At Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus, administrators, faculty and staff are highly invested in student success at every stage of learning. The Student Success Center (SSC) provides academic resources that empower students to overcome challenges, improve skills, and gain a competitive edge. The Center offers a safe, supportive environment where all students are welcome to make the most of their education.

The Ozark SSC is designed to aid students in every step of their academic journey, from honors students to those with specific challenges or disabilities. The resource offers tutoring, faculty/staff mentorship, student success workshops, accommodations and testing services. The individual, targeted support includes academic support, disability services, service opportunities and professional development.

“No matter where students are in their academic, professional or personal journey, the Success Center empowers all students to make the most of the college experience,” said Dr. Sheila Jacobs, chief academic officer. “And the best part? Students  know they’ll never have to do it alone; we are here for our students!”

Transitioning to college or getting back into the swing of things can be challenging, even in the best of times.  However, this term the coronavirus has exacerbated this transition by drastically transforming day-to-day life, work, social interaction and even how students engage in the classroom. Faculty and staff have had to shift much of their work to take place in a highly virtual setting while maintaining in-person services to meet the needs of all of ATU-Ozark students.

This semester the Ozark SSC has increased outreach to students who may be experiencing challenges that hinder their success at Tech, collaborated with faculty to provide more tailored support in class and has continued to meet with students to develop the skills necessary to be successful.  More than ever, Center staff are texting students to check in, provide encouragement and connect them to resources.  In the face of increased hybrid and virtual delivery, staff have also turned their attention to helping students successfully navigate new online learning tools and programs.

“Although a lot of the support we provide has had to be delivered in a different way, we are still delivering stellar service to our students,” said Kayla McIntosh, student success and ADA coordinator in academic affairs. “This experience has opened our eyes to the wide array of delivery methods we have at our disposal to serve students. As a commuter campus, these tools can continue to assist students with saving time and money by eliminating a commute for an appointment or to get the academic assistance they need.”

Moving forward, staff are working to make their assistance even easier to access by creating a centralized online hub for Ozark Campus resources. This hub will feature snapshots of campus services, contact information, more information about particular resources and answers to frequent issues. Additionally, the Ozark SSC will release virtual workshops and tools for students to access whenever and wherever.

-By Laura Rudolph
for the Tech Action, Spring 2021