Support and resources for all courses. Scheduled or drop-in support. In-person or online options.
The Baldwin Wallace Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA) supports and strengthens the academic experience of BW's diverse community through services and resources designed to empower learners to maximize their educational and professional goals.
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Located on the top floor of Ritter Library, the BW Center for Academic Success and Achievement is where you can find: learning resources, tutoring, reading support and writing support.
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CASA is a great place for students to study, meet with classmates or talk to a learning specialist about improving performance.
Not Sure Where to Start?
- FAQs
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Take a look at common student concerns to find out where to go.
Need help studying content for a specific class?
- Book an appointment with an individual tutor.
- Check out our drop-in tutoring schedule (no appointment needed).
- Visit SmartThinking or StudyEdge for 24/7 online tutoring, videos and study guides on course material.
Need guidance on managing coursework, project planning, or building academic skills?
- Book an appointment with an academic coach to receive 1-on-1 support.
- Attend a success seminar to develop knowledge, skills, and behaviors for your academic success.
Do you have a paper due soon?
- Schedule a writing support appointment with a writing specialist who will coach you toward your writing goals in any class.
- Visit SmartThinking for online paper assistance.
Does your class have in-depth reading requirements?
- Book a reading support appointment for guidance with reading complex texts efficiently.
Working on a research paper or project?
- Book an appointment with a reference librarian for help with database navigation and finding sources.
- Attend a Research Paper Boot Camp Workshop to work through the most challenging steps of the research process.
- Make a reading support appointment to learn how to synthesize ideas from multiple articles.
Need to edit your writing?
- Check out Grammarly software, provided by the University.
- Schedule an appointment with a writing specialist who can help you spot grammar issues and teach you to improve your usage.
Still not sure where to go? Contact us and we’ll point you in the right direction.
- Academic Coaching
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1-on-1 collaboration with a coach to identify academic concerns and troubleshoot solutions.
Academic coaching is a working partnership that focuses on identifying barriers and fostering new ways to achieve academic success. You can meet with a coach to discuss academic concerns and brainstorm solutions. The coach can provide a range of services to match each student's unique academic goals.
Coaching Support Includes:
- Where to Start
- Note-Taking
- Achieving Balance
- Goal Setting
- Motivation
- Getting Organized
- Countering Procrastination
- Managing Time and Priorities
- Test Preparation
- Project Planning
- Online Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Using Technology for Academics
- Success Seminars
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Interactive, discussion-based seminars that strengthen academic skills.
Success seminars are weekly in-person and online workshops designed to be interactive and tailored around your personal experiences. Sessions focus on developing knowledge, skills and behaviors for your academic success.
Success Seminar Topics Include:
- Learning Strategies
- Note-taking Tips
- Motivation
- Goal Setting
- Finding Balance
- Planning and Organizing
- Countering Procrastination
- Making the Most of Online Courses
- Finals Week Preparation
- On-Demand Learning Resources
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Smarthinking
24/7 online access to learning tools and tutoring support.
Smarthinking offers 24/7 online tutoring and expert writing guidance. It provides online support through live, one-on-one tutoring in 150+ core subjects and asynchronous writing critiques for research papers, creative writing, resumes, and application essays. Students can get assistance on-demand and also archive sessions to view later.
Smarthinking Resources
- List of supported courses
- Smarthinking FAQ
- Smarthinking Tutorials:
Study Edge
Online library of engaging videos, study guides and practice problems for more than 30 college courses.
Study Edge features a comprehensive library of essential study skills materials. "Study Experts" lead pre-recorded video sessions paired with study guides and practice problems. Study Edge also provides 24/7 support for some of the most challenging STEM, accounting and economics content.
- Go to Study Edge.
- Select a subject.
- Enter your first and last name.
- Enter your BW email address (username@bw.edu).
- Enter access code BWU1845 and continue.
Grammarly Premium
Download Your Grammarly Premium Account
Grammarly is a writing and grammar tool that, once downloaded, automatically checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors for everything you type. BW provides students with a Grammarly Premium account for free. Grammarly is available to download for Microsoft Office Suite, Windows, IOS, Android, and any other apps you use.
Academic Honesty
- Individual Tutoring
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Schedule 30 or 60-minute appointments, in-person or online
Individual tutoring is available in most subject areas. Meet with tutors to bridge gaps in knowledge and supplement, complement and enhance your learning.
- Drop-In Tutoring
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No appointment necessary, just stop in at the scheduled time
Make drop-in tutoring a part of your weekly schedule to complete homework and prepare for tests with support of our trained tutors. Drop-in tutoring is a great option for last-minute questions in classes such as biology, chemistry, economics, mathematics and statistics.
- Reading Support
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Read to learn more effectively and efficiently
Receive reading support by meeting individually with a reading specialist to learn the most efficient and effective reading strategies to suit your learning goals.
- Get help with one particularly tough assignment or meet with us regularly for ongoing reading support.
- Appointments are offered online or in our CASA offices on the top floor of Ritter Library.
- Reading Resources
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Reading Resources
- Writing Support
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Meet individually with a writing specialist, who will coach you toward your writing goals.
- Obtain writing assistance for any course or assignment, plus resumes and job or graduate school application personal statements.
- Get help with one tough assignment or see us regularly for ongoing writing help.
- Support available for both English as a primary language and as a secondary language.
- Appointments are offered online or in our CASA offices on the top floor of Ritter Library.
- Research and Citation Resources
Contact
Phone: (440) 826-2425
Email: casa@bw.edu
Location
Ritter Library, Top Floor
57 East Bagley Road
Berea, Ohio 44017
Top Floor Hours
- Tap Access: 24 Hours a Day/7 Days a Week
CASA Staff Hours
- Monday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Tuesday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Friday 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Staff Contacts
Julia Christman
Associate Director, Tutoring and Student Learning Programs
Math and Statistics Specialist
Ritter 205
(440) 826-3711
jchristm@bw.edu
Julie DeLima
Office Manager
Ritter 203
(440) 826-2147
jdelima@bw.edu
Maddie Butcher
Learning Specialist
Ritter 204
(440) 826-5953
mbutcher@bw.edu
Megan Weiss
Learning Specialist
Ritter 205
(440) 826-5936
mweiss@bw.edu
Eric Gardner
Writing Specialist
Ritter 216
(440) 826-2443
egardner@bw.edu
Tammy Layton
Writing Specialist
Ritter 215
(440) 826-2418
tlayton@bw.edu
Heidi Thoenen
Writing Specialist
Ritter 212
(440) 826-2425
hthoenen@bw.edu
JoEllen Kyanko
Writing Specialist
Ritter 107A
(440) 826-2425
jkyanko@bw.edu
Megan Garriga
Director of CASA
Reading Specialist
Ritter 219
(440) 826-5943
mggarrig@bw.edu
Judette Kullins
Reading Specialist
Ritter 218
(440) 826-3465
jkullins@bw.edu