“The center’s mission is to provide programs that meet specific academic support needs, encourage scholastic persistence, responsibility and academic confidence, and develop life-long learning skills,” says the center’s Director of Academic Support Darla McCann, a recipient of an individual tutoring award in 2006 and an Association of Tutoring Professionals certified Master Tutor Trainer. “It is an honor to be recognized by an international organization for achieving those goals. It would not have been accomplished without effective teamwork!”

The Cambridge Campus Academic Support Center is centrally located inside the college’s main entrance, across from the information desk. An electronic sign-in process reports an average of 5,000 student visits per year. Of the 47 subjects tutored in the center, math is the most popular (30%), followed by English/writing (20%) and chemistry (11%).

To achieve this noteworthy level of excellence in service, the center offers a wide range of services including:

• Peer Tutoring
• Supplemental Instruction
• Intrusive Advising
• Academic Coaching
• ABE/ESL Partnership with School District 911
• Study Skills Workshops
• Organized study groups
• Access Testing
• Basic Skills Computer Lab

“Tutoring is all about the student, so assistance is based on each student’s specific strengths and weaknesses,” McCann says. “Our goal is to help everyone, whether they are struggling with a subject or not. We’re here to help even good students become better ones.”

Staffing the center are approximately 20 peer tutors, 15 supplemental instruction leaders, and a full-time Director of Academic Support. The center also collaborates with a part-time counselor, a part-time testing proctor, a school district Adult Basic Education instructor, a part-time English as Second Language instructor and several volunteer math and writing faculty members.

“We’ve designed the space to be comfortable and welcoming to students, and we encourage them to make the center their home away from home,” McCann concludes.

See information about the Cambridge Campus Academic Support Center, or contact McCann at 763.433.1825. For more information about all of the support services at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu.