Learning support

The university offers the following centers and services as additional support to students.

Campus Learning Center

A learning and tutoring resource, the Campus Learning Center enhances undergraduate students’ academic success at VCU. All CLC services are free for currently enrolled students. Students can schedule both individual and drop-in tutoring sessions in a wide variety of subjects, from courses in business to math and the social sciences.

The CLC also provides Supplemental Instruction, a nationally recognized program that provides learning support from student leaders who work with classroom instructors to make sure each SI session is beneficial. Typical SI offerings include sessions in entry-level sciences and the social sciences. SI offerings change slightly each semester, so students are encouraged to check the website for updated offerings as well as meeting times and locations. Focused learning courses in biology (UNIV 151 and UNIV 152) are graded one- or two-credit courses, which integrate what-to-learn with how-to-learn. Each course is assigned a peer leader who is majoring in biology and has had extensive training in facilitating group-study sessions.

The CLC also provides the Campus Testing Center, which offers administration of proctored exams, make-up testing and placement exams. For make-up testing, students must consult with their professors to arrange for tests to be taken in the Campus Testing Center. The professor will then send the exam directly to the test center, and the student will schedule a time to take the exam

For more information on the Campus Learning Center, visit the CLC on the Web or call (804) 827-8108.

Writing Center

The Writing Center offers writing assistance for undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline, at no additional charge. Consultants are trained in the practice of effective writing and writing instruction and engage with students via one-on-one sessions to strengthen writing skills and confidence.

The Writing Center is a collaborative environment designed to facilitate students’ work, with the goal of producing sharper, more critical thinking and a greater sense of audience as they write. Writing Center consultants encourage students to connect with their work, to invest in it and to take better ownership of their thinking and the subsequent writing that they produce. Negotiating the writing process is hard work made all the more difficult when students labor in isolation. Working with consultants in the Writing Center helps students overcome this isolation and gives them a chance to view their work as a meaningful expression of their thinking.

The Writing Center offers scheduled appointments, both in-person and online, as well as in-person drop-in sessions. In addition to individual consultations, group workshops are offered on individual topics, such as personal statements, APA citations and paraphrasing. 

For more information, including scheduling an appointment or registering for a workshop, please visit the Writing Center website or call (804) 828-4851.

Student-athlete support services

The Office of Student Athlete Support Services coordinates academic advising for all student-athletes throughout their enrollment at VCU. This support enhances the opportunities for academic and personal success for student-athletes. The support staff assists students in the development of educational plans, ensures that VCU policies and NCAA rules and regulations regarding academics are being followed, and that students’ needs are successfully being met.

The student-athlete adviser helps student-athletes to understand VCU policies, achieve adequate progress toward graduation, overcome academic difficulties, develop future career goals and maintain NCAA eligibility. Optimal educational and personal success is maximized through tutoring services, study hall, a mentoring program and life-skills development. All freshmen are required to meet weekly with a team adviser, sophomores meet biweekly and all upperclassmen meet with an adviser at least three times per semester. Student-athletes must meet with their adviser to register for classes each semester.

The Office of Student Athlete Support Services has implemented a unique mentoring program where student-athletes help each other create a strong game plan for success. Each semester, junior and senior student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.0 are chosen as mentors. The mentees are freshman student athletes and any other student-athletes in need of intense individual support. The mentors and mentees are required to meet weekly and create detailed academic plans for the coming week. The mentors are required to attend biweekly training with the staff of the Office of Student-Athlete Advising.