Academic Center for Excellence
Bonnie Smith
Chipola College, Marianna
Chipola College is proud to nominate the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) for the Learning Support Services Award through AFC. ACE offers free, on-demand tutoring and aligns its mission with those of AFC and the Florida College System (FCS). AFC’s mission is “to provide their students and the citizens of Florida with the best possible comprehensive community college educational system.” ACE does just that. It serves as a vehicle for providing academic and social support for students and providing them with a successful college experience. “The mission of the Florida College System is to provide access to high-quality, affordable academic and career educational programs that maximize student learning and success, develop a globally competitive workforce and respond rapidly to diverse and community needs.” Ace maximizes access and success focusing on learning outcomes and persistence, which were identified as key components during an institutional assessment. Providing an environment and services that support student learning, the center also accomplishes the mission of the institution.
The center provides a cost-effective model for small colleges. By taking the very best students and providing them a vehicle for service, academic exploration, and social acceptance, any college can replicate this resource. Bonnie Smith, the director and a credentialed instructor, coordinates the various reviews, tutoring sessions, and activities of the center. She has one full-time ACE assistant and 50 student tutors. These tutors are carefully chosen and complete intensive in-house training. Taking an innovative approach, the director merged students from the Honors Program, Phi Theta Kappa, and the Pre-Med Society to serve as tutors. The best and brightest of students provide one-on-one and group tutoring to at-risk students.
ACE provides authentic learning experiences for both students and staff. One of the center’s greatest assets is its ability to link student tutors to other college students in working relationships that result in mutual benefits. While students who visit the center have noted remarkable learning outcomes, the staff of the center benefit immensely. In a recent student survey, one staff member described how ACE impacted him “both academically and personally [and] opened [his] eyes to different people and different learning styles” and that through ACE, his “leadership skills . . . improved.” Because many of the area high schools do not offer advanced math and science courses, the brightest students at Chipola College can be considered at-risk of not attaining their goals of working in a STEM field like engineering, medicine, or pharmacy. They begin their college careers by taking the most rigorous courses on campus without the foundational skills. Many tutors have reported that their academic skills have improved through teaching the content of rigorous courses; they have a deeper understanding of the concepts, making them stronger transfer candidates to highly selective university programs. The Honors Program boasts a 97% completion and transfer acceptance rate. The average GPA of Chipola’s transfer students is higher than the state average. The advising for these students, which is conducted in the ACE with the center director, includes assistance with the transfer process, recommendation letters, and connections with university advisors in their special areas of interest.
The students who come to ACE for tutoring also show much success. An increase in graduation rates is attributed in large part to the center. The college has also experienced higher passing rates in courses identified as high risk. Many of these are STEM courses and are required for acceptance and transfer to the universities. Focused instruction, activities, and materials are provided in ACE for these courses. Any day, one can visit ACE and see a group review session for trigonometry, tutors working individually with a student in humanities, or a tutor teaching a lesson in organic chemistry. On a recent graduating survey, one student wrote, “ACE lab is the most important tool I have found at Chipola College. If utilized, every student would pass.”
ACE also provides specialized tutoring. For example, the staff teach classes on the General Knowledge exam, a requirement for admission into any School of Education in Florida. Since the inception of these review sessions, there has been a dramatic increase in admissions to the Chipola College School of Education. The staff conducted several evening sessions of ACT review for area high school students to increase scores. Some students increased their scores enough to receive a Bright Futures Scholarship, some enough to enter a workforce program, others to be an honor graduate. Whatever the goal, ACE made a difference for those students who committed to attending the free, six-day review of test-taking strategies. This advocacy of student outcomes is what ACE is all about. Helping students have access to college and scholarships is positive public relations and a strong recruitment tool for the college.
The participants in ACE, both students and staff, is a very diverse group. Frequenting the ACE are students from the ages of 17 to 87, English speaking and non-English speaking, every major from workforce to medicine. The center is an inclusive environment where all students are welcome. There is no stigma for not understanding content. Faculty encourage their students to utilize ACE because of this positive, enriching environment. Learning communities naturally evolve based on similar majors and courses. Students know their classmates better, they learn to network in their academic careers, and they form friendships that lead to university roommates. They are able to carry these support systems with them when they transfer.
The most recent SACSCOC On-Site Committee offered a commendation, stating that ACE was “praised by students and faculty alike, and on visits to the ACE, committee members were impressed by the high degree of use the site was receiving” and cited ACE as the number one strength of the college. ACE was also recognized as a best practice by the FCS in 2015 and was a finalist for the 2016 Bellwether Award. ACE has revolutionized Chipola’s learning environment by providing on-demand tutoring for at-risk students, improving the front-door experience by creating a student-friendly space, and providing faculty development on student retention.