Academic Support teams aid students in reaching their educational goals.
Academic Catalog. The Academic Catalog provides detailed information on nearly every aspect of Point University including, for example, history and mission, accreditation, faculty and staff, academic organization, education sites and modalities, application and admission, student costs and financial aid, University policies and procedures, degree programs, course descriptions, and student support services. A digital version of the catalog is available online at http://point.edu/catalogs.
Student Services Office. The Student Services Office is located on the West Point campus in Suite 155 of the Lanier Academic Center. It serves as a “one-stop-shop” for students who have questions or need help with registration, academic advising, financial aid, student billing and payment, transcripts, and other matters. Staff address students’ needs and connect them with the appropriate department. Students may meet with a Student Services representative by coming to the office or by telephoning 706-784-8766.
Registrar Services. The Registrar Office assists students with a variety of academic functions, such as course registration, course schedules and classroom assignments, enrollment verification, course and schedule changes (“drop-add” and withdrawal), transcript evaluations and transcript requests, credit transfer, assessing and enforcing academic statuses (e.g. probation and suspension), grade appeals, graduation audits, commencement, and academic records. Students may contact a registrar team member by telephone (706-385-1018), email (Point.Registrar@Point.edu), or by visiting the Student Services Office (see above). For more information, see the university website (https://point.edu/academics/registrar).
Academic Advising. Point University students receive academic advising from the Academic Advising Center (AAC) and their faculty advisor (usually an instructor with expertise in their major area of study). The AAC is located on the West Point campus in Rooms 122 and 123 of the Lanier Academic Center. Students may interact with an Academic Advisor by telephone, email, videoconference, or face-to-face at the Academic Advising Center:
Academic Advising Center
Lanier Academic Center, West Point Campus
Telephone: (706) 385-1018
Email: Advising.Center@Point.edu
Learn more about the advising center here.
Standardized Testing: Point Admission Assessment (PAA). Point University provides the web-based Point Admission Assessment (PAA) for the purpose of determining applicants’ readiness for university-level studies. If requested to take this assessment by the Admission Committee, the applicant:
Pays a $20 test fee to Point's Student Services Office;
Receives an access code and instructions from the Enrollment Office; and
Uses the access code to complete the web-based assessment, the results of which are automatically transmitted to Point. Students may complete the PAA on a personal computer without the presence of a proctor.
Point University Campus Store and Textbook Services. Textbook services are offered through the Point University Store, powered by Slingshot and located at 817 3rd Avenue in West Point (telephone 706-784-8772; email point@slingshotedu.com). Students may order texts and other course materials online through the Store’s website (https://point.edu/bookstore) or from other vendors. New, used, or eBooks are available based on supplies. Books will be shipped directly to the student’s home, office, or other designated site. The Store also stocks Point apparel, schools supplies, computer accessories, and a variety of other products.
For questions concerning texts required for a given course, contact the Point University Store.
Library Services. In support of its academic programs, Point University makes a vast collection of library resources available to students and faculty working both online and on-ground. The library website provides a helpful overview of resources and services, including links to the library catalog and extensive online resources (https://elibrary.point.edu). Adam Solomon, M.L.I.S., serves as Director of Library Resources (Adam.Solomon@Point.edu; 706-784-8583). He supervises a trained staff dedicated to meeting student and faculty needs. Primary services include:
Library Resources. In light of the fact that Point operates on multiple campuses and online, the University has adopted a philosophy that prefers electronic information resources over physical resources. Accordingly, electronic resources are now consider-ed the University’s primary collections, and the physical collection now includes approximately 13,500 volumes housed mainly in the first-floor Learning Commons at the West Point campus. Additional materials are located in the Scott Fine Arts Center (413 W. 10th Street, West Point) for fine arts and in the Teacher Media Center (Room 222 of the Lanier Academic Center in West Point) for education.
The librarian reviews the library’s collection of electronic databases annually in support of Point’s academic programs. Students and faculty enjoy online access to (1) GALILEO, a collection of over 300 multidisciplinary databases, including many thousands of books, journals, reference works, and newspapers; (2) eBooks through EBSCO and ProQuest, which provide access to more than 500,000 electronic books in English across multiple disciplines; (3) the JSTOR scholarly journal archive devoted to history, literature, music, business, and science; (4) Films on Demand, which includes streaming video of over 43,000 titles; and (5) many other resources, tools, research guides, and tutorials.
Students and faculty may access the electronic learning resources on campus or remotely from any off-campus location with an Internet connection. They may access electronic materials directly using the GALILEO search interface on the library website (https://elibrary.point.edu). Or they may click on the Quicklinks tab or GALILEO link found in any Point University online course in the Canvas learning management system. Additional resources appear in the Point Knowledge Base under “Library.”
Library Orientations. Rather than maintain a system of library instruction that depends on the direct provision of services only by library staff, Point has adopted a more decentralized approach. The Director of Library Resources trains the faculty, Educational Resource Center staff, and others to provide instruction and assistance to students in all locations and modalities. Faculty and library staff include formal library orientations and research training for all students in certain introductory courses (e.g. EFT 101 Effective Thinking, APSP 105 Introduction to Adult Learning, and BUSI 500 Graduate Business Orientation), intermediate courses in the undergraduate General Education Core (e.g. ENGL 101 Critical Reading & Writing I), and advanced profess-sional courses in both undergraduate and graduate programs (e.g. HREL 304 Introduction to Research and BUSI 515 Business Intelligence). Faculty, staff, and coaches may also schedule group orientation for students.
Library Assistance. For library assistance, contact the staff by telephone (706-784-8583), email (library@point.edu), in-person at the Library Desk in the Learning Commons, or through a videoconference by appointment. Staff stand ready to help with checking out print materials, electronic database searches, reference questions, interlibrary loan, and other services. Students may also schedule tutoring sessions (described below).
Research Assistance. For assistance with advanced research and reference questions, contact the Director of Library Resources Adam Solomon (Adam.Solomon@Point. edu; 706-784-8583).
InterLibrary Loan. If patrons need books or articles not in the library collection, they may request these materials through the InterLibrary Loan service. Articles take about a week to arrive, and books shipped from other libraries take about 10 days. The Point University Library can get almost any book through InterLibrary Loan. However, many libraries do not loan certain kinds of materials, such as textbooks, CDs, DVDs, dissertations, and theses. To request an interlibrary loan, contact the library staff by telephone (706-784-8583), email (library@point.edu), or in-person at the main desk. Give them the citation of the material you need.
Tutoring Services. Point provides free undergraduate tutoring services for writing and mathematics through the Writing Center and Math Lab (described below). The University also employs specialty tutors in Accounting, Anatomy/Physiology, Biblical Studies, Biology, Business, Humanities, Psychology, and other disciplines. Students may schedule a tutoring session by contacting the library staff by telephone (706-784-8583), email (library@point.edu), or in-person at the Tutor Desk in the Learning Commons. Group study appointments are available. Walk-in assistance is also available during certain hours.
At the graduate level, Point University does not provide tutoring services as it does for undergraduates. Instead, learning assistance comes primarily from course instructors as part of Point’s “high tech, high touch” educational model. However, the Writing Center is open to master’s degree students (see below).
The Director of Library Resources, Adam Solomon, oversees tutoring services (Adam. Solomon@Point.edu; 706-784-8583). For more information, see the “Educational Resource Center” page on the Point website (https://point.edu/academics/academic-support/educational-resource-center).
Writing Center. The Writing Center is located in Room 119 in the first-floor Learn-ing Commons of the Lanier Academic Center in West Point. The Center provides free, one-on-one support to undergraduate and graduate students at any stage of the writing process, including proper usage of style guides. Those enrolled in Writing Emphasis (WE) courses and first-year writing courses are especially encouraged to submit their work. The Center assists with many aspects of writing, such as interpreting assignments, brainstorming, organization, grammar and mechanics, argumentation, rhetorical styles, evaluating and integrating sources from research, citation and documentation, and avoiding plagiarism. Students may make appointments online (www.pointwritingcenter.as.me).
Dr. Grant Vickery, Assistant Professor of English, oversees the Writing Center (William.Vickery@Point.edu; 706-784-8583). For more information, see the “Writing Center” page of the Point website (https://point.edu/academics/academic-support/ educational-resource-center/writing-center).
Math Lab. The Math Lab is located in Room 309 on the third floor of the Lanier Academic Center in West Point. The Lab provides free, in-person or Zoom, one-on-one or group math tutoring services. Tammy Burch, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, oversees the Math Lab. Students may contact her by telephone (706-784-8590), email (Tammy. Burch@Point.edu), or in-person in LAC Room 308. The Math Lab tutoring hours are posted outside LAC 309, along with the tutors’ hours and contact information. For more information, see the “Educational Resource Center” page on the Point website (https://point.edu/academics/academic-support/ educational-resource-center).
Educational Resource Center (ER). Point University’s mission and focus is helping students achieve academic success. Toward this end, the University has established an on-ground Educational Resource Center (ER) in the first-floor Learning Commons of the Lanier Academic Center in West Point. Here, students will find library services, academic advising, tutoring services, the Writing Center, a computer lab, and the Helpdesk for tech support together in one convenient location. The Math Lab is on the third floor of the same building (LAC 309). For more information, see the “Educational Resource Center” page of the Point website (https://point.edu/academics/academic-support/educational-resource-center).
Teacher Media Center. Students enrolled in teacher education programs have exclusive use of the Teacher Media Center located on the West Point campus in Room 222 of the Lanier Academic Center. This large, well-stocked resource includes (1) cur-ricula, including publications related to Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, and Special Education; (2) textbooks and teacher support publications; (3) a collection of children’s books; (4) equipment such as computer terminals with educational soft-ware, a color printer, paper cutters, a binding machine, a laminator, and a die cut machine; and (5) office and craft supplies. Ms. Sara (“Sally”) Clark serves as the Teacher Media Center Coordinator (Sara.Clark@Point.edu).
Study Abroad. Point University students can participate in study abroad opportunities around the world. Time in a foreign country provides valuable insight into other cultures as students prepare for their career or ministry. Whether it’s a short-term trip or a semester-long experience, education abroad can be very rewarding. For more in-formation, contact Associate Professor of Communication Sarah Huxford (706-784-8630; Sarah.Huxford@Point.edu) or Dr. Stephen Waers, the Chief Academic Officer.