Academic Support & Resources

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The E.H. Little Library advances the college’s purpose in developing disciplined and creative minds by providing expertise, space, resources, and services for research, access to, and creation of information. Named after philanthropist E.H. Little, president and chairman of the board of Colgate-Palmolive Company and a Huntersville, N.C. native, the library building was constructed in 1974. Situated in the center of campus, it spans 100,000 square feet, and includes the college’s Center for Teaching and Learning, technology enhanced classrooms, and group study rooms. The trust engendered through the college’s honor code allows for the library to remain open 24/7 (unstaffed in the late hours) throughout the academic year. The library has one branch music library, which provides recordings and scores in support of the music curriculum, located in the Sloan Music Center.

The library serves as a dynamic environment for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to collaborate, explore, experiment, and grow as researchers, creators, and scholars. Our print collection includes more than 500,00 physical volumes. Our electronic collections encompass more than 2 million eBook titles, 860 databases, and over 155,000 electronic serials. The library’s role in student learning and faculty teaching is central to supporting the mission of the college. Our team of research librarians, instructional designers, archivists, peer consultants, and digital learning fellows provide professional programming, course redesign, and individualized support across the disciplines. We are most proud of how our expertise, programming, and resources intersect with and support the college’s strategic priorities, especially those of access and social justice. 

Helpful links:

Library Website: https://www.davidson.edu/library 

Research and Design Assistance: https://davidson.libguides.com/research-assistance 

Services for Faculty: https://www.davidson.edu/library/faculty-services

Archives and Special Collections: https://www.davidson.edu/offices-and-services/archives-and-special-collections 

Library Staff: https://www.davidson.edu/library/staff-department 

Technology & Innovation

Technology & Innovation (T&I) Services’ mission is to work in collaboration with members of the Davidson community to facilitate the use of current and emerging information technology resources. T&I partners with faculty and educates students in all aspects of technology use. The range of systems and services provided include those that support, enrich, and transform teaching, learning, and research. The systems and services touch virtually every aspect of campus life and are central to the academic enterprise, as well as the supporting administrative processes.

The department is organized into teams that work together to provide comprehensive technology services to faculty and students.

Instructional Technology:  Instructional Technologists work directly with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) faculty to design and support a diverse array of technological solutions for pedagogical and research needs.  Staff are available to assist on a wide range of technology needs tied directly to research or curriculum and are distributed across the campus in the library, Watson Science building, and the south wing lower level of the Chambers Building.  Instruction and development spaces include Studio D (library), the Language Resource Center (Chambers), the Center for Instructional Technology (Chambers), and the Connolly Media Lab and recording studio (Chambers).

Studio D is an experimental classroom located in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) in the E.H. Little Library.  Faculty are invited to propose innovative teaching initiatives that receive CTL support for technology, research, instruction, and assessment.  The highly flexible space contains a mix of low and high technologies designed for active learning.  Consultations are available upon request.

The Language Resource Center (LRC) is a traditional instruction and mid-level multimedia development space equipped with thirty student workstations, one instructor workstation, and projection.  The LRC is available to all classes by request to the registrar and ITS.  Classroom instruction by professional staff on basic multimedia tools is also available by request and following consultation.

The Connolly Media Lab and nearby recording studio are available to courses requiring professional-level digital video editing projects.  Courses need to consult with instructional technology prior to use.  The space hosts six high-end multimedia editing stations, along with a gaming and viewing space.  Every Sunday-Thursday evening from 8pm-11pm, the lab hosts drop-in tutoring services to all students needing assistance with multimedia projects.

Technology Help Services:  Technologists in this group work directly with students, faculty, and staff.  The primary services include curricular, classroom, computing facilities/lab, and student support.

Student Computing Center (SCC) is a thirty-six seat computer lab located in the Belk Residence Hall.  Within the SCC there are two technology-infused collaboration rooms, the Think Tank and the Belk Computer Classroom.  All workstations are equipped with campus instructional software.

Chambers Computer Classroom (CHA 3130) is a computer-equipped classroom with eighteen student workstations and one instructor workstation.  The facility is available to all classes via request through the registrar.  All workstations are equipped with campus instructional software.

Genomics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Classroom (CHA 3146) is a computer equipped classroom with eighteen student workstations and one instructor workstation.  The facility is open to faculty and students involved in Genomics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science classes.  All workstations are equipped with campus instructional software.

The Library Classroom (also known as the Fish Bowl) is an instructional space equipped with twenty-one student workstations, one instructor workstation and projection.  All workstations are equipped with campus instructional software.

The Library has forty-five student workstations in the E.H. Little and Music Library facilities, equipped with all campus instructional software.

Library B110 classroom has thirty-two student computer workstations plus mobile instructor station, with multiple large displays and whiteboards, all equipped with campus instructional software.

Studio M (Chambers B260): A “makerspace” that fosters technological creativity and exploration and contains a range of low and high technologies (circuits, electronics, computing, legos, drones, etc) to support “making as a way of knowing”.

The Student Union has twenty-two student computers workstations all equipped with campus instructional software.

Systems and Networks: The group supports the following functions:

Server implementation and support, including all campus services such as Banner; Moodle; Library online catalog; the college website; directory services; e-mail; various internet, intranet, and extranet websites; and file sharing.

Storage services, including two storage area networks for shared disk storage and a backup tape library.

Network connectivity and wiring, including firewall, VPN, Clean Access, and Wireless access.

Internet access.

Telecommunications, including local, long distance, and intra-campus telephone service and voice mail.

Cable television services provided for residence halls.

All campus buildings have access to wireless, data and telephone connectivity, and have personal computers connected to the campus data and wireless networks. All faculty members are connected to the campus data and wireless networks. The high-speed, high-performance wired and wireless networks provide broadband access to students, faculty, and staff throughout all the buildings and 100-acre main grounds of the campus.

EDUCOM CODE: The statement below, known as the EDUCOM Code, is the policy of Davidson College. Members of the college community abide by its provisions.

Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to works of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgment, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution. Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments. Violations of authorial integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access, and trade secret and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community.  

The John Crosland Jr., Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) integrates teacher-focused and learner-focused services from across campus. The CTL helps students reach their highest potential by providing services to supplement the learning that occurs under direct faculty supervision, and helps faculty by providing resources to create or explore new teaching tools, to hone traditional teaching methods, and to develop new pedagogies that will challenge their students, all with the ultimate goal of improving student learning. In 2011, the first phase of the Center for Teaching and Learning was established on the first floor of the E.H. Little Library. All of the services listed below will share space in the CTL’s library location, with the exception of the Multimedia Center (Chambers South Wing, lower level).

Student Assistance 

The following student resources are provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning.  All services are free of charge.

Academic Support: Academic support assistance helps students with note taking, time management, reading enhancement, and study and organizational skills. Individual counseling, accommodations for students with learning disabilities, and assistive technology are available. Quiet testing and study spaces are provided.

Economics Center: Experienced peer tutors assist students with any Introductory Economics assignment. Tutors may be available to assist with some of the basic computing tools used in economics courses.

Math and Science Center: Assistance is offered to students in all areas of math and science, with a focus on the introductory-level courses. Trained and highly qualified peers hold one-on-one and small-group tutoring sessions on a drop-in basis or by appointment, as well as timely recap sessions ahead of scheduled tests. Tutors help students understand concepts, connections, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The MASC provides assistance with research, presentations, lab reports, and other math and science projects.  Study groups are supported and facilitated. 

Digital Media Consultants: Peer tutors provide assistance to students incorporating digital practice in their course projects.  Students can receive help for application-specific questions and guidance on general best practices in the topics of web design, graphic arts, presentation design, pre-production digital narrative planning, video and audio production, and copyright.

Speaking Center: Peer tutors assist students with general and discipline-specific presentations, including speeches, group projects, and interviews. Help is provided with speech topics, research strategies, organization, and delivery, including presentation aids.  Tutors provide students with skills to prepare for interviews, lead or participate in meetings, present research and co-curricular projects, and deal with speech anxiety.  

Writing Center: Peer tutors are available to assist any student with both general and discipline-specific writing problems at any stage in the writing process. The tutors provide assistance with brainstorming and research, as well as technical writing skills such as structure, style, and usage for any Davidson course regardless of discipline.  Further, specialized tutoring is available for writing in Spanish, French, and German.  Other support available through the Writing Center includes support for fiction and non-fiction co-curricular writing projects and help in preparing applications for scholarships, grants, and internships.

Multilingual Writing:  The CTL offers resources to assist their learning as non-native speakers of English and provides resources for the faculty teaching them.  The resources address such complex issues as nonverbal communication, grammar, colloquialisms, American academic expectations, and the integral role of class discussion in a Davidson education.  An ESL Specialist offers individual tutoring assistance for students and coordinates with the Writing and Speaking Centers in training tutors.

Discipline-specific Tutors:  The Center for Teaching and Learning provides a list of trained students who are well versed in the subject matter and are available to tutor in discipline-specific courses outside of economics, mathematics, and the sciences.

Research and Design Support: Library experts are available to provide support for research and digital media projects. Meet with a team member to discuss research topics and strategies, analyze and select information resources, and find help with digital platforms and tools.

Student Technology Help:  Student Technology provides peer assistance for computers and other mobile devices and help with general technology questions.  Student techs are trained by ITS and serve as a first line of support and can refer students to the appropriate professional staff when needed.

Faculty assistance:  The CTL supports faculty as they develop ideas for teaching and supporting learning goals in their courses by providing the following:

Librarians, instructional designers, archivists, and peer tutors support faculty in designing courses, developing assignments, selecting library resources for students, creating tutorials and guides, and empowering students with digital, information, and archival literacy skills.

Conversations About Teaching, EAT lunches, and other faculty programs:  Faculty discussion groups, workshops, poster sessions, and teaching showcases are held throughout the academic year and highlight teaching initiatives on campus and at other institutions.  Events provide information on the latest technological applications for teaching, assessment strategies, and other pertinent topics related to teaching and learning.

Davidson College is committed to ensuring that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability is excluded from admission to, participation in, subjected to discrimination in connection with, or denied the benefits of any College programs or activities due to his or her disability. A student with a disability has the right to request academic and non-academic accommodations ensuring equal access to courses, course content, programs, services, and facilities. Students are not required to disclose their disability status; however, if they are seeking accommodations relative to their disability, they are responsible for making a written request to the Office of Academic Access and Disability Resources and providing the appropriate current documentation. The College seeks to accommodate those requests that are determined to be reasonable and that do not compromise the integrity of a program or curriculum so that the student may, as independently as possible, meet the demands of College. A student has the responsibility to meet qualifications and maintain essential Davidson College standards for courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, conduct, and facilities. Having a disability does not automatically qualify a student to receive accommodations. The College must review current diagnostic information submitted by the student to verify that the student has a disability that requires accommodations under the law and then through an interactive process with the student determine the specific accommodations the student is authorized to use.

For more information regarding disability and accommodations, or if you are a student with a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact the Office of Academic Access and Disability Resources by visiting our office in the Center for Teaching and Learning, emailing AADR@davidson.edu, or calling (704) 894-2071.

Holistic and Major Advising

Davidson’s Holistic Advising Program provides first- and second-year students holistic, ongoing, formal support in all aspects of the Davidson experience-academic, co-curricular/extra-curricular, social and career-up to the time they declare their academic majors during sophomore year. Our theory and practice of advising is centered on the theme that advising IS teaching.

About 55 Davidson faculty and staff members are selected as holistic advisers in consideration of their interest in and talent for advising. The advisers, who must go through a formal application and review process, commit to helping students explore the value of the liberal arts as a path to personal discovery and professional success.

In addition to faculty representatives from across Davidson’s academic disciplines, holistic advisers include professionals with advanced degrees in business administration, law, corporate communications, leadership development, information technology, civic engagement, minority affairs, fundraising, politics, law enforcement, journalism and clergy, among others.

Before the end of sophomore year student declare a major. They select a faculty member from that department as their adviser. They work togher moving forward on course selection and continue the practices of the holistic advising program around overall well-being and health.