By Kimberly Shotick, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Learning Commons
The Learning Commons has expanded, allowing the Huskie Academic Success Center (HASC) to provide several additional services that support student success.
One new service is HASC’s Academic Coaching program. It provides students with personalized learning strategies. These strategies focus on study methods, notetaking, test preparation, test-taking and more.
The Learning Commons expansion also facilitates the growth of HASC’s Academic Recovery Program. Students who are not making Satisfactory Academic Progress are at risk of losing Financial Aid. As part of the reinstatement process, students are required to complete academic tutoring. Academic coaches create an academic success plan tailored to students, to help them succeed.
Additionally, HASC’s new study program, “Momentum,” will take place in this expanded space. This program will begin the second week of classes and will run Sunday through Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. Momentum provides a structured study environment with drop-in coaching and writing support. Students can also earn incentives for meeting their goals.
HASC also collaborates with the NIU Academic Advising Center on the Academic Success Action Plan (ASAP) program. The program supports students on academic warning or freshman notice. It follows a four-phase model:
- Meet with an advisor.
- Attend a workshop.
- Take part in weekly group academic coaching sessions.
- Meet with an advisor to review progress.
The Mathematics Assistance Center, now called the Statistics and Mathematics Assistance Center (SMAC), has also expanded to include statistics tutoring. No appointment is necessary. Students can drop in for math and statistics support.
These services complement existing HASC and library services, giving students access to research help, course support and library materials all in one place. Students can also grab a snack from the snack pantry and find the support they need to set and meet their goals.
Kimberly Shotick, Associate Professor and Learning Commons Coordinator at Northern Illinois University Libraries, observes:
“This expansion reflects the university’s commitment to empowering students through educational excellence and experiential learning. The Learning Commons connects students with the resources, services, and support they need to succeed, while fostering collaboration across campus to strengthen the entire university community.”
