Academic Support Services

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Academic Advising at Young Harris College

(Click here to view the Academic Advising website)

The Academic Advising Center at Young Harris College assists students in crafting, understanding, and completing a realistic education plan in a liberal arts setting, which will empower them to reach their full potential. Academic advising is a process built upon personal contacts between advisor and advisee. Effective academic advising is a cornerstone of the academic program at Young Harris College.

Freshmen and sophomores are advised by professional advisors in the Academic Advising Center on the lower floor of the Pruitt-Barrett Administration Building. In the fourth semester of study, four-year students are assigned a faculty advisor in the major. In some programs, such as Fine Arts, the major is declared during the freshman year, and students are advised by faculty in the department.

The Academic Advising Center also provides career advising to help improve occupational knowledge of students.

The goals of academic advising include:

1. Assisting students in developing an educational plan consistent with their life goals and objectives.
2. Assisting students in adjusting to college work and developing decision-making skills.
3. Providing accurate information about YHC’s policies, procedures, resources, requirements, and programs.
4. Making referrals to campus or community support services.
5. Assisting students in evaluation or re-evaluation of progress toward established goals and educational plans.

Academic Success Center

The mission of the Young Harris College Academic Success Center is to support the academic mission of the College by assisting students in their quest for the skills necessary to achieve their academic goals and make progress toward graduation.

The Academic Success Center, located in the Hesed House, provides extensive tutoring, study skills seminars, personal academic counseling, and quiet study space for students who are experiencing academic, motivation, or time management difficulties. The Center is open from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Students who wish to use the Center’s services may call, email, or stop by the Center to make an appointment for specific services.

The Academic Success Center will work with students who need special academic assistance as they transition from high school to college through its tutoring and special programs as well as through intensive English composition classes and assistance for students who speak English as a second language.

Students who are placed on academic probation as a result of the previous semester’s grades will be notified that they are required to create and fulfill an Academic Success Contract in order to be enrolled at the College. In addition, students who receive at least two notices of midterm deficient performance will be required to enter into an Academic Success Contract. The College Retention Officer, as well as faculty and staff, may recommend additional students to create personalized Academic Success Contracts. These contracts require a commitment from students to create and fulfill the terms of an academic success action plan: to attend academic counseling sessions; to participate in study skills, time management, or motivational seminars; to utilize campus support services; and to monitor and assess their own progress in consultation with the Student Success Center.

The Academic Success Center will work closely with the College’s Academic Advisors to recommend classes for its students which will promote the students’ academic goals in accordance with their individual learning styles and abilities.

Duckworth Library

The Duckworth Library was named for J. Lon Duckworth ‘20, an alumnus and trustee of the College and Henry Duckworth ‘17, a benefactor. Completed in 1969, the facility includes a wireless network, a 24-hour study room, and a variety of seating options including study carrels and group study areas. The library complex also houses the Campus Technology Center. The Duckworth Library contains a diverse collection of materials to support teaching and learning. The main collection contains more than 53,000 volumes, including audio-recordings, DVDs, and bound periodicals. In addition, the Library subscribes to over 45,000 electronic books and more than 170 active periodicals. The Byron Herbert Reece collection, the Merle B. Mann collection of Indian artifacts, Vietnam Veterans Oral History project, and the Ogletree Lincolniana collection are housed in the library. Most of the library’s holdings are accessible through the library’s online catalog, available through the library’s homepage. Thanks to advances in technology, the library’s services and resources extend far beyond the walls of Duckworth Library. The library provides students and faculty with access to an excellent collection of databases and electronic texts and journals, provided by GALILEO, (Georgia Library Learning Online) that can be searched from anywhere, on campus or off. Through an international network of libraries, library staff can also obtain materials that are not available locally. Reference librarians are available to assist users with services and collections during most of the hours the library is open. In addition, they visit classes, teach workshops, and schedule individual research consultations. Through its collections, facilities and services, the Duckworth Libraries upholds its mission to support teaching, learning, and research at Young Harris College.