Student Success at Aquinas College

Welcome to the Student Success Office!

There’s so much more to learn beyond orientation, so many different study techniques, career moves, and life skills— like how to read a syllabus (yes, you need to read them, yes, every time) or how to connect with faculty and faculty advisors. These things might seem hard right out of the gate, but give it time. You’re not alone. You have a whole team of experts just waiting to help you fill in those gaps. 

The Student Success Office can help you figure out where to start and how to connect with the right resources. We help you do it the right way, the first time, so that you can enter college on the right track and then walk across the graduation stage as a confident and capable individual, ready to make your mark on the world. 

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First-Year Classes

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Study Skills Workshops

Throughout the academic year, the Student Success Office organizes regular LEAD (Learn, Engage, Aspire, Discern) workshops across a variety of subjects. These are a continuation of the skills you’ll learn during your STAR Day and orientation, and they are meant to act as a companion to First Year Seminar. 

Here, you’ll find practical information about how to use resources on campus, like how to navigate Handshake to find a job or Self Service when it’s time to register for classes. Sometimes, you’ll find personal success skills like how to manage your finances or even create a budget.

 

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Study Tables 

“Success” hinges on good study habits starting early, and the primary goal of Study Tables is just that: creating an environment where students can have some time for coursework and ready access to additional resources. 

These resources include:

• Faculty office hours
• Peer tutoring
• Writing Center consultations
• Campus Ministry
• Support from the Registrar’s Office  
• Support from the International Programs Office 

The Advantage Center has even hosted career fairs in the library’s lobby, so students on their way to Study Tables can interact with potential employers and learn more about their options post-graduation. 

It’s an excellent way to get to know the campus community. 

Study Tables run on weekdays throughout the semester on the first floor of the Grace Hauenstein Library. 

 

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Individual Academic Success Appointments

It’s okay to need a little extra support now and then. Everyone has those moments where the weight of expectation is just too heavy. We’re here to lighten that load and to help you figure out what you need to do to succeed. There’s no judgment here, just a team of people who’ve been there before and know what it’s like. 

Contact Sara Haviland, Assistant Dean of Student Success and Retention, at smh006@aquinas.edu or Dan Zang, Academic Success Coordinator, at zangd@aquinas.edu for more information.