Support for Academic Skills and Subjects

The Tutoring Center offers individual peer tutoring in specific courses in the following formats: Satellite Tutoring Center locations across campus available by appointment, College House tutoring, and course-based student-led workshops and weekly review sessions, and end of semester special events tutorials. Check the Tutoring Center website for schedules, locations and times. The Old Exam File gives students access to faculty-approved online exams (without answers) for many courses. This service is intended for use by students as a study tool only, coupled with peer tutoring.

The Weingarten Learning Resources Center provides academic support through a varied menu of services and programs, including:

• Individual instruction with a learning instructor.
• Print information: self-help pamphlets, handouts, and calendar tools for independent use.
• Interactive workshops.
• Collaborative university programs.

The Marks Family Writing Center offers friendly, expert writing help to Penn undergraduate and graduate students. Writing tutors are trained to help students write with greater skill and confidence.

The School of Arts and Sciences provides a wide range of support services and resources for student computing. See the SAS Computing website for details. Members of the Penn community are also advised to read the University's suggestions for protecting computers and information against hackers, viruses, and other threats.

Email: Students in the College receive an SAS email address which they forward to an outside provider such as PennLive, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. See SAS Computing for further information.

Language Direct is a program of the Penn Language Center that offers peer tutoring for students who want to improve their competence in a variety of languages. Visit the website to see which languages are currently offered. The program offers both online help and drop-in tutoring services

Of the 15 University libraries, Van Pelt Library is the primary library for students in the arts and sciences, providing access to databases, full-text electronic journals and reference sources that are not freely available through public search engines.

For help navigating Van Pelt Library's wealth of resources, students may take a tour of Van Pelt, drop in during walk-in hours, schedule a one-on-one appointment with a reference librarian in a particular subject area, or set up an IM chat with a librarian. For those who prefer to do it themselves, Van Pelt offers:

• PORT (Penn online Research Tutorial): an online guide to the research process at Penn that offers help on locating and evaluating information, avoiding plagiarism and citing sources.
• Research Basics: a good starting points for research in a variety of disciplines.
• IM Chat: where librarians are available to answer questions.
• One-on-One Appointments

The David B. Weigle Information Commons (WIC), in the Van Pelt Dietrich Library Center, supports collaborative learning and group activities using the latest technologies. WIC offers training, equipment and support for technology, research and digital media creation. Through its program partners, WIC also hosts student support services for writing, public speaking, study strategies and time management. WIC includes Data Diner booths, group study rooms, alcoves, a high-tech seminar room and the Vitale Digital Media Lab. There is also an extensive calendar of workshops and training opportunities.

Here are some great resources for this busy time.

PennCAP, the Pennsylvania College Achievement Program, offers comprehensive personal and academic support system over a student's entire undergraduate career at Penn.

The program begins with an academic and social summer component, the Pre-Freshman Program, that includes innovative courses designed by faculty from the four undergraduate schools: it prepares approximately 100 selected students for the academic expectations of the University. Subsequently, PennCAP is designed to help participants reach their academic and career goals through a four-year program of academic and personal support, academic program planning, career decision-making, financial advising and cultural enrichment activities.

Services Student Disabilities Services in the Weingarten Learning Resources Center provides comprehensive, professional services and programs for students with disabilities to ensure equal academic opportunities and participation in University-sponsored programs. Professional staff evaluate documentation, determine program eligibility and reasonable accommodations for all qualified students with documented disabilities on an individual basis, including academic accommodations, accessible campus housing, transportation and parking, auxiliary aids, services and the loan of equipment and assistive technologies.

Student Disabilities Services also collaborates with the Office of Learning Resources to provide comprehensive academic support, including learning strategies that complement accommodations, academic adjustments and the use of auxiliary aids.

Students should be referred to Student Disabilities Services (SDS) to self-identify with a learning, physical or psychological disability (including Attention Deficit Disorder), or to bring questions concerning services or help in assessing disabilities.

If a student with a documented disability needs assistance in resolving a disagreement about a reasonable accommodation, he or she can contact the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs at 215.898.6993. (Voice) or 215.898.7803 (TDD).

CaseNet is an academic support team in the College Office charged with providing a centralized response to all College students in academic difficulty.

There are three CaseNet contacts in the College Office, who are available whenever the office is open to respond to concerns about or from students. The contacts are: Kendal Barbee, Angie Estévez and Katrina Glanzer.

The CaseNet contact responds to messages from faculty, staff and others who have concerns about a particular student and can be reached at col-casenet@groups.sas.upenn.edu or by calling 215.898.6341. After meeting with such students directly, the contact will ensure that the student is referred to the appropriate academic or personal support resources and follow up with the student’s advisor as necessary.

The following represent a few examples of cases that should be referred to CaseNet:

• Students who are ill or otherwise prevented from attending class for more than five days.
• Students in serious academic difficulty.
• Students who are hospitalized or who have other kinds of acute problems (victim of crime, etc.) that interrupt their normal schedule.
• Students who are experiencing personal or family concerns significant enough to interfere with their academic work or to impinge on those around them, including a death in the family.

 The CaseNet contact also assists advisors in the College Office when students are requesting a leave of absence or return from leave of absence.