Academic Support for Excellence

Date: Thursday, September 10th 
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 230
The Reading Strategies workshop overviews basic active reading, rhetorical analysis, and recall / review methods to help students develop and refine their reading comprehension skills. After the presentation and its activities, students will better identify a text’s explicit and implicit meanings, identify its audience and purpose, and reflect on that text for personal enrichment and, of course, for assignments. Activities include an active reading chart, an annotation guide, and close readings for rhetorical situations. 

Date: Monday, September 14th
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 101 (STC Rotunda)
The Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Services Overview presentation provides a detailed dive into ACE’s three main services: tutoring, mentoring, and learning support specialists. This presentation will inform TAMIU students about the free services ACE offers, the multiple ways they can access the services, and the benefits of using them. The activities present in this presentation include interactive slides, data-based true-or-false quizzes, and insightful quotes.

Date: Tuesday, September 15th
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: PLG 219
The Introduction to Programming workshop overviews the core building blocks of coding, including variables, data types, operators, conditionals, loops, and functions, using Python to help students with no prior experience begin thinking like a programmer. The presentation is designed to build foundational problem-solving habits and demystify how written code becomes a working program. After the presentation and its activities, students will be able to read and write simple Python programs, trace how code runs line by line, and treat errors as a normal, expected part of the debugging process; activities include identifying variables in sample code, predicting program output, fixing a broken line of code, and short hands-on exercises such as a simple calculator and an even-or-odd number finder.

Date: Wednesday, September 16th
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 231
The Effective Note-Taking Strategies workshop introduces evidence-based approaches to note-taking that promote active learning, organization, and long-term retention of course material. By the end of the workshop, students will be able to evaluate and apply multiple note-taking methods, recognize when each strategy is most effective, and incorporate retrieval-based study practices into their academic routine. Activities include guided practice with the Cornell, Outline, Mind Mapping, Charting, and Sentence methods, along with interactive exercises designed to reinforce effective study habits. 

Date: Wednesday, September 23rd
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: PLG 219
The Limitations of AI Usage in Academics workshop discusses the expectations of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) usage within the classroom as detailed in TAMIU’s Student Handbook. The workshop includes a walkthrough on how to utilize and navigate TAMIU resources such as the Killam Library’s website. After this presentation, students will have a better understanding of the limitations of AI use in the classroom and the potential outcomes of the misuse of GenAI in assignments. 

Date: Wednesday, September 30th 
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 230
The Self-Efficacy workshop helps undergraduate students build their sense of power to produce results. This workshop teaches students the elements of self-efficacy and the mindset behind it. It also presents a mindset quiz and discusses how mindset affects self-efficacy. Interactive activities will keep students engaged while presenting them with tools to improve their college years.

Date: Wednesday, October 7th
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 231
Want to learn more about the Chicago Manual of Style? Our Chicago Manual of Style workshop teaches you how to format your paper, create a bibliography, and insert footnotes in Chicago style for your term papers. The workshop will include a Citation Scavenger Hunt and Spot the Error for short activities for students to actively engage with Chicago style. 

Date: Wednesday, October 21st
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 230
The Art of Emotional Intelligence workshop explores the core components of emotional intelligence and how they influence communication, relationships, decision-making, and personal well-being. Its purpose is to help students develop greater self-awareness, strengthen emotional regulation, and build more effective interpersonal skills in personal, academic, and professional settings. Through interactive discussions, self-reflection activities, and practical exercises, students will gain strategies to enhance emotional intelligence and to apply these skills with greater confidence in everyday situations.

Date: Wednesday, October 28th
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 230
The Tips for Applying to Scholarships workshop provides the necessary components of the application process, lists several scholarships sponsored by various TAMIU offices, and introduces the TAMIU Fund$Finder online tool. Students will use TAMIU Fund$Finder to find one scholarship that best aligns with their career goals and fill out a survey afterward. After this presentation, students will better understand the different scholarships and tools TAMIU has to offer and be better equipped to apply for these scholarships. 

Date: Wednesday, November 4th
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: STC 230
The Social Awareness presentation explains the importance of social awareness, the ability to understand and empathize with others. It explores how recognizing different perspectives and responding with kindness can improve relationships, teamwork, and communication. The workshop encourages students to challenge negative thinking, build empathy, and create a more supportive campus community while developing skills that contribute to both academic and career success.