Student Access Services

PALS

In 1979, Hofstra University established the Program for Academic Learning Skills (PALS), which is a fee-based program that students apply for at the point of admission. For the past 44 years, PALS has been serving Hofstra students with specific learning disabilities and ADHD. The program was built on the belief that Hofstra students with diagnosed learning disabilities would benefit from a combination of skills instruction and academic accommodations. Today, under the umbrella of Student Access Services (SAS), PALS continues its commitment to serving this student population.

PALS employs learning specialists who meet weekly with students in one-on-one sessions to assist them in developing supplemental learning strategies. These strategies are based on each student’s specific learning disability diagnosis and disability documentation. Because consistency is important in skill development, each student is assigned a learning specialist to work with for the full academic year. Meeting with a learning specialist is a mandatory PALS component for first-year students, but PALS students may access the services of their learning specialist as needed throughout their time at Hofstra. This element of the program is designed to provide students with skills they can apply directly to their coursework and use in the future. It is a gradual process aimed at helping students become independent, lifelong learners. Although there is no extra fee for reasonable accommodations, there is a fee for PALS for first-year students only; this fee is in addition to the other University tuition and fees. For additional information about PALS documentation requirements, call 516-463-7075 or email SAS@hofstra.edu.

Academic Coaching

Students who are receiving accommodations through SAS can also enroll in an optional, fee-based, semester-long program called Academic Coaching to further develop academic and study skills. This program is designed for students who may need additional support inside and outside the classroom and consists of regular one-on-one meetings with a learning specialist from SAS. The student’s Academic Coaching plan may address any or all of the following areas: 

•  Social adjustment to the college environment and its  demands

•  Time management skills

•  Problem-solving skills

•  Coping and stress management

•  Reading and analysis strategies

•  Test preparation and test-taking strategies

•  Note-taking and other effective classroom strategies

•  Executive function/planning strategies 

•  Learning style awareness and appropriate study methods

For more information, call 516-463-7075 or email SAS@hofstra.edu.