Post written by guest author:
Jennifer Drake, Academic Support and Achievement Program

Here at the Academic Support and Achievement Program, we have the opportunity to connect with students on a one-on-one basis every day. Tutors working face-to-face with students ask them questions which help to clarify their writing or their thinking about particular courses or assignments; such meetings are also opportunities for tutors to really listen and get a sense of how their students are thinking and feeling in a more general sense.

When we began considering adding online support to our in-person peer and professional tutoring services, we wanted to do so in a way that would allow tutors to maintain this sort of connection with students, and we didn’t feel that, from what we’d seen of programs at other schools, an email based system would support that. Fortunately, after some searching, we chose a technology which allows tutors and students to work together online in real time, using a combined whiteboard and chat interface from WorldWideWhiteboard. This way, tutors can still use the Socratic questioning techniques that are at the heart of our face-to-face tutoring services, and can still maintain those vital connections with students, even when the tutors and/or students are away from the campus environment.

We encourage students to try this new way of connecting to academic support services by trying NightOWL, our late evening online tutoring service currently offering writing help for CPN 100/102 and 101/103 students. This service is open Monday through Thursday, from 9 to 11.30 pm on a drop-in, first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, students might check to see if their professors are offering online office hours, as some have indicated interest in using WWWb technology for that. We hope that these new electronic options will make it easier and more accessible for students to connect with the support professionals and faculty that they need to be successful and feel at home here at Cortland.

The SUNY Cortland Community Bike Project (with the help and support of student and faculty volunteers) takes donated bikes, fixes them up, and places them out on campus for any campus community member to use to get around campus. During daylight hours, Monday-Friday, students and faculty can ride a yellow bike to any on-campus destination (i.e. their next class or residence hall); returning the yellow bike for the next campus member to use by leaving it at one of the 14 yellow community bike racks placed throughout campus.  The purpose of the Community Bike Project is to create a shared spirit of community on our college campus by promoting a green and environmentally friendly atmosphere while also encouraging students and faculty to cooperatively utilize and responsibly take care of OUR shared property – the yellow bikes. As a result of one’s involvement with the Community Bike Project, whether it is riding a bike, volunteering with the project or donating a bike, both students and faculty have an opportunity to positively contribute to the overall health and wellness of the SUNY Cortland campus community.

Post written by: Mariangela Chandler, ASAP Director

The semester is half over, and midterm grades are now posted. Because the semester has not ended, there is still time for you to recharge from your studies: You can still use it to get ahead for next semester. The question is: how can you get a jump-start on your academic work and plan for next semester? To help you get started, here’s a checklist of basic tasks you can accomplish over the next few weeks:Check off not only what you have already done, but feel free to add anyforgotten items to make it more personalized. It’s also a good idea to talk to the professors you will have next semester and collect information about each of their courses (i.e., get their syllabi, textbook information and supplemental reading lists) before you begin classes next semester.

Mid- Semester Checklist-Spend some time answering the question, “Why am I going to college?”-Imagine your ideal college experience.

* If you’re not happy with your current college experience, what can you do to make it more ideal?  

-Reflect on what you did well and what changes you should make-When you get your grades, examine which courses you excelled in andwhich courses gave you difficulty

*Why did you excel in certain courses? Was it just because the material was easy for you? Or was it the way you approached the material? Do I need better time management, note-taking strategies, study techniques, test-taking practices  

-Ask yourself if you are in the right major-As you review next semester’s list of courses, make a tentative timemanagement schedule to get your academic, social and work life in order before the next semester begins.

* Set clear goals for each class 

* Triage the courses for which you will need extra time

* Reclaim time wasted this semester so far: time you either didn’t get anything accomplished or time you can’t remember enjoying yourself

*Think about which clubs and organizations you want to join or are in. Make sure they add something to your career goals and personal interests

-Decide if you want to establish an internship, study abroad or get part-time job in a field related to your career.

-Analyze your current roommate situation. Does this person add something favorable to your life, goals, interests, values? Or does (s)he make your life miserable? If the latter is true, first confront the reasons and make a room contract; if all else fails, change roommates for next semester

-Start a credentials file in the Career Services office-When you return, make a real effort to ask professors to write letters of recommendations for you to place in your credentials file

-Plan to take advantage of the help available at ASAP: writing assistance, time management, study skills, test-taking tips, and math tutoring.

Monday: 8:30 am– 5:00 pm
Tuesday: 8:30 am– 5:00 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am– 5:00 pm
Thursday: 8:30 am—5:00 pm
Friday: 8:30 am– 4:30 pm  

Peer Tutoring support for most freshmen and sophomore level courses:First appointments offered from 5-9 P.M. Mondays- ThursdaysReal-Time Online Peer Tutoring from comfort of your room for CPN classes and BIO 110- Mondays- Thursdays 9 P.M.- MidnightSupplemental Instruction- Offered 3 hours per week for each of the following courses: PSY 101, BIO 110, CHE 221, BIO 202, BIO 301. See ASAP website for times and locations throughout the week.

Mark Twain
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

Post written by: Nan Pasquarello

The SUNY Cortland Connections Committee welcomes readers to the Connectivities blog! This site was created during the spring 2007 semester to replace the semesterly Connectivities electronic newsletter. We hope that it will offer a forum for discussing the many ways in which students, faculty, and staff can positively connect to the SUNY Cortland campus and community. Please visit often for features on SUNY Cortland people, helpful information on the campus and community, and views from students, faculty, and staff.

If you would like to “Register” for the Connectivities blog, Wordpress will allow you to create a login, but does not send you an email with your password. We have not been able to correct this problem. Therefore, if you are interested in registering for the blog, please email nanettep@cortland.edu after you have created your login, and a password will be emailed to you.

However, you do not need to register for the blog to post comments, so each reader can feel free to post his or her opinion about any topic we discuss on the blog. Comments will be moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

Thank you for your interest in Connectivities!