Many resources on campus offer support and services to students. Of particular concern to new students is information on where to find academic support and tutoring, and where to find jobs and career information.
Academic Learning Services, located in the basement of PLC,is a valuable resource. ALS offers credit courses in an assortment of areas to help promote good study habits and time management. It offers free one-hour workshops to support the development of basic skills, specialized tutoring, and individual consultations. There are free, drop-in tutors for writing and math, and small group tutoring available as well as test preparation for placement exams.
Amy Nuetzman, interim assistant director and ALS instructor, said their mission is to support teaching and learning and to meet the needs of students so they will have a successful educational experience here at the University.
ALS also houses the University branch of the Federal TRIO Programs, which offers specialized support to those who qualify for federally funded assistance. The Student Support Services program of TRIO benefits non-traditional undergraduate students working toward their bachelor’s degree. The McNair Scholars Program, another branch of TRIO offers assistance for those seeking doctoral degrees who qualify and are accepted into their program. More information about Academic Learning Services can be found through a quick search on the University’s Web site, or by dropping by 68 PLC and picking up some of ALS’s brochures, or by talking with the receptionist, Carrie Stampe.
For assistance with professional development and employment needs the Career Center in Hendricks Hall provides another
valuable resource to new and returning students . This is the place on campus to go to find a job, work-study opportunity or determine a career path. Director Deborah Chereck said their service offers “a full battery of career assessment tools,” including personality tests, strong interest inventory and the online System of Interactive Guidance and Information (SIGI). SIGI contains a database of more than 600 job descriptions and combined with other tools, can help students find a comfortable work environment for their personality. This resource shows students an avenue they can follow to find satisfying work with people who have similar motivations, Chereck said.
The Career Center offers each student two, one-hour sessions to interpret test results with a career counselor to take stock of personal interests and generate ideas of which jobs might be the most rewarding. Counselors offer guidelines for a four-year career plan, complete with suggestions for mentorships, internships and attendance at various job fairs the Career Center sponsors.
Chereck said she encourages students to develop lasting relationships with their career counselors to carry them through their academic programs. The counselors aim to assist students in “finding the work you were put on this earth to do,” and to help students make successful, positive and rewarding choices in their professional lives, Chereck said.
The Career Center has drop-in appointments and a library of career resources available. It also sponsors several workshops and fairs throughout the year. Besides assistance with resumes, portfolios and interview skills, it offers annual career and work-study job fairs. The UO Career Fair, held each term, showcases job opportunities for both current students and those graduating from the University, looking for a doorway into the “real world.” The Work-Study Job Fair provides students who qualify for federal work-study opportunities to find jobs on campus. This year’s Work-Study Job Fair will be held in the EMU Fir Room on Friday Sept. 22 during Week of Welcome 2006, with the Fall Career Fair held Nov. 8 in the EMU Ballroom.