Frequently Asked Questions

Student Success @ The CORD provides a hub of academic resources for student support, including:

• The 360 Program
• Academic Support & Outreach
• The Accelerate Student Achievement Program (ASAP)
• Peer Academic Coaching
• Supplemental Instruction
• Tutoring
• The Writing Studio

Additional departments housed in the CORD include Fulbright & CoEHP Advising, the Career Studio, and Teaching and Faculty Support and Fellows (TFSC). We also have The Drove dining area and Starbucks Coffee.

We are housed in the CORD, located next to Old Main in the heart of campus.

You can view floor maps below to help you navigate our center. Student Guides at the welcome desk can help if you need assistance.

 View CORD Floor Maps

 

Accelerated Student Achievement Program (ASAP) is a two-year program of peer mentoring, professional advising, and academic support for first-generation college students from eastern Arkansas communities.

The 360 Program is a centerpiece initiative of the Student Success Center. It offers one-on-one support for students’ academic transition, financial planning, social engagement, and wellness during their time at the U of A. The 360 Program is currently by invitation only and serves first-year students who are first-generation college students and Federal Pell Grant recipients. The 360 Program supports a successful transition to campus life and continues to serve as a resource throughout students’ time at the University of Arkansas.

The ASAP and 360 Programs are free for student participants. All costs associated with Peer Academic Coaching, Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring, and the Writing Studio are covered by student tuition. There is no additional cost for participation.

Log in to Penji and follow the steps to set up an appointment. Find how-to videos on our Get Started with Penji guide.

You can book one appointment per day and up to three appointments per week for each program (Coaching, Tutoring, and Writing). You can schedule appointments for different programs on the same day.

For best results with the Writing Studio, revise based on the feedback you received in one consultation before attending your next one.

Tutoring offers group appointments - fill out the Tutor-Led Study Group Session Request form.

Log in to Penji and click on your appointment on the homepage. Click on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner and select "cancel session".

Appointments must be canceled one hour before the appointment time. Appointments canceled within one hour will be considered a no-show.

Undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville can schedule appointments. For Writing Studio consultations, we have graduate and undergraduate consultants available. 

Tutoring supports mainly undergraduate courses. Access our Courses Supported List to learn which courses are tutored each semester. If your course isn't listed, please fill out our Help Form.

Your coach, tutor, or writing consultant will check you in. You can wait for your appointment to start at our designated waiting areas:

Peer Academic Coaching: leather couches near the Coaching Commons on the first floor of the CORD.

Tutoring: leather couches near the check-in kiosk in the Learning Commons on the second floor of the CORD.

Writing Studio: green chairs straight ahead when you enter through the main Writing Studio doors.

Log in to Penji and click on your appointment on the homepage. The Zoom information will be listed in your appointment details.

If you arrive early, we have comfortable seating and tables in the Coaching Commons, Learning Commons, and Writing Studio.

No-shows and last-minute cancellations (within one hour of your appointment) count towards your no-show total. After your third no-show in two weeks, you will be suspended from appointment scheduling for two weeks. 

You will receive an email indicating:

• your suspension
• information for the appeal process (emergencies, failure to check in properly, etc.)  

You may still use drop-in services during your suspension period.

For questions or concerns, please contact:

Coaching: uacoach@uark.edu

Tutoring: uatutor@uark.edu

Writing Studio: uawrite@uark.edu

Go to the UASuccess homepage for more information.

Check-in at the Welcome Desk on the first floor.

The Studio is an open-concept environment where all university students and alumni can drop in for general career-related services provided by highly trained Career Peer Mentors without an appointment.

We provide resume and cover letter reviews, interview tips, and mock interviews. We can also assist with LinkedIn profile reviews, job/internship resources, and career fair etiquette.

The Career Studio is a service provided by the larger Offices of Career Connections. The Studio offers peer-to-peer services in a more informal setting. Students who need career counseling, higher-level assistance with their resume, or have college/major-specific career questions can still schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor.

We are open Monday-Thursday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

The Career Studio is on the first floor of the Student Success Center. When entering through the front entrance (across from Old Main), we are in the back left lounge area.

The Career Studio is staffed by Career Peer Mentors, highly trained undergraduate and graduate students representing multiple academic programs on campus. These mentors provide one-on-one and group advising/coaching for all our services.

No appointment needed! Students can come anytime during our Studio hours. If you need remote services, these can be scheduled in Handshake.

If you want a specific document reviewed, you can email the document to cstudio@uark.edu beforehand or bring a copy of it.

You can drop in as many times as you need or want! However, if you have a career assignment for a class, we ask that you plan ahead and come before the due date.

Reach us via email at cstudio@uark.edu.

University Perspectives (UNIV 1001) is a course required for students in programs in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; College of Education and Health Professions; Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences; and Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The course introduces students to university life in interesting and compelling ways via academic- and interest-based topics. Learn more about UNIV 1001 on our Courses page.

Departmental consent is required to enroll. Email Danielle Dunn to request enrollment.

SI provides an opportunity to gather with a small group of your classmates and an SI leader so you can ask and answer questions, practice with course content, and hear advice from the SI leader who has excelled in the course previously.

SI provides an opportunity to gather with a small group of your classmates and an SI leader so you can ask and answer questions, practice with course content, and hear advice from the SI leader who has excelled in the course previously.

SI is offered for select courses. Your faculty member will provide information about SI, or you can visit our SI page to see the list of supported courses.

Prior to the second week of the semester, students enrolled in the courses listed above will be sent a registration email. This email will provide all necessary information to complete SI registration.

Contact us for help changing, switching, or dropping a session.

Yes. You should have received an SI registration email in your UARK email account. If you need assistance, contact us.

Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email from SI Admin with location and session information.

You will have the opportunity to review your scores at mid-semester and prior to finals week. If you need assistance, contact us.

In order to lead SI, a student must have earned an A in the course and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25. Visit our Employment Page to learn more about the SI Leader position.

We offer Drop-in Tutoring and Study Halls for a range of classes. Log into Penji to view the hours.

There are a few reasons why you may not be able to find a tutor for your class:

1. All of the appointments for your class are full.
   • Keep checking back as there may be cancellations. You can also check Penji for drop-in hours and Study Halls.
2. We do not have a tutor available for that class.
   • Access our Courses Supported List to learn which courses are tutored each semester.
   • If your course isn't listed, submit a Help Form request. When we receive multiple requests for a course, we will work to identify a tutor.

The Writing Studio is in room 209 of the CORD, located next to Old Main.

You can bring any course paper, application document, or essay. We do not work on graduate candidacy exams or work you are required to complete alone.

We cannot work with you on exams or essays that are part of a take-home exam.

Yes, our consultants can work with you on a resume, cover letter, application materials, or other writing that is not related to your classes.

Our consultants are here to help you learn how to be a better writer by providing feedback and answering your questions. They cannot do direct edits, but can instead offer writing guidance, and provide paths to meaningful revisions. You are the ultimate owner of your paper.

Consultants will provide feedback on your paper multiple times as long as you revise your writing between appointments.

Consultants can cover about 5 pages in an hour. Long documents require multiple visits.

You can upload attachments when you schedule an online tutoring appointment.

No, you can come during any part of the writing process. Our consultants can help you understand a prompt or brainstorm ideas before you start writing a draft of your paper.

Making a list of questions and concerns before your appointment can help to direct the focus of a consultation, but it is not required. Make sure to ask questions as they arise during the consultation so that you leave with ideas for how to improve as a writer.

Yes, we have an option for in-studio writing. We have comfortable seating and tables where you can work on your own.

Our consultants can help you understand a rubric provided by your professor, but they cannot predict the grade you will receive. They also cannot evaluate the legitimacy of a grade you already received.

Email uawrite@uark.edu with questions related to writing consultations or the Writing Studio.