Grace College’s Learning Center and College Tutoring Resources

By Elizabeth West (BA 26)

As a Grace College student, where can you turn when you need help writing papers and passing college composition? Where can you arrange accommodations for disabilities?
Where do you find helpful resources, college tutoring, and academic counseling? 

These questions can all be answered with the Morgan Library Learning Center, where you can get the help you need to succeed in every step of your journey at Grace. Whether you are looking for resources to accommodate learning disabilities or simply want access to academic resources, the Learning Center is committed to helping you succeed. 

The Learning Center offers the free resources and academic services you need to improve your classroom experience, including CLEP Exams, the Math Lab, Student Disabilities Services, Testing Services, Tutoring, and the Writing Lab. Whatever academic support you need, there’s a service in the Learning Center designed to help. 

CLEP Exams

Grace College offers CLEP exam study materials to students and members of the community. You can register and pay to take these exams through the CLEP website. Morgan Library provides free study materials, such as practice tests for CLEP exams, and testing details on the library website. 

The Math Lab

Our Math Lab welcomes all students, whether you’re a non-math major with a Bachelor of Science, or you’re taking higher-level math courses. Whether you are taking quantitative reasoning, probability and statistics, or college algebra, our college tutors are here to support you. You can come by the Math Lab during our walk-in hours, Monday-Thursday, 8-9 p.m., or schedule weekly appointments with a math Content Tutor for consistent help.

For Grace students looking for weekly appointments, check your student portal under the Learning Center and Tutors tabs to see a list of available tutors and their contact emails or stop by during walk-in hours. 

Student Disabilities Services

For those who had learning accommodations in high school or feel like they need extra resources to support them in college, Student Disabilities Services is here to help. Our primary objective is to provide access to the materials and tools you need to thrive in class and strengthen the skills you learn in college. We provide academic, housing, and dietary accommodations to students with diagnosed disabilities with proper documentation.

“We believe that in modeling Christ, we are called to accept and support all students,” says Connie Burkholder, the coordinator of Student Disabilities Services. “We want to make sure that all students have access to pursue an education and be involved in all of the activities here at Grace.”

If you’re seeking support or accommodations for a disability, contact Connie Burkholder for assistance.

Testing Services

The Learning Center testing services serve students with accommodations, as well as students who miss exams due to athletics or illness. Contact Connie Burkholder or check the library website for more information on how to make up a test in the Learning Center. 

Tutoring

Whether you are looking for guidance in classes from education to science, our college tutors are eager to help you! If you anticipate a class being difficult, take the initiative to set up an appointment ahead of time rather than waiting until you’re stressed or struggling with assignments – you’ll be glad you did! Our tutors help you adopt strong study methods in order to become confident in your studies and increase your chances of success. 

We offer: 

• One-on-one and group college tutoring sessions in a variety of content areas 
• Private one-time college tutoring sessions 
• Weekly appointments with college tutors

If you’re interested in finding a college tutor, look on your Grace student portal under the Learning Center and Tutors tabs to see a list of available tutors and their contact emails. If your desired subject area isn’t listed, email Calla Andrews, the Coordinator of Academic Support Services. 

The Writing Lab

The Writing Lab is a free service available to all undergraduate and graduate Grace students desiring help with written assignments at any stage of the writing process. Writing Lab consultants are typically students in writing-intensive majors who have proven themselves to be competent writers. 

The goal of the Writing Lab’s college tutoring is to equip you with the communication tools necessary to develop stronger academic writing. To best use the Writing Lab, talk to a Writing Lab Consultant before starting a paper to put your best foot forward during an assignment. 

Our Services:

• Example papers and study skills tips
• Formatting help and handbooks for MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian
• Grammar and mechanics guidance
• Online Writing Lab, available during the school year, breaks, and holidays
• Walk-in help with papers
• Weekly appointments for consistent help

Students may come into the Writing Lab for help during walk-in hours, or they may email papers with the assignment description to the Writing Lab at writinglab@grace.edu. We commit to a 48-hour turnaround time with your papers during the school year. You may also schedule weekly appointments with a Writing Lab Consultant by calling 574-372-5100 extension 6427 or emailing writinglab@grace.edu. 

Calla Andrews says, “I believe writing labs in colleges across this nation are really centered on student support and seeing students as individuals. I want our writing lab consultants to look at each individual as a separate, important person and realize that it’s a privilege to be helping them. We want to really look at the person as a package and not just critique their writing product.”

Grace College aims to help every student smoothly transition to college, and these college tutoring services are designed to support you along the way, develop the skills you learn in college, and equip you for your future career. If you need help with your classes, reach out to our college tutors, Calla Andrews, or Connie Burkholder, stop by during our walk-in hours, or schedule an appointment to improve your class experience!