PA/NJ CRLA Conference Held at Seton Hall  

Conference participants attend session on fostering belonging in academic support centers

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) was proud to co-host this year’s PA/NJ College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) conference at Seton Hall University on March 10, 2023. The conference brought together more than 80 learning assistance administrators, staff, and tutors to network and discuss best practices and innovations at their centers. Union County College, Essex County College, Rutgers University, Montclair University, Bucks County Community College, Drexel University, and Reading Area Community College were among the colleges and universities represented from the region. The partnership with CRLA was solidified with the Seton Hall tutoring centers receiving their Level 1 certification in December 2022. Tutors who attended the conference received credit toward their certification. 

This year’s theme “Come Grow with Me: Inviting Community on Campus” inspired presentations related to how we encourage sense of belonging in our staff and students to build communities that encourage and support our students. Cassandra Graham, Associate Director of Academic Services for the Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Plus program, presented on “Study Strategy: Explaining Material to Peers – Who Does it Help?”, and Ted McCulloch, Program Coordinator for the ARC, coordinated a roundtable discussion on “Creating Community through Coaching.”

Mensah Peterson, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Advising, Persistence, and Success at Kean University, served as keynote speaker for the event. His talk, “Building Community from the Ground Up”, focused on the pillars of building community in higher education and how we are all responsible for ensuring proper supports are in place for students to build their successes. The discussion after the keynote allowed attendees to hear the experiences of others as it pertained to campus culture around community and use of student services. As one member suggested, “I tell my students to make [services] your gym, not your urgent care.”

Staff from Union County College tour the ARC with director, Nicole Paternoster

The conference also provided an opportunity for the members of the region to elect new board members who will serve in 2023/2024. Two members of the Seton Hall community were elected to serve on the board: Sandra Vanegas, EOP, was elected as Treasurer of the region, and Ted McCulloch, ARC, was elected to serve as NJ Membership Coordinator.  Nicole Paternoster, Director of the ARC, had previously served as Secretary and President of the region and now serves as Website Administrator for CRLA National. 

PA/NJ CRLA will be hosting its annual cluster meeting in October. More information will be coming soon. The national CRLA conference will be held this year in Baltimore November 8-11. Call for proposals are now open. More information can be found on their website. 

For more information about the Academic Resource Center, please contact [email protected] or visit the website.

Categories: Campus Life, Education