SAN ANTONIO — Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) spring semester 2021 is well underway. With the ongoing pandemic, recent winter snow storm and other crisis brought upon students during these unprecedented times, it may be no surprise if some students find themselves failing a class or two.
Although, it may seem like it is the end of the world, quite frankly, it is not. Even stellar students fail a college course sometimes.
OLLU has resources available to students to help them succeed and minimize damage to their academic record. Utilizing these resources can help prevent it from happening again.
Director of Advising Joan Tsacalis reminds students that they are not alone and to not be afraid to reach out to their advisor and their professors to let know they are working on improving their grade.
“It’s really important that student’s check their OLLU email because that’s how we are going to reach out to you,” said Tsacalis.
After the initial contact, they will set up a meeting and determine if the grade is salvageable, refer them to the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) for tutoring or decide if dropping the class is the better solution. (Before dropping a class though, students should check with the financial aid office to make sure that dropping a class will not affect their financial aid.)
The ACE is located on the first floor of the Sueltenfuss Library. It provides individual tutoring, study groups and workshops to encourage intellectual growth.
“The Academic Center for Excellence is a great place to start,” said Daniel Cheshire Ph.D. “We have a whole bunch of tutors here ready to help.”
Most of the tutoring is being done online and students can share screens, use audio visual connections to have real time conversations and meet as often as they would like for 30 minutes to an hour.
“The more they reach out for help, the more we can offer it,” said Cheshire. “With just a little bit of help, maybe once a week, I think most student will be able to turn their grades around.”
Making full use of student services on campus will have a positive impact on a student’s academic performance and allow for making connections with other students in the same situation.
Students should keep a positive attitude and take advantage of any extra credit opportunities as it will demonstrate a desire to succeed in the class(es).
For more information on ACE please contact them at writing@ollusa.edu or at (210) 431-4199.
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