1. 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.

2. 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

• 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.