Title:Helping Students Reach Their Potential
Academic Resource Center now provides more comprehensive support for all Georgetown students, focusing on students with disabilities and chronic health conditions
In the Fall 2018 semester, Georgetown University dedicated a new Academic Resource Center to serve students with cognitive, physical, psychological, and chronic health conditions.
Formerly known as the Office of Disability Support and Learning Services, the center received $1 million in philanthropic funds for renovation and staffing.
The anonymous donors shared how impressed they are with the work and commitment of Dr. Jane Holahan, the center’s director. “From our first meeting with Jane, we saw clearly that the Academic Resource Center is central to making Georgetown an inclusive and welcoming community that is dedicated to the success of all of its students.”
Humble Beginnings
The Academic Resource Center (ARC), originally the Office of Disability Support and Learning Services, started as a one-person office in Darnall Hall’s Counseling Center. Dr. Norma Jo Eitington, the director, worked with students with cognitive disabilities and provided individualized attention to those who wanted to strengthen their study habits.
Today, ARC is situated in the Leavey Center, a more central location for undergraduates. The renovated area has the staff and capacity to serve more students.
The number of Georgetown students with cognitive, physical, psychological and chronic health conditions continues to rise each year, reflecting nationwide trends. It is now less stigmatizing to request accommodations on the basis of a medical condition/disability.
Support for All
Georgetown’s Academic Resource Center provides academic support to all students, with specialized assistance available to student-athletes, many of whom must juggle training, games, and physical therapy sessions with their classwork. ARC also steps in to help when a student suffers from a short-term injury or concussion.
In addition to private consultations and academic-themed workshops, the center serves as a centralized hub for all of Georgetown’s student support by offering foreign language tutoring and promoting university services like the Math Assistance Center and the Writing Center.
The visibility of the improved office space reminds students that everyone can benefit from extra help sometimes.