30th Anniversary History Book

Beacon’s Key to Academic and Developmental Support: THE Learning Specialist MODEL

Dr. Andrea Brode (behind desk) chats with students in the Center for Student Success.

When Dr. Andrea Brode arrived at Beacon in 2013, one of her jobs as dean of the Center for Student Success was to create a way to overlap what her learning specialists did with the strategies of other departments “so there would be a united front to serve the needs of our students,” said Brode, who is now the coordinator of international programs.

Beacon’s learning specialists’ role had evolved over time. “In the very beginning, they were more like tutors,” Brode said. “They were there to aid in anything academic and it had to be individualized to each student. There weren’t any broad outcome goals attached to what they did. They were there to help a student navigate a semester and avoid failure.” However, their role became more comprehensive, Brode said, “because the relationships that develop between learning specialists and students are rich and meaningful, and that relationship was what for many of our students created their ability to learn.” Learning specialists keep track of their students’ classes, assignments and deadlines, but they’re also available to listen.

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