Center for Academic Success
Room D120 • 217/353-2005
Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some evening hours
All Parkland students are welcome!

Tutoring and Learning Assistance

P16 College Readiness Initiative

Title III Grant-funded Activities

Parkland College received the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant in 2003. Its purpose is to provide Parkland the ability to "improve our academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal stability in order to increase our self-sufficiency and strengthen our capacity to make a substantial contribution to the higher education resources of the Nation." (34 CFR 607.1)

Parkland's Title III program is titled "Student Success Matters," and our goal is to transform student success in three areas:

ensure that students from our district high schools (District 505) make an easy transition to college
create a first-year experience that is conducive to learning and persistence
improve opportunities for faculty to enhance their teaching and their students' learning through increased opportunities for professional development

We are in year five, our last year, of the grant. Here are the programs that the grant has funded, either in full or in part:

Math Faculty Tutoring

Students in math courses numbered 099 and below receive assistance on their homework and studying from math faculty members. Faculty Tutoring schedule.

High School Assessment Advising

Almost every high school graduate needs some college education or college-ready skills; even jobs that call for little or no post-secondary education often require strong reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Parkland's high school assessment advising program meets this need by helping high school juniors select senior-level classes that can increase their chances of meeting college admission and/or workplace standards. Our assessment advisor conducts on-site testing, scoring, and academic advising. Visit the Assessment Center or call 217/353-2315 for more information.

Enteraction Conferences

"Enteraction" is the action needed to prepare students to enter college. Enteraction conferences are annual faculty and staff meetings between Parkland College and district high schools. The conferences focus on educational issues for instructors, counselors, and administrators. Call 217/353-2005 for more information.

"Jump Start" English 101

Some students are required to enroll in ENG 098 or 099 to build college-level writing skills. Students assessing at the high end of ENG 099 might be able to succeed in ENG 101 if given additional instructional time and other academic supports. Jump Start ENG 101 has an extra hour of instructional time built in to the normal 3 credit-hour course. To find out if Jump Start English is an option, call 217/353-2025.

Learning Communities

Students can choose to participate in one of several learning communities, where the same group of students enrolls in two or more classes together. Learning communities offer exceptional academic and social opportunities, such as group learning, cross-disciplinary study, and team-teaching.

Bridge Program

The Bridge Program offers free short-term classes to prepare incoming freshmen for the academic and social expectations of college. In Bridge class, students will meet faculty and student support professionals to learn how partnering with these individuals leads to a more successful college experience. Former Bridge students say that their academic goals became clearer, they understood the jargon of higher education better, and they were more aware of what to expect in their first semester of college.

Academic Assistance