You’ve heard the name, seen the flyers, and maybe have even stopped by the office, but what exactly is The Hub?
Robin Schofield, Executive Director of the Teaching and Learning Transformation Hub, or “The Hub” calls it a “learning commons,” dedicated to helping students with academic services and support such as tutoring and library services, in addition to professional development assistance for faculty and instructors.
Schofield joined the Community College of Aurora this year, and had a plan for the space she now oversees. She and her colleagues knew there were many resources that students and faculty alike can utilize for their own success.
In its early conception, the idea was for faculty and staff to have a place where they could find resources for their own development. Giving faculty a place to hone and refine their skills was pivotal in creating a high-quality educational environment.
“It’s these little teaching tips that can help somebody coming in that’s new to the college,” Schofield said. “So, there’s a lot going on with that and we’re about ready to even ramp it up more.”
As the student side was brought into the mix, it became a vital part of CCA, where both groups could find the assistance they needed to succeed. Students can find a broad set of tools including computer and printing services, library resources, in-person and online tutoring. The Hub’s “Tutor-Me” service provides tutoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Schofield has utilized the service in her own studies, and says she was connected with a knowledgeable and helpful person who helped her in a statistics class in her journey to completing her Ed.D.
Schofield says the physical spaces, located on both the Lowry and CentreTech campuses also offer a social component.
“We have some cool chairs in there where patrons can sit on their laptops and just study and have a quiet space. It’s a space that we want students to feel really welcome in and comfortable in and want to keep coming back to getting the support that they need to succeed in their classes.”
Although The Hub has been in operation since the beginning of this school year, there are still plenty of changes and upgrades being made all the time. One of the most important will be to The Hub’s web pages in the coming weeks.
“We’re working on the website, which was really our priority because we want any student that’s at home or fully online or even a concurrent enrollment student to have just this immediate clear access to learning support,” Schofield said.
Moving forward, Schofield says The Hub and its success will be a collaborative effort with many voices being included in discussions. Student government association already has a prominent seat at the table, and has a say so in what works and what doesn’t for students. Soon, they expect to open more student positions in The Hub, including a tech internship.
Next month, CCA will celebrate with a grand opening of The Hub. The event will be held on January 25, from 12 p.m. to 1p.m. in the Classroom Building on the CentreTech campus, in room 107.
Find out more about The Hub by clicking HERE.