Center for Academic Achievement

The Center for Academic Achievement (known as The Center or CAA) believes that students should study smarter, not harder. That's why The Center helps students in the areas of Academic Advising/Coaching, Tutoring, Counseling, and Disability Services. The CAA is also the place where students can register and sign up for various exams and tests prior to starting the University or a professional program. For detailed information on any of the areas the Center specializes in or to reserve a spot for a test, please call 407-303-7747, ext. 110-6413.

Tutoring

The CAA offers both group and individual tutoring for general education and nursing courses free of charge. In order to secure a spot for tutoring, students need to sign up. It's good to note that the majority of our tutors are also students, so if tutors don't have anyone signed up for that day, they will cancel their session so that they can prepare for their own classes.

• General Education Tutoring

General Education students can sign up in the General Education Tutoring Center on the second floor of the Campus Center Building. Tutors act as a support for professors, providing extra review and practice for the course material previously taught. Tutors are trained to assist in learning strategies that will help in the understanding and retention of class materials. Each trimester, the tutors' schedules are posted in the Tutoring Center for students to use as sign-up sheets. Tutoring sessions are scheduled in one-hour blocks of time. Students are allotted up to two hours of tutoring per class, per week. Tutoring sessions can also be scheduled for additional help in preparing for the Test of Essential Academic Skills V (TEAS).

Both distance and on-campus students can receive tutoring help by accessing Smarthinking through their ANGEL homepage. Smarthinking offers online help with most math, science, and English courses. When it comes to English help, it's important to remember that both Adventist University and Smarthinking tutors will not correct a paper, but will help students understand what types of errors were made and work with students to help correct them. Students who submit a paper on campus or with Smarthinking will receive it back within one to three school days, depending on the service a student utilizes.

• Nursing Tutoring

Nursing students have access to tutoring and mentoring through small group tutoring, seminars, Smarthinking tutoring help, and course mentoring sites. Individual Mentoring is also available for special circumstances to enhance successful progression through the Nursing Program.

Most of the tutoring sessions are held in the Learning Co-Op classroom, and students are expected to sign up for sessions at the Co-Op front desk. Tutoring session times, dates, and places are communicated via the individual ANGEL courses and posted in the Learning Co-Op. Tutoring is offered Monday through Thursday on Campus. Online tutoring/mentoring is always available. Students should also remember to check Smarthinking protocol and instructions for nursing tutoring availability.

The Professional Success Program has been developed  for both undergraduate and graduate Nursing Students. This program offers support for students as they pursue their professional degrees. Specialized tutoring is available both for individuals and groups. Links and information are available for the student to complete a learning style inventory which identifies information to enhance the individual's potential to comprehend course content. This program helps students learn to improve study skills and test-taking strategies; manage time more efficiently; and, as needed, make the appropriate adjustments for their emerging roles as healthcare professionals. The CAA invites graduate and undergraduate nursing students to take advantage of this free service, become a skilled learner, and make the most of their professional experience.

Testing

The CAA offers a variety of tests that students may need. These tests are provided by appointment only and are listed below. For more information and to register for these tests, please call 407-303-7747, ext 110-6413.

Compass Placement Exams for both math and English are designed to predict success for University students and to assist with the academic advising process. Students must schedule the math or the English Compass Placement exams with the CAA. Students should note that placement exams may not be repeated.

American College Test (ACT) is an application requirement unless the student has 24 or more college credits from a regionally accredited school. The ACT covers four areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. Adventist University of Health Sciences is a Residual Testing Center, meaning the scores stay at the University and will not be sent anywhere. Students should remember that the dates for this exam are posted per trimester in the CAA, and the exam is offered once a month. If a student is applying to get into a professional program, it is the responsibility of the student to take note of professional program deadlines and take the ACT with adequate time.

The Test of Essential Academic Skills V (TEAS) is an admission application requirement for the Nursing program. Please contact the CAA for more information on this test.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) are examinations that are computerized comprehensive assessments that demonstrate college-level achievement in specific content areas. By achieving a passing American Council on Education (ACE) score of 50 or higher, students will receive college credit for the equivalent Adventist University course.  A list of available tests that are offered can be found in the CAA, as well as on the CAA website. In addition, the University bookstore sells study guides to help students prepare for the CLEP. Students should note that CLEP exams cannot be repeated if failed.

Counseling

Counseling assists students in resolving personal difficulties and in acquiring the necessary skills and resources to both succeed in the university environment and pursue productive and satisfying lives. Counseling can help clarify concerns, gain insight into self and others, and teach new ways to most effectively cope and/or resolve issues. Counseling can offer emotional support, new perspectives, and help in considering possible solutions. Other reasons to see a counselor may include academic, career direction/concerns, self-esteem issues, relationship issues, grief and loss, family, communication, stress management, anger management, and physical, sexual, or substance abuse. Counseling is free to all students, and students are encouraged to seek counseling assistance proactively. For appointments, please call 407-303-7747, ext. 110-6074 or email counseling@employee.adu.edu.

Online counseling (e-Therapy) is available to both on-campus and distance students. Counseling is offered via email and real-time chat. For more information or to set up an appointment, please send an email to counseling@employee.adu.edu. It's good to remember that online counseling is not appropriate for all kinds of problems; students should speak to the counselor to determine if e-therapy would be a good fit.

Disability Services

All students with a documented disability who are seeking accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) located in the CAA at least two weeks before the beginning of the trimester or immediately following any injury or illness. This recommendation will ensure timely implementation of accommodations.

Information on Academic Accommodations

If a student requests accommodation, that student must provide the OSD the requested current, official documentation related to his or her disability. That documentation will be used to determine the type and extent of accommodation that is most reasonable and effective for that student.

If criteria have been met and accommodations granted, the student must submit a copy of his or her class schedule and proof of course payment. The OSD will then notify each of the student's instructors of his or her needs once the student has completed the Release of Information Form [available in the CAA]. The instructor will receive an Academic Accommodation Form explaining the accommodations necessary for that student.

For each subsequent trimester, it is the student's responsibility to notify the OSD of his or her updated class schedule and complete the trimester accommodations form. At any time, students may request in writing to discontinue any information-sharing related to their disability. Students may request to discontinue their accommodations at any time. Questions or concerns should be brought to the attention of the OSD.

To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). A person with a disability is an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Please note that school plans, such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plans, are not sufficient documentation to establish the rationale for accommodations in a university setting. Original documents are not necessary--a copy or fax of the material is sufficient. If documentation is incomplete or otherwise inadequate to determine the disability and/or reasonable accommodations, the OSD will require additional documentation. Documentation costs are to be paid by the student.

For more information regarding Academic Accommodations, please contact The CAA.

Academic Advising

All new incoming, non-professional program students will be assigned an Academic Advisor located in the CAA. The Academic Advisor is also an Academic Coach who works with students through the Philosophy of Healthcare class (see Philosophy of Healthcare). The Advisor helps students through the registration process, as well as developing a course schedule that will enable a student to continue working toward entrance into a professional program. 

Philosophy of Healthcare

The Philosophy of Healthcare (POH) class is designed to help shape the lens with which a student will come to view healthcare. It is the goal of this class to help students understand that working in healthcare is more than just a job, that in different ways they are indeed the hands and feet of God helping patients through difficult times, and that they will continue to sharpen and hone their critical thinking and communication skills. The class is intended to encourage students to understand how their faith, outlook, assumptions, and their own life story can contribute to or impede the care they give.

Each student taking POH will meet with an Academic Coach for 30 minutes every other week for a total of 6 sessions during the term they are taking POH. These meetings will help to further unpack class discussions and readings, and develop an individualized academic success plan for the student. To do this, the Coaches utilize various assessments and learning-style inventories when working with each student.

The Learning Co-Op

The Learning Co-Op is located on the ground floor of the Nursing Building. Full of great resources, it helps a student's projects and grades reach the next level. In the Co-Op, a student can find the latest and greatest Macs and PCs, 2 scanners (one capable of scanning larger format paper), a large format inkjet printer, a sound booth, microphones, and Pro Tools system. The Co-Op is a place to be creative, a place where a student can create multimedia projects and presentations and burn them to a CD, DVD, copy them to an external hard drive or thumb drive, and even print posters! To find out how to use some of this equipment, students can visit the Co-Op or go online to the CAA website and under the Center for Academic Achievement page, click on Learning Co-Op.