All of Elon鈥檚 learning resources remain available to students online as campus buildings close, offering updated methods and policies, outlined on each resource鈥檚 website
As Elon responds to the national coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak by moving courses online, the university鈥檚 learning resources have transitioned to serving students remotely as well. Liason librarians are joining online classes, academic advisors are hosting virtual advising appointments and tutors are using Google Meet for synchronous one-on-one tutoring sessions. Becky Olive-Taylor, executive director of the Koenigsberger Learning Center and the director of academic advising, assures students that she and her staff are online and ready to help.
鈥淭o students I鈥檇 say don鈥檛 spend any time wringing your hands when you have a problem,鈥 Olive-Taylor said. 鈥淕et online, see what鈥檚 out there and just reach out. We鈥檙e answering emails and phones and will get back to you quickly.鈥
She emphasizes that it鈥檚 a time of change, and the most important things students can do are check each facility鈥檚 website for up-to-date information, regularly check email and communicate with professors.
James Holsinger, director of learning assistance, reiterated the importance of monitoring each service鈥檚 websites, which are sharing news and updates as processes evolve. The Learning Assistance site offers instructions for scheduling online tutoring services as well as what to do when it鈥檚 time for a session. All of Learning Assistance鈥檚 tutoring session are now one-on-one, and they鈥檒l be facilitated via Google Meet, which students access through their Elon email addresses. It works like Google Hangouts, with the addition of screen sharing.
鈥淚 know that our students are great with technology and they鈥檒l find creative solutions and best practices as this begins,鈥 Holsinger said. 鈥淭o those being tutored, I ask you to come in with an open mind, knowing that you may find you really like the way this works. And we鈥檇 love to hear from you and use your feedback as we continue to make this work.鈥
In addition to the subject-specific tutors, the center also has five learning strategies tutors. They can help students with goals like building a structure for the week ahead and creating a study plan for an upcoming assignment or test. During a time when normal schedules are disrupted, these tutors will work with students to build some structure in their lives.
An overview of Elon’s learning resources:
Academic Advising: provides information and assistance to students as they select courses and majors, prepare for registration and consider career options.
Belk Library: provides expertise, collections and services to meet Elon鈥檚 information needs.
Disabilities Resources: provides appropriate and equal access to courses and university services for a diverse population of students with disabilities.
Learning Assistance: 聽provides tutoring support to assist students in understanding academic material and becoming independent learners.
Writing Center: provides direct聽support to the Elon community for all of their writing projects.