Beginning this fall, Xavier College Preparatory started its inaugural year of the Academic Resource Center, or the “ARC.”
The ARC is a support model for Xavier students to get the assistance they might need to become successful students now and in the future. Not only does the ARC provide assistance in learning but also testing strategies, resume writing and how to approach different issues as a student.
In the newly-renovated classroom located in Fitzgerald Hall 211, students have an additional availability of resources. The ARC is not a replacement for eighth hour but rather extra help.
Shannon Donaldson is currently in charge of the ARC, serving as the director of the program while also teaching classes such as AP Seminar and a Strategies class.
“Sometimes we struggle, and I want students to look for help. You’re not alone and there are people who want to help, and there is no shame in asking when you need help,” Donaldson said.
This new program is for all Xavier students, and is a safe space to work, ask questions and get help when needed. The ARC also has snacks, candy, and fidget toys. It is meant to be a welcoming spot on campus, fit for everyone.
The ARC seeks to acknowledge learning differences and to work to understand how to assist all students, creating a strong foundation for academic success.
Starting next semester, the ARC will implement a student internship program, where students can help their peers in all course subjects.
With a teacher recommendation and an interview, students who are proficient in certain subject areas will be able to assist other students who might not perform as well. Once students are accepted into the program, they will receive bi-monthly leadership training and guidance assisting with programs around the ARC.
Student Programs Manager for the ARC Bri Blair ‘26 is in charge of managing the internship program, overseeing the students applying for internships and tutoring fellow students.
“Each intern will get matched with a student and this 1:1 student-tutor session will give mentors the opportunity to help students in subjects but also to help students with the life skills of studying in school,” said Blair.
This internship will not only be good for the students learning but for the interns themselves. It will provide students with communication and leadership skills as role models, with training and with development.
Blair emphasized her hopes that the internship will be able to help a lot of students, especially those with learning differences, and that it will make learning in different ways more accessible for more students at Xavier.
The assistant to the director of the ARC Kelly Hubbard hopes the ARC can become an important part of how Xavier can serve students and encourage their academic strengths.
Hubbard stated, “One-to-one coaching empowers students to be problem-solvers and builds academic confidence,” Hubbard stated. She highlighted the importance of asking for help when needed, and that it is OK to know when one is not performing the best a student can.
Despite being a safe space for students who might be in need of extra help, or just want a quiet place to focus, the ARC is also now the new location for the Writing Center, which creates availability to students to get help in their writing through the National English Honor Society.
In addition to the internship program and Strategies class, the Writing Center in the ARC shows students that academic resources are available to all Xavier students.
With availability during lunch and eighth hour, the ARC is open to all Xavier students for the questions or need for help they bring.
