Ferrum College offers a variety of academic opportunities and support services to address the needs of our diverse student body. Students are strongly encouraged to utilize these services to maximize their academic potential.
Academic Advising
The mission of the academic advising program at Ferrum College is to promote and facilitate student success by assisting in the development of appropriate educational plans consistent with academic, career and personal goals. In this partnership, faculty members have responsibilites to provide accurate information tailored to the needs of the student and to foster the understanding of critical academic decisions. Ultimately, students are responsible for meeting goals and published requirements by being actively engaged in charting their academic path.
All freshmen are assigned to an advisor that specializes in a single major. Students who have not selected a major will be assigned an academic advisor until a major is decided upon. While students are ultimately responsible for fulfilling college requirements, advisors are the assisting experts who help students plan an efficient program of study.
Carter Center for Academic Success
The Carter Center for Academic Success houses a number of academic programs that assist and empower students to achieve academic success. These programs include the: Academic Recovery/College Skills Courses, Michael T. Christian Center for First-Year Experience, Math Center, Writing Center, Office of Academic Accessibility (OAA), Panther Pride, and Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) tutoring. Housed in the lower level of Stanley Library, the Carter Center for Academic Success is open twenty-four hours a day and provides a quiet place for students to complete individual or group projects. Throughout the day, faculty from varied disciplines hold their office hours in the center, giving students an opportunity to work with professors outside of class in a comfortable environment.
Academic Recovery Program
The Academic Recovery Program is designed to support students at Ferrum College who are placed on academic warning or probation. Students in the program receive ongoing individual academic counseling to help them return to good academic standing. This counseling may include help with time management, study and test taking skills, managing test anxiety etc. An assigned counselor also serves as an accountability partner to help the student have additional structure to complete their academic responsibilities. In addition, the Academic Recovery Program counselor also assists students who are off campus seeking to return to Ferrum College by offering guidance and help finding courses to take to repair academic standing.
Boone Honors Program
The Boone Honors Program has both curricular and co-curricular components. Curricular components, especially the honors seminars, are designed to enhance the honors student’s undergraduate academic experience. Co-curricular components help create a community within the program that supports curricular initiatives and builds friendships among members. Any student entering with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and a combined math/verbal SAT score of 1200 or higher is eligible for honors program membership, and members are awarded scholarship at the highest level of the Admissions/Financial Aid matrix (except for top competitive scholarships). Students who do not meet eligibility criteria upon entry but make the Dean’s List or the President’s List at Ferrum College may apply for membership and should contact the honors director concerning procedures for membership review.
Students who complete the Honors Program are awarded the Boone Honors Medallion at Commencement. They will have completed five honors-designated seminars, most of which meet general education requirements. Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher and an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher for these seminars, and must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher. Please refer to Course Descriptions under the Honors (HON) course designation for a current list of honors seminars.
Additionally, honors students undertake 12 hours of independent projects called honors enrichment in regularly taught courses, generally in the student’s major or minor. The point of honors-enriched coursework is to extend a topic, approach, or project so that honors students gain an enhanced understanding of the area of study and have greater opportunity for individualized research. Students have the option of undertaking an honors thesis project to satisfy up to six hours of the honors enrichment requirement, depending on the scope of the project and the requirements in the major. The honors thesis option is recommended for students planning graduate study.
Honors students also complete foreign language study through the intermediate level and are required to undertake a Study Abroad experience; most students fulfill the latter requirement through an E-Term course (thus completing another general education requirement). A travel scholarship of up to $3,000 is available for the honors student in good standing for the Study Abroad experience.
Honors students also get early preregistration, and resident honors students are offered a preferential housing option. Finally, honors students are regularly invited to participate in social and cultural outings to museums, lectures, and entertainment venues, at program cost. Contact Dr. Lana Whited, Director of the Boone Honors Program, for more information.
Early Alert System
Ferrum College faculty and staff have implemented an Early Alert system to assist students who have academic problems early in the semester in order that appropriate support can be provided. The Early Alert system provides a means for faculty to refer students for academic support when the students have attendance, personal and/or academic performance issues. Faculty may refer for any number of services including academic counseling, tutoring, personal counseling and/or an appointment with their advisor etc. Students referred for an Early Alert will not have that information become part of their permanent academic record.
Ferrum Foundations
Ferrum Foundations is pre-first semester experience held one week prior to the beginning of the Fall semester. Experiences are designed to facilitate students’ transition from high school to college. Students participate in curricular and co-curricular activities that help develop readiness for college, critical thinking skills, a sense of community, and engagement to the Ferrum College community. Incoming freshmen register for HHP 149 – Selected Topics in Physical Education and earn one college credit.
Michael T. Christian Center for First-Year Experience
This First-Year Experience Program is designed to help students adjust to Ferrum College and obtain the necessary skills to become a successful college student throughout their tenure. The program engages new students to cultivate a better understanding of learning processes, acquire academic and social skills crucial to personal and professional success, and to take advantage of the campus resources and community available to them.
International and Intercultural Learning Opportunities
Ferrum College students are provided multiple opportunities to learn about various domestic and international cultures. A few examples are provided below:
The Appalachian Cluster: The Appalachian Cluster examines modernization in Appalachia from several different points of view – English, sociology, and science. All participants take three classes together so that students and faculty form a unique learning community. Classes involved are SOC 101 - General Sociology , ESC 102 - Introduction to Environmental Science , and ENG 101 - Composition and Rhetoric . Students who have already received credit for the freshman composition requirements may enroll in ENG 207 - Selected Topics . Any one of these courses can be honors-enriched by students in the Boone Honors Program. While participants learn a great deal about Appalachia, the focus of instruction is general education, teaching basic concepts of science, sociology, and English, using Appalachia as a tool for getting there. The region is close at hand and rich in opportunity. Participants do site visits to locations being studied, learning fundamentals of critical thinking through original research.
Study Abroad: Ferrum College students may elect to participate in a number of study abroad opportunities, ranging from several weeks to a summer, a semester or a full academic year. International study/travel short term programs are offered regularly by members of the College faculty each May as part of our E-Term courses, as well as at other times of the year. These programs have included, but have not been limited to such destinations as Austria, Belize, England, Honduras, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa. We also have on-going exchange programs with China Three Gorges University in Yichang City, China, Sejong University in Seoul, South Korea and the Pskov Pedagogical University in Pskov, Russia. In addition, numerous approved study abroad providers, such as The Center for Cross Cultural Study: Spanish Studies Abroad, have been popular with the College students, offering additional opportunities for long-term study in areas ranging from Asia to Europe to Central and South America.
Finally, a new initiative of the Methodist Church will support international academic opportunities among Methodist Institutions world-wide, offering exciting new study abroad possibilities. Students are invited to visit the Ferrum College Office of International Programs for guidance in exploring study abroad.
Math Center
The Math Center provides assistance to students taking any mathematics course or math-related course offered at Ferrum College. Assistance is provided for homework, test preparation or projects. Math faculty are available according to scheduled hours to provide tutoring and help during the week. The Math Center is located on the lower level of the Stanley Library in the Carter Center for Academic Success.
Office of Academic Accessibility (OAA)
Ferrum College admits qualified students regardless of disability and welcomes the full participation of students with disabilities in all aspects of campus life. The OAA coordinates with various campus partners to ensure equal access to College programs, facilities and services.
Students with disabilities who require accommodations should submit documentation of the disability to the OAA as early as possible at the start of their first academic semester, or upon onset of disability, to initiate the intake and eligibility process. Documentation reviews and student meetings begin at the start of classes each semester. Students are encouraged to become familiar with the OAA handbook of procedures on the website, www.ferrum.ed/accessibility. Students who seek academic accommodations must submit current disability documentation to the Director of the OAA to request the desired accommodations.
Panther Pride Program (PRIDE)
The Panther Pride Program (Personal Responsibility in Developing Excellence) is an academic success and career preparation program for student-athletes. Study labs, professional tutoring, graduate school preparation and career workshops are offered to ensure students remain on track toward their degree and prepare themselves for the next stage in their career. The PAD (Panther Academic Den) is the study lab for student athletes. Students who require additional academic support are referred to the lab by coaches. Student-athletes assigned to the PAD benefit from a quiet environment, access to computers, and services from an academic counselor and staff of professional tutors.
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)
Peer tutors are specifically trained to assist students by providing one on one or group tutoring. This tutoring is designed to help students in primarily (but not limited to) introductory level courses. The PAL tutor is recommended by the professor and then works with that professor to provide current help. The PAL tutor establishes a schedule for study sessions as well as extra sessions prior to major tests or exams. Students may also schedule one-on-one sessions with the PAL tutor assigned to their class. A schedule of times and classes can be found on the Carter Center for Academic Success website, in Brightspace and at the Carter Center.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is available to all students who seek to improve their writing skills in connection with any course on campus. Students at all levels of ability are encouraged to visit the Writing Center for individual assistance at any stage of a writing project from brainstorming and planning to researching, drafting, and revising. Located in the Carter Center for Academic Success, the Writing Center is open for drop-in visits on a regular schedule of both day and evening hours during the academic semesters and E-Term.
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