Academic Support Services

The Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA) support the work of the faculty and academic advisors by coordinating academic support services for all Southwestern students that are designed to enhance student success, including tutoring, career counseling and General Studies advising. CASA also offers periodic workshops and seminars during the academic year.

The Counseling and Testing Center provides services which focus on helping students cope with personal concerns as they engage in their spiritual, academic, social and personal activities. Typical student needs and concerns include learning how to study more effectively, resolving interpersonal conflicts, managing stress reactions, coping with loneliness, and handling feelings of depression, anxiety and other emotional crises.

Career Planning: Several career and interest inventories are given by the Counseling Center to help students learn more about their aptitudes, achievements, interests, values, and personality. The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), correspondence tests, and national tests for admission to graduate schools are administered by the Counseling Center.

Special Needs: The Counseling Center strives to assist students with qualifying disabilities which can include vision and hearing, medical conditions, and learning disabilities which substantially limit one or more of a person's major life activities and may necessitate modifications to the facilities, programs, or services of the University. Information provided by the student will be used only in the coordination and facilitation of service and accommodations required to make programs accessible to the student. The University reserves the right to request current documentation of physical and/or mental disabilities prior to the determination and facilitation of appropriate accommodations; documentation requirements are discussed in more detail in the ADA Policy found in the Counseling and Testing Center.

Disability services staff members, through the Counseling and Testing Center, coordinate appropriate aids and services to accommodate students with disabilities. Students requesting accommodation must contact the office to provide the staff members with documentation of their disability.

Southwestern is committed to policies which provide equal opportunity for full participation in the University experience for all qualified people with disabilities. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in admission or access to its educational programs and associated activities.

Health Services provides assistance to students or staff who are ill or have minor injuries, without cost. The clinic is located in Harmon Hall and is open from 8:00 P.M. -10:00 P.M. Sunday

-Thursday. If you should have a health care need during weekends or nights, call the dean on duty.

The Office of Information Technology Services is responsible for providing computer resources, campus network infrastructure, digital and voice telecommunications, standard software licensing, and institutional research to support the academic and administrative functions of the University. The staff installs and maintains servers, off-campus connectivity, administrative computer systems, as well as providing help for faculty, staff, and administrators in addressing their computer-related problems. There is a continual program to upgrade connectivity, external access, hardware and software, and digital resources for classroom use.

The Chan Shun Library, contains computers for the use of students during library hours. The Computer Teaching Lab, located in Pechero Hall, houses a number of computers that are available for general use when classes are not scheduled in that facility.

Students with personal and campus concerns and questions should contact the Dean of Students, whose office is located in the Findley Administration Building. The Vice President for Student Services/Dean of Students' staff practices a student-centered, student-first philosophy of service. The student code of conduct, which is in place for the safety and well being of our university campus community, is enforced by the Vice President for Student Services. The Student Services staff is further involved in student life by sponsoring numerous programs and activities, planning and coordinating new student orientation, providing leadership training and opportunities for student involvement in campus governance.

Support for writing and writers on campus is the focus of The Write Spot, Southwestern’s writing center. This facility is located in the library, on the first floor, and offers assistance to students, faculty, and staff. Faculty and trained mentors are available for consultations 24 hours a week during the academic year.