2019 2020 Academic Catalog - 137

Academic Support Services

In the transition from home to college, students may need to
discuss their concerns. A variety of resource personnel are
available to provide support and guidance to students.
Academic Center
The College Academic Center, located on the 3rd Floor of
the Learning Resources Center (LRC) , provides students
with a location to obtain educational advice and academic
assistance. Academic Coaches are available to assist with
organization, time management, study skills, note taking,
math and more. Students are encouraged to use the
Academic Center to study individually, work on group projects,
study in groups and utilize computers. Comfortable seating,
microwaves and coffee are available for study breaks.
Professional and peer tutors staff the English and Math Labs
which are located at the front entrance of the LRC. The
labs are open on a walk-in basis Monday through Thursday
(8:00AM to 8:00PM) with shorter hours on Fridays (8am12pm) and Sundays (1pm-5pm). Students are strongly
encouraged to make regular use of the labs to complete
assignments and prepare for tests.
Peer tutors are available to provide assistance with technical
program courses. Some peer tutors assist during class while
others hold after-class hours in the program area or in the
Academic Center. Peer Tutor schedules are emailed and
posted online at the start of each semester.
Act 101
The College participates in Pennsylvania Higher Education
Assistance Agency's Act 101 program, a statewide
initiative established in 1971 to ensure that residents of
the Commonwealth enjoy equal opportunity to pursue
higher education. Act 101 students are identified based
on specific educational and economic criteria set forth by
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Act 101 staff closely
monitors student progress and provides academic, career,
and personal counseling designed to facilitate collegiate
success. Staff also refer students for peer and professional
tutorial support to assist students in mastering academic
and technical skills required of their programs. The Act 101
program has been promoting student success at Thaddeus
Stevens College since 1976.
Academic Advisors
Each student is assigned an academic advisor. Academic
advisement is a vital element of support provided to students
by the College's general education faculty. Regular meetings
with advisees ensure that students fully understand program
requirements, make appropriate course selections, and follow
prescribed registration procedures. The advisor/student
relationship provides a means for students to seek assistance
with both program-related issues and personal matters. The
goal is to serve the total student as well as advise students
in academic matters. Academic advisors are available during
posted office hours and by appointment.

Assessments

Student participation,performance, and evaluation have
been and will continue to be a critical element in assuring
the College continues to meet the accreditation standards
for accreditation and safeguarding a student's opportunity to
apply for loans and grants issued by the federal government.
For these reasons, students of Thaddeus Stevens College of

Technology are required to participate in critical assessments
and evaluations such as but not limited to those listed below:
* National Occupational Competencies Institute
Assessment (NOCTI): Technical program pre-test
measures technical competencies of students newly
enrolled.
* National Occupational Competencies Institute
Assessment (NOCTI): Technical program post-test
measures technical competencies of students completing
a program illustrating academic growth overtime.
* Automotive Service Excellence Student Certification
(ASE): A series of exams that evaluates and certifies
competencies as a service professional in the automotive
industry.
* ETS Proficiency Profile Assessment: Pre-test measures
academic competencies in reading, writing, mathematics,
critical thinking, humanities, social sciences, and natural
sciences of students who are newly enrolled.
* ETS Proficiency Profile Assessment: Post-test measures
academic competencies in reading, writing, mathematics,
critical thinking, humanities, social sciences, and natural
sciences of students completing a program illustrating
academic growth overtime.
* Student Academic Opinion Survey (SAOS): Online
survey provides instructors with critical feedback
regarding the classes they teach. Identity of respondents
is confidential. Graduate Online Survey: Post-graduate
survey provides the College with vital information
regarding career placement and starting salary. Postgraduate surveys are conducted 1 year, 5 years, and 10
years after graduation.

Career Services

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology provides free
placement assistance service as administered by the Director
of Career Services. The median five-year placement rate
of graduates of Thaddeus Stevens College is over 90%.
Placement rate is defined as the percent of graduates who
are either working in a field related to their major or continuing
their education on a full-time basis. Many programs have a
100% placement rate. Students seeking full-time employment
upon graduation or internships during college should see
the director of career services in Room 106 of the Hartzell
Building.
Career Fair
The College hosts an annual career/job fair in the MAC
Building each February. Students are given the opportunity
to meet and network with hundreds of employers from across
Pennsylvania that have employment vacancies for full-time
positions for graduating sophomores and summer internships
for freshmen.
Job Placement
Throughout the year, job vacancies are posted via the
College's job-posting website, College Central Network, one
of the most comprehensive online recruitment services on
the Internet. CCN provides a direct connection to full-time,
part-time, internship, seasonal, freelance, and volunteer
opportunities. All of CCN's services are free of charge
to students and alumni of Thaddeus Stevens College of
Technology

Academic Catalog  137

2019 2020 Academic Catalog

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2019 2020 Academic Catalog