TO: MAC Faculty and Staff
FROM: Elaine Belovich, Director, EXCEL/SSS
Matt Sopko, Assistant Director, EXCEL/SSS
SUJBECT: EXCEL/SSS 2009 Spring Semester Activities Schedule
DATE: January 13th, 2009
Welcome to the 2009 Spring Semester. This is a reminder that EXCEL/SSS accepts students throughout the academic year. If a student is struggling in a class that you are teaching this semester, we urge you to refer them to EXCEL/SSS, Room C-7 in the Arts and Sciences Building, for advising and/or tutoring services. Students must meet certain eligibility criteria to qualify for participation in EXCEL/SSS since this is a federally funded program, but the majority of Mineral Area College students do qualify.
The EXCEL/SSS tutoring staff, which includes both professional and peer tutors, provides tutoring by appointment and on a drop-in basis for its students. Tutoring is available in most academic courses, including all general education courses, and in many career tech courses. The tutoring staff’s primary goal is to help students develop the skills to become independent learners. Tutors encourage input from faculty and work collaboratively with faculty when appropriate. Some instructors include EXCEL/SSS as a student resource on course syllabi and others inform their students about EXCEL/SSS tutoring in their classes each semester.
In addition to tutoring, EXCEL/SSS also includes an advising component and a workshop/cultural activity component. EXCEL/SSS academic advisors work with students to: (1) set measurable academic goals each semester; (2) monitor academic progress on a regular basis; (3) develop academic intervention plans if grades begin to slip; and (4) set priorities and identify behaviors that either support or detract from academic progress.
The activities schedule, including workshops, field trips, and special activities, is attached. If any of our workshops or field trips is relevant to your coursework, please encourage your students who are in EXCEL/SSS to attend them. We are happy to sign Special Event Cards for our students who attend any of these activities. In addition, we provide EXCEL/SSS Passes to selected MAC-sponsored cultural activities and we encourage our students to take advantage of these events. However, it is EXCEL/SSS policy that students not miss scheduled classes for EXCEL/SSS workshops, field trips, or other activities.
If you have students whom you think would benefit from participation in EXCEL/SSS, encourage them to drop by our office (Rm C7) and schedule an interview to determine their eligibility. If you have any questions about our program or if you would like us to drop by your classroom this semester to make a short – i.e., five minute – presentation about EXCEL/SSS to your students, please do not hesitate to call. Finally, feel free to drop-in and visit us at any time.
EXCEL/SSS 2009 SPRING ACTIVITIESACTIVITY / DATE / PRESENTER
Workshops (All workshops are on Wednesdays from 10:00 – 10:50 am in Rm C9.)
Conquering Your Math Class / January 21st / Rachel Neumeier
Ending Procrastination / February 4th / Chris Landrum
Personal Finance Management / February 11th / Todd Kline
Remembering What You’ve Learned / February 18th / Rachel Neumeier
Writing Great Papers / March 4th / Bernie Ratliff
Overcoming Self-Defeating Attitudes / March 18th / Matt Sopko
What’s Going to Be on the Exam? / April 1st / Rachel Neumeier
First Impressions DO Count / April 15th / Kathryn Neff
Field Trips (students meet in the EXCEL/SSS Office; specifics are on the detailed schedule which is available in the EXCEL/SSS Office and on-line at the MAC web page.)
SEMO Show-Me Day / Saturday, February 21st / Elaine Belovich
UMSL Open House / Saturday, March 7th / Matt Sopko
Riverdance / Saturday, May 2nd / Elaine Belovich
Miscellaneous Activities
EXCEL/SSS Open House (Refreshments in EXCEL/SSS Office; faculty and staff are welcome!) / Monday, January 12th
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM / EXCEL/SSS Staff
TRiO Day / Saturday, February 21st
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM / Hasan Davis
EXCEL/SSS Annual Awards Ceremony / Tuesday, April 28th
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM / EXCEL/SSS Staff
Finals Week Breather (Refreshments in the EXCEL/SSS Office; faculty and staff are welcome!) / Monday, May 11th
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM / EXCEL/SSS Staff
There is no cost to students for any activity provided by EXCEL/SSS. Lunch or dinner is provided on field trips.
If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and need this publication in an alternative format, notify us at (573) 518-2131. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.