Sherrod Library News

CFAA Services Everyone Should Know About Before Finals Week

The Center For Academic Achievement on a Typical Wednesday Afternoon

Located to the left of Einstein’s bagels in the Charles C. Sherrod Library, the Center for Academic Achievement is a one stop shop for scholarly success at all levels. Whether you are an undergraduate student looking for guidance as you write your first college-level paper, or a faculty member preparing for peer-review, the CFAA is a place anyone can come to for help.

The CFAA separates its areas of operation into three sections: Tutoring, supplemental instruction, and academic coaching. The first of these sections, tutoring, operates as an umbrella that covers several individual services. These include writing consultations, tutoring in most general education and science courses, and multidisciplinary sessions meant to foster college success skills. Tutoring sessions may be held in-person or on zoom, with walk-in availability making it so that even students without appointments can still get the help they need in a timely manner. The keyword with the CFAA’s tutoring services is flexibility—with a mission to empower ETSU students by providing academic support, the Center accomplishes this through their dedication to meeting students where they are. As finals week approaches, those looking for a second pair of eyes on their research papers, or for some extra tutoring before their finals, should be mindful of their schedules, and of the increased demand for services. Try to schedule appointments ahead of time because tutoring slots tend to fill up fast.

Another CFAA service that can assist students not just during finals week, but throughout the school year is academic coaching. Academic coaching is a program that matches students with peer coaches who provide guidance and a sense of accountability through weekly meetings and check-ins. For freshman, this service provides students with time to ask questions about the university, and a structure to ease the transition to higher education. For upper-level students, meetings take a different tone, with a focus on providing participants with professional skills, like resume creation and career planning, all while cheering students on to graduation. Deidre Johnson, Director of the CFAA is a big advocate for academic coaching, “It is so tailored to what a student’s needs and goals are—everyone should take advantage of this.”

Other considerations for finals week may include adding a CFAA Finals Prep Session to your or your student’s calendar. These sessions, tailored towards undergrads, provide guidance on how to manage time and how to balance what can sometimes be a heavy load of final projects. Attendees can expect to receive direction in creating action plans for tackling finals week.

To keep all this running, the Center employs roughly one-hundred and twenty people, with that group being a mix of undergraduate and graduate student workers, part-time professional tutors, and post-graduates, including adjunct faculty and retirees. This team is ready, willing, and able to assist scholars throughout their academic journeys, and it costs nothing for ETSU affiliates to take advantage. Whether you are struggling with coursework or finding yourself lacking motivation, visit the CFAA.