SALTCastsLearning Specialists
As students are admitted to the SALT Center, their opportunities for a successful university experience are set into motion. Strategic Learning Specialists are dedicated to assisting students as they navigate through their academic endeavors at the University of Arizona, and each student has regular contact with his/her Strategic Learning Specialist.
The Role of Strategic Learning Specialists
Students and Learning Specialists develop strong, collaborative relationships through regular weekly meetings, walk-in visits, phone calls, and email communications. In their meetings, Learning Specialists work individually with students using a variety of tools to improve study skills, learning strategies, and self-advocacy skills.
Learning Specialists help students self-monitor their academic progress by tracking their tutoring reports, returned work, and progress reports. Learning Specialists provide further individual support by assisting students with critical issues relating to their learning and attention challenges in a supportive and nonjudgmental learning environment.
Strategic Learning Specialist DO:
- Support the transition into the University
- Provide students with Individual Learning Plans
- Maintain regular contact to students through individual meetings, walk-ins, phone calls, and email
- Create an atmosphere that is supportive, flexible, helpful, and nonjudgmental
- Provide resources to guide students in choosing a major
- Foster self-reliance and student responsibility
- Teach study skills, learning strategies, and self-advocacy skills
- Review academic progress based on students’ input, tutoring reports, and optional grade reports
- Refer students to campus resources and university services as needed
Strategic Learning Specialists DO NOT...
- Provide parents with specific information without a signed Consent Form from the student
- Provide regular updates to faculty, family, or other outside entities regarding the students’ performance or use of services
- Disclose students’ challenges to faculty or UA staff
- Speak with faculty to negotiate grades or extra credit opportunities
- Arrange students’ accommodations
- Provide specific academic advising services
- Suggest courses that are easy or taught by nice professors
- Judge students for their decisions or behaviors
Individual Learning Approach
Strategic Learning Specialists use an individual learning approach for each student. Understanding that each SALT student has unique strengths and learning challenges, Learning Specialists create Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) based on the student’s diagnostic reports, interest surveys, questionnaires, and verbal input.
The Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) is an integrated approach that includes many of the following SALT resources:
- Individual meetings
- Educational and career planning
- Skill development workshops
- Exam preparation session
- Leadership opportunities
- One-on-one tutoring
- Group review sessions
- Writer’s Lab
- Math & Science Lab
- Computer Resource Lab
In addition to regular contact and collaboration with students to support their Individualized Learning Plan, the Learning Specialists help students to understand how their learning and attention challenges impact their learning, their processing of information, and their social interactions in the university setting.