Student Success | Stevenson University

Your Success is our Focus

The Center for Student Success is dedicated to providing faculty, staff, and programs that support students in their academic journey. Our center is a convenient one-stop location where you can access resources that will help you improve your academic performance. Whether you need academic advising, tutoring services, disability support, or success coaching, we are here to help you achieve your academic goals.

Have questions?

Center for Student Success

443-352-5880
CSS@stevenson.edu

Location
Garrison Student Union, South Entrance (Map)

Hours
Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Academic Advising for Upperclassmen and Transfer Students

Academic Advising at Stevenson University is a free support service available to all degree-seeking students. Advisors can assist with a wide range of academic matters, from selecting a major to planning for graduate school. The Office of Student Success provides services and resources to students, faculty, and staff that will strengthen academic performance, enhance student satisfaction, and improve student retention.

All enrolled degree-seeking students have an assigned advisor that specializes in a single major. Students who have not selected a major are assigned to advisors who only advise deciding students. The advising office’s general advisors are available for complex situations and can help students on a walk-in basis, although appointments are encouraged. Students are responsible for fulfilling college requirements, but advisors are the assisting experts who can help students plan an efficient program of study.

Hours:

Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
After 4:30 p.m. by appointment only
Location: Garrison Student Union, South Entrance

Student Success Coaching for Freshmen

The Student Success Coaches guide and collaborate with traditional freshmen students during their transition to life at Stevenson University. Coaches use a holistic approach with each student to develop an individualized plan for their academic, professional, and personal success. They educate students about university resources and serve as a compass to help them navigate their first year in college. In addition, coaches provide proactive course planning and advising, as well as registration assistance.

For more information about Student Success Coaching contact the Office of Student Success at oss@stevenson.edu.

About Student Success Coaching

What Does a Success Coach Do?

Provide academic advising: Coaches advise students for registration for their freshman year and facilitate a seamless transition into their sophomore year. At this point, students transition to a faculty Academic Advisor within their major who will serve as their Academic Advisor until they graduate.
Develop a plan for success: Students and their Success Coaches meet regularly to set academic, personal, and professional goals with an emphasis on connecting students to Stevenson University and establishing a solid foundation students can build upon in the years to come.
Serve as a liaison between students and Stevenson University: Success Coaches refer students to appropriate campus resources, groups, and activities based on their individual needs.
Offer support: Coaches provide a friendly, supportive environment that address students’ individual needs, and helps them overcome any obstacles preventing their success.

Benefits

Student Success Coaches will:

Develop a one-on-one relationship with their students.
Serve as a point person whom students can reach out to when needed.
Assist students with the transition to life in college.
Empower students to advocate for themselves.
Help students become engaged with and feel connected to Stevenson University.
Encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and experience everything Stevenson has to offer.
Facilitate individual meetings with students each semester.
Help students develop a four-year plan to ensure degree completion.
Advise students on registration and course selection.
Provide support for academic concerns, e.g., test taking, note taking, and study skills.
Help students develop time management skills.
Connect students to resources on campus.
Assist students with creating academic, personal, and professional goals.

Resources

Timeline

Summer

Mustang Round Up – The Success Coach team meets with their respective advisees for an introductory session during a group meeting at Orientation (Mustang Days) to introduce themselves, provide an overview of the Success Coaching program, and assist with course registrations.

Fall Semester

Week 1 – Week 2 – Connect with Your Coach: This meeting connects the Success Coaches with their advisees within the first two weeks of school to ensure that their students are adjusting to the college transition, provide valuable information, and address any questions/concerns students may have.

Week 3 – Week 7 – Individual Goal Setting: This meeting focuses on reviewing the Student Goal Worksheet. Students are encouraged to think about their college experience holistically and establish well-thought-out, specific goals across a range of areas. These areas include academics, campus involvement, residential or commuter life, and personal goals. In addition to establishing goals, students develop a specific plan to achieve these goals.

Week 8 – 11 – Registration and Midterm Advising: This meeting is focused on educating students concerning reading/understanding their degree audit and reviewing policies and procedures for course registration. Success Coaches meet with their students for registration, assisting them with creating upcoming Spring semester schedules and providing them with authorization to register. At this time, Success Coaches also review mid-term grades with students. For students that have concerning mid-term grades (“C” or lower), Success Coaches reach out through various means and offer individual meetings to review their performance and discuss ways to improve grades.

Week 12 – Week 16 – End of Semester Meeting: Immediately after registration advising, students have the opportunity to complete their final check-in meeting through the week of final exams. This meeting allows students to reflect on their experiences during their first semester at Stevenson including their personal growth and plans. In addition, students review their spring course schedule with their Coach.

Spring Semester

Week 1 – Week 6 – Mustang Action Plan (M.A.P): This meeting presents an opportunity for students to reflect on their experiences in the Fall semester and guide the students toward developing an action plan for the Spring semester. Before the beginning of the spring semester, the Success Coaches distribute the Mustang Action Plan (M.A.P.) electronically. The M.A.P. is a form designed to encourage freshmen to reflect from a holistic perspective on their semester.

Week 7 – Week 13 – Registration and Midterm Advising: This meeting is focused on reviewing students’ upcoming Fall schedules for their sophomore year and providing them with authorization to register. At this time, Success Coaches also review mid-term grades with students. For students that have concerning mid-term grades (“C” or lower), Success Coaches reach out to them through various means and offer individual meetings to review their performance and discuss ways to improve their grades.

Week 14 – Week 16 – End of the Year Meeting: Immediately after registration advising, students have the opportunity to complete their final check-in meeting through the week of final exams. This meeting symbolizes graduation from the Success Coaching program and provides an opportunity to reflect on their experiences during their first year at Stevenson University and discuss their summer plans. In addition, students are informed in person and via email detailed information regarding their new Advisor assignments.

Summer Outreach

As the University receives AP scores or college transfer credits, Success Coaches reach out to students to make necessary changes to their upcoming Fall schedule. Additionally, Success Coaches are also available during the summer for any concerns that students/parents may have.

The Academic Link Learning Center

Connecting Students with Academic Success

The John L. Stasiak Academic Link Learning Center was established to support Stevenson’s commitment to cultivating a rich learning environment where students thrive, connecting them to a wide array of accessible academic support services and innovative programs. These connections help students in their pursuit of success and independent learning as they achieve their academic and career goals.

Tutoring Services

Peer and professional tutoring is free to students. Tutors are certified by the College Reading and Learning Association and are trained to help students develop effective study strategies, increase understanding of course content, and become independent learners.

To view availability and schedule a tutoring appointment, log into TutorTrac with your SU Single Sign-On.

Current students, faculty, and staff wishing to learn more about our tutoring services may visit our Stevenson Portal page.

Testing Center

The Academic Link also hosts testing services for Stevenson’s undergraduate students, providing accessible, secure test proctoring and exceptional customer service while ensuring the highest level of academic integrity. Students are encouraged to take approved make-up exams in our testing center on the Owings Mills Campus.

To schedule an approved exam with the Academic Link Testing Center, contact the Academic Link Desk. Current students, faculty, and staff wishing to learn more about the Testing Center may visit our Stevenson Portal page.

Students with disabilities who require accommodations should visit the Office of Disability Services website to learn how to register. Current students seeking ODS information, forms, and documents should visit the Stevenson Portal.

Garrison Student Union, South Entrance
Monday -Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
443-394-9300
academiclink@stevenson.edu

Writing Center

Helping Students with Every Phase of the Writing Process

The Stevenson University Writing Center values writing as a process of discovery wherein students can explore new ideas, create new knowledge, take risks, change their minds, and dwell in spaces of uncertainty. Through the act of writing and revising, we encourage students to think critically and independently by asking questions and serving as sounding boards for peer writers. By engaging in conversation, student writers can test theories and discover new avenues of thought to bolster an argument or explore a hypothesis. Our consultants are trained to help the student writer find solutions and make decisions about how they communicate through writing. Ultimately, our writing center seeks to facilitate the growth, academic success, and self-discovery of all Stevenson students through a dialogical exploration of ideas and communicative choices. Our Writing Center is located in the

Location

Center for Student Success, Garrison Student Union – South Entrance

Writing Center Drop-In Hours for Spring 2024

Mondays: 12:30-4:00pm
Tuesdays: 3:30 to 7:30pm

Services Provided

Our peer and professional writing consultants can help students with every phase of the writing process, including:

Understanding assignment guidelines
Reading strategies and understanding a reading
Finding and citing sources
Brainstorming ideas  
Getting started on an essay 
Revising a draft

In addition, our consultants go beyond the actual writing by providing research support and practice with critical reading strategies.

Appointments can be made through TracCloud. Questions can be directed to writingcenter@stevenson.edu.

Learn More

Academic Integrity

Stevenson students are expected to model honesty, trust, respect, responsibility, and courage. These values provide a framework for positive relationships between students and their peers, as well as between students and their faculty members. Consistency in practicing these values allows members of the Stevenson community to trust in the integrity of all academic pursuits.

Stevenson encourages students to be proud of integrity and to be engaged in promoting integrity through campus activities. The SAIC (Student Academic Integrity Committee) allows students to be a part of the process of educating their fellow students about the importance of academic integrity. The committee created a University-wide Honor Pledge in 2015, and hosts events to increase campus awareness of academic integrity.

Honor Pledge

“I pledge on my honor that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this assignment/exam.“

The SU Honor Pledge is a unifying statement across all disciplines and fields of study. It represents Stevenson’s culture of integrity, one of the University’s four core values, and serves as a consistent reminder to students of the importance of academic integrity.

Pledge Days

To promote The Pledge and our community’s core value of integrity, the SAIC hosts an annual series of Pledge Days on each campus. During Pledge Days, you are encouraged to sign a banner pledging your honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. The SAIC gives away candy and other fun items as students sign the banner. The banner, which has hundreds of signatures, hangs across from The Rock in the Manuszak Center on the Greenspring Campus.

Freshman Seminar

Freshmen receive a lot of helpful information during their Freshman Seminar course. How do you create a resume? What resources are available at Stevenson? What exactly is “academic integrity?” To provide information in a relatable way, members of the SAIC help deliver presentations on academic integrity to Freshmen. Students are encouraged to ask questions, analyze common integrity-related scenarios, and learn about resources available to them.

Academic Integrity Week

Academic Integrity Week is a University-wide series of events in the fall that promote academic integrity as integral to the learning process. The SAIC hosts a movie night and discusses how honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage play a role in the movie. Workshops on time management and study skills are held in conjunction with The Academic Link. The SAIC also passes out free items like key chains or stress balls to provide students with a tangible reminder of integrity.

Citation Workshops

The Office of Academic Integrity and the Stevenson Library partner each semester to host a series of citation workshops the week before midterms. Students are encouraged to come and hear an overview of citation, and ask assignment-related citation questions of the librarians. The Stevenson Library is an excellent resource for students, and faculty often offer extra credit to students who attend one of the workshops.

New Mustang Experience

As a new student at Stevenson University, you’ll take part in The New Mustang Experience – an intentional, programmatic, effort designed to help you make a smooth transition to the Stevenson community. During this time, you’ll get the opportunity to meet new students, get to know your faculty and academic support resources, and learn more about being a Mustang.

Learn More

Current Students

Stevenson students seeking information, forms, and documents from the Office of Disability Services should use the Stevenson Portal.

Stevenson Portal

Disability Services

Stevenson University admits qualified students regardless of disability and welcomes the full participation of students with disabilities in all aspects of campus life. The Office of Accessibility & Disability Services coordinates with various campus partners to ensure equal access to University programs, facilities, and services.

Students with disabilities who require accommodations should contact the Office of Accessibility & Disability Services before the start of their first academic semester, or upon onset of disability, to initiate the intake and eligibility process. The student must have an active role in the Office of Accessibility & Disability Services’ registration process. Parents, faculty, staff, etc. may not request services on the student’s behalf.

Requesting Services

If you have a disability and require an accommodation, including academics, housing, meal plan, or an Emotional Support Animal, you will need to register with the Office of Accessibility & Disability Services. Registration involves the following three steps:

1. Follow this link to fill out an accommodation request form.

2. Once you have completed this electronic accommodation request form, you will be asked to upload documentation from your provider to the system – View Documentation Guidelines.

3. Once received, the Office of Accessibility & Disability Services will review your request and documentation and you will receive a written response regarding the status of your request. Upon approval for accommodations, you will receive an email to schedule an implementation meeting with a staff member in the Office of Accessibility & Disability Services

Please note: Upon approval for accommodations, students must initiate a request to use their approved accommodations at the beginning of each academic semester and/or when accommodations begin. Students must follow the policies and procedures identified for utilizing each accommodation for which they are approved.

Services Provided

The Office of Accessibility & Disability Services approves reasonable accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case basis, depending on the student’s needs and the recommendations contained in the disability documentation. These services may include, but are not limited to:

Extended time on quizzes, tests, and exams.
Reduced distraction testing environment.
Note-taking assistance.
Preferential class seating.
Sign language interpreters.
Assistive Technology.
Alternate format texts.

Please note that once approved, some accommodations may take several weeks to arrange. Students with disabilities are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Accessibility & Disability Services as early as possible upon deciding to attend Stevenson University.

Postsecondary Disability Support

Click here to review this helpful guide from the Maryland Department of Disabilities.

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Ashliegh Genece

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As a fashion merchandising major and marketing minor, Ashliegh has gained a wide scope of takeaways tailored to her future career: from retail math and business writing to presentation skills and industry knowledge.

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Contact Student Success

Phone and Email

443-352-5880
CSS@stevenson.edu

Location

Garrison Student Union, South Lobby
Owings Mills Campus (Map)

Hours

Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Academic Link has extended operating hours.