Program Opportunities

Advising

Academic advising will be provided through the Office of Academic Support for students, whether or not the student has selected a major.

The director of academic support provides weekly, bi-weekly or monthly advising meetings. The frequency of those meetings is dependent upon the level of need, age, and maturity of the student.

Courses

Written Composition I & II (ENG 111 & 112)
These courses are required during the freshman year. Keystone students are placed together in sections of English to establish a "learning community" within the program.

Critical Skills in Composition (ENG 195)
This course is also a required course to be taken with ENG 111. This course is intended to expand research and writing skills for students admitted to Keystone. This is a one-hour graded course designed and taught through the English department. The class is taught in one of our computer labs which provides students with excellent resources for research.

UNI 195K: Gateway for Keystone Students
This course will facilitate the development and ownership of personal learning in the context of Union's Christian liberal arts approach through critically reflective reading, writing, and interaction. The course will examine personal uniqueness, gifts and strengths as it relates to God's vocational calling. Emphasis will be placed on determining individual learning style to maximize strengths in the classroom. Students will learn to set personal academic and time management goals to enhance academic success. Additional sessions will include topics in exploration of majors and minors, utilization of relaxation techniques and stress management, and understanding learning styles and skills. The UNI 195K class is designed for Keystone students only and will be 8:00-8:50 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Four Required Tuesday evening sessions (90 minutes) will occur on August 25, September 1, September 8, and September 15.

Orientation

Keystone Orientation meetings will be provided to assist parents and students in understanding the university’s policies and procedures as well as specifics concerning Keystone. The first meeting will occur during New Student Registration during the Summer and the second will occur on New Student Move-In day at the beginning of Fall semester. Families will be notified of the exact dates when admissions to Keystone and Union have been completed.

Evaluation

Keystone will provide both students and parents with a personal resource for academic information and support. Mid-semester and final grades are mailed to parents/guardians during the semester. Each Keystone student will be evaluated and reviewed at the end of each semester the first year to determine enrollment status.

A nonrefundable fee of $100.00 per semester will be charged for Keystone participation. Keystone students are eligible for applicable institutional, state, and federal financial assistance

Monthly updates will be posted on the parent link to keep families apprised of general information concerning Union and the Keystone program.

Tutoring

The Keystone program will be utilizing student-led Keystone tutoring sessions. These sessions will be scheduled through the Office of Academic Support. Tutoring sessions may be individual or small group study sessions. The tutor will be providing support in areas of note taking, test preparation, and subject specific tutoring. For our 2009-2010 Academic year, Hunter Bragg will serve as our Keystone Tutor.

The Hundley Center for Academic Enrichment and/or Math Lab provides free tutoring services for students needing individual academic tutoring. Students needing supervised study times may be required to attend prescribed sessions and others may elect to attend tutoring sessions.