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Academic Support Services

Library and Learning Services

Dean: Dr. Zary Mostashari

Library and Learning Services facilitates learning, teaching, scholarship, and lifelong learning opportunities by providing Marymount University students, faculty, staff, and the community with access to information and a variety of educational support services. Its facilities are the Emerson G. Reinsch Library and the Ballston Center Library Extension.

Emerson G. Reinsch Library

The Emerson G. Reinsch Library is an integral part of the learning resources of the university. The collection and services reflect both the curricula and the general needs of the university community. It offers the following:

• a collection of more than 244,000 volumes in print or electronic format
• access to more than 75,000 journals in print or electronic form
• more than 200 online information resources — many of which are full-text — available on or off campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• library research instruction through class-based presentations or individual appointments
• reference assistance in person or by phone, chat, or email
• internet access on more than 80 public computers, which includes PCs and Macs; access to many software packages on most public computers
• group study rooms that can be reserved online
• coffee bar
• scanners, printers, and black-and-white photocopiers
• netbooks, power cables, headphones, and USB drives that can be checked out
• wireless access

The library’s goal is to respond to the changing needs of students, faculty, and staff. Library faculty and staff work closely with colleagues in academic departments to ensure that the library’s resources and services meet the needs of the Marymount community.

Marymount University’s membership in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) allows students and faculty members to borrow from or use on-site the collections of American University, The Catholic University of America, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, and the University of the District of Columbia. Library consortium members share an online catalog of collections. Loan requests for books, articles, or media are made online and delivered to the student’s home institution via web access. Interlibrary loan requests from libraries throughout the United States can be arranged if materials are unavailable in the collection.

Center for Teaching and Learning

The Center for Teaching and Learning provides a variety of programs for Marymount students and faculty that promote student success and support student learning. The center is staffed by academic counselors and specialists in teaching and learning, writing, instructional technology and design, disability and access services, and advising. The center offers the following services for graduate students:

• one-on-one writing support by trained graduate and undergraduate writing consultants.
• assistance for students preparing applications for further study, honors and awards, and distinguished scholarships;
• testing for students with disability accommodations;

First Year Experience Program

The First Year Experience program provides tools and guidance designed to promote the successful transition to Marymount University by incoming first-year students and transfer students with fewer than thirty credits. In addition to academic advising, the program collaborates with many campus departments to connect students to curricular and co-curricular experiences that will help them achieve their personal and academic goals.

First-year academic advising at Marymount University involves assessing student needs, goals and interests in order to guide students to complete their first year of college successfully. Admitted first-year students and transfer students with fewer than thirty credits meet regularly with their first-year advisor to learn about the Liberal Arts core, general university requirements, and specific requirements within their major field and to discuss academic programs, educational goals, and career plans. Students will be assigned a faculty advisor in their major field at the completion of their first year.

Student Access Services

Student Access Services (SAS) are available for all eligible students through the Center for Teaching and Learning. The director of SAS assists students with disabilities in determining reasonable accommodations and is available throughout the year for information, referrals, and advising. SAS complements, but does not duplicate, services offered to all students through other campus offices.

To receive services from SAS, the student must give the director typewritten documentation from a qualified professional that describes the clearly diagnosed disability and its current functional impact on the student relative to academics. Marymount does not provide testing and/or diagnosis, but will make appropriate referrals.

The types of accommodations a student is eligible to receive are determined on a case-by-case basis by the student and the director using information contained in the student’s documentation. Students wishing to receive accommodations must develop a Faculty Contact Sheet (FCS) with the director of Student Access Services. This should occur at the beginning of each semester. However, students may consult with the director at any point during the academic year. Students must then present this contact sheet to their instructors and discuss the accommodations documented on the FCS. This document helps students and instructors work together to develop effective accommodation strategies. Some accommodations made in the past have included allowing extended time for examinations; the use of readers, volunteer note-takers, and sign language interpreters; and the option to record lectures.

Career and Internship Services

Career advisors provide individual guidance, career advising and coaching, and vocational assessments. The Center for Career Services (CCS) offers frequent workshops and programs on establishing educational goals suited to career and internship plans, choosing careers, developing a résumé and cover letters, supporting internship site selection, gaining employment, and interviewing.

Outstanding internship and field experiences for graduate students seeking hands-on experience are available throughout the Washington area with corporations, government agencies, schools, hospitals, and retail establishments. Depending on the degree program, the term "internship" may not always be used. Other terms for field experiences completed for academic credit include clinical rotations for nursing and physical therapy students, student teaching for education students seeking teaching licensure, or a practicum for students in a variety of business and human services programs. Noncredit internships, both paid and unpaid, are also a popular and helpful way for graduate students to gain experience in their chosen field of study. Information on all types of internships and field experiences is readily available on the CCS website, in the CCS's resource library, and from department chairs or program directors.

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