The Griffon News

College is filled with homework, big essays, and late nights studying for exams. College students have to make food choices, develop study habits and make life style judgments. Though all of these new decisions may seem overwhelming for some students; there are many services offered at Missouri Western that can help students with their dilemmas. With just a swipe of a card, a list of services opens up to the student: the Library, Fitness Center, Center for Academic Support and counseling services are all free with student ID.

Library

The library has a whole list of services available. Director of the Library Julia Schneider explains many of those services and the importance of the library.
“We feel like the library goes hand in hand with the classroom,” Schneider said. “We’re here to support the learning and teaching in the classroom through various services.”
The library is not only a place to read and check out books, as some students incorrectly perceive. Schneider thinks the library is a great place to go because of its versatility.
“The library is also a comfortable place to study, work on group projects, meet with friends, use the computer lab, or get a cup of coffee,” Schneider said.
Western student Brandie Elder thinks the library is a service students should utilize.
“The library is a place to go when you need help and it has all the resources you need,” Elder said.

Center for
Academic Support

Another service provided on campus is the Center for Academic Support, also called CAS. CAS offers free tutoring for any student who needs help in a class. The main areas of tutoring are math, writing, reading and study skills, but there are also tutors for other courses, where students may require help. Corla Dawson, Acting Director and Writing Coordinator of CAS, wants to help students become successful in the classroom.
“Ultimately our goal is to help students become independent learners,” Dawson said. “We want students to eventually come to the point where they can do it on their own.”

Fitness Center

Though academics are the main focus of college, student’s health can also be a factor in athletic and academic performance. Another service available on campus is the fitness center. The center has a full range of workout equipment for workouts from cardio to weight training. Fitness center coordinator Amy Foley thinks working out is a necessity to obtain good health.
“Working out benefits your health and you will live longer,” Foley said. “Exercise and taking care of your body keeps your weight under control. Using the fitness center is free, so why not take advantage of the service.”
Student Shandalyn Jackson also enjoys the benefits of the center.
“Your health is important and working out helps prevent health issues. It is also a great stress reliever,” Jackson said.

Counseling Services

College students can become stressed from classes, work, or just trying to balance everything at once. Western offers counseling services that can help students with stress or any other issues they may deal with. Director of Counseling/Asst Dean of Students Dave Brown noted that one in five students attend counseling sometime in their academic career.

“College is a very stressful place and it’s important to have services to support students,” Brown said.
There are also other services provided on campus like the swimming pool, trap range, walking trail, disability services, and a testing center, which provides testing for students needing special accommodations. All of these services are free. All students’ need is their student Ids. The doors of all the services are open, so take a step in and get the most out of college.