The Truman Center for Academic Excellence is an academic support program designed to promote student success. They work to not only support students academically in their coursework, but also showcase alternative ways to interact with course material to maximize their potential and academic outcomes. They also provide tutors throughout the semester.
Book a TutorThe Academic Success Mentoring Program is a peer-mentoring program sponsored by the Center for International Students and specifically aimed at helping international students perform better academically. Students are paired with mentors who can help them develop better study skills, overcome test anxiety, manage time better, and more.
Who are the academic mentors? How can they help me?
ASMs are students who have learned how to be successful at Truman. Because they have been through the same challenges you have: struggling to balance school, work, and friendships; mustering up the courage to raise our hands in class; and preparing for a major test or paper. They are not tutors, but they can help you find ways to learn information better and find the resources that will help you become a better student.
How much time am I going to need to devote to this?
Not much! Each meeting with your mentor will last 20-30 minutes at most. You might find, however, that the way you manage your time changes drastically, in a good way.
Will others know about me doing this?
Only if you want them to. The ASM program is completely confidential, and personal information will never be discussed beyond you, your mentor, and evaluations with Melanee or Nicole.
What do I need to do as a participant in the ASM program?
Attend the weekly meetings with your mentor (and give advance warning if you need to cancel), try to follow their advice, and give feedback so they can find how best to help you. The more you put into this relationship, the more you will get out of it.
To get involved, contact the CIS at iso01@truman.edu.
Pickler Memorial Library offers many services to international students including help finding information, foreign language material, reference help, and library terminology.
Finding Information
Library Catalog. You can find books, CDs, videos and DVDs and other material through the library catalog. You can search by author, title, subject, and keyword.
Call numbers. Books and other materials in the library are arranged on the shelves by call number. Our library uses the Library of Congress system, in which all call numbers begin with one or more letters followed by numbers (Example: QA 190 S32) All call numbers beginning with the same letter are placed together on the shelves. Because a call number corresponds to a subject or topic, you should find items on the same topic together on the same book shelf.
Foreign-Language Dictionaries:
Many language dictionaries are located in the Reference collection on the first floor. Additional copies, which may be checked out, are kept in the General Collection on the third floor. To find bilingual dictionaries (for example, a Spanish-English dictionary) in the Library catalog, click on the links below to get the call numbers for bilingual dictionaries in our library.
| Arabic | Dutch | Japanese |
| Bulgarian | French | Norwegian |
| Chinese | German | Russian |
| Danish | Italian | Spanish |
In addition, many language dictionaries are available on the Internet:
- Your Dictionary includes dictionaries for more than 280 languages, plus links to online newspapers, radio stations, language resources, and print fonts.
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary includes an audio pronunciation guide. Just type in a word and listen to the pronunciation.
- Dictionary.com provides dictionaries, translations into twelve different languages, and links to resources for English grammar, usage, and style.
ESLgold: English Study and Learning Materials – a free web site for individuals wanting to practice English language skills, including speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Basic introductions to the site are provided in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Thai, Russian, Italian, French, German, Polish, Turkish, and Indonesian.
Foreign-Language Books
Pickler Memorial Library has books in many different languages. Click on the links below to access books in that particular language in our collection.
| Arabic | French | Norwegian |
| Bulgarian | German | Russian |
| Chinese | Italian | Spanish |
| Danish | Japanese | Swahili |
| Dutch | Nepali | Vietnamese |
Videos/DVDs by Language. Pickler Memorial Library has a number of videos in different languages.
| Chinese | Hindi | Russian |
| French | Italian | Spanish |
| German | Japanese |
Research & Instruction. The Library Service Desk (on the first floor when you first come in the library) is the place to go for help when you do not know where to start. You can also call 660-785-4051 to ask a librarian to help you find information. You can also schedule a RAP Session and receive one-on-one assistance for research assignments.
The library provides laptops, photocopiers, microform reader/printers, group study rooms, typewriters, computer labs, wireless connections, an Assistive Technology Lab, transparencies, etc. Check Other Building Services for information about these services.
Library Terminology To help clarify library terminology, the American Library Association provides translations and definitions of commonly used library terms.
Through a partnership with the Center for Academic Excellence, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) offers free tutoring to Truman students who need assistance in any subject.
For more information regarding the Center for Diversity & Inclusion and Success Center Tutoring Services, please contact Brad Turnbull or the Center for Academic Excellence.
THE ENGLISH LAB @ THE TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER
If English is not your native language, and if you want to work on English grammar, style, mechanics, vocabulary, and/or punctuation, then come work with the Writing Center and our new English Lab. The English Lab is a set of programs designed to encourage and advance your understanding of how English works. These are the current programs:
- One-on-One Consultation. This looks like regular Writing Center consultation, but we’re only going to work with you on grammar, style, mechanics, punctuation, and vocabulary. You can come to us with specific problems you want to work on, or we can analyze your writing and set up a list of objectives. We have a separate schedule for this consultation. When you log in to the scheduler (http://truman.mywconline.com), use the drop-down menu and go to “WC: The English Lab.”
- Small Group Workshops. These are weekly workshops on specific language issues. Up to five students may sign up for a workshop (Scheduler: “Immersion Workshops”). Any of the following workshops may be available, among others: English idiom, effective transitions, verb phrasing, comma use, quoting and paraphrasing, suffixes, and prepositions. Each semester, we will survey to see what people want.
- Experimental Workshops. These workshops will develop as they are imagined by the consultants and by you. For example, one idea we’re working on right now is a creative writing immersion workshop. In that workshop, we would use creative writing to explore the mechanics and vocabulary of the English language. This might mean that you write part of a story or a personal narrative, or translate part of a story from your native language into English. A survey for general interest will be sent out at the beginning of each semester.
We may offer other opportunities to allow you to work on your English skills. If you have any ideas, let us know at write@truman.edu. The schedule of events will be posted on the Writing Center webpage.
Thank you, and we hope to see you soon!
Dave Leaton and the Writing Center Crew
MC 303
660-785-4484
http://writingcenter.truman.edu
write@truman.edu
Truman was the right size for me because I was scared of going to a new and big city on my own. I wanted to go somewhere where the professors would know my name and I could run into familiar faces every time I was on campus.