Academic Advisement
Academic advisement is an invaluable interaction between a student and his/her faculty advisor. By providing students with critical information regarding their majors, minors, elective courses, career options, as well as co-curricular activities, the advisement process allows students to make the most of their college experience. Through faculty-based advisement, students are not only able to develop meaningful academic relationships with their faculty advisors, but also stand to benefit from the expert guidance of someone within their selected area of study.
While every student is assigned a faculty advisor, all students are welcome to make an appointment with an academic advisor in the Office of Academic Advisement to discuss specific academic issues, declare or change their major, add a minor, clarify program requirements, seek permission to take a course at another college, or simply ask questions about academic policies, procedures or regulations. To schedule such an appointment, students should call 212-517-0568. In addition, students are also encouraged to visit the College web site to access advisement forms and information.
Student Responsibility
Notwithstanding such support from qualified faculty advisors, students are expected to increasingly assume full responsibility for their own educational decisions. Advisement is therefore a working partnership between the student and his/her faculty advisor, in which the advisor, who is fully grounded in the academic requirements, helps to bring clarity and logic to the student’s choices. Working in concert with the academic advisors in the Office of Academic Advisement, faculty advisors are expected to assist students in making the best academic decisions from selecting a major to dropping a course. Equally, students are expected to work closely with their advisors to gain a clear understanding of all their degree requirements, and to make appropriate choices in order to ensure efficient completion of their degree programs.
The Advisement Process
During the course of a given semester, students are encouraged to meet frequently with their faculty advisor and/or their program director (e.g.,HEOP, Academic Access) to discuss their progress towards the fulfillment of degree requirements and to explore opportunities for internships and other career-related matters. In addition, prior to the registration period, students are specifically invited to make an appointment with their faculty advisor to discuss their course schedule for the upcoming semester. Such advisement sessions are normally conducted on one of two Advisement Days, specially reserved for one-on-one meetings between students and faculty advisors. On these Advisement Days, no classes are scheduled, allowing students and faculty the freedom to meet at a mutually suitable time.
The Office of Academic Advisement
The Office of Academic Advisement shares the responsibility of ensuring that all students are afforded the best support and resources for achieving academic success, through timely intervention and academic counseling. At the start of each semester, all faculty members are asked to notify the Office of those students who are experiencing academic and/or personal challenges, and who may be in danger of failing by filing an Early Alert notice. Upon the receipt of such notices, the Office of Academic Advisement makes the determination of what specific set of support services or intervention would best work for the student. Often, this involves one-on-one meetings with the student and his/her instructor to discuss methods of and strategies for improving the student’s current academic performance. Such recommendations may require the intervention of other offices such as the Center for Academic Support and Tutoring (CAST) or the Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC).
Additionally, at the end of each semester, the Office of Academic Advisement works closely with the Office of Academic Affairs to conduct the Academic Review, determining which students have failed to meet the requirements for good standing in the College (see Standards of Academic Progress under Center for Student Services). Students who fail to meet these requirements will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation are required to meet with an assigned academic advisor within the Office of Academic Advisement to discuss and plan their future schedules and design strategies to return them to good standing.
Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) has served MMC since 1969. HEOP developed out of the need for private colleges and universities in New York State to provide higher education for students who have academic potential but lack the necessary preparation and demonstrate financial need. HEOP receives funding from the New York State Higher Education Opportunity Grant along with MMC funding. Students in HEOP receive the supportive services of academic courses, tutorial work and counseling (academic, personal, and career planning). Students entering the College through this program are required to participate in the six-week summer program. Students wishing to apply for HEOP must submit an Admission application and supporting data to the Office of Admissions. A personal interview is required for all applicants. Students must be eligible for TAP and Pell awards. For information concerning eligibility requirements, please contact the HEOP office.
Students in the HEOP program are required to meet standards of progress and pace as previously defined for New York State Aid. Their good standing is maintained by their continued success in meeting these standards. Detailed guidelines governing these standards for progress and pursuit are available from the Office of Financial Aid. All students covered by HEOP must remain eligible for TAP awards in order to remain in the HEOP program at MMC. HEOP students who fall below the HEOP standards are subject to dismissal from the program and from the College.
Returning Adult Students
MMC supports non-traditional aged adults, 25 years and older, who wish to continue their education and achieve a bachelor’s degree. The Office of Admissions provides support to adult applicants in the admissions process, including the application and counseling on the final decision. The Office reaches out to the community, providing information sessions and individual appointments specifically geared towards the returning adult student. It also works with employers to provide assistance for staff members interested in returning to college for a degree or certificate.
Center for Academic Support and Tutoring (CAST)
The Center for Academic Support and Tutoring (CAST), located on the fourth floor of the Nugent Building, offers individual and group tutoring in all disciplines to help students achieve greater academic success. The CAST staff is composed of professional tutors with advanced degrees and peer tutors who have excelled in their subjects. The Center offers test preparation for graduate entrance examinations as well as academic workshops in various subjects.
Popular subjects include: Writing, Math, Economics, French, Philosophy. Sign Language, Spanish, and Statistics.
The Step-Up Program supports students who demonstrate academic potential, but who may have inconsistent academic success or difficulty with standardized tests. The program fee, a cost above tuition, includes tutoring services, personalized advising/counseling, support technology, workshops, and monthly parent/guardian meetings throughout the academic year. Students enrolled in Step-Up are required to complete a minimum of two semesters in the program, after which their progress is evaluated to determine if the program is necessary for additional semesters.
Communication and Learning Services
The Ruth Smadbeck Communication and Learning Center provides speech-language and audiological clinical services to the Marymount Manhattan community. For those interested, services available include accent modification and therapy for learning, articulation, voice, and fluency challenges.
The clinic also houses an after-school speech clinic, a service program for adults requiring advanced voice and diction instruction for professional speaking, and an after-care program for aphasic individuals. The Center’s speech science laboratory is utilized to conduct research, provide education, and deliver training modules.