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Academic Support Programs and Services
Academic Advising
Academic advising is an important and integral part of the educational program at Albright. The advising process helps students plan and complete an academic program that satisfies their individual needs and goals. Advisers assist students not only in selecting courses and meeting degree requirements but also in understanding the value of a liberal arts education and in exploring the relationship between academic coursework and career preparation.
At entrance, students are assigned faculty advisers. When a student changes or declares an area of concentration, the student selects a faculty adviser from the appropriate academic department.
Academic advisers provide assistance and support to students in planning their academic programs; however, each student is responsible for ensuring that his or her academic program complies with the degree requirements of the College.
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Albright Alpha Program
(for students undecided about their area of concentration)
Some students enter Albright with a clear idea of which academic program they wish to pursue and what their ultimate career will be. Some of these, of course, change their minds more than once as their studies progress. Others come for a broad liberal arts education and are undecided about their prospective area of concentration.
The Albright Alpha Program provides academic guidance, activities, events, peer support, and career counseling to help undecided students make the most of their Albright experience and provide them with sufficient information for making a wise choice of concentration when the time arrives. The program is available to all undecided students who think they may benefit. All freshmen and sophomores are invited to participate.
Alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet, symbolizes a beginning. First-year college students experience one of the most exciting, and, at the same time, bewildering "beginnings" of their lives. Alpha students take courses in a wide variety of academic disciplines, meet a diverse group of faculty who present new knowledge and new perspectives, and talk endlessly with new friends about all manner of things. Gradually they define their academic interests more clearly and select an area of concentration that will provide learning in depth to complement the learning in breadth which comes with a liberal arts program.
Each undeclared student is assigned a faculty adviser specially chosen to counsel undecided students. He or she, together with the registrar, work to select a program which provides a broad exposure to many different fields and keeps options as open as possible. Several times a semester all Alpha students are invited to a special event. This is both a social occasion for meeting one another and exchanging ideas and a substantive event that provides undecided students with more helpful information about declaring a concentration. For example, a panel of formerly undecided students might relate their experiences and offer advice, or a panel of faculty might discuss academic programs available at Albright. Other events might include speakers or films especially pertinent to the interests and needs of undecided students, or a group trip off-campus.
Career planning assistance and counseling are available. The Career Development Center stands ready to help in many ways, such as providing and interpreting an interest inventory to clarify areas of interest and aptitudes. Several times a semester, life-planning workshops are offered, focusing on defining interests, values, abilities and goals. Individual counseling is always available from the Career Development Center, as well as from the Counseling Center and the director of the Albright Alpha Program.
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Academic Assistance
The Academic Learning Center provides a comprehensive program of academic support services including individual student tutors, study group sessions, instructional interns and academic progress sessions.
The Writing Center is available to students of all disciplines who need assistance with their written work. The Writing Center is supported by the English Department.
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Special Needs Students
Albright does not have a formal, separate program for students with learning or other disabilities. However, the College does attempt to make reasonable accommodations for students with documented learning disabilities. Students with such needs should contact the director of the academic learning center for additional information and documentation standards.
A student who disagrees with the appropriateness of an accommodation should speak directly with the director of the Academic Learning Center. If a satisfactory compromise cannot be achieved, the student should request an appointment with the affirmative action coordinator (who also serves as the director of human resources).
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Career Development Center
The Career Development Center is dedicated to assisting students with self-assessment, career exploration, and job searching skill development that will be of use beyond the college years. All students, including Accelerated Degree Program students, are encouraged to utilize these services. Services are also available to Albright College alumni.
Through individual career counseling, students have an opportunity to integrate selfknowledge with career information in order to plan an appropriate academic experience. A career planning course, "SPI 125 Career Decision Making," helps Alpha students and other first and second-year students identify appropriate concentrations based upon their interests and skills.
The center provides a variety of workshops, from resume and cover letter writing to writing your personal statement for graduate school. Each semester, career panels are offered that help students explore career options for a variety of concentrations.
Each year the center hosts a graduate school fair and a job/internship fair. Recruiting efforts include an on-campus recruiting program, three regional job and internship fairs, anonline resume referral and job posting system and other opportunities for job seekers to meet with potential employers.
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