Academic Resource Center

Academic Support

The central mission of the Academic Resource Center (ARC) is to enrich and enhance the educational experience of all Denison students and support faculty/student interaction. The office coordinates a unique combination of programs and services designed to help students improve their overall academic performance and ultimately assist them in realizing academic accomplishment and excellence. The Academic Resource Center is located on the lower level (020) of Higley Hall.

The mission of the ARC Tutoring Program is to help all students become independent learners by promoting active learning, critical thinking, and access to other campus resources. The ARC Tutoring Program is designed for students to meet one-on-one with their tutors on a regular, consistent basis. Tutoring does not replace the importance of working with faculty, and it is strongly recommended that students meet with their faculty members before making the decision to request tutors.

Tutors are available in the majority of academic subjects on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge to students. The ARC Tutoring Training Program is recognized by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as having met the requirements for level-1 International Peer Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) for it's commitment to high standards for tutor selection, training, service, and evaluation. Tutors are recommended by faculty, hired and trained by ARC, and involved in ongoing professional development through observations and training sessions.  Tutor requests can be made beginning the second week of classes, and are on a first come-first served basis.

Students may seek additional support by exploring drop-in tutoring if offered by the individual academic departments.

Educational workshops, academic plans, and individual consultations with the staff are regularly available upon request or by faculty referral. Standard topics include time management/organization, annotating texts, note taking, test preparation, communicating with faculty, plus other skill-building strategies for attaining academic success at the university level. The Center offers a specific advising program called “Back on Track” and other outreach efforts designed to support students who are struggling academically.

Accessibility Services

Denison University is committed to providing equal access and reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities as defined under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. The Academic Resource Center works closely with students and faculty providing services and reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Students seeking reasonable accommodations or auxiliary services (academic, housing, etc.) should register as a person with a disability using the Accommodate  intake form and upload a copy of their most recent medical report or evaluation documenting the existence of a specific disability. Documentation should be recent, preferably within the last three years, and should have been compiled by an appropriate licensed professional, e.g. psychologist, psychiatrist, learning specialist, physician, etc.

Specific reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Resource Center and based upon an interactive process evaluating the student's self-reported information and supporting documentation. Upon the student's request, the Academic Resource Center will notify individual faculty members of a student's eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Please make note that only the student can disclose the nature of the disability. It is the student's responsibility to discuss specific accommodation needs directly with their instructor at the beginning of each semester. 

A student registered with ARC has rights surrounding the use of reasonable accommodations; however they also have responsibilities too:

1. Request Faculty Notification early each semester
2. Discuss accommodations with professors once notification has been emailed to the student and faculty members
3. At least one week before EACH exam, discuss testing logistics with the professor
4. If taking an exam in ARC is preferred by the professor, the student request/reserve ARC testing space at least 2 days minimum in advance
5. Testing Room tab will show in Accommodate once the Faculty Notification letter has been sent

Accommodations are not retroactive, so it is in a student's best interest to submit requests at the start of the semester.  

Instructions to submit a semester request:  Select Accommodation > Select Faculty Notifications > select Add New > select the semester > select submit for all OR select review to select which courses you want to utilize accommodations

• Please note: once a semester request is submitted, a copy of the accommodation letter/memo will be sent to the student's faculty as soon as the ARC staff is able - usually within a few days. 
  • Additionally: if a student adds a new class after submitting a semester request, they will need to submit a new request in order for letters to be sent to the new faculty.

Reasonable accommodations include but are not limited to: extended time on exams, reduced-distraction locations for testing, reduced course load, alternate format of course material, etc. Faculty can access a report listing the current students who have requested accommodations at My Accommodation Roster.

The Academic Resource Center offers faculty and students use of the Center's testing space. The Center's testing rooms will be made available for testing accommodations when no available space is able to be secured in the department; 48 hours’ notice is required for reserving ARC's testing rooms on a first come-first served basis per the ARC Testing Accommodation Policy. Students can find information about reserving a space in their MyAccommodations portal.

Faculty and students seeking additional information regarding Denison's Disability Grievance Procedures should refer to the Student Handbook or contact the Academic Resource Center in 020 Higley Hall.  

In an effort to encourage students to disclose their disability and/or need for reasonable accommodation in a timely manner, teaching faculty members at Denison are encouraged to incorporate a disability/accessibility statement on their syllabus for each course. This statement on the syllabus creates an invitation to discuss both the student's and instructor's needs in advance and provides the opportunity to discuss the course material in greater detail. It is equally important that students make an official request for accommodations through the Academic Resource Center. Even when a faculty member is aware that a student is registered with the Academic Resource Center and has received accommodations in the past, it is important to create a record of such accommodations to cover the institution's legal obligations of accessibility.

An example accessibility/disability statement that can be used/adapted for course syllabi:

If you are a student who feels you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact me privately as soon as possible to discuss your specific needs. I rely on the Academic Resource Center in 020 Higley Hall to verify the need for reasonable accommodations based on documentation on file in that office.

Denison Museum

The Denison Museum is a teaching museum located in Burke Hall. Each semester, Denison Museum staff works with faculty, students, and other campus organizations to provide integrative learning opportunities through changing exhibitions and the more than 9,000 objects in the permanent collection. Every year, the Denison Museum also hires 8-10 year-long interns and 2-6 summer interns from all four liberal arts divisions through the MyDenison portal or Handshake. Student interns gain extensive transferable skills by participating in exhibition preparation and research, creating promotional materials using "InDesign" and other technologies, creating videos and podcasts of Museum events, the careful handling of objects, research, and documentation, and through assisting in the creation of educational materials for class and community visits. Denison Museum interns are frequently successful in securing professional internships or advancing careers in related fields or admission to graduate programs in museum studies and professional writing based on work at the Museum. More information on the Denison Museum is available.  

Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration

Denison's commitment to the liberal arts, the strength of our pre-professional advising, and the success of our graduates have made Denison well-known by professional schools ranging from medicine and business to law and engineering. Pre-professional career coaching is provided by the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, which, along with faculty, provides a strong and knowledgeable advising system. Denison has earned the respect of deans of professional and graduate schools who recognize the value of the liberal arts education received at Denison.  Whether a student earns a bachelor's degree at Denison and then goes on to a professional school or combines three years of study here with time at another university, a Denison education will contribute significantly to the attainment of professional goals. Please note that Denison financial aid can be applied only during the student's time at Denison. Interested students should discuss other financial aid opportunities with partnering institutions.

Additional courses may be required, depending on the chosen field of engineering.

Denison Internship Program

The Denison Internship Program, managed by the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, offers students a structured learning experience as they explore career fields and apply academic coursework to the workplace. Participation in the program provides a three-tiered partnership between students, employers, and the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration. By setting internship goals at the onset of the experience, students are empowered to declare what they hope to learn, achieve, and contribute. Midway through the internship experience, students will review their progress towards their goals and near the end of the term, students are prompted to reflect on the experience through a self-evaluation and reflection process. Through the Denison Internship Program, students will earn academic transcript notation for their internship experience once all requirements are met successfully and approved by the Knowlton Center.

Pre-Professional Pathways

• Pre-Health

Healthcare admission decisions, including but not limited to, medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing and veterinary medicine, etc., are based on performance on nationally-sponsored admissions tests (Medical College Admissions Test, Dental Admission Test, Graduate Record Examination), on academic achievement in both science and non-science courses, as well as other components such as personal statements and experiences. Most of our undergraduates considering the health professions bolster their preparations and gain an overview of several related fields by conducting internships, externships and health-related volunteer work in hospital and/or clinical settings.

• Pre-Law

Denison graduates are typically successful in gaining admission to law schools across the country. Students' performance on the Law School Admission Test and their academic records are the major determining factors in the admissions decision. The acceptance rate of Denison graduates is consistently well-above the national average. Representatives from a number of schools regularly visit the campus. Attending career panels, programs and completing internships in legal settings helps students make informed career decisions.

• Business

A broad-based undergraduate program in the liberal arts is one of the most satisfactory preparations for graduate study in business administration and management, and many Denison graduates continue their studies in programs across the country. The current national trend is to encourage students to work several years between undergraduate and M.B.A. programs and Denison students can receive advice on preparing for business school.

• Engineering

Course List

Code	Title
PHYS 125	Physics I: Quarks to Cosmos
PHYS 126	Physics II: Mechanics, Fluids, and Heat
PHYS 127	Physics III: Electricity, Magnetism, Waves, and Optics
PHYS 200	Modern Physics
MATH 135	Single Variable Calculus
MATH 145	Multi-variable Calculus
MATH 213	Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
CHEM 131	Atoms and Molecules: Structure and Dynamics
CS 173	Intermediate Computer Science

Curricular and Co-Curricular Service-Learning

Curricular Service-learning

Faculty who incorporate curricular service-learning in their courses each semester use community-situated service and regular opportunity for structured reflection as an additional ‘text’ for their courses; this pedagogy deepens student engagement and provides students with experience in applying concepts and skills in "real world" settings. The activities undertaken during service-learning courses allow students to work collaboratively with community partners, in a reciprocal and respectful dialogue.

Faculty Members:  A wide range of support is available for faculty. This includes access to one-on-one training and periodic faculty development workshops around course design, opportunities for mini grants each semester, support to help faculty work out placements that will fit the course and the faculty member’s learning objectives for it, logistical support, and assistance in identifying and maintaining the community placement.  For more information, contact the Alford Coordinator for Curricular Service Learning.

Co-Curricular Service-learning

The Alford Community Leadership & Involvement Center (CLIC) team recognizes the importance of co-curricular activities as a key part of the college experience. Students who become involved in co-curricular activities in college benefit personally, socially, as well as academically. CLIC promotes and supports co-curricular service-learning by engaging the Denison community in three areas: Denison Community Association, America Reads, & Denison Service Orientation. In addition, CLIC sponsors leadership programming, campus activities, student organizations, and fraternity and sorority life.  For more information, contact the Alford Community Leadership and Involvement Center.

Center for Learning and Teaching

The primary goal of Denison’s Center for Learning and Teaching is to support and collaborate with faculty at all career stages, considering questions, ideas, activities, and research on teaching and learning. The Center provides support for faculty development and mentoring related to the practice of effective teaching. Specific offerings include:

1. Teaching and learning seminars for early-career faculty

2. Teaching-related workshops, brown-bag lunches, reading and discussion groups

3. One-on-one consultations and classroom teaching observations to provide formative feedback of teaching

4. Collaboration among faculty, faculty groups, professional staff, and administrative offices in order to initiate and promote a variety of faculty development programs and resources that address teaching, learning, scholarship, and mentoring

5. Support for the development of faculty pedagogical and curricular projects

6. Participation and leadership in forging relationships and collaborations between Denison’s faculty development programs and other professional organizations

The Center is located on the atrium level of the Library. Lew Ludwig (Department of Mathematics) is the Center's director. Additional information can be found at the Center's website.