Academic Support

Academic Counseling

The Office of Academic Counseling serves as a resource and referral agent for both students and faculty.

Through one-on-one partnerships, academic counselors challenge undergraduate students to determine meaningful academic and life goals by encouraging them to reflect upon their educational experiences and achievements. The Academic Counseling staff offers special support to those students who are experiencing academic challenges, provides assistance with class registration, long term academic planning, individual assistance in study skills improvement, time management, test taking preparation, college reading techniques, and college survival skills.

Academic Development Program

The Academic Development Program (ADP) is a team-taught combination of courses designed to help incoming first year students develop proficiency in reading, writing, library and learning skills necessary for college success.

Students are invited to participate in this program if high school records and entrance exams (such as the ACT) indicate weakness in the areas of reading and writing.

Participants in the program register for twelve or sixteen credits in fall semester: ENGL 110 Intensive Writing; a companion course covering one of the core curriculum requirements; and one or two additional courses of the student's choice.

Academic Support Services for Athletes

Academic Support Services for Athletics (ASSA) provides ongoing academic counseling and support for student-athletes in the areas of first-year scheduling, academic compliance, creating four-year degree completion plans, academic planning for missed class time due to travel, and preparation for registration. ASSA staff are also responsible for monitoring and reporting NCAA progress-toward-degree each semester. Academic Counselors for Athletics act as a resource to connect student-athletes with the Career Development Center, Disability Resources, pre-professional programs, tutoring, study abroad, undergraduate research opportunities, as well as other resources on campus.

Center for Student Achievement (CSA)

The Center for Student Achievement is a collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs that intentionally integrates resources to empower students as they navigate academic and professional goals. Through the CSA, students can get assistance exploring majors and careers, connect with offices and programs that provide academic support, and learn about opportunities that will enrich their academic experience at St. Thomas. For more information, go to /centerforstudentachievement/.

Center for Writing

Writers at all levels of experience use the Center for Writing. Through individualized conferences, peer consultants work with writers to help them focus, develop, and organize their ideas, and revise and edit their drafts. Students can seek assistance on any work in progress before they write, as they write, and after they write. Most writers bring course assignments, including analytical, research, and capstone papers. Those writing essays for application to graduate school or study abroad are also welcome.

The Center is staffed by peer consultants selected each spring through a rigorous application and interview process. The consultants do not edit or proofread, but instead help writers strengthen their approaches to all facets of the writing process.

Conferences with consultants are free and confidential.

Appointments should be made through our website. Online consultations are available through our website as well. For more information on our services, please contact the director, Dr. Susan Callaway, in JRC 361, 651-962-5601.

Consult the website for more information:

Disability Resources

Students qualify for services from Disability Resources through self-disclosure of a disability. Reasonable academic accommodations are arranged on an individual basis to provide students with disabilities equal access to all university programs. The University of St. Thomas is committed to compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008.

English Language Consulting

English Language Consulting provides help for undergraduate multilingual and international students to improve language and academic skills. The ELC offers support for vocabulary development, grammar, reading comprehension, note-taking, speaking and listening skills, study skills, and other English as a Second/Additional Language concerns. More information is available through the Center for Student Achievement.

Faculty Advisors

Full-time faculty members serve as advisors to all students. Faculty advisors assist students with class schedules and enrollment decisions each semester during their first and sophomore years. A student may officially declare an academic major after a completing one semester of enrollment,. When the student has been admitted as a major in a particular department, the guidance of her or his program is then transferred from the pre-major advisor to a departmental major field advisor. Major field advisors guide their advisees' progress toward a degree by reviewing grade reports and degree evaluations, assisting students with academic challenges, and consulting with them about career decisions.

Innovation & Technology Services

Innovation & Technology Services (ITS) is the University of St. Thomas' technology division. As part of its mission to connect and empower the ��Ƶ community, ITS focuses on technology support, academic computing, process improvement, infrastructure services, and security. ITS is charged with developing initiatives that create and reflect best IT practices in higher education while supporting the University of St. Thomas' mission and strategic goals.

ITS provides a variety of software and services to students at no additional cost to support their academic and personal goals while at St. Thomas. All students receive a St. Thomas account upon acceptance to the university that includes email, file storage, on-campus printing, Microsoft Office suite for personal devices, and access to important university-wide systems that allow students to stay on top of their coursework, grades, and campus activities. The Tech Desk also offers free walk-up assistance for general troubleshooting on personal devices, including malware and virus removal.

For more information visit Innovation & Technology Services.

Math Placement Tutoring

All University of St Thomas students must complete at least one math course, as determined by their field of study. Math Placement Tutors are professional math educators who are available to help students place into the math course that best fits their needs and their major requirements. Students who are working to improve their math placement can schedule one-on-one tutoring sessions as they work through online prep and learning material tailored to the areas of math that challenge them. Tutors are also available for virtual tutoring sessions for those students who would benefit from that flexibility. More information is available through the Center for Student Achievement.

Mathematics Resource Center

The Mathematics Resource Center (MaRC) provides a variety of resources including a tutoring staff, math placement assessment, and general mathematics advising.

Students must satisfy all prerequisites in order to enroll in a math course. Most entry-level math courses require an appropriate math placement derived from an ACT/SAT math score or from a St. Thomas Monitored Math Placement Assessment.

Students whose math placement is 099 cannot take any for-credit math course at St. Thomas. However, ��Ƶ offers MATH 005 (Basic Math Skills) which serves as a prerequisite for MATH 006, MATH 100 and MATH 101. Successful completion of MATH 005 receives placement into MATH 100 or MATH 101. MATH 005 has a nominal registration fee and is offered every fall, J-Term and spring.