Message from Dr. Alan Jackson
Campus Academic Coordinator and Professor of English
Newton Campus

The greatest adventure you may ever have is your education.  You can learn a lot about different subjects and, more importantly, a lot about yourself.  In the end, everything you learn and everything you experience will help shape you into someone remarkable.  Because education matters so much, we have assembled a great faculty and academic support staff to facilitate your development into an educated person.  Our professors have received a number of teaching awards, have published books and articles, and are dedicated to students. And our library and tutoring center staffs have chosen to bring their knowledge and abilities to education because they, too, care about students.

Without a doubt, your professors will be the most valuable resources you have, both as experts in their academic fields and as mentors in navigating through the complex college terrain.  As a Professor of English and the Campus Academic Coordinator at the Newton Campus, I want to do my part by offering you three keys to academic success.

Take charge of your education.  Whether setting goals, planning a schedule, deciding where to transfer, or seeking help, you must take the initiative.  Ask questions until you understand.  Utilize the many services available, such as the library and tutoring center.  Read the policies and information provided in the student handbook and on the college website.  Enlist the knowledge and expertise of the great faculty and staff at our campus.  And do these things from the start.  Don’t wait to visit the tutoring center until you are struggling in class–stop by often.  Don’t learn about rules and policies after you broken them–learn about what is expected of you.  Don’t take advice from just anyone–develop a relationship with advisors, professors, and the other experts.  Above all, recognize that we are here to support your pursuit of a college education, but that you must be the one leading the way.

Make education a journey.  Like any journey, you should learn from every step along the way.  I hope that most of the journey is enjoyable: you do well in class, you make good friends, you participate in student clubs, and you take advantage of all the guest lecturers, plays, and events the campus and college offers.  But you may find obstacles and setbacks, both academic and personal.  To succeed, you must weather those storms, learn from them, and see them as challenges to overcome.  If you treat your education like a journey–enjoy the good times and survive the bad–you will arrive at your destination a better and a stronger person.

Expect more of yourself.  It is not enough to want good grades; you must earn them.  It is not enough to hope to graduate and transfer; you must work to achieve these goals.  Regardless of what test scores or past academic records predict, you should set your sights higher and prove that you have the talents and determination necessary to realize your potential.  Above all else, see every class, every subject, every academic task as a chance to learn and to grow intellectually.  Never give less than your best.

If you embrace these three keys to academic success, I am confident that you will accomplish more in college and in life than you ever dreamed.