Academic Support

College life is exciting and a time for change. It’s also full of challenges. Whatever happens during your time at Alma, you’ll find the support you need to become the person you want to be at commencement. Utilizing both academic support resources as well as disability services, the Student Success Office is here to meet your needs.

Disability Support Services

In partnership with you and your provider, Alma College is committed to ensuring that you have access to the educational, social, and cultural opportunities that are part of the Alma experience. Each student decides whether to disclose their disability. Classroom accommodations, housing accommodations, assistive technologies as well as advocacy and support are all part of the services provided to students who identify as having a disability. Please email disability_services@alma.edu for more information about these accommodations.

Classroom accommodations: This includes resources that that offer additional support for classroom and academic success and may include elements from previously used 504 plans and IEPs.
Housing accommodations: This includes accommodations concerning dining services and campus housing that, though the guidance of your provider, assist in helping support health, medical, and diet needs.
Assistance animals (emotional support animals) and service animals: A service animal is a dog (or in some cases a miniature horse) that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. An assistance animal, also known as an emotional support animal, is an animal selected to play an integral part of a person’s treatment process. Such an animal must demonstrate a good temperament and reliable, predictable behavior. An assistance animal is prescribed to an individual with a disability by a healthcare or mental health professional.

Academic resources

Tutoring: Peer tutoring is available free of charge and works with your schedule to offer you the additional support necessary for your success.
Supplemental Instruction (SI): This is a resource in which a peer leader attends class and hosts 1-2 study sessions each week. This is different from the tutoring program as it is meant to foster collaborative learning among the participants in a group setting. SI can also happen in conjunction with tutoring.
ACP 100 Strategic Learning: The goal of this class is to increase understanding of the learning process and help students develop skills that can enhance performance. This is a 1-credit class that spans over seven weeks of the semester.
Partnerships with campus living learning communities: Specific living learning communities offer opportunity for academic growth through peer mentorship and study tables.
Partnerships with faculty, coaches, and administrators: We work closely with campus partners to offer mentorship and assistance such that you can realize your goals and fulfill your dreams here at Alma.
Programming: Throughout the academic year, we work with colleagues to offer a variety of events and workshops to meet students, answer questions, and help wherever necessary.
Laptop Loaner program: This service provides semester-long laptop loans to students without laptops in financial need.

Individual appointments

Meeting with students one-on-one is a hallmark of the relationship-driven, personalized experience that Alma thrives upon. If you need assistance for academic challenges, disability services, or simply have questions, we are here to help. Simply contact our team and we will set a time to discuss difficulties, identify needs, find resources, and develop a plan for improvement. Appointments will be offered by phone, virtually through Microsoft Teams, or in-person.

Additional services

In addition to the services listed above, we also partner closely with offices across campus to offer you the best experience possible. You can find support in a number of other areas, too!

Career and Personal Development staff will help you identify and leverage your strengths and talents to explore and pursue a fulfilling career and life.

Counseling and Wellness professionals offer counseling services that facilitate students’ personal development to participate more successfully in the Alma living and learning community.

The Diversity and Inclusion office is committed to recognizing and removing barriers to success and providing equitable access to opportunities through education and advocacy.

Residence Life staff offer positive living experiences while helping students foster relationships and connections across the campus community.

The Office of Student Engagement provide students opportunities to get involved while maximizing their time at Alma through co-curricular and extra-curricula experiences.

The Writing Center offers peer support for student writing projects in a range of subjects and majors — as well for personal and career purposes.

Alma College Library staff can assist with research, access, space and more.

The Center for College and Community Engagement (3CE) offers students opportunities to engage, learn and grow in partnership with the local community. Staff can assist with Plaid Serves, Alternative Breaks, the Alma Venture program and more.