Navigation Office

In October 2019 Alvernia received the US Department of Education’s Title III Part A Strengthening Institutions Grant that will provide nearly $2.5 million over the course of five years to increase student achievement, persistence, and retention.

Using a thoughtfully outlined plan, members of the campus community are working together to design, pilot, and evaluate revisions to new student onboarding, First Year Experience, and faculty development. Additionally, the project includes hiring Navigators who will provide individualized support to students and encourage their connection with a variety of campus resources.

Together we will work to improve student success, instructional innovation, institutional retention, and improved graduation rates.

Learn More ��91��Ƭ�� the Office

Success Navigation – What is a Navigator?

Navigators provide individualized support to guide, motivate, and inspire students towards personal and academic success. Students can meet as regularly as they would like with a Navigator or just drop in with a question. Navigators help students by:

Connecting them to campus resources
Promoting academic skills and strategies (time management, exam prep, goal setting, etc.)
Identifying roadblocks to academic success
Networking skill building
Planning your educational journey
Promoting self-reflection and advocacy
And more!

Who Meets with a Navigator?

All students are welcome to use our services!

However, First-Year students are assigned a Navigator through their SEARCH Seminar class. During this time, we assist them with their transition into college life at Alvernia! Once assigned, students remain assigned to their Navigator until they graduate.

The following student groups particularly benefit from working one-on-one with a Success Coach:

First-Year students
Academic Probation Students
Transfer students
Academic Alert Students

Academic Success Workshops

Our Academic Success Workshops are designed to prepare students for a successful semester. As you matriculate to each semester, the transition can become difficult. With some useful tips and tricks, you can handle any challenge you may run into. We provide a variety of tips ranging from time management skills to building your professional brand. Contact Tyler Kearney-Good, Lead Navigator, for more information at tyler.kearney-good@alvernia.edu or (610) 796-8287.

Academic Success Workshop topics include:

Time-Management Skills
Note Taking Tips
Exam Prep/Study Strategies
Managing Academic Anxiety
Taking Ownership of Your College Experience

Title III Information

Strengthening Institutional Programs

Purpose

SIP provides discretionary grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to help them become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students, by providing funds to improve and strengthen the institution’s academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability.

Five Year Goals & Measurable Objectives (2019 -2024)

Goal 1: Increase student engagement and retention through integrated student services.

Goal 2: Increase retention through re-imagined and engaged Teaching and Learning.

Goal 3: Increase 4-year graduation rates through the combined impact of the project.

Building Institutional Collaboration

Leadership Team:

Project Director: Dr. Elizabeth Matteo

Activity Director: Lee Ann Bieber

Task Force:

More than 20 campus leaders serve on the Title III Task Force. The team consists of key leaders in student success, advising, enrollment, and faculty development. The Task Force is closely involved in the implementation of the project and ensuring objectives and milestones are met. The Task Force meets once a month to address projects task, challenges, and progress.

Design Teams:

Design Teams have begun designing, piloting, implementing, and assessing key Title III project activities such as new student Onboarding, Navigation, First Year Experience, and Faculty Development. Each Design Team is assigned one of the grant activities to create/revise, pilot, and implement initiatives specified in the Title III Improving Institution Programs Grant with goals resulting in student and faculty success.

Other Helpful Resources

Academic Advising: You can find out who your advisor is through on the Alvernia Login page. Their name will be located at the bottom left of your unofficial transcript.
Billing Questions & Answers: Student Financial Services offer information about tuition and fees, the billing process, and making payments. They’re located in Francis Hall, Room 203. They’re available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can call them at 610-796-8201.
Career Guidance: The Office of Career Development provides students with the support they need as they navigate all phases of occupational exploration, career planning and job seeking. Through intentional partnerships, programs, and services, you will be able to collect knowledge and experience about careers and confidently prepare for life beyond Alvernia.
Counseling Services: The Health & Wellness Center offers counseling support to ��91��Ƭ��’s students. Counseling Services is located at the Health & Wellness Center in the lower level of Veronica Hall.
Accessibility Services: The Office of Accessibility Services is located in Bernardine Hall, Room 105A. The Accessibility Services Director, Andrea Swift Ed.D., can be reached at accessibility.services@alvernia.edu or 610-568-1499. The fax number is 484-335-4486.
Housing: Questions regarding housing can be answered by the Office of Residence Life. Their office is located in Veronica Hall and can be reached at reslife@alvernia.edu or (610) 796-8320.
Scheduling for Classes: The Registrar Office provides the necessary paperwork and authorization to drop, add or withdrawal from a course. Official transcripts, enrollment verification, transfer credit information, and instructions for scheduling classes can be found here.
Additional Academic Support: The Academic Success Center (ASC) provides student advising and support services. Located on the first floor of Bernardine Hall, Room 105. They also provide tutoring services. Tutoring Services are available 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 4:30 p.m. Friday, and 4:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. Sunday. To schedule an appointment with a tutor, call 610-568-1494, email academic.support@alvernia.edu, or go to .
Student Health Services: The is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM for sick visits, health screenings, select labs, and injections. Health Services is staffed by a board-certified Family Physician and a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Study Skills: Alongside the Academic Success Center (ASC), we offer one-hour workshops providing general information and techniques for study skills, time management, note taking, test anxiety and essay writing which can be applied to every program of study.

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