Learning Support Services undergoes expansive changes, opens doors to all University students

The Office of Learning Support Services, previously an on-campus resource for students with documented learning disabilities, has opened up its services to all Villanova students and will continue to undergo a series of expansive changes between now and the fall semester, according to director Nancy Mott.

Previously, non-disabled students seeking aid with study skills and test anxiety were referred to the Counseling Center, located in the Health Services building. 

LSS will continue to work alongside faculty to provide reasonable academic accommodations for students with disabilities, but its staff wants all students to know that they are welcome, according to Mott. 

As a result of the expansion, LSS has hired a new learning skills specialist, Nicole Subik, works alongside Burke and director Nancy Mott. 

The team has been working with UNIT to create a new LSS website that was launched this semester. 

To accommodate a larger staff and more students, the office itself relocated from its previous location on the second floor of Kennedy Hall to room 203 in Vasey Hall.

LSS offers assistance for students with disabilities, including subject-specific tutoring, proctored exams and mentoring. 

Services open to all students include "learning style evaluations and study strategies," referrals to other centers and one-on-one time management coaching sessions, according to the current LSS website. In the past, the office has offered science tutoring for all students on South Campus for first-year chemistry courses.

This service will continue, with the hope of adding physics and other sciences to the repertoire within the coming semesters, according to Mott.

Last semester, Subik and Burke held workshops geared toward all students on topics ranging from reading fluency to test-taking and learning styles. 

A collection of workshops have been scheduled for the 2010-'11 school year. Future workshops, "The Freshman 15," "It's Not Too Late" and "To Read or Not to Read?," will cover issues such as freshman essentials, midterms and textbook reading, respectively. The location of these workshops has not yet been determined, but LSS hopes to schedule them near their new home in Vasey. LSS will offer each workshop twice, with one day and one evening session during its scheduled week.

LSS worked to get their new message across to the incoming freshman class by Orientation Week.

 "We're here for everybody," Subik said. 

"We really like to encourage students to seek out support early on, to see their professors first and then seek out other supports that may help them learn in a more efficient manner," Mott said.