Resources for Parents
Parents are vitally important to student academic success in college. One of the most important things parents can do is help to guide their son or daughter to appropriate on-campus resources.
The HAC offers many programs and services to help students achieve their full potential. Parents can and should talk with their students and encourage them to take advantage of any or all of these!
Macon Academic Progress (MAP) . MAP is an academic support program for freshmen who are struggling academically. Students are placed into the MAP program following unsatisfactory grade reports in the fall term (specifically, two or more D's or F's). The HAC provides each MAP student an academic mentor, tutoring services, individualized learning contracts, and skills workshops tailored to specific areas of need and interest. Services/Strategies are designed to assist MAP students in becoming more successful students. Questions about the MAP Program may be directed to Dr. Jennifer Bruce at the Higgins Academic Center, jbruce@rmc.edu.
Peer Mentoring . Peer mentors are available FREE to any R-MC student who requests one. Mentors are nationally certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) and are bound by strict confidentiality guidelines. If you believe that your son or daughter would benefit from having a peer mentor, please encourage him or her to contact Dr. Jennifer Bruce at the HAC, jbruce@rmc.edu.
Reasons Your Student Might Benefit From a Mentor:
• He or she is not making an easy adjustment from high school to R-MC;
• He or she reports feeling homesick;
• He or she reports feeling overwhelmed;
• He or she reports not knowing who to ask about things;
• He or she reports trouble studying or earning good grades;
• He or she is not sure what organizations or clubs to join;
• He or she received a letter about Early or Regular MAP;
• He or she is a B student, but wants to do even better;
• He or she is struggling with some personal problems;
• He or she is having trouble with time management;
• He or she is a transfer student
Subject Tutoring . Tutors for all subjects are R-MC students who have done outstanding work in their courses of study and who want to help others. They are members of a tutoring program that is nationally certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Tutors are available for nearly all subjects taught at the College. Tutoring is FREE to all R-MC students. Any student wishing to take advantage of subject tutoring can contact Dr. Jennifer Bruce at the HAC, jbruce@rmc.edu.
The Randolph-Macon College Writing Center. The Writing Center is staffed by students, for students. Tutors come in all shapes, interests, and backgrounds--what they share is a love of writing, a friendly attitude, and an excitement about helping their peers. Each Writing Center session involves at least 45 minutes of one-on-one time with a writing tutor, and there’s no limit to how many appointments a student can schedule. In addition to providing assistance with academic papers, the Writing Center can also help with employment or other applications, creative writing, or any written work about which a student wishes to receive feedback. The Writing Center is located on the second floor of the McGraw-Page Library. Students can make online appointments or contact Professor Gayla Mills at gmills@rmc.edu for more information.
The Randolph-Macon College Speaking Center. The Speaking Center is primarily a peer tutoring facility where trained students help other students with presentational or small group communication. The Center consists of three separate spaces: a consulting space where Speaking Center tutors can meet with students who need help finding a topic, generating material, or organizing the material they have, an individual studio where students can practice high-tech and low-tech oral presentations, and a group studio where group communication activities can be videotaped. The Speaking Center is located on the second floor of the Neville House on East Patrick Street (across from the main entrance to Haley Hall). Center hours are announced at the start of each semester. Online appointments are available by following the links on the HAC website, or students can contact Dr. Ted Sheckels at tsheckel@rmc.edu.
Disability Support Services.Randolph-Macon College's Office of Disability Support Services is responsible for assisting students who qualify with identifying and obtaining reasonable accommodations to support students’ academic and personal success. In addition, Disability Support Services provides consultation services with students and parents and makes referrals to qualified professionals who can assist with diagnosing learning differences. Any student that has a previous diagnosis of a learning difference or that is experiencing significant difficulty in his or her classes should consider whether a consultation with Dr. Trammell, the College’s Director of Disability Support Services might be beneficial. Many learning disorders do not fully manifest themselves until a student arrives at College and must take on additional responsibility for his or her own academic success. Dr. Trammell can be contacted at jtrammel@rmc.edu, or through the links on this page.
Instructional Technology Support. Both professional and peer staff members are available to assist students with using technology in their academic work. Assistance is available with common instructional technologies, such as Microsoft Office (including Power Point) as well as less common technology needs, such as large format poster printing, digital filmmaking, and videoconferencing. In addition, students may borrow some types of equipment such as laptops, iPads, and video cameras to use to complete class assignments. Any student that needs assistance with using technology in their classes should visit Media and Instructional Services on the first floor of the McGraw-Page Library, or contact Professor Lily Zhang at zzhang@rmc.edu. **Please note that assistance with purchasing or maintaining computer systems is managed through the College’s Institutional Technology Services office, ITS, which is located in Copley Hall.**