Academics and Advising

Academic Advising Center

Vandal Success Center, Idaho Commons 306; 208-885-6300; advising@uidaho.edu. 

The Advising Services program serves as a clearinghouse for academic advising information and is a point of contact where new and continuing students receive help in finding their way to the appropriate college and department advisors. Advising Services is also a center for delivery of development programs on academic advising for faculty and staff advisors. Advising Services staff can assist students considering a change of major and consult with advisors and students who have questions regarding general education requirements.

Center for Disability Access and Resources

Bruce M. Pitman Center 127; 208-885-6307; cdar@uidaho.edu; www.uidaho.edu/cdar

The University of Idaho has established services for students with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended. 

The Mission of the Center for Disability Access and Resources (CDAR) is to provide equal and integrated access to students with permanent or temporary disabilities. Students requesting accommodations or services must provide CDAR with appropriate disability documentation to support their request. In order to receive services in a timely manner, students are advised to make requests with adequate advance notice. Services include, but are not limited to, deaf services, alternative text, notetaking, testing accommodations, assistive technology, transition management, housing accommodations, campus accessibility information, scholarship opportunities, advocacy, and assistance with learning as it relates to disabilities.  

Students are asked to contact CDAR as soon as possible to discuss specific disability-related concerns and needs. This voluntary self-identification enables CDAR to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations to ensure classes, programs, services, and activities at the University of Idaho are accessible. Information regarding disabilities will be kept in strict confidence and has no effect on admission to the University. Federal law prohibits the Admissions Office from making preadmissions inquiries about disabilities. 

National Student Exchange

National Student Exchange (NSE) gives University of Idaho students the opportunity to attend one of 175 colleges or universities throughout the United States for one or two semesters. UI students pay UI fees or the resident fees of their host campus. Students generally need to apply by February for the next academic year. Credits earned on NSE fulfill University of Idaho residence-credit requirements.
 
To qualify for participation in the NSE, a student should:

1. be a full-time University of Idaho student;
2. be a sophomore, junior, or senior at the time of exchange; and
3. have a UI grade-point average of 2.5 at the time the application is filed.

Information and applications may be obtained from the International Programs Office either in person on the ground floor of LLC Building #3 or via phone at 208-885-0858.

Polya Mathematics Center

Brink/Phinney Hall, 1st floor; 208/885-5717; polya@uidaho.edu; www.uidaho.edu/sci/math/polya/approach

The Polya Mathematics Center is a resource for students who take MATH 108, MATH 143, and MATH 144. Polya is located on the ground floor of Brink/Phinney Hall. The computer lab offers students mathematical software and courseware and is staffed over 70 hours each week by tutors and instructors. The students in MATH 108 and MATH 143 attend one focus group each week where they are guided by an instructor who provides the necessary structure and direction. Additional lectures are delivered at computers by streaming video so that students can view them at their leisure.

The pre-calculus courses MATH 108 and MATH 143 are taught entirely in Polya. The students in these courses attend one focus group each week where they are guided by an instructor who provides the necessary structure and direction. Lectures are delivered at computers by streaming video so that students can view them at their convenience and review them as needed. Those who prefer a live lecture can attend the lecture series offered nine times a week. Students do homework exercises on the computer. The computer-mediated exercises offer assistance and immediate detection of errors. The flexible organization of these courses offers students the option of working at a faster pace than required in order to complete the courses in less than a semester.

The Polya Math Center staff also offers drop-in assistance for students in MATH 160, MATH 170, and MATH 175 in the Calculus Learning Center from 3 pm - 9 pm Mondays through Thursdays and 1 pm - 5 pm Fridays and Saturdays.

Pre-Health Professions Advising 

pre-health@uidaho.edu; 208-885-5809

The Pre-Health Professions Advising Program at the University of Idaho serves as a resource for current students and alumni from all majors who are interested in a health professions career. 

"Pre-Health" is not a specific major or academic track: it is a personal and professional development path that students pursue alongside completion of their degree requirements. Pre-health advisors assist students with prerequisite course sequencing, advice for building necessary clinical and shadowing experience, preparing to take professional school entrance exams, and guidance with the application and interview process.

Students can connect with the program by signing up for the Pre-Health Advising Contact List (this process also adds a specific pre-health cohort code to a student's Degree Audit, such as "pre-med" or "pre-PT"), requesting an individual advising appointment, attending workshops, and following us on Facebook.

Raven Scholars Program

Student Health Building, Northeast wing, rooms 119-123, https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar/raven-scholars; ravenscholars@uidaho.edu; 208-885-9107

The Raven Scholars is an academic and social program for students who are on the autism spectrum (or otherwise neurodivergent) by providing peer mentoring, coordination of campus services, and opportunities to improve academic and life skills. The program has a supported transition class, INTR 101, to help develop organization, time management, and soft skills for students. The program is also here as a resource to support faculty, staff, and student groups on best practices on working with neurodivergent individuals.

Students may apply for Raven Scholars program here: https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar/raven-scholars/program-application.

Statistics Assistance Center

Second Floor of the University Library in the tutoring area; www.uidaho.edu/sci/stat/about/sac

The Statistics Assistance Center (SAC) was developed to give assistance to students taking lower level statistics courses. Statistics graduate students in the SAC provide help for students enrolled in STAT 251, STAT 301, and STAT 431. The staff works to provide a friendly, non-threatening environment where students will feel comfortable to work, ask questions, and learn statistics outside of class.

The SAC is generally open for statistics tutoring Monday through Friday. Statistics tutoring hours vary each semester, so please check with the Department of Statistical Science Office (Brink 415A; 208-885-2929) for scheduled times or see the statistics web page (www.uidaho.edu/sci/stat/about/sac). Students can visit on a drop-in basis during scheduled times for help with homework problems, and there is a student computing lab with a number of computers that provide supporting software for statistics courses at the library.

Student Support Services - a TRIO program

ssstrio@uidaho.edu

Student Support Services (SSS), an academic support program, assists 232 participating students each year in identifying and pursuing their educational goals; establishing, maintaining, or improving their academic performance; and working through the challenges of university life.

The SSS-Trio program offers participants individualized tutoring in most subject areas, educational planning and goal setting, academic advising, and focused learning and study skill development. SSS also provides personal support. This support is particularly helpful for students with specific needs (e.g., delayed entry or re-entry, nontraditional preparation, disabilities that impact learning, academic probation and reinstatement, or provisional admission).

To be eligible for services, a student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, have a need for academic services, and fit one of the following categories:

1. low income (according to federal guidelines);
2. from a first generation family (neither parent/guardian has earned a baccalaureate degree); or
3. have a documented disability that impacts learning.

SSS Merit Scholarships (between $890-$1,000) will be awarded spring semester to each active program participant with freshman or sophomore standing who is a PELL Grant recipient with financial need and who makes satisfactory academic progress during the fall semester. Students are accepted into the program on a first-come, first-served basis and are encouraged to contact the office as early in the semester as possible. 

Testing Center

Continuing Education Building, 3rd Floor; 208-885-5138

The Testing Center offers a variety of testing services and provides a secure, controlled, comfortable, and accessible environment for test delivery for U of I students, faculty, staff, and community members. Our testing services include placement tests such as ALEKS, which is used to determine initial placement in math and English courses, and advanced placement exams such as CLEP, which allows students to earn college credit by passing exams in a variety of subject areas. The Testing Center also administers many of the national testing programs such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, TOEFL, MELAB, MCAT, GMAT, MAT, and PRAXIS. Several certification exams are available as well, including Microsoft Excel, STAMP, GED, ASE, NCEES, TSA, PGA, and ACE. A fee is charged for most proctoring services.

The Testing Center is committed to offering services that are inclusive and respectful of all students, regardless of race and/or ethnicity, sex, color, religion, spirituality, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or veteran status. For additional information on services provided by the Testing Center, visit https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/testing-center.

Tutoring and College Success

tcs@uidaho.edu

Tutoring and College Success (TCS) supports all undergraduate students in their educational goals through drop-in tutoring (tutoring for most subjects with no appointment), supplemental instruction (SI-PASS, Peer Assisted Study Sessions for difficult courses), and academic coaching (success consultations, workshops and presentations, and for-credit success strategies course).

Writing Center

Idaho Student Union Building (ISUB) 323; 208-855-6644; writingcenter@uidaho.edu; www.uidaho.edu/class/writingcenter

Located on the third floor of the ISUB, the Writing Center offers peer tutoring assistance to all UI students. Tutors assist students with writing for any class or subject and at all stages of the writing process. The Writing Center is open Monday through Friday through face-to-face or online tutoring sessions during the fall and spring semesters. Students can check availability and schedule appointments through the website, or they can telephone, email, or visit the website for further information.