The Learning Enhancement Center is offering academic coaching to students, in addition to tutoring sessions.
The LEC offers free tutoring sessions in several fields of study, peer writing consultations and English conversation practice, according to the university website. The LEC is run by faculty and staffed with student employees, and is on the first floor of the Dulaney-Browne Library.
Jenny Minsberg, senior coordinator for access and academic support, is in charge of the LEC and implemented academic coaching after learning about it at a convention in 2015. In academic coaching sessions, the coach teaches the lifestyle and organizational techniques of being a student.
“It’s going through how to be a college student,” Minsberg said. “If you think about it, through high school most people have a whole bunch of people being their parents, their coaches, their instrument professors, whatever. They are really pushing them to do well. While some of that can continue on here, there’s that parent factor that’s missing, which is usually a pretty big motivating factor for people.”
Minsberg said academic coaching sessions are good tools for students with ADHD and other learning disabilities.
While academic coaching is more accessible this semester, they have been used on campus in recent history. Kenzie Slothower, cell and molecular biology senior, has worked as an academic coach since last academic year.
Slothower said last academic year, new freshmen on academic probation were required coaching once a week for their first fall semester, and this use of coaching will continue, unaffiliated with the LEC. But, Slothower also said the LEC offered academic coaching last semester but was not fully committed to the program.
“It was still kind of a trial program at that point,” she said.
Minsberg said employees are specifically trained to be academic coaches, that every coach has an undergraduate degree and that, at this time, they are not looking to hire any undergraduate students as academic coaches.
Students may arrange a coaching session by emailing Minsberg at jlminsberg@okcu.edu. Students may schedule a tutoring session by visiting libguides.okcu.edu/lec.
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