The Center for Academic Achievement (known as the CAA) believes that students should study smarter, not harder. That’s why the CAA helps students in the areas of Academic Advising, Tutoring, Counseling, Coaching, and Disability Services. The CAA is also the place where students can register and sign up for various exams and tests prior to starting their studies. For detailed information on any of the areas the CAA specializes in, or to reserve a spot for a test, please call 407-303-7643.
Tutoring
Adventist University of Health Sciences values the importance of helping students succeed in the courses they study in. Tutoring provides the necessary tools, knowledge, and encouragement to help empower students. Free group and individual tutoring sessions are available. Appointments are required. .
General Education Tutoring
The General Education Tutoring Center consists of professional and peer-student tutors who specialize in specific health-science courses such as Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math. The tutoring center also provides tutoring sessions for students planning to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), the admission assessment for the Nursing program. Tutors act as a support for professors, providing extra review and practice of material previously taught. Tutors help assist in learning strategies that will help in the understanding and retention of course materials.
For more information please visit https://my.adu.edu/tutoringcenter.
Nursing Tutoring
Nursing students can sign up for nursing group sessions through https://tutor.adu.edu. Individual tutoring sessions are also available upon request by contacting the Nursing Tutor Coordinator at 407-303-6922.
Testing
The CAA offers a variety of tests that students may need. These tests are provided by appointment only and are listed below. For more information and to register for these tests, please call 407-303-7643.
Compass Placement Exams for both Math and English are designed to help a student succeed academically by placing a student in an appropriate math or English level course. Students must schedule the math or the English Compass Placement exams with the CAA. Students should note that placement exams can only be taken once.
American College Test (ACT) is an application requirement unless the student has 24 or more University credits from a regionally accredited school. The ACT covers four areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. Adventist University of Health Sciences is a Residual Testing Center, meaning the scores stay at the University and will not be sent anywhere else. Students should remember that the dates for this exam are posted per trimester in the CAA, and the exam is offered once a month. If a student is applying to get into a professional program, it is the responsibility of the student to take note of professional program deadlines and take the ACT in adequate time.
The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is an admission application requirement for the Nursing program. The TEAS measures basic essential skills in the areas of Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language usage. Students should remember that the dates for this exam are posted per trimester in the CAA, and the exam is offered once a month. If a student is applying to get into a professional program, it is the responsibility of the student to take note of professional program deadlines and take the TEAS in adequate time.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) are examinations that are computerized, comprehensive assessments that demonstrate college-level achievement in specific content areas. By achieving a passing American Council on Education (ACE) score of 50 or higher, students will receive college credit for the equivalent Adventist University course. A list of available tests that are offered can be found in the CAA, as well as on the CAA website. The University library has self-study guides to help students prepare for CLEP testing. Students should also note that CLEP exams cannot be repeated, if failed.
Challenge Exams for Microcomputers 102 and 103 are also offered in the CAA. Students must register to challenge this course before enrolling in the course.
Counseling
Counseling assists students in resolving personal difficulties and in acquiring the necessary skills and resources to both succeed in the University environment and pursue productive and satisfying lives. Counseling can help clarify concerns, gain insight into self and others, and teach new ways to most effectively cope and/or resolve issues. Counseling can offer emotional support, new perspectives, and help in considering possible solutions. Other reasons to see a counselor may include academic, career direction/concerns, self-esteem issues, relationship issues, grief and loss, family, communication, stress management, anger management, and physical, sexual, or substance abuse. Counseling is free to all students, and students are encouraged to seek counseling assistance proactively. For appointments, please call 407-303-7747, ext. 110-6074 or email counseling@my.adu.edu.
Online counseling (e-Therapy) is available to both on-campus and online students. Counseling is offered via email and real-time chat. For more information or to set up an appointment, please send an email to counseling@my.adu.edu. Please keep in mind that online counseling is not appropriate for all problems; students should speak to the counselor to determine if e-therapy would be a good fit.
Disability Services
The faculty and staff of Adventist University of Health Sciences are dedicated to an equitable and exemplary education for all of its students. They believe that equal education is not limited to a physically accessible campus for its students. It also strives to provide necessary accommodations to those students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who succeed at ADU demonstrate self-reliance and are able to advocate for their needs and anticipate challenges in a new environment, as well as address those needs well in advance.
Once you have been accepted to the university you can register with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) which is located in the Center for Academic Achievement (CAA). To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). A person with a disability is an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Accommodations are decided on a case-by-case basis, using the documentation submitted. All accommodation requests may not be granted. Programs will not be fundamentally altered to accommodate a student.
If a student requests accommodation, the student must provide the OSD the requested current, official documentation related to his or her disability along with the Voluntary Declaration of Disability Form. That documentation will be used to determine the type and extent of accommodation that is most reasonable and effective for that student. The review process typically can take up to ten business days. In particularly busy times, such as the start of a new trimester, this process may take longer. You will be notified by email once documentation has been reviewed.
If criteria have been met and accommodations are granted, the student must submit a Trimester Accommodation Request Form. The student’s instructors will be notified of the student’s needs once the student has completed the Release of Information Form (available in the CAA). The instructor will receive an Academic Accommodation letter explaining the accommodations necessary for that student.
For each subsequent trimester, it is the student’s responsibility to complete the Trimester Accommodations Request Form and submit it to the OSD. It may take seven or more business days to notify instructors. Forms should be submitted 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the trimester. This recommendation will ensure timely implementation of accommodations, but accommodation requests will be accepted throughout the trimester.
At any time, students may request in writing to discontinue any information-sharing related to their disability. Students may request to discontinue their accommodations at any time. Questions or concerns should be brought to the attention of the OSD.
Please note that school plans, such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plans, are not sufficient documentation to establish the rationale for accommodations in a university setting. Original documents are not necessary–a copy or fax of the material is sufficient. If documentation is incomplete or otherwise inadequate to determine the disability and/or reasonable accommodations, the OSD will require additional documentation. Documentation costs are to be paid by the student.
If you would like ODS to be able to discuss your disability or accommodations with persons or agencies outside of ADU (including your parents if you are over the age of 18), you must complete a Release of Information Form, available in the CAA.
Denied accommodation requests may be appealed in writing by a student to the Center for Academic Achievement Director. Such appeals must be filed within ten calendar days of the receipt of the denial of accommodation request.
For more information regarding Academic Accommodations, please contact Betty Varghese at 407-303-7643
Academic Advising
Most new incoming, non-professional program students will be assigned to an Academic Advisor located in the CAA. Advisors in the CAA practice something called wholistic advising. This means that a CAA advisor does more than just help a student select courses. They will also discuss with the student how to make him or herself as competitive as possible for the professional program he or she is applying to.
Academic Success Program
Sometimes the skills that bring a person to a place aren’t the same skills that keep him or her there. For instance, if a student enters ADU and was an A student before, those same study habits and routines may not work as well in a new setting. If students would like to be proactive in their success at the University, they can make an appointment to work with an individual from the Academic Success Program (ASP), located in the CAA. After meeting and talking with someone in ASP, a customized, individual study plan will be created to help the student achieve the success he or she envisions.
Philosophy of Healthcare
The Philosophy of Healthcare (POH) class is designed to help shape the lens with which a student will come to view healthcare. It is the goal of this class to help students understand that working in healthcare is more than just a job. In different ways, each student is indeed the hands and feet of God, helping patients through difficult times and knowing how to continue to sharpen and hone their critical thinking and communication skills. The class is intended to encourage students to understand how their faith, outlook, assumptions, and their own life story can contribute to or impede the care they give.
Each student taking POH will meet with an Academic Coach in the CAA for 30 minutes every other week for a total of 6 sessions during the term they are taking POH. These meetings will help to further unpack class discussions and readings and design an individualized academic success plan for the student. To do this, the Coaches utilize various assessments and learning style inventories when working with each student.
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