The mission of the Department of Academic Success is to enhance the likelihood of students successfully completing their studies at the Institute. To this end, academic support functions are integrated and delivered comprehensively and seamlessly.
To ensure students’ needs are addressed, Polytechnic has coordinated services among all areas reporting to the Department of Academic Success and key offices overseen by the Division of Student Affairs. To meet the department’s mission, faculty are also involved in its activities.
The Department of Academic Success addresses a range of needs for first-year students—from proper course placement to advisement and monitoring and to tutoring. In addition, referrals and advocacy are provided. The department oversees the following academic support offices and services: Freshman Programs, Academic Advisement Center (AAC), the General Studies Program, the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Special Services—TRIO Program and the Polytechnic Tutoring Center (PTC).
For more information about the department, visit www.poly.edu/academics/support.
Freshman Programs
The Institute is committed to improving the persistence and performance of first-year students by helping them to acclimate to their academic discipline, its associative culture and student life. The office is the primary contact for first-year student issues and offers diverse and dynamic collaborative efforts with constituencies across the campus community. These partnerships provide a great sense of cohesion to the programs and services that meet the needs of first-year students. Programs and services offered include first-year advisement, faculty-student mentoring, early alert and academic probation initiatives, first-year instructors meetings and parent outreach. (See Section on “Programs and Services for the First-Year Students ” for an expanded description of the programs and services in this area.)
Academic Advisement Center
The mission of the Academic Advisement Center (AAC) is to provide centralized advising for all incoming, matriculated first-year students. The staff advises students on major requirements and Institute regulations and refers them to campus resources. In addition, academic advisers advocate for students with Polytechnic offices and help students deal with issues affecting them. Students are assigned advisers in their major departments after the first year.
Students may make an appointment or drop in to see their adviser. Advisement sessions cover an array of topics, including major requirements, Institute regulations and life-skills development. The center refers students to campus resources for additional support and guidance in an effort to address any Institute-related issues affecting them. In addition, academic advisers advocate for first-year students with the offices of the Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Accounts and Admissions, as well as other offices.
In conjunction with the Office of Academic Affairs, the center directs the review of first-year students’ progress to determine academic standing. The academic advisers make decisions on eligibility for the Dean’s List, academic probation and disqualification of first-year students and notify them of their academic standing. Students on probation are directed to meet regularly with their advisers to discuss their situation and learn how to make improvements to return to good academic standing. All first-year, first-time probationary students must enroll in and attend SL 1020, Academic Skills Seminar.
For more information about the center, visit www.poly.edu/academics/support/academic.
General Studies Program
The General Studies (GS) Program provides proactive support for students, allowing them an opportunity to matriculate and successfully obtain a science-, engineering, humanities- and management-based education. To ensure student success, General Studies students receive a broad variety of services, beginning with a mandatory summer program before the start of their freshman year and continuing throughout the academic year with mandatory, weekly tutoring and advisement sessions. Once admitted into Polytechnic, students must successfully participate in the program for one year before they are allowed to officially declare their major. Advanced Placement (AP) and transfer credits may not be used toward the completion of GS Program requirements. For additional information, please refer to “Special Programs ,” in this catalog or visit www.poly.edu/general-studies.
Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
The Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is a New York State-funded program that provides broad and varied educational instruction to capable students who, because of limited academic and financial resources, might otherwise not have the opportunity to attend Polytechnic. Once admitted to the HEOP program, students receive financial assistance, counseling, tutoring, advisement and other support services during their college career. HEOP’s goal is to retain and graduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in engineering and science. More information on HEOP is included in “Special Programs ,” in this catalog or, visit www.poly.edu/academics/support/heop.
Office of Academic Affairs
The office reviews all undergraduate students’ progress each semester to determine academic standing. Decisions are made on eligibility for the Dean’s List, academic probation, disqualification and appeals of academic disqualifications. Notifications for all academic actions are e-mailed to students and their academic departments and Institute support offices.
This office also coordinates evaluations of transfer credits in cooperation with the Office of Admissions and academic departments. The Office of Academic Affairs also serves as liaison between the Office of Undergraduate Academics and undergraduate advisers to ensure uniformity of advising practices. The staff also assists the Dean with articulation agreements with other universities.
Office of Special Services - Trio Program
The Office of Special Services is a federally funded TRIO program that provides a wide range of support services to low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities. The mission of the Office of Special Services-TRIO program is to enhance the likelihood that students accepted into the program will successfully complete the academic programs at the Institute.
The TRIO program provides eligible students with a variety of free and confidential tutoring, academic counseling and other support services to enhance students’ academic performance and maximize their potential, including:
Individualized Tutoring
The office staff assigns qualified upper-classmen to tutor students one-on-one in physics, math, biology, chemistry and computer science. Students meet weekly throughout the semester with an assigned tutor, who addresses their individual concerns about the course. Small-group review sessions in upper-level courses are also scheduled for students throughout the semester and a variety of study aids, instructional software and other resources are available to participating students.
Academic Counseling
Academic counseling is available to help students manage the academic challenges of Institute life. The office offers individualized study-skills advisement and workshops on various topics, including goal setting, time management and test taking. These academically related skills assist students to master the technical curriculum at Polytechnic. The office also provides career guidance and testing and arranges on-site visits and tours to help students explore opportunities when they graduate.
Social Integration Activities
The program schedules cultural and educational workshops and trips throughout the academic year to help students acclimate to the Institute and develop peer support networks.
Financial Assistance
The program provides eligible students with financial assistance through grants and scholarships.
For more information about the Office of Special Services-TRIO Program, visit www.poly.edu/academics/support/trio.
Polytechnic Tutoring Center (PTC)
The Polytechnic Tutoring Center (PTC) offers a range of academic support services to all registered Polytechnic students. Tutoring is offered for the biology, chemistry, computer science and physics courses for first- and second-year students. Tutoring is provided on a drop-in basis as well as through exam-review sessions.
The PTC also includes the Writing Center, where students receive help with college-level writing, reading and speaking assignments and with English-language mastery. The Writing Center is open to Polytechnic students at any level, from first-year undergraduates through doctoral candidates. Writing Center staff work with students individually and in small groups.
Tutors are carefully selected and trained. They include undergraduate peer tutors, graduate students and instructors. Tutors know their subjects well and understand where students may have difficulty. They are skilled at explaining material in a variety of ways for maximum comprehension. All students’ questions are respected; no question is too basic to ask. The PTC also helps students improve their learning skills in order to become more successful in college and throughout their careers.
PTC services are free of charge. For more information about the center, visit www.poly.edu/academics/support/polytechnic. |
