On Getting Help We want students at Colby to know that there are abundant opportunities for them to obtain help when they need it. Our arrangements for residential living at Colby include a carefully selected upperclass hall staff and a number of resident faculty members who are always eager to assist students. Faculty and administrators also make themselves available to students through their association with a residence hall and Commons. Each new student will have a faculty adviser (who has a limited number of firstyear advisees) ready to assist with schedule planning and with problems that may arise after the semester gets under way. Instructors in each course are also eager to help students who may need guidance in understanding the concepts, methods, or requirements of their courses. Also, general study skills advice is available through the Office of the Dean of Students. In addition to these initial sources of help, we would also encourage you to consider, should the need arise, the more specific services offered on this page. The most important element is to seek help early! Learning Differences Support Colby has no formal program for dyslexic/learning disabled students and does not treat such students differently from other students in the admissions process. However, those students with learning differences who are admitted to Colby have available to them several forms of support, including the attention of Associate Dean of Students for Academics Mark Serdjenian (Eustis 208, extension 4255). In accordance with the recommendations of a qualified diagnostician, dyslexic/learning disabled students may be allowed several adjustments to academic procedures, including additional time on examinations, extensions on written assignments, and other variations in examination procedures. These students may petition to take less than a normal course load each semester. Other forms of support are available and may be discussed with Dean Serdjenian. These include special consideration for private study carrels available in Miller Library, note takers, and the tape recording of lectures. It is the policy of Colby College to provide academic support for all students. The procedures for learning disabled students are consistent with this policy. Tutoring Individual tutoring is available at no cost to any student having difficulty in any course. If you are in need of help, here are the steps to follow: Consult your professor. If it is decided that you should have a tutor, get the name of a tutor (usually an upperclass major in the relevant subject) from your professor. Make an appointment with the tutor and set up a regular schedule. Two to three hours a week is the norm. Prepare for your tutoring session. Do as much work as you can beforehand so that the tutoring time can be spent on specific problem areas. Keep your appointments. If you must make a change, have the courtesy to notify your tutor in advance. If you have any problems, speak with your professor or the tutoring coordinator (Dean Serdjenian) in the Office of the Dean of Students. Counseling Services Our psychological counselors are available to help you with problems that may be adversely affecting your academic performance. They can help you learn how to structure your time better and not procrastinate. Test anxiety, which can dramatically interfere with academic performance and confidence, is another problem for which you can receive help. Remember that being nervous because you haven't studied or been to class for three weeks is not test anxietythat is realistic worry resulting from not being prepared. However, if you clam up and freeze although you are well prepared, that is test anxiety. Additionally, there are times when personal problems such as family situations or stress in social relationships can interfere with your ability to concentrate. Talking with one of our therapists in a confidential setting can help you get things off your chest and refocus on school and academics. The counseling services offices are located in the Garrison-Foster Health Center. Call extension 4460 or talk to the secretary at the second floor desk to schedule an appointment. The FARNHAM Writers' Center In the Writers' Center students can obtain help in developing writing abilities and in acquiring strategies for organizing and writing papers, essays, lab reports, proposals, and any other form of writing you are engaged in. You can receive help at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming an assignment to: discovering your thesis organizing your material developing your ideas producing a draft finding supporting evidence evaluating and revising a draft editing for error The one-to-one tutorial format of the Writers' Center helps to reinforce the mutual development of writing and thinking. Director Tracy Hamler Carrick, a fulltime recent graduate as assistant director, and 21 undergraduate peer tutors suggest strategies that will work for different individuals, including those suffering from "writer's block." Papers will not just be "corrected" for you; the emphasis is on your continuing development as a writer. You can go just once, go once in a while, or enter into a longterm tutorial according to your needs. EN 112, a one credit tutorial attached to any course that requires significant amounts of writing, is offered through the Writer's Center. The Writers' Center is located in the street of Miller Library, Room 9 with the schedule available online. For more information, please contact: Mark Serdjenian, Associate Dean of Students Office of the Dean of Students Colby College Waterville, ME 04901 Telephone: (207) 859-4255 Fax: (207) 859-4264 e-mail: mrserdje@colby.edu During the academic year, feel free to contact directly: THE FARNHAM WRITERS' CENTER Tracy Hamler Carrick, Director Miller Library, Room 9 Telephone: (207) 859-5290 e-mail: tcarrick@colby.edu COUNSELING SERVICES Ms. Patti Newmen, Director Garrison-Foster Health Center Telephone: (207) 859-4460 e-mail: pnnewmen@colby.edu LEARNING DIFFERENCES SUPPORT/ STUDY SKILLS/TUTORING/ OTHER ACADEMIC QUESTIONS Dean Mark Serdjenian Office of the Dean of Students Telephone: (207) 859-4255 e-mail: mrserdje@colby.edu

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