SAC NSD ePortfolio

To assist students in mastering their course content, the Natural Sciences Department has three discipline-specific tutoring centers: the BioSpot (CAC-350), the ChemSpot (CG-200), and the GeoSpot (CG-003). The Spots are located across two buildings: the Chance Academic Center (CAC) and the Chemistry / Geology building (CG). Each of the “Spots” functions as an extension of the classroom, wherein faculty conduct office hours and tutor any student seeking assistance. The Faculty commitment to helping all students in the Spots is something unique to only the Natural Sciences tutoring Centers. The Spots are also open to any student seeking a snack, a free cup of coffee, or a welcoming study space.

The BioSpot is the largest of the three “Spots” comprised of three large spaces: a quiet study room that contains four small groups study rooms; a computer classroom with 30 computers available for printing and other student use; and a large communal study space wherein academic discourse is highly encouraged. The BioSpot offers many resources for student checkouts, such as textbooks, microscopes/slides, models, laptops, iPods, iPads, and more. To help students stay focused on their studies, free coffee is provided all-day-everyday and a wide variety of snacks are sold in the BioSpot. However, the primary goal is student success, as such the BioSpot’s primary service is to provide students with peer tutoring and faculty mentoring. Students can schedule peer or faculty tutoring in advance or can be assisted on a walk-in basis, depending on availability. The BioSpot has been integral in incorporating an academic culture into the lives of those who utilize its services.

The ChemSpot is a tutoring focused study space that many studies describe as a central component to their chemistry success. The ChemSpot is usually abuzz with group study sessions, chemistry/math workshops, and student/faculty interactions. Since tutoring is the primary focus, Students can schedule peer or faculty tutoring sessions in advance or can be tutored on a walk-in basis, depending on availability. The Chemspot is one large study/communal space with plenty of open seating and resources: computers, textbooks, lab manuals, and tutor developed study guides. Free coffee is also provided all-day-everyday at the ChemSpot, as well as a wide variety of affordable snacks.

Students seeking the best quiet study space find the GeoSpot to be the perfect fit, as it is also a Geology museum. Like the other “Spots,” free coffee, peer tutoring, and faculty mentoring are readily available for students in need. With this said, faculty tutoring comprises more than just geology, earth science and astronomy faculty are readily available to assist all students. Though the resources in the GeoSpot are limited to primarily tutoring, the cozy space is ideal for students who wish to study without many distractions.

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