Laura Maginley
Assoc. News Editor

The Office of Learning Services (OLS) on campus offers workshops during the fall and spring semesters to help struggling students cope with learning disabilities and determine the source of the difficulty.  OLS selects the workshop topics based on research and an analysis of skills that are vital to student success.  The Office also provides disability screenings for students who suspect they may have a learning disability but lack documentation to support an accommodation request.  This semester’s events included a “Critical Thinking Workshop” on September 24 and an “ADHD Workshop” on September 25.

“The ‘Critical Thinking Workshop’ focused on the differences between critical and creative thinking, reasoning, the elements of thought, learning academic disciplines, and how to incorporate these skills into reading, writing, speaking and listening,” said Dr. Sherlynn Bessick, director of OLS.

Students also learned about the symptoms and current research related to ADHD during the “ADHD Workshop” and how this learning disability affects one’s learning.  “Approximately two thirds of students with disabilities that are registered with the OLS have a primary or secondary diagnosis of ADHD,” shared Bessick.

OLS offers additional services for students with disabilities, including classroom and housing accommodations, assistive technology, note-takers, sign language interpreters and readers.  The office also provides workshops to any Millersville University student looking to seek out further information on these accommodations.

The tutoring center is also part of the OLS, which provides free tutoring to students in a variety of majors on campus.  “We have an international tutor training program that certifies tutors from the ‘College Reading and Learning Association’ at levels one and two,” explained Bessick.  The tutors meet with professors to obtain recommendations on how to help teach concepts from their courses, which ensures these tutors are ready to assist students.

Students are encouraged to seek out tutors at the beginning of each semester, as opposed to waiting until the middle of the semester or close to finals.  Screening appointments can be made by calling the OLS at 717-872-3178.