The goal of the Department of Athletics’ Academic Service area is to provide a comprehensive support program for all student athletes at Roger Williams University that promotes both academic success and a positive athletic experience. Student-athletes receive support from the Assistant Director of Athletics for Academic Services by linking the athletic and academic communities at Roger Williams University. The Assistant Director for Academic Services works closely with coaches, faculty and academic services on campus to help student athletes balance the demands of their academic responsibilities and athletic endeavors.
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Monitoring the progress of student athletes is a collaborative effort between the student athlete’s Faculty Advisor, coach and Assistant Director of Athletics for Academic Services.
Matriculating first year and transfer students are assigned a faculty advisor or professional advisor. Should a student change majors, they will be reassigned a new advisor. Students looking to change their advisor assignment should speak with their academic dean’s office. Professional advisors are also available for consultation in the Center for Student Academic Success’ Advising and Peer Mentorship Office (2nd floor Library). Exploring students (students who haven’t selected a major) are assigned an advisor in the Advising office. All undergraduate University faculty serve as academic advisors. Although students are responsible for knowing and complying with academic regulations, advisors are available on a regular basis to review academic regulations and requirements, career planning resources, counseling and tutoring services.
In order to track the progress of student-athletes, freshmen will be required to submit academic progress reports to their professors twice in their first semester at Roger Williams, the last week of September and the last week of October. Coaches will assess progress reports to determine who may be in academic danger. If a returning student athlete is not meeting their academic potential, they may be required to submit academic progress reports throughout the year. In the event a problem is discovered, the Assistant Director of Athletics for Academic Services will work closely with the coach and student athlete, finding the necessary support on campus to achieve academic success.        Â
Any student-athlete who is not meeting their academic potential as shown by their progress reports or prior semester’s GPA, will be required to meet with the Assistant Director forAcademic Services. This will include all student athletes who fall below a 2.25 GPA and all first year student athletes as indicated by their progress reports. A support plan will be put in place to include:
- Regular meetings
- Academic progress reports
- Referrals to all University resources
Regular class attendance is essential to academic success and will be reflected in final grades. Make sure class attendance requirements are known when the semester begins. Most attendance policies are specific to each class and are outlined in the class syllabus; therefore, it is important to consult professors ahead of time when a class is going to be missed. If a scheduled competition conflicts with class, or a class will be missed because of competition, it is important not to miss for any other reason, no matter what the professor’s attendance policy may be.
Student-athletes must review competition and travel schedules with coaches in light of academic schedules at the beginning of each semester, using the student-athlete travel notification form, provided by the coach. This review should include potential post-season play through the last possible play date. Once travel schedules have been discussed with coaches, it is the responsibility of student-athletes to meet with professors in the classes where there is a conflict. Conflicts must be addressed with professors immediately in a face-to-face meeting and a completed student-athlete travel notification form should be given to the professor. If it is then decided by the professor that it is acceptable to miss class, arrangements must be made to obtain notes and make up any work that was missed from that class. A letter can be obtained from the Assistant Director for Academic Services confirming the contest date and time of departure one week prior to the competition date, if requested by the professor. Please note, this letter is not to be used as an excuse to miss the class but confirms to the professor that the competition is taking place on that date. If the conflict cannot be resolved it must be brought to the attention of the coach who will then meet with the Assistant Director for Academic Services and the Faculty Athletics Representative, regarding the situation.
If a conflict arises regarding an exam, student-athletes must meet with coaches immediately, who will then meet with the Assistant Director for Academic Services and the Faculty Athletics Representative regarding the situation.
Coaches need to remind student-athletes that scheduling classes around potential athletic conflicts, when possible, is important to academic and athletic success. The following steps should be followed in order to obtain the best possible academic schedule in light of athletic competition. Know your faculty advisor and meet with their regularly throughout the semester. Please note students cannot register for classes for the upcoming semester until a meeting with their faculty advisor has taken place during the advising period. Therefore, it is recommended that student-athletes have an appointment set up with faculty advisors as soon as the advising period starts for each semester. Student-athletes should explain to faculty advisors that it is important to craft a schedule, which allows for athletic competition without interfering with academics.      Â
Advising and Peer Mentorship – Main Library, 2nd floor
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm, Friday 8:30am-4:00pm
The office serves the entire undergraduate population, regardless of major. Advisors are also assigned to first-year students in the following majors and ALL new transfer students: all Business majors, Construction Management, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Legal Studies, Psychology, Graphic Design, and Undecided. The Office’s trained and experienced staff of professional advisors and peer mentors promotes student success in the following ways:
· Provide guidance around choosing the right major for ALL students, with an emphasis on exploring students and students who are questioning their major. All exploring students receive a professional advisor.
· The Advising Office reaches out to all exploring students during the first semester. Staff meets with students to open up the conversation around their strengths/weaknesses, academic interests, and potential majors for exploration.
· Direct students to various resources and information to help them determine the right major and create a four-year plan for graduation and career readiness.
· Consult on academic skill development and coach for improved resiliency and skill development.
· Facilitate a comprehensive peer mentorship program for all new RWU students.
· Meet regularly with students to help keep them on track academically
· Offer variety of tailored retention programs that aim to assist students in making academic progress.
· Provide referrals for students with personal, financial and academic issues and serve as a resource on University policies and procedures.
· Assist students who have questions about RWU matriculation processes, such as Withdrawals, Leave of Absences, and Reinstatements.
· Oversee placement processes (Math, Writing, Modern Language).
Contacts:
Elizabeth Niemeyer, Director, Advising and Peer Mentorship, eniemeyer@rwu.edu
Sarah Smith, Assistant Director, Advising & Peer Mentorship, ssmith@rwu.edu
    Advises: Pathway students (3+3, 4+1), Legal Studies, all majors
Peer Mentor Program
Catherine Baker, Senior Academic Advisor, cbaker@rwu.eduÂ
    Advises: Graphic Design, Undecided, all new transfer students, all majors
Angela Raymond, Academic Advisor and Placement Coordinator, araymond@rwu.edu
    Advises: Construction Management, Cybersecurity, all majors
                  Placement
Ryan Concannon, Academic Advisor
    Advises: all Business majors, all majors
    Academic Liaison for Athletic Division
Jon Albert, Director Pre-health Programs, jalbert@rwu.edu
    Advises: Psychology, all Pre-Health students
Main Library, 2nd Floor, 401-254-3219
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8am-5pm
Tutoring Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday 9am-3pm; Sunday 5pm-8pm
Study Hall Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday 9am-3pm; Sunday 2pm-8pm
The Tutoring Center offers curriculum-based peer tutoring on a walk-in basis at no charge to students. Students can go to http://rwu.edu/go/tutoring to check the peer and faculty tutoring schedules. We offer tutoring in Math, Science, Writing, Architecture, Modern Language, Music, Economics, Finance, Accounting, Business, Engineering, Computing, Construction Management, and more! Please stop in the Tutoring Center if you have any questions and to check tutoring schedules.
The Tutoring Center also provides faculty tutoring in Math, Writing and Science. Students may make appointments with faculty tutors in the Tutoring Center office. Students can make appointments for one session or for regular meetings for the duration of the semester.
All of the services offered through The Tutoring Center are provided free for students.
Programmatic Tutorial Support: The Tutor in the Classroom Program places a team of tutors in most Math classes. The tutors attend class, take notes, and are available in the Math Center so that students can meet with tutors who are familiar with their assignments and class discussions. Math tutors schedule and conduct group review sessions prior to tests. Additionally, MathX offers weekly study groups for some of our math classes.
In addition to in-center tutoring for our Science, Engineering, Computing, and Construction Management courses, our tutors also conduct review sessions for some Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and Construction Management tests. Also, ChemX provides workshops several times per week for Chemistry 191 and 192.
The Tutoring Center also provides tutoring for any writing-related assignment. We post a “Tutors by Majors” chart, which lists all the tutors, their majors, year in school, and hours in the tutoring center. Students can then access a tutor for major-specific writing assistance.
Contacts:
Tracey McDonnell Wysor - Director, Tutoring Center; twysor@rwu.edu Â
Genette Merin - Writing Center Coordinator, Tutoring Center; gmerin@rwu.edu
Jeremy Warnick Center for Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
SAS is located on the first floor of the University Library and is open Monday–Friday, 8am–4pm
Website: http://rwu.edu/go/sas
Email:Â sas@rwu.edu
Phone: 401-254-3841
· RWU is committed to providing equal access for students with disabilities. Students who believe they may benefit from disability-related accommodations are encouraged to register with SAS early to begin the interactive process.
· SAS partners with undergraduate, graduate, and law students, as well as faculty and administrators, to support equitable access and meaningful participation in academic and campus life through reasonable accommodations.
· SAS encourages students to build self-advocacy and independence by identifying their needs, using campus resources, and taking an active role in problem-solving and decision-making.
· Nearly 20% of RWU students are registered with SAS, reflecting the many students across campus who use accommodations as part of their RWU experience.
Students diagnosed with concussions have access to a range of campus resources, including Athletic Training, Health Services, Counseling, and Student Accessibility Services. Students with concussions may be eligible for temporary accommodations through SAS and are encouraged to reach out to SAS@rwu.edu or visit our office as soon as possible.
Contact
Brenna Toland, SAS Director;Â btoland@rwu.edu
For more information about SAS, helpful resources, and how to begin the interactive registration process, please scan the QR code below.
