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 its 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 & Disability 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 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. 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. 

Student Responsibilities for Academic Accommodations

• A student's academic accommodations will be automatically renewed and sent to each professor every semester. However, each student must review their accommodations at the start of each semester in their Accommodate portal to ensure accuracy.

• Students are expected to discuss their accommodations with professors once notification letters have been emailed to both you and your instructors.

• If a student would like to take their exam in the Academic Resource Center they must reach out to the ARC at least 36 hours in advance. For complete information about testing in the ARC please see the linked Exam Accommodation Policy.

Faculty and students seeking additional information regarding Denison's Disability Grievance Procedures should refer to the Student Handbook or contact Accessibility & Disability Services via email at disabilityservices@denison.edu. 

In an effort to encourage students to disclose their disability and/or need for reasonable accommodations in a timely manner, teaching faculty members at Denison are encouraged to incorporate an accessibility & disability services syllabi statement for each course. Please see a sample syllabi statement below:

It is the student's responsibility to contact the Accessibility & Disability Services via email at disabiltyservices@denison.edu, at their earliest convenience if they anticipate needing accommodations in this class due to a disability. This proactive communication is essential for the timely arrangement of necessary support services.

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.

Faculty Resources to Support Accommodation Implementation

Accommodate: Denison has implemented a new accommodation management platform called Accommodate. A faculty member's Accommodate portal houses important information about your students’ accommodations. For information about Accommodate please review the linked Accommodate Faculty User Instructions. If a faculty member encounters any issues with Accommodate please reach out to arc@denison.edu for support. 

Accessibility & Disability Services is committed to supporting faculty in the implementation of any student’s accommodations in your classroom. 

Please do not hesitate to contact Accessibility & Disability Services in the Academic Resource Center with any questions or concerns. 

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.

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	Multivariable Calculus
MATH 213	Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
CHEM 131	Atoms and Molecules: Structure and Dynamics
CS 173	Intermediate Computer Science

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

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 Center’s primary goals are to support and collaborate with faculty at all career stages to develop and enhance teaching skills, explore and refine pedagogical perspectives, and promote student learning in all facets of a liberal arts education.

The Center is committed to:

1. Promoting the active participation of early career faculty in communities that advance their goals as teacher-scholars, including the Denison Teaching Seminar and Visiting Faculty Seminar.

2. Producing, curating, and sharing a variety of evidence-based teaching and learning resources for faculty.

3. Showcasing pedagogical strategies and initiatives from Denison faculty and promoting connections to professional resources and organizations beyond Denison.

4. Increasing dialogue around teaching and learning across campus.

5. Creating opportunities for the faculty to work together to learn from each other, including bi-monthly Teaching Matters discussions, opportunities for peer classroom visits, and one-on-one consultations with the center director.

6. Responding to emergent needs of the faculty in an ever-changing educational landscape.

The Center is located on the atrium level of the Library.  Karen Spierling (Professor, Department of History) is the Center's director. Additional information can be found at the Center's website.