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Educational Support

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2016-2017 Undergraduate College Catalog

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Academic Advising

Academic Resource Center

Higher Education Learning Program (HELP)

Manhattanville Advancement Program (MAP)

Transitional Program

Manhattanville Mentoring Program

Disability Services

Grievance Procedure

Academic Advising

Academic Advising at Manhattanville is shared among both professional advisors and the faculty. Full-time faculty members serve as advisors to students who have declared a major in their respective academic department. This merger of instructional and advising functions is the key to Manhattanville's special commitment to mentoring students.

The Office of Academic Advising provides a wide array of advising services and its staff serves as the primary Academic Advisors for Freshmen and Sophomores at the College through their declaration of a major.

Academic Resource Center

The Academic Resource Center provides support services to all Manhattanville students who wish to improve their competence in any area of study. Instruction for individuals and small groups is available by appointment and in regularly scheduled tutorial sessions.

The Academic Resource Center has developed interactive learning modules of Supplemental Instruction for students in many major introductory courses. The Center also maintains a peer tutor bank for assistance in most course areas.

Professional tutoring is available in mathematics, reading, writing, and study skills. Writing labs offer help with work in progress, including portfolio requirements and research papers.

For additional information, contact Elizabeth Lewis at 914-323-5474.

Higher Education Learning Program (HELP)

The Higher Education Learning Program (HELP) is a fee based tutoring center that serves as a center of support for students with learning disabilities. It is structured to assist students to meet the academic challenges of the Manhattanville College curriculum. The HELP Center offers individualized one-to-one tutoring services provided by professionals who are trained and experienced in working with this special population. For further information please contact The HELP Center at (914) 323-5313 or the Director of Disability Services at (914) 323-7127.

Manhattanville Advancement Program (MAP)

The Manhattanville Advancement Program (MAP) is a scholarship program that provides educational opportunity and support to economically disadvantaged students. The MAP scholarship is a four-year commitment.

Students receive a broad range of services including academic, personal, and career counseling. Beyond the traditional academic focus of most scholarship programs, MAP encourages the development of the student as a whole— intellectually, ethically and socially. Students are encouraged towards these aims by fostering community service, student leadership development, and goal-oriented self-management. Students must comply with the following program requirements in order to maintain their MAP status.

Program Requirements:

Complete all courses and achieve a minimum 2.8 GPA during the residential Pre-Freshman Summer Program. Continuing at Manhattanville College is contingent upon completion of the residential summer program for incoming MAP students.
Attend and pass Mville 101 in your first semester
Meet with their MAP counselor on a regular basis
Maintain full-time status
Complete and log 15 community service/social justice hours per semester
Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.8
Attend two MAP sponsored events per semester
Freshmen participate in the MAP Mentoring Program
Participate in individual or group tutoring through the ARC during first year
Meet with a Career Counselor each academic year
Adhere to the MAP Policies

For more information about the program, please contact: Loren McDermott, Director of the Center for Student Success, 914-323-5476 or loren.mcdermott@mville.edu.

Transitional Program

A transitional student is one who has been admitted under the premise that he or she may need additional support in order to be successful in college. Students are classified as transitional by the Office of Admissions.

Students admitted through the Transitional Acceptance Program fall under the oversight of Academic Advising during their first semester. Students are required to pass the Mville 101 course which will ease the transition to Manhattanville. Students must also successfully complete 12 credits with at least a 2.0 grade point average by the end of their first semester. Although 12 credits must be successfully completed by the end of the first semester, we recommend that students register for no fewer than 15 to 16 credits per semester. If these criteria are met, the student will no longer be considered a transitional student. If these criteria are not met, the student could be placed on academic probation or dismissed from the college.

Manhattanville Mentoring Program

In keeping with the values and mission of Manhattanville College, the Manhattanville Mentor Program was created to encourage camaraderie, support and success amongst fellow students. The Mentor Program was developed to provide an opportunity for students, matched with upperclassmen, to ease the transition process of entering a new and challenging environment. Mentors help to foster the social, intellectual and ethical maturity of every student entering the college and that they are given every opportunity to be fully explored. Each first year student, enrolled in the First Year Program courses will have a mentor matched to their course. These first year mentors will visit their classes and hold mentor office hours in the Spellman Hall Mentor Center (Room #111) each week.

Students looking for more personalized support are encouraged to visit the Mentor Program website (www.mville.edu/mentorprogram) and apply online for an individual mentor. Mentees will be matched with an upperclassman according to similar academic background and/or interests. It is important that both the mentor and mentee(s) feel comfortable working with each other. The expectation is mentors and mentees will meet once a week for an hour each week of the semester to work on meeting goals. Mentees will also be invited to a number of developmental programs sponsored by the mentors and the Center for Student Success.

For more information about the program, please contact: Loren McDermott, Director of the Center for Student Success, 914-323-5476 or loren.mcdermott@mville.edu.

Disability Services

The Office of Disability Services works in collaboration with all departments of the college, whether academic, student services, facilities, etc. to ensure accessibility and to assist students and advocate to maximize student independence and success. Disability Services arranges, facilitates and/or coordinates reasonable accommodations and academic adjustments to meet individual students’ needs.

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Manhattanville College strives to ensure that "no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program administered by the College." As per federal law:

An individual is defined as having a disability if they are an individual who (1) has a physical or psychological impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; or (2) has a record of such impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.

SELF-IDENTIFICATION AND NOTICE OF ACCOMMODATIONS

Students with documented disabilities who are seeking accommodations may voluntarily register with the Office of Disability Services by scheduling an intake appointment with the Director. Students may be asked to provide documentation of their disability. The Director can provide a form for the student’s provider, if no documentation is available. Documentation should be current, completed by a qualified professional and should include: Identification of the disability; impact on academic functioning; statement of the recommended accommodations.

Reasonable accommodations are determined by the Director on an individual basis considering both documentation and intake interview. Accommodations may include but are not limited to the following: Extended time for tests; readers; sign language interpreters; note taking accommodations, alternate format text, and classes in accessible locations. At the beginning of each semester, a student who is registered with the Office of Disability Services should request in writing from the Director, their accommodation needs for the semester. The Director provides each of the students’ professors with a letter outlining the approved accommodations. The letter includes the student’s accommodations only, unless otherwise requested in writing by the student. While the Director informs the students’ professors of the needed accommodations, it is the students’ responsibility to make arrangements with his/her professor each time the accommodation is to be provided (i.e. before each test).

DOCUMENTATION

Students diagnosed with a disability that request services or reasonable accommodations may be asked to provide appropriate and current documentation. In the case of multiple disabilities, students may be asked to provide documentation for each disability for which accommodations are requested. Prior documentation such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a history of receiving accommodations from a former school does not necessarily validate the need for services or continuation of accommodations at the college level. This history can, however, be attached to the current documentation as part of a comprehensive assessment battery. The determination of reasonable accommodations on campus is based on satisfying the documentation guidelines outlined below and a clear demonstration of the functional limitations on the student’s performance in an academic setting. These guidelines apply to all disability types recognized by the ADA.

Documentation should meet the following guidelines:

A qualified professional should conduct the evaluation and provide name, title, professional credentials.
The evaluation should include the diagnosis and be signed and dated.
The evaluation must be current. Disabilities may change in severity over time and documentation should support current accommodation needs.
Recommendations and rationale for accommodations and/or assistive technology must be based on the analysis of the functional impact of the diagnosis.

THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING PROGRAM (HELP)

The Higher Education Learning Program (HELP) is a fee based tutoring center that serves as a center of support for students with learning disabilities. It is structured to assist students to meet the academic challenges of the Manhattanville College curriculum. The HELP Center offers individualized one-to-one tutoring services provided by professionals who are trained and experienced in working with this special population. For further information please contact The HELP Center at (914) 323-5313or the Director of Disability Services at (914) 323-7127.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Director of Disability Services

Library, room 134

(914) 323-7127

Grievance Procedure

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disability Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Any student who believes that reasonable accommodations have been denied should first contact the Director of Disability Services who will attempt to resolve the situation expeditiously. If a resolution cannot be reached, a written petition should be submitted to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Reasonable accommodations may, at the discretion of the Vice President, be provided in the meantime.