Enhanced Academic Resource Center opens at Shorter College

As a joint effort of Shorter College’s academic advising services and the English department, the new Academic Resource Center (ARC) provides Shorter students with additional opportunities for free academic support and assistance.

“This central resource for academic support was created to better serve our students,” said Melissa Tarrant, Shorter’s director of academic advising. “The college is deeply committed to helping all students succeed, and this center is an additional tool that students can utilize.” 

Located in the Bailor Suite of Shorter’s Sheffield-Thompson Building, the Academic Resource Center includes a Peer Tutoring Center and a Writing Center that offer help to any traditional Shorter College student seeking academic resources on the Rome campus. Faculty members may refer students to the ARC, or students may request assistance directly. Peer tutoring is available to students by scheduling appointments through the ARC. Professors and department chairs have selected peer tutors capable of providing academic assistance in most core curriculum courses.  Students can meet for individual appointments or drop in the Tutoring Center during posted hours. Patty Hunter and Cindy McGehee coordinate these tutoring services.

The Writing Center is directed by Jennifer Sikes, assistant professor of English. “While the Writing Center is not a proofreading service, we can help students with writing for any class by offering one-on-one tutoring sessions,” Mrs. Sikes said. “During these sessions, tutors can help a student understand writing or reading assignments, start in the writing process, revise a draft in progress, or apply a teacher’s comments to subsequent assignments. Tutors can identify areas of weakness, such as writing topic sentences, organizing paragraphs, using possessive and passive voice, using transitional techniques, and reaching effective conclusions.”