History of the Academic Learning Center (ALC)

In the spring of 2002, Sharon Morrissey, Academic Vice President, Tom Dechant, Arts and Sciences Dean, Gigi Derballa, Developmental Studies Department Chair, and Sharon Killian, Math Lab lead instructor, began talking about the need to bring the various student support labs together in a central location with similar operating, tracking, and reporting procedures. During the next two years a proposal was written and Killian developed plans for converting four classrooms in Ferguson building to an area to house the Academic Learning Center (ALC). The proposal was approved by the board in the fall of 2004. By January 2005, the classrooms had been renovated to accommodate the math and English tutoring labs, the computer writing lab, the Spanish Lab, and the newly created testing lab in an open, inviting environment. The ALC opened on January 10, 2005. The coordinator, Sharon Killian, and approximately 15 part time employees staffed the labs.

During the summer of 2005, the open computer lab in Holly joined the ALC department.

In the fall of 2005, the Learning Resources Division was created. The ALC became part of this new division.

In October, 2007, two more open computer labs in Rhododendron joined the ALC.

By the fall semester 2008, the ALC was staffed by Killian and 20 part time employees.

Each semester, the ALC serves 300-400 students in the tutoring labs, 2000 students (11,000 hours) in the open computer labs, and receives 2000 tests to be administered in the testing lab.