Academic Services

Academic Advising

Each student is assigned an academic adviser from his or her school. The adviser maintains advisee records and provides information on major, minor, distribution, and graduation requirements. The adviser also refers the student to appropriate persons or offices when extra assistance is needed and can help locate information on academic policies, procedures, and deadlines. In addition to meeting their advisers during advance registration periods, students should actively seek their assistance before academic problems develop. Moreover, by working closely with their advisers, students can be more informed about their wide range of educational opportunities. Positive student-adviser relationships are most likely to develop with frequent interaction and open communication.

Summer Orientation

The Office of First Year Programs and Orientation coordinates the Ithaca College summer orientation program for parents and students. Students take placement exams, meet with an academic adviser, and register for their first-semester classes at one of the six sessions offered in June and July. Upon receipt of the enrollment deposit, students receive information about registering for summer orientation. Freshmen move-in day and the beginning of continuing orientation is the Saturday before fall classes begin.

Special Academic Opportunities

Qualified students can pursue special prestigious academic opportunities such as the Rhodes Scholarship, Truman Scholarship, Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, Minority Leaders Fellowship Program, and the All-USA Academic Team recognition. For information on the institutional nomination process and other details, contact the Office of the Provost.

OMA Academic Programs

The Ithaca Achievement Program (IAP), sponsored by Ithaca College under the auspices of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, is designed to recruit, retain, and graduate students from groups historically underrepresented in American higher education because of ethnic or racial background. Groups targeted are African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Native American. Students who choose to participate in IAP take part in a wide variety of educational, cultural, social, and community service activities to enhance their success.

Ithaca College also sponsors the New York State Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). HEOP provides a broad range of services to state residents who, because of academic and economic circumstances, would otherwise be unable to attend a postsecondary institution. HEOP students meet both academic and financial guidelines set by the New York State Education Department and the College.

In addition, Ithaca College sponsors the New York State Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). CSTEP provides academic enrichment and career-oriented experiences for students who want careers in science- and health-related fields or in licensed professions such as law and accounting. CSTEP students participate in internships, conduct research, and become involved with faculty or professional mentors to learn more about their areas of interest. Eligibility for CSTEP depends on a number of factors, including New York residency, ethnicity, and family income levels. Students are selected for participation both during the admissions process and during the school year.

More detailed descriptions of the programs, including application procedures, are under "Student Information."

Library

The library, located on the second to fifth floors of the Gannett Center, is open 102 hours a week. It offers numerous services and resources in electronic and print formats for students and faculty in search of information. The collection contains books, periodicals, audio (compact discs, phonograph records, and tapes), and videos. Via the library's website, the College community has access to over 100 electronic indexing and abstracting services and full-text databases. These services, as well as an online catalog, are available both on and off campus. Reference librarians are available to provide instruction on how to use various print references as well as the Internet and other electronic resources. Librarians can recommend appropriate materials and research strategies. Training is available to students and faculty in the use of the latest electronic indexing and abstracting services, and in the use of the Internet for research. The library also teaches a one-credit course, Library Resources and Methods of Research, that introduces students to the organization, arrangement, and efficient use of library materials. Information resources that are necessary for educational endeavors but are not owned by the library may be obtained using the interlibrary loan service. Through the South Central Research Library Council and OCLC, the library has access to over 17,000 libraries in the United States and abroad.

Writing Center

The writing center, located in 228 Roy H. Park Hall, serves all students who wish to become better writers. It offers one-on-one tutorials to work on any stage of the writing process in any discipline, from brainstorming ideas to revising drafts for clarity, coherence, correctness, and documentation of sources. Assistance is also offered in improving reading comprehension and refining written English skills for international students.

Academic Computing and Client Services

Students in all disciplines use computers supported by Academic Computing and Client Services (ACCS). Every school in the College offers courses that include computing. Students studying such diverse topics as music theory, developmental psychology, finance, physical therapy, or writing will find opportunities to use computers for class. An extensive collection of programming languages, data analysis packages, and business programs supports the curriculum.

The ACCS staff consists of a director and 25 full-time professional employees. Members of the staff provide free workshops and consulting services to Ithaca College students and faculty. The main office is located in 102 Muller Hall; phone 607-274-3030.

ACCS supports student computer facilities located all over the campus, containing more than 650 microcomputers on a campuswide network. This includes Macintosh and Windows computer classrooms, along with a number of open-access labs. The largest and most-used facility is the microcomputer complex on the first floor of Friends Hall. One of the Friends labs is open 24 hours a day, and the rest are open from early morning to late at night throughout the school year. Labs are staffed by student consultants who are skilled at helping people use the computers.

All Ithaca College students automatically receive an account for using e-mail and storing files on a network server. The College has installed network connections for students in all of the residence hall rooms. Students who have their own computers can use these connections for high-speed access to campus computer resources and the Internet. There are no charges for these network connections.

Ithaca College has an active presence on the Internet and World Wide Web. The College's home page (www.ithaca.edu) serves as a campuswide information system with a plethora of information about campus events, class notes, courses, and other College information. Many courses at the College are also available from or supplemented by a special Web server for course delivery (courses.ithaca.edu).

Services for Students with Disabilities

Ithaca College seeks to ensure that all students have access to its programs and activities. The Office of Affirmative Action oversees the College's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities assists students in accessing reasonable accommodations and in determining which accommodations are appropriate.

Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to, testing modifications, note-taking support, special parking permits, assistive technology, and assistance with class registration.

For additional information, contact the Office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities at 607-274-1005 (TDD: 607-274-1767).