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 its Ballston Center and Reston Center library extensions, the Instructional Media Center, and the Learning Resource Center.
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 informational needs of the University community. The library offers:
The Library’s goal is to respond to the changing needs of students, faculty, and staff who make up the University community. Library faculty and staff work closely with colleagues in academic departments to ensure that its resources and services meet the needs of its users.
Marymount University’s membership in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) allows students to also borrow from the collections of American University; The Catholic University of America; Gallaudet University; George Mason University; The George Washington University; Georgetown University; The University of the District of Columbia; and Trinity University, an affiliate institution. Library consortium members share an online catalog of collections, and loan requests can be made online and delivered to the student’s home institution or via the Internet. Interlibrary loan requests from libraries throughout the United States are arranged if materials are unavailable in the collection.
The Learning Resource Center (LRC) is a year-round academic counseling and learning center designed to support and enhance Marymount’s instructional programs. Staffed by full-time learning specialists and by graduate and undergraduate peer tutors, the LRC provides tutoring assistance in writing, science, mathematics, and study skills for a broad range of courses.
Faculty can arrange for Supplemental Instruction or Guided Study Sessions to help their students review specific course objectives. Computer-assisted learning programs, such as ModuMath and LearningPlus, are available in the LRC.
The LRC also provides a variety of testing services for Marymount students including diagnostic tests, validation exams, and special accommodations for students with
disabilities.
Using the specialized equipment of the Instructional Media Center (IMC), students have access to media instruction and production that is provided on a walk-in basis, prearranged by faculty, or scheduled individually. The IMC provides workshops on varying topics throughout the semester. Additional services include:
Multimedia Production — A wide range of production capabilities including current hardware and software for video editing, Web page development, computer-based presentations, and graphic design.
Graphic Arts — Space and materials to produce digital images, 35mm slides, overhead transparencies, color prints and copies, presentation posters, lamination, signage, etc.
Video Production — Studio, digital cameras, lights, microphones, backdrops, etc. for the production of videotapes and video segments for multimedia. The IMC staff will also provide assistance in a nonlinear Edit Suite to edit, add titles, narration, and special effects to video projects.
Equipment Delivery — Scheduled delivery, setup, user assistance and pickup of data projectors, laptops, microphones, video cameras, etc. by appointment.
Information Technology Services supports the academic programs of the University. Computer labs are located on the fourth floor of the Ballston Center, in St. Joseph and Gailhac Hall on the Main Campus, and at the Reston Center.
All lab devices are connected to the campus fiber-optic ethernet backbone that provides each of these computers with access to the Internet; local computing resources; Blackboard, the online course-management system; Marynet; the Reinsch Library; and the academic Novell network. Assistance is available to students and faculty by trained computer technicians and professional staff. Services offered include individual tutoring and free seminars on many popular software packages.
Both Dell Pentium and Apple Macintosh machines are available. UNIX hosts are accessible from any networked computer via TCP/IP. All lab sites are equipped with postscript laser printers. Scanners with OCR software are located in the labs. Among the many software packages available are Windows XP, Microsoft Office 2003, SPSS, Visual Studio .NET, Maple, AutoCad, Pad System, Internet Explorer, QuarkXPress, and FreeHand. Numerous departmental applications and different object-oriented programming languages are also supported. Students, faculty, and staff may also purchase computer hardware and software for a discount through a special University program.
Career counselors provide individual guidance and offer frequent seminars 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. A schedule of career and internship programs is offered throughout the year, including job fairs, career exploration events, networking opportunities, and on-campus recruitment sessions. Students are also invited to participate in area career programs sponsored by The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
The Career and Internship Center (CIC) is located at the Ballston Center. The CIC houses a library containing information on all facets of the career and internship development process as well as self-directed computer programs to support students’ career planning and job searches. Several hundred local, regional, and national employers, as well as the federal government, publicize position openings at the CIC. Students can also find career information, job search links, and a current database of job and internship opportunities on the CIC Web site, www.marymount.edu/studentlife/career.
Outstanding internship experiences are available throughout the Washington area with corporations, government agencies, schools, hospitals, and retail establishments. Marymount University is committed to helping students identify and secure appropriate internship opportunities, and supports this goal through its Career and Internship Center.
Faculty and academic internship advisors work in collaboration with the Career and Internship Center to help students prepare for and successfully complete an internship. Firms and agencies sponsoring the intern are expected to provide a supervised, structured, and suitable experience consistent with the student’s major field.
All undergraduate students who have advanced in their major are required to complete an internship. Waiver of this requirement may be authorized by the dean of the School on the presentation of compelling evidence. If a waiver is obtained, coursework at the 300-400 level in courses within the major will be substituted for the internship.
The Student Health Center, located in Berg Hall, provides care for those illnesses or accidents that may occur while the student is a campus resident and to coordinate with the resident student’s personal physician in continuing treatment initiated at home. Emergency care is available to commuter students. Health Center personnel strive to maintain a healthful environment for all students through health-education programs.
During the fall and spring semesters, the Health Center is staffed by registered nurses. A University physician schedules regular clinic hours. Referral is made to specialists or clinics in the Washington area, as appropriate.
Because immunization records and adequate health information are essential to maintaining the health of the student and the entire college community, a confidential medical form, including a record of updated immunizations, is required for all undergraduate students. Failure to complete the medical form may impact a student’s registration. The form is available from the Admissions Office, the Health Center, or online at www.marymount.edu/studentlife/health. Regulations governing the Center are published in the Student Handbook .
Health and accident insurance is available through a commercial underwriter for all students taking nine or more credit hours. It is provided for resident students as part of their room and board fee. See “Insurance” for more information.
The Counseling Center’s professional staff provides personal counseling services to assist students with identifying and solving problems, increasing self-understanding, improving academic performance, adjusting to university life, developing and maintaining relationships, and managing stress and time. Counseling sessions are private and confidential, and are available to all students by appointment and on an emergency basis. Both individual and group sessions are available.
The International Student Services (ISS) staff provides an extensive orientation program for new international students as well as confidential cross-cultural counseling and advising on personal matters. ISS staff also provide immigration advising and assistance, including information on F-1 visa regulations, school transfers, work permission, travel, extension of stay, and Social Security. ISS also coordinates a variety of cultural and educational programs, including receptions, trips, coffee hours, International Week, and more.
The Student Campus Employment Office connects students seeking on-campus jobs with professors, librarians, coaches, and other staff who need part-time office assistance. The Office serves students seeking employment through the Federal Work-Study Program and through Campus Employment, available to students who do not qualify for Federal Work-Study.
The Academic Success Center advises students who have not declared a major or wish to change majors. It also counsels students who are not in good academic standing. The Center answers questions about University policies and procedures and responds to student concerns. See additional information about the Academic Success Center.
Disability Support Services (DSS) are available for all eligible students. The director of DSS assists students with disabilities in determining reasonable accommodations and is available throughout the year for information and referrals. DSS complements, but does not duplicate, services offered to all students through other campus offices.
To receive services from DSS, the student must give the director written 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 Disability Support Services. This should occur at the beginning of each semester. However, students may consult with the director at any point during the academic year. The student must then present this contact sheet to each of his/her 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 tape record lectures.
Student development services are available to all students in accord with provisions in the Student Handbook . During fall and spring semesters, upcoming student activities are listed on the Marymount University Web site under Student Life and in FYI, the weekly calendar.