ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER
E Q U I PPI N G S T U D EN T S W I T H T H E S K I L L S F O R AC A D E M I C I N D EPEN D EN C E
Renovations to a portion of Chapman Library this summer may not be noticed by many, but the impact of what is happening behind the new walls will be felt throughout campus in the months and years to come. In August, Wesleyan’s new Academic Resource Center (ARC), a long-held dream by many Wesleyan faculty members, moved into the renovated space on the third floor of Wesley Hall in Chapman Library. “This space, and what will take place within and from here, has been a labor of love for a long time,” said Ramona Blankenship, associate head of school. “Karyn Vickery and her team have created an academic support program that is exceptional, unique to Wesleyan, and will support our entire student body.” Academic Support, which began in fall 2019 under the leadership of Karyn Vickery, director of academic support, brings under one umbrella the many ways Wesleyan works to ensure students in kindergarten through 12th grade are being effectively and consistently supported. The program’s goal is to assist students with learning differences in becoming independent learners while successfully meeting the demands of Wesleyan’s academic rigor and standard of excellence. These bright, well-rounded students have met the intellectual and academic criteria to be admitted to Wesleyan, yet they may have a particular challenge that can impact the way they learn. Students with mild to moderate
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learning differences, such as dyslexia or ADHD, are empowered with self-awareness, self-advocacy, and study strategies, helping them to overcome challenges, develop their God-given strengths, and thrive at Wesleyan. The ARC is another arm of academic support that has been envisioned by administrators for many years. The program provides a tiered course of service to Wesleyan middle school students with current psycho-educational testing and active learning profiles. Participation in the ARC is optional, based on recommendation by the administration, and offers services to select students in fifth through eighth grade for a supplemental tuition fee. “Primarily, we focus on executive functioning skills,” said Vickery. “These are a set of skills that everyone is born with and develop over time, into early adulthood. The skills help us to organize and apply what we know and are needed to succeed in life and learning. Individuals develop these skills at different rates. The presence of learning differences can make learning and applying these skills particularly challenging. This has nothing to do with intellectual ability and everything to do with how students organize, manage, and respond to various demands. Our goal in the ARC is to help students identify their executive strengths and challenges and learn to apply strategies and skills that lead to academic independence.”
