ACADEMIC SUPPORT & SERVICES
Tutoring
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Facilities
The instructional center at Appleby Hall collaborates with the SMART Learning Commons locations on campus. The Center provides group and individual tutoring to University of Minnesota students. The Instructional Center is a place where students can take their time to learn and where students are not afraid to ask questions. It is a place where students study together and develop support groups and lasting friendships.
Studies show that students who attend learning centers achieve better grades and are more successful during their college careers. Peer Learning Consultants offer one-on-one assistance for help in gateway courses and skills such as mathematics, sciences, statistics, economics, writing, and library research. Additional courses are also supported, based on the backgrounds of our Peer Learning Consultant staff in any given semester. Cram Slam offers support in the form of review sessions, individual tutoring and access to previous exams. This event is held before midterms and prior to finals week.
The Instructional Center provides academic support for all students. By using the Instructional Center regularly you will:
- Reduce study time by learning to study more effectively
- Become better prepared for exams by learning concepts and mastering course material
- Develop a more personalized approach to learning
- Develop confidence in your academic abilities
- Have the opportunity to study cooperatively in small groups
In addition to extra instruction for your courses, the IC also offers:
- A complete computer lab with up-to-date hardware and software, as well as access to the Internet
- Professional and Graduate School Preparation Workshops
- Individual and groups study spaces are available in the Center centers for self-directed study on a first come, first served basis.
- The Center also hosts short introductory workshops in Excel, PowerPoint, academic services and skill development, and library resources.
Learning Communities
Student Excellence in Academics and Multiculturalism (SEAM)
Initiated in 1999, (SEAM) provides first-year multicultural students with small learning communities that foster a sense of community and promote academic success. Groups of 15 to 20 students enroll in a cluster of classes with a common theme, such as health sciences, race and ethnicity, Science, Sex, and Society: How do we know what we know?, STEM, and Cross Cultural Perspectives on Drugs. Central to each community is a one- or two-credit seminar taught by faculty and co-instructors. SEAM is a collaboration with College of Liberal Arts Martin Luther King Jr. Program, College of Biological Sciences and College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences. In 2008, the program served approximately 200 students through 11 communities.
American Indian Cultural House
One of only a few such programs in the nation, the American Indian Cultural House, started in 2003, is a living learning community in partnership with American Indian Studies. Students live in Comstock Hall, enroll in common classes, and have weekly meetings with the coordinator and peer mentor.
CASA SOL
CASA SOL is a distinguished living and learning community for University of Minnesota freshmen. CASA SOL is a collaboration between Chicano Studies, General Studies, the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence and Housing and Residential Life. The goal is to create a fun living and learning community for students interested in Chicano Studies based on what it's like to grow up or live as a Chicano/a or Latino/a in the US.
Other Academic Programs
MCAE Citizen-Scholar Fellowship Program (M3C)
Citizen-Scholar Fellows balance their academic studies with 10 hours per week in the program, including community service and training.
Multicultural Family Literacy Program
The Multicultural Family Literacy Program engages University undergraduate and graduate students with K-12 students and their parents at schools and community sites in the Twin Cities area.
The University of Minnesota Libraries have partnered with the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence and the SMART Learning Commons to provide the Peer Research Consultant Program to provide peer tutors for students on library and academic research. The University of Minnesota Libraries Peer Research Consultants provide one-on-one assistance to develop research strategies needed to write an excellent research paper.
The Multicultural Civic Engagement Program (MCEP)
MCEP offers 300 students a wide variety of civic engagement projects, including teaching adults English and helping first graders learn to read. Students are expected to spend three to four hours a week and will receive a stipend at the successful completion of their project.
Academic Incentive Program
This program complements MCAE's academic programs through participation in the arts and other events. Throughout the year, MCAE receives free tickets or reduced price tickets to encourage student involvement in the arts and other cultural activities. During the 2003-2004 academic year, the program distributed over 3,000 tickets to organizations, such as Minnesota Orchestra, Guthrie Theater, and Minnesota Twins..
UConnects is a pre-collegiate initiative that provides enriching educational, cultural and development programming to schools and non-profit organizations. Services include: campus visits, mentoring, tutoring, and summer internships. Kids on Campus is a component of UConnects.
The Kids on Campus program brings elementary school students in grades K-8 to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus, in order to engage community youth in the life of the University and foster an interest in higher education. Kids on Campus partners with K-8 schools and youth-serving organizations to create customized programming for each student group.
Mentoring
President's Distinguished Faculty Mentor Program (PDFMP)
PDFMP was established in l986 as a recruitment and retention initiative. Participants typically graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class and are recipients of one of the following awards: Morton S. Katz Scholarship, President's Distinguished Student Scholarship; Puckett Scholarship, or the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship. Participating scholars are matched in their sophomore year with a faculty mentor.