Ը University’s Academic Success Center continues to grow and evolve with the help of staff, faculty and students, offering a wide range of free services designed to help students succeed.
The center, located in the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, has five main areas of service: peer tutoring, peer-assisted study sessions (PASS), academic coaching, skills workshops and placement testing.
“We really focus on helping students build skills and confidence,” Chris Tankersley, director of the center, told Ը Today. “There’s a common misconception that only struggling students use tutoring, but we’re here for everyone.”
Tutoring at Ը is peer-led, with students who have previously excelled in classes helping others either virtually or in person. Appointments are offered at multiple locations, including the library, residence halls and the center. All services are free and are scheduled through Navigate, the university’s advising and scheduling system.
Peer-Assisted Study Sessions are another popular service, offering three study sessions per week for Kent core classes or upper-division major classes. Like tutoring, these sessions are peer-led, with trained leaders attending the course and facilitating interactive group study sessions.
“They don’t re-lecture,” Tankersley said. “Instead, they create hands-on activities that help students understand the material in a different way.”
The PASS program name and acronym were changed after student feedback indicated confusion about its purpose compared with its previous name.
“The name PASS just made more sense to students, and it aligns with our goal of helping students pass their classes,” Tankersley said.
The center has evolved in recent years, particularly following the pandemic. Prior to 2020, all services were held in person. Since then, virtual options have become permanent.
“We’ve had students from as far as Ը at East-Liverpool schedule virtual appointments,” Tankersley said.
Student employees play a key role in the success of the center, with around 150 students serving as tutors, PASS leaders, coaches and support staff. New student workers are hired through Handshake, the university’s job platform.
Mackenzie Guy, a junior aeronautics major, heard about the job opportunity from her brother and was inspired to get involved.
Guy tutors classes such as Algebra for Calculus and Flight Theory I and II.
“I never thought I'd be the type of person able to teach other people because that's very hard,” Guy said, “I thought about it for a little bit, and I said I would really like to help people out.”
Faculty and staff also play a key role in sharing information about available support, referring students to the center and encouraging them to take advantage of resources. Their involvement helps build stronger connections between the center and the campus community.
“We’re also working to be more present in classrooms and around campus,” Tankersley said. “We do pop-up marketing and classroom visits to raise awareness and remind students they’re not alone.”
The center is looking forward to increasing student usage across academic colleges and expanding the academic coaching program in the upcoming year.
“If faculty have worked with students who have done well in their courses, we love it when they send us their names and recommend them to become tutors, PASS leaders, or peer academic coaches,” Tankersley said.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit the Academic Success Center.