Academic Resources and Support Services

Office of Global Engagement

The Office of Global Engagement fosters partnerships across campus and around the world, we:

• Support study abroad programs
• Promote curricular and co-curricular global initiatives
• Welcome international students, scholars, faculty and staff to our campus

Our core services include:

• Ensures regulatory compliance for our international students, scholars and faculty
• Supports international student success from pre-arrival through graduation
• Facilitates student participation in study abroad programs.
• Administers faculty-led study abroad programs
• Assists in establishing international partnerships and the drafting and review of international agreements

The Office of Global Engagement, supports, and advocates for  international students who have come to the US to study at Wilkes. The OGE brings a global perspective to the Wilkes community by sponsoring campus- wide programs to develop a broader understanding of the world and providing support in matters of internationalization.  The OGE is composed of three offices: International admissions, English Language Center, International Student Services, and Study Abroad.

Staffing for the Office of Global Engagement:

Cathy Lee Arcuino, Executive Director (cathylee.arcuino@wilkes.edu)

Andreea Maierean, Ph.D., Director of Study Abroad (andreea.maierean@wilkes.edu)

Abby Love, MS, Associate Director of International Admissions (abby.love@wilkes.edu)

Olivia Caraballo, Intercultural Programing and Study Abroad Coordinator (olivia.caraballo@wilkes.edu)

Dawn Pugliese, Immigration Advisor (dawn.pugliese@wilkes.edu)

Kimberly Niezgoda, Ed.D., Director, English Language Center, Program Coordinator, Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of other Language (TESOL) for the School of Education (kimberly.niezgoda@wilkes.edu)

Lissette Dishmey, Intensive English Specialist (lissette.dishmey@wilkes.edu)

The OGE is located in The Weckesser Annex 2nd floor. The Center’s staff may be reached by calling (570) 408-2029 (or ext. 2029 from a campus phone).

English Language Center

The Wilkes University English Language Center offers an assortment of programs to meet the varying needs of adult English-language learners.

Our Mission

The Wilkes University English Language Center provides English for academic and professional programming which supports the core Wilkes values of mentorship, scholarship, diversity, innovation and community.

Our Goals

• Supply state-of-the-art, individualized English language instruction to meet learners’ language, cultural and professional goals.
• Empower students to successfully function in English in a multicultural and diverse world.
• Serve Wilkes University faculty and departments, by providing programs which meet the needs of their English learning students.
• Provide highly qualified faculty who encourage academic success and provide leadership in the areas of intercultural understanding and cooperation.

Our Programs

Intensive English Program

The Intensive English Program (IEP) at Wilkes provided quality instruction in English as a second language (ESL) to English language learning students planning to pursue university studies in America. To this end, the program provides students with curricula, classroom materials, and teaching methods well-grounded in the latest theory, research, and practice of second language learning and teaching.

We Aim To

• Provide high quality English language instruction;
• Prepare students for further academic study in the U.S. through a well-articulated curricula;
• Provide English language instruction for personal growth;
• Provide students with the guidance they need to successfully reach their academic or professional goals;
• Provide highly qualified faculty who encourage academic success and provide leadership in the areas of intercultural understanding and cooperation;
• Provide learner-centered instruction to meet student academic needs;
• Provide services relating to admission, counseling, academic advising.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. SLO1: Students will demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in written and oral communication.
2. SLO2: Students will demonstrate understanding of academic vocabulary and content.
3. SLO3: Students will produce advanced grammatical structures in spoken and written academic discourse.
4. SLO4: Students will demonstrate ability to properly format academic writing.
5. SLO5: Students will effectively analyze, paraphrase and synthesize information.
6. SLO6: Students will formulate ideas, proposals, solutions, or arguments, independently and collaboratively.

University Preparatory Program

The University Preparatory Program (UPP) provides English learners (ELs) with the necessary skills and strategies required to effectively transition to and succeed in an academic, collegiate environment. The program offers participating students the ability to expand upon and refine their core set of academic skills, while fostering an appreciation of educational growth and diversity, necessary to contribute to the global, learning community. Students earn 12 credits towards their undergraduate degree while obtaining the English language skills needed to succeed at university.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. SLO1: Generate writing appropriate to Collegiate level academic writing standards. 
2. SLO2: Choose and apply appropriate reading strategies to comprehend Collegiate level texts
3. SLO3:Express thoughts accurately and appropriately in English, in both written and spoken discourse.
4. SLO4:Respond appropriately to both formal and informal spoken English to participate in collegiate level interactions
5. SLO5:Utilize English grammatical structures appropriately in both spoken and written discourse for Collegiate success.
6. SLO6: Apply appropriate strategies to support success in Collegiate level work.

Courses

ESL 100 - Reading and Writing 
3 Credits
This course focuses on the connection between critical thinking and academic reading and writing skills necessary to analyze academic texts and produce collegiate-level compositions. It emphasizes the utilization of reading comprehension strategies and writing process skills to respond to various readings and to develop vocabulary expansion. This course also requires a research paper that utilizes the basic formatting and referencing of sources using MLA style documentation.

ESL 102 - Listening and Speaking 
3 Credits
This course is a cohesive, integrated, and structured approach, to developing and expanding upon key listening and speaking skills of transitioning, English language learners (ELLs), as to ensure successful matriculation to a collegiate, academic environment. Therein, students will address defined, critical abilities, as a way in which to increase their capacities to engage in academic processes that include and demand superior listening and speaking skills within higher educational institutions and curricula.

ESL 103 - Test Prep 
3 Credits
This course has been designed to serve as an integrated and structured approach to providing and expanding upon critical test preparation strategies and study skills for transitioning, English language learners (ELLs), as to ensure successful matriculation to a collegiate, academic environment. Utilizing a multifaceted configuration of classroom instruction and independent, online study, students will be provided with extensive practice of the most key academic skills and methodologies, as a way in which to increase their capacities to engage in academic processes that include and demand a superior skill set within higher educational institutions and curricula.

FYF 101 - First-Year Foundations 
Credits: 3
The mission of the First-Year Foundations Program is to provide rigorous learning experiences that challenge first-year students to develop the strategies essential for a successful transition into the Wilkes campus community. Each section of FYF is unique in content and constitutes a special topics course in which faculty members are encouraged to explore topics that are of special interest to them. All sections of FYF, regardless of specific topic, share a common core of objectives that facilitate significant learning experiences (inside and beyond the classroom) by which first-year students develop self-knowledge as learners and members of an academic community, intellectual curiosity, openness to diversity, and a capacity for lifelong learning and civic responsibility.

Activities designed to foster and develop effective writing, critical thinking, and information literacy skills are integral components of all FYF courses. In addition, the FYF Program connects students to a wide variety of University resources, including the advising and tutoring services of University College, the extensive holdings and services of the Farley Library, and the rich array of cultural events sponsored by the University.

Au-Pair English

Au Pair Program Options
The Wilkes University English Language Center offers you different opportunities to obtain the 60 hours or 72 hours/6 credits au pairs need. You may take courses in either our Intensive English Program, University Preparatory Program or audit undergraduate classes. The path you enroll in depends upon your English proficiency.

Beginner to High Intermediate Path
Take two classes in our Intensive English Program.

Advanced Path
Take two classes in our University Preparatory Program.

High Advanced Path
Take one University Preparatory Program class and audit an undergraduate class of your choosing. Au-pairs will also join in the IEP cultural activities, and have access to American conversation partners.

Special Programs

Special programs are designed and tailored towards groups of students with specific English language learning goals. These programs combine cultural activities with specialized language learning. Programs can coordinate with academic departments on campus and enabling participants to work with professors who specialize in their discipline while simultaneously taking courses to improve language skills.

Students enrolled in special programs have the opportunity to interact with American professionals in their fields, and to experience the culture and study how it impacts their profession or learning interest.
 

Office of Academic Success

The Office of Academic Success, housed in Conyngham Hall at 130 South River Street, is the point of entry and home for all undeclared students until they select their major field of study. The Office provides academic support services and supplemental instruction for all enrolled and prospective students, administers the University’s precollege enrichment programs, coordinates with the academic departments to provide an effective program of academic advisement for undeclared students, and houses the Disability Support Services of the University. The programs and services offered by University College are described in the following subsections.

Act 101 Program

A special program for students from Pennsylvania who need academic and financial support, the Act 101 Program allows educationally underprepared students to improve their skills in verbal and written communication, reading comprehension, mathematics, and problem solving, all in an effort to acquaint these students with and help them adjust to the many new experiences associated with a college education. The program provides for tutoring and counseling to enhance the student’s potential for success in the college environment. Inquiries about Act 101 should be directed to the Act 101 Office in Conyngham Hall or to the Office of Admissions.

Disability Support Services

If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires accommodations, he or she should contact the Disability Support Office in the Office of Academic Success for information about applicable policies and procedures. The Disability Support office is located on the third floor of Conyngham Hall, Room 311.

Student Advisement

The Office of Academic Success coordinates the Freshman Advising Program and regularly collaborates with and provides training for academic advisors throughout the academic year to ensure student success.

Specially selected faculty members and administrators have been designated as Freshman Advisors on the basis of their knowledge of curricular matters and, more generally, on the basis of their knowledge of the University and its resources and services. Each freshman is assigned to a Freshman Advisor during the Summer Orientation period and will meet with that advisor regularly during the Orientation period and throughout the academic year to arrange schedules, discuss academic and career plans, and address problems or concerns as they arise. These faculty advisors bring the special expertise of their disciplines to the advising process.

If, upon admission to the University, the student has indicated a preferred major, that student will be assigned a Freshman Advisor from the relevant department or program at the beginning of his or her studies. Students who have not identified a major field of study at the time of admission to the University work with advisors from the Office of Academic Success who have a special expertise in advising undeclared students. Advisors from the Office of Academic Success work with undeclared students until a major field of study has been selected; once a major field of study has been declared, the student is assigned to a departmental advisor in his or her chosen field of study.

Library Services

Contact:  Brian Sacolic, Director of Farley Library.

Telephone:  (570) 408-4250 

Eugene S. Farley Library 

The Eugene S. Farley Library, named in honor of the first president of Wilkes University, is located on the corner of South Franklin and West South Streets. It is one of the largest resource libraries in the region with more than 150,000 volumes of print books, 250,000 electronic books and 85,000 full text online journals.  This extensive array of materials can be access via 127 subject specific databases and also the Find@Farley Discovery tool.  While students can access virtually the entire collection remotely, Farley Library remains a popular destination for students to study, brainstorm or just socialize.

Also housed in the library are the University Archives, the University Writing Center, the Information Technology Help Desk, four special collections rooms and a Smart classroom/auditorium.  Farley Library is also home to the Alden Learning Commons, a technology rich learning environment that has four enclosed group study rooms and 20 open group study areas that can accommodate groups of one to six students.

The (upper level) Library hours during the academic year are:

Monday - Thursday: 8:00 am to 12:00 midnight.

Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Saturday: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Sunday: 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

The (lower level) Alden Learning Commons is available 24/7 during regular school hours via a Win swipe card and using the Franklin Street side entrance.

Summer sessions and holiday hours, as well as any changes to the regular library schedule, are posted at the library entrance and on the library Website.

Library resources and services are available online 24/7 at www.wilkes.edu/library.  Remote (off-campus) patrons will need to login using their Wilkes credentials to access full-text materials. 

Farley Library Policies:

1. Use your valid Wilkes University I.D. card to obtain library privileges. You are responsible for materials charged out on your identification card.
2. A valid Wilkes I.D. also enables Wilkes University students to borrow books year-round at Misericordia University, Keystone College, King’s College, Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University and the University of Scranton.
3. Books circulate for one month. Renewals may be made in person, by telephone, or online from the patron access area of the Library catalog.  A book may be renewed once. DVDs circulate for three days (no renewal). Charges may be levied for some overdue and all damaged materials. Failure to pay fines or to return borrowed materials will likely result in denial of transcripts until fines are paid and/or materials returned.
4. Periodicals, journals, reference materials, and microform materials do not circulate. Reference materials, periodicals, and journal articles in print and microfilm format may be photocopied in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. copyright law.
5. The lower level (Alden Learning Commons floor and the 1^st floor are designated “talking floors”.  Patrons may converse in normal speaking levels.  Patrons desiring more quiet study space should utilize 2^nd and 3^rd floors.
6. To provide an optimum environment for study on floors designated as quiet study (2^nd and 3^rd floors), please keep all cellular phones on silent alert while in the library.
7. The University reserves the right to refer for disciplinary action patrons who have violated Library policy.
8. Small food items and drinks are permitted throughout the library.  For larger feasts, please use the lower level lounge area.

Farley Library Services:

1. Students and Faculty can request research assistance via the Reference librarians.  The Reference Department offers impromptu and schedule appointments and patrons can request in-person, email, text, chat or Zoom reference meeting for research help.
2. Library Orientation: Group library orientation can be arranged for students upon request.  Orientations will include a library tour and overview of the library website.
3. Bibliographic Instruction: Specific instruction in the use of library collections and reference tools is available for students upon request of the instructor.
4. Interlibrary Loan: This service is provided for students, faculty, and staff to supplement research needs. Interlibrary loan requests are free and materials usually arrive within 2 working days.  An Illiad account is needed to use interlibrary loan, please inquire at the Reference Department for details.
5. Media Services: Media staff will have audiovisual equipment needed for classroom usage delivered to sites on campus. At least a 24-hour notice is required. Videos and DVDs may be reserved one week in advance of the expected need. The Library Media Room (Room 002) is also available, on a first-come, first-served basis, for classes or events.
6. Reserve Materials: Collateral course reading materials placed on reserve by faculty are maintained at the Circulation Desk.
7. Photocopiers and scanners for printed materials and micro materials are available in the library. A color copier is located on the first floor and the lower level. Users are reminded to observe the restrictions placed on photocopying by the U.S. copyright law. The law and interpretive documents are available at the Circulation Desk.
8. Online searching of auxiliary databases is available by appointment through the Reference Department to support faculty-guided student research.
9. Student groups and clubs wishing to schedule activities or meeting spaces using library facilities are welcome to contact the library.

Music Collection

Darte Hall, on the corner of South River and West South Streets, houses a separate collection of music scores and recordings. For information about accessing materials housed in the music collection, call (570) 408-4420.

University Writing Center

The University Writing Center, located in the Alden Learning Commons (lower level of the Farley Library), is available to all Wilkes students who seek additional assistance with writing. Instructors may refer students to the Center for support in all aspects of the writing process.

Upward Bound Program

A federal program at Wilkes since 1967, the Upward Bound Program provides disadvantaged high school students with a college preparatory program of curricular and extracurricular activities designed to improve academic skills and self-confidence and to deepen curiosity and human understanding. Students attend weekly classes and tutoring and counseling sessions on campus. In the summer, the six-week residential program prepares students for fall classes and provides intensive career guidance.