Academic Support Services

Academic Success Center (ASC)

Siena College recognizes academic advising as a critical component of the educational experience of its students. Academic advising is a process of problem-solving and decision-making through which a student explores and seeks information from professionals of the campus community. It is marked by a dynamic relationship between proactive students and advisor/mentors who act as teachers and guides in this interactive partnership. Students are assigned a faculty advisor in their declared major or for undeclared students, a faculty member in the School within which they are declared.  Students who enter the College without selecting a School may be initially assigned to a Student Success Advisor in the ASC until declaring a major or School. In addition, the Academic Success Center provides professional advising to any student needing: drop-in assistance; help with College procedures or advising concerns; or, assistance when a faculty advisor is unavailable. In this way, the College facilitates high quality academic advising for all Siena students. We are located in the Fr. Ben Kuhn House.

SSAA-001. Siena 101 (1 credit)
This is a one credit pass/fail course for incoming first year students. Some sections are designed for incoming first year or transfer students during the fall and spring semesters. Students learn how to improve study habits and time management and explore major options and campus resources that can assist with their academic progress. This course gives students an opportunity to connect with an administrator who will serve as an additional point of contact.

Other sections of SSAA-001 are designed for transfer students or for students on Academic Notice. For a student’s first semester on Academic Notice, it is a required one credit pass/fail study skills course called LEAP I that the student takes in the semester following placement on Academic Notice. Students on Academic Notice for a second or third semester take LEAP II or LEAP III and will have individual meetings with a professional member of ASC to review their academic progress and strategies for success.

Siena Enhanced Educational Development (SEED)

The Siena Enhanced Educational Development (SEED) program provides individualized academic support to underrepresented and first-generation students, optimizing their potential during their transition to college and throughout their time at Siena College. Participants join a cohort of SEED peers, gaining the skills and strategies necessary for success at Siena while completing their major and College Core Curriculum requirements. This program is exclusively for new, first-year students.

SEED embodies Siena’s commitment to offering comprehensive resources and guidance to maximize student success. Aligned with the Franciscan mission of the College, SEED fosters an environment that encourages a healthy exchange of ideas outside the classroom. The program helps students develop critical thinking skills and take responsibility for their academic achievements. Our Director and SEED Mentors strive to create a community that upholds our values, respects cultural and economic differences, and promotes diversity and friendship.

The program is located in Kiernan Hall 110. Questions should be directed to seed@siena.edu or to Holly Cheverton at hcheverton@siena.edu.

English for Speakers of Other Languages

Susan Ambrose, ESOL Specialist and Associate Director for International Student Services 

ESOL-115. ESOL Communication (Intermediate) 3 credits
ESOL Communication (Intermediate) is designed to develop intermediate students’ knowledge of American English classroom participation, reading, and writing conventions so that they can become fully engaged members of Siena’s academic community. It is a highly communicative class that requires student engagement with the course material. Students are presented with activities to improve all language skills with an emphasis on grammar. New students may be notified and automatically placed in this course based on reported language proficiency upon admission. At the start of the semester students will take a language assessment. Students may repeat ESOL 115 once for credit. Through classroom discussions, presentations, and reflection papers, students gain confidence in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and providing peer feedback. Students are also introduced to the methods of doing research and citing sources. 

ESOL-120. ESOL Communication (Advanced) 3 credits
ESOL Communication (Advanced) is designed to develop advanced students’ participation, reading, and writing conventions so that they can become fully engaged members of Siena’s academic community. Through classroom discussions, presentations, and reflection papers, students gain confidence in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and providing peer feedback. Students are also introduced to the methods of doing research and citing sources. New students may be notified and automatically be placed in the course based on reported language proficiency during the admission process. At the start of the semester students will take a language assessment and their progress will be tracked throughout the course.

ESOL-220. Academic Writing for ELLs 3 credits
Academic Writing for ELLs is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of American English academic writing conventions and to facilitate improvement in their writing skills across written genres by exploring the processes of writing: comprehending, analyzing, and evaluating college-level texts; inventing, drafting, and revising; and seeking, providing, and responding to constructive feedback. Students also explore the methods of doing research and citing sources. Through classroom discussions based on assigned readings, in-class activities, writing assignments, peer reviews, and reflection papers, students are expected to gain confidence in writing, revising, and providing feedback to others’ writing. Students will take a language assessment at the beginning of the course, and progress will be tracked during the semester.

Tutoring Services

Tutoring Services are available through the Academic Success Center to all students currently registered at Siena College and enrolled in courses taught by Siena faculty. Group and individual peer tutoring are available during both the fall and spring semesters at no additional cost.

Tutoring can play a proactive role in academic success. Our trained peer tutors can help clarify difficult concepts, suggest study strategies, and assist students in developing plans for success in their courses. When combined with appropriate use of faculty office hours, tutoring can enhance academic performance and improve a student’s overall classroom experience. Students are encouraged to make use of tutoring services throughout their time at Siena.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center offers free in-person and online writing, presentation, and speaking support to ALL Siena students, faculty, and staff. We believe that writers of ALL abilities, backgrounds, skill levels, and home languages benefit from caring conversation and engaging collaboration. The Writing Center also believes that writing, like life, is practice, and doing so alongside and in community with others makes the challenging parts more manageable and the exciting parts more gratifying.

Knowledgeable, well-trained peer and professional writing  tutors provide constructive feedback, helpful comments, and generative questions for ALL assignments and projects in ALL subjects and at ALL stages. Tutors can help generate ideas, organize arguments, clarify purpose, identify/appeal to an audience, and provide guidance for conventions (grammar and punctuation) for ALL assignment types-from traditional essays to slide decks to lesson plans. Tutors collaborate with visiting writers to understand their dynamic and diverse needs and provide strategies and tactics to build and evolve their own communication practices.

Visiting writers can schedule 1:1 appointments as needed, use scheduled walk-in hours for quick assistance, or set weekly appointments with the same tutor for the entire semester through the Writing Mentor Program. 

Undergraduate and graduate students interested in joining the Writing Center staff as peer tutors are encouraged to contact our director, Dr. Lorelei Wagner (lwagner@siena.edu) during the fall semester to discuss pathways to becoming a peer tutor, including gaining permission to enroll in Writing 240: Peer Tutoring in Writing, a practice- and workshop-based tutor training course. For more information about joining our staff, visit our website at siena.edu/writing. 

Additional details about our mission, services, and hours of operation are posted at siena.edu/writing. The Writing Center is located in L09 on the lower level of the Standish Library. Appointments may be scheduled online through siena.mywconline.com or emailing writingcenter@siena.edu. 

The MacDonnell Career and Internship Center (TMCIC)

Your education for a lifetime will take you many places.  The MacDonnell Career and Internship Center (TMCIC) will help you get there!  Start early and come often.

TMCIC offers resources to ALL students-all class years, all majors, all degrees-and alumni.  TMCIC can assist with all your career and internship needs.  Some topics you may wish to discuss include:

• Identifying your interests, skills and values
• Discovering careers and connecting them to your interests
• Assisting with all aspects of internships 
• Administering and interpreting self-assessments
• Choosing a major or minor
• Using Platforms-Handshake, GoinGlobal, SaintsNetwork, Big Interview, LinkedIn and other tools
• Mentoring through the Student to Alumni Mentoring Program (StAMP)
• Networking with professionals in fields of interest
• Writing and critiquing resumes and cover letters
• Preparing for interviews and conducting mock interviews
• Strategizing your job/internship search
• Choosing and applying to graduate or professional school programs
• Critiquing graduate school personal statements/essays and applications

TMCIC offers a wide range of services, programs and resources for the entire Siena community.  These include:

• Individual career and internship counseling appointments
• Peer Career Advisor Drop-In Service
• Resume certification
• Credit-bearing internship coordination and Experiences tracking tool
• Handshake platform
• Career Guide (print and digital versions)
• Career and internship fairs and expos
• GoinGlobal platform
• Big Interview platform
• SaintsNetwork platform and StAMP
• One credit career and major exploration courses
• Self-assessment tools
• On-Campus Interviewing (OCI)
• Additional programs, events and presentations
• Private interview room for either virtual or in-person interviews
• Business Card Printing
• Thank you cards

All students have access to Handshake, the platform to use for all your TMCIC needs.  Handshake is an industry leading, nation-wide recruiting platform, listing opportunities for on and off campus employment, work study and internship positions.  Appointments with TMCIC can be scheduled using Handshake. Students can also see TMCIC’s events calendar, upload resumes for certification and search for positions all in Handshake.

Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships

The Center for International Programs advises students on many prestigious international scholarships and fellowships available to qualified students. Aligning with the College’s mission to create a more just, peaceable and humane world through educated leaders, fellowships help students find innovative means of fulfilling this commitment through study, teaching, and research. Prestigious international fellowships require strong academic performance, extracurricular and co-curricular engagement, demonstrated leadership experience, and international or intercultural activities. Fellowships advisors provide guidance for students at all points in the process - from pre-application to submission - and offer support through writing-intensive workshops, information sessions and individual appointments.