and immediate referrals to other campus resources, workshops, special events, and much, much more.
The Learning Resource and Testing Center
The Learning Resource and Testing Center provides sophisticated systems and applications in a stable, secure computing environment. The Learning Resource Center and Testing Center's goal is to assist in the overall mission of the college, in fostering excellence in teaching to facilitate the enhancement of learning, by supplying vital technological services.
The Quantitative Skills Center
The Quantitative Skills Center helps students achieve academic success in courses that contain quantitative reasoning. Our services include traditional tutoring and online resources. We are more than a "math center". A math center primarily helps with math courses. We provide help for anyone who needs academic support for a quantitative question regardless of the course. Thus, we support not only math courses but also selected science, business, and social science courses.
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
Supplemental Instruction (SI) targets historically difficult courses to improve student performance and retention by offering review sessions facilitated by student tutors (SI leaders) who have taken and aced the course in the past. In the study sessions, SI students will "integrate what to learn with how to learn" by applying appropriate learning strategies such as problem-solving, flashcard games, and other course content games and graphic organizational skills integrated within the targeted course content.
The University Writing Center offers free writing assistance to writers in all disciplines and at all levels across the WSSU campus. The Center houses a library of writing references.
The Student Success Center also includes a WritingCenter staffed by WSSU faculty members and student tutors to assist students to improve their skills to create effective papers and presentations. The B.O.S.S. TRIO/ Student Success Services Program (Building Outstanding
Student Success) provide unique services to students receiving Pell Grants, are first-generation college students,s and/or have a documented disability. B.O.S.S. also provides workshops that are available to the general student population.
Hill Hall has created an open environment that encourages academic development through individual or group studies. Students enjoy Wi-Fi access throughout the center or can use two computer labs along with access to special computer monitoring stations and meeting rooms for use in group study situations.
MORE ABOUT THE ACADEMIC ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
Student-athletes are strongly encouraged to utilize the University College & Lifelong Learning tutoring service to supplement classroom instruction and out-of-class instructor assistance. Regularly scheduled tutoring sessions for various subjects are scheduled throughout each weekday but individual sessions can be scheduled.
Hill Hall also serves as the location for the Academic Enhancement Program for Student-Athletes (the required study hall program). It is mandatory for all freshmen to participate in a minimum of 8 hours of studies in the Student Success Center @ Hill Hall per week during the academic year. Transfers enrolled in initial semesters at WSSU and all returning student-athletes having a grade point average below 2.5 are required to conduct the same minimum of 8 hours of study in the center. Each participant will work with their Academic Success Counselor to create an individual study hall schedule that works around their class schedule and athletic activities. The study hall schedule can also include utilizing UCaLL services such as tutoring, being assisted by the Writing Center staff, or participation in enrichment programs. Each student must record their study hall time into a computerized database that is used to create weekly reports submitted to their coaches and Athletic Department personnel.
CLASS CONFLICTS/PRACTICE/COMPETITION
Prior to registering for classes, each student-athlete must discuss with their faculty advisor or Academic Success Counselor the impact of practice/competition schedules on their academic studies with particular attention given to any conflict with class schedules. All schedules are designed to minimize any class conflicts while enrolling in courses required for completion of their degree program. If an athletic activity creates an unavoidable conflict, the Academic Success Counselor works with the student-athlete to notify the instructors of impacted courses so that any missed assignments/tests/exams can be submitted in a timely manner. This is also communicated with the Office of the Provost for approval of the class absence but the final responsibility for the missed work rests with the student-athlete.
REGISTRATION, CLASS ATTENDANCE & ADHERENCE TO DEADLINES
Due to the time demands of practice, competition, and travel schedules, student-athletes are given the privilege of registering for classes before their classmates. To start registration for upcoming semesters, the student-athlete must meet their faculty advisor or Academic Success Counselor to select courses that meet degree requirements and to obtain access to the Rams Banner On-Line to register for those courses. Student-athletes at the junior or senior level are strongly encouraged to take advantage of early registration. Due to required classes having either limited seats or being offered only during specific semesters, it is imperative that senior and junior student-athletes meet with ASC’s. Any student-athletes registering after the system closes will be responsible for any late registration fees.
Success in the classroom requires class attendance. WSSU student-athletes must make class attendance a top priority and attend all scheduled classes. They are also expected to submit all assignments by the deadlines established by their instructors. While the definition of excessive absences, as well as the penalty for such absences, may vary with the nature of the course and instructor, it is the student's responsibility to learn and observe the rules governing each class using their course syllabi or the Blackboard online system. These are elements crucial to academic success; poor class attendance and missed deadlines are major factors in nearly all cases of academic failure and can be avoided.
TRAVEL EXCUSES
WSSU coaches are responsible for providing written verification for student-athletes who will be missing class time due to their representation of the university in intercollegiate athletic competitions. Class absences created by athletic competition must be approved by the Office of the Provost prior to the travel and/or preparation for the event. Nevertheless, the method of making up work is still at the discretion of each instructor.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each student-athlete to consult with his or her instructors PRIOR to making an athletic trip. It is best if the student-athlete meets with each instructor beforehand to clarify assignments that might be missed and to confirm deadlines for taking missed exams or submitting assignments, presentations, and projects. Travel excuses are not to be used as a justifiable reason for not meeting class responsibilities clearly outlined by the instructor.
STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC PROGRESS MONITORING AND REPORTING SYSTEM
Winston-Salem State utilizes the GradesFirst system to monitor the academic progress of each student. GradesFirst allows faculty members to share academic performance in their class with Academic Success Counselors, and for student-athletes, the coaching staff, and Athletic Department representatives. This includes periodic reports of excessive class absences and/or missing assignments, midterm grades, and other instructor concerns. The system services are a record for any identified problems and provide a link for strategies to address any shortcomings that appropriate personnel can access. GradesFirst is also used to record AEP hours and participation in any UCaLL program or service.
Any student-athlete having academic warning or academic probation status is required to meet once a week with their assigned Academic Success Counselor along with AEP study hall participation. These meetings will establish a plan for regaining good academic status and a way to monitor that plan throughout the semester. It also allows the student-athlete to utilize resources such as tutoring and the Writing Center for academic success. It is all designed to create an academic and athletic champion.
Athletic Department coaches and staff have access to all information regarding the academic performance of their athletes and adherence to established academic policies. A partnership is established with the Academic Success Counselor for their respective sport to keep track of each student-athlete and contribute to their academic progress. In addition to weekly reports regarding study hall attendance, other periodic reports are submitted by the UCaLL staff regarding progress toward a degree that can also be used to determine compliance with NCAA eligibility rules.
