Student Senate met on Wednesday to hear a presentation from the Director of Academic Assistance within the Academic Achievement Center, or AAC, Elizabeth Fallon, and her colleague Sam Metzger, coordinator of the First Generation+ and Scholars Programs.
In the presentation, Fallon and Metzger explained the goals, practices and student jobs of the AAC, among many other aspects.
The center is equipped to provide support and help students improve learning strategies, prepare for exams, learn time management skills and find rewarding jobs with the AAC.
One of the goals of the center is to have at least 4000 students utilizing the center this semester, Fallon said. During Fall Semester, the center had over 3800 students utilize the center.
Another data point presented to Student Senate was the number of visits the center received, which includes all tutoring sessions, supplemental instruction sessions and anything else a student may attend within the AAC.
“I think starting to create services that students are really interested in, they're finding helpful and they're coming back for more and more appointments,” Metzger said. “We're going to try to hit 22,000 (student visits in the Spring Semester).”
Some of the services provided to students were also mentioned in the presentation. They include peer tutoring, math study groups, media arts tutoring and homework.
The most popular services among students are supplemental instruction, or SI, sessions, which are taught by students who have taken and done well in the class that the session is for.
“Attending (SI sessions) regularly – on average about 10 sessions – can get students to earn a whole lot higher than their peers who are not attending any at all,” Metzger said.
The AAC can also help students on academic probation reclaim a good academic standing with OU.
“Students who are on probation or contacted by your advisor and are invited to an academic success workshop (can) learn about what it means to be on probation and how to get off probation,” Metzger said.
Both Fallon and Metzger encouraged students to reach out to the AAC with any academic questions or concerns, which includes if they need to provide tutoring for a specific course.
“We want to support you in your academic journey,“ Metzger said. "So please tell us we'd love to know when we are lacking or what areas we are lacking in. It's about you. You guys are the ones who keep us running.”
Following the presentation, new business addressed by the Student Senate consisted of two resolutions both appointing associate justices to the judicial panel, which passed.
Senate President Megan Handle gave the State of the Senate Address which listed every accomplishment of each commission within the last semester.
“I cannot wait to see all that we're able to accomplish with our time left together this year,” Handle said. “I want to thank you for putting your trust in me as president and us as executives and I hope we are able to continue to serve you as well as you continue to serve your student body.”
