Academic Support Services

Educational Opportunity Program

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) is funded by the State of New York and implemented through the State University. The program’s purpose is to provide a chance for students who are high school graduates or hold high school equivalency certificates to be admitted to college and receive support services. The program is especially designed for students who normally would not be admitted into institutions of higher education through the regular admissions process, but who, nevertheless, have potential for college in terms of motivation, ability, and discipline. The program admits students who meet the specific educational and financial eligibility requirements.

The EOP provides all students enrolled in the program with a variety of support services, including tutoring, personal counseling, academic advisement, career planning, financial aid, workshops on study skills and, for some students, a summer school preparatory experience.

All participants in the program are expected to meet the minimum academic standards of SUNY Old Westbury.

To assist enrolled students in meeting their college costs, financial aid packages are provided on an individual basis. The financial aid package for each student is determined by the Office of Financial Aid based on need and financial background. Students enrolled in EOP must apply for both the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Pell Grant funding, with the balance of the student’s college costs met through EOP funds, work study, and/or loans.

To request admission into the EOP at Old Westbury, applicants must complete the standard State University of New York Application, checking the appropriate boxes on the forms to indicate a desire to be considered for EOP admission.

For additional information, refer to the Admissions  and Financial Aid  sections of the catalog. All inquiries should be directed to: Enrollment Services/EOP, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, New York 11568‑0307; (516) 876‑3073; TDD number for hearing impaired (516) 876‑3083.

Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS)

CEVSS supports and guides military service members, veterans, and dependents in their higher education endeavors.  Our mission includes assisting all military service members, veterans, and dependents from application to graduation, offering comprehensive support through a centralized point of contact. Our array of services includes, but is not limited to, assistance with GI Bill benefits, military tuition assistance (TA), veteran scholarships, addressing Department of Veteran Affairs’ inquiries, housing accommodations, and providing free parking permits for military and veteran students.

Office of Services for Students with Disabilities:

Learning, Medical/Physical and Mental Health Disabilities

Some Old Westbury students live with learning, medical/physical disabilities and/or mental health issues. These issues can present unique challenges. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are the two pieces of legislation that ensure equal opportunities for college students with disabilities. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) coordinates students’ reasonable accommodations, which include, but are not limited to, extended time on examinations and assistive technology. We focus on students’ strengths and resources, and students’ full participation in extracurricular activities.

Students who require services must first self-identify and provide appropriate documentation of their disability. Ideally, students will arrange an appointment before the start of their first semester. For additional information, please call Stacey DeFelice, Director, OSSD at (516) 876-3009 (voice), or defelices@oldwestbury.edu. Our office is located in the New Academic Building, Room 2064.

Student Computing

Student computing at Old Westbury refers to a broad mix of resources. The College provides general access computing facilities, dedicated departmental labs, wireless access in most enclosed public spaces, high speed Internet access in our Residence Halls, and video conferencing. In addition, about half of our classrooms are equipped as presentation rooms with permanently mounted LCD projectors, Internet access and DVD/VHS players. General access labs are equipped with both black and white and color printers. All students are issued e-mail accounts once they register. This includes centralized storage space that can be accessed from all computers on campus. E-mail is Web based and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Students also receive accounts on the College’s course management system (currently Brightspace) which can be accessed from on or off campus.

Discipline specific computer labs include Visual Arts, Computer Science, Education, Graduate Accounting Program, and Natural Sciences. These labs are under the control of their respective departments and have specialized software as required for each major.

The Library is the principal general access computing facility on campus. These work stations are available on nights and weekends as well as during normal school hours. Additional work stations are available in the student union building.

International Study Abroad

The opportunity to participate in an overseas program is an important part of the academic offering at SUNY Old Westbury. Students may include in their degree programs, 2-3 week intensive courses, a summer, semester, or academic year of study in a foreign county. International study programs are sponsored by the various State University campuses. SUNY Old Westbury students may apply for admission to more than 500 overseas study programs in 50 different countries: in North and South America, Africa, Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Courses are available in over 100 subjects, ranging from aboriginal studies and aerospace engineering to western philosophy and women’s studies. While many programs focus on language learning and are conducted in the language of the host country, many others are conducted wholly or partly in English. Program structures vary from total immersion in a foreign university, to course instruction by foreign faculty, to courses taught by the SUNY faculty with expertise in a given subject area, to a combination of these structures.

SUNY Old Westbury currently offers international study abroad programs with the following overseas institutions:

• Austria - University of Applied Science Upper Austria in Steyr
• Barbados - University of the West Indies at the Cave Hill Campus
• China - Jinan University, Minzu University of China, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Wuyi University
• France - Institute De Gestion Sociale in Paris
• Russia - State University of Management in Moscow
• South Korea - Gangneung - Wonju National University
• Spain - Universidad de Santiago De Compostela
• Taiwan - National Taiwan University of Science and Technology

Various types of financial aid, for which a SUNY Old Westbury student is eligible, may be applied to the cost of foreign study. Program deadlines vary, but six months’ lead time is usually required to investigate and apply for foreign study programs. Information may be obtained from the Office of Academic Affairs, Campus Center Room H-410. Students must consult with their academic advisor before undertaking overseas study.

The Office of Enrollment Services at SUNY Old Westbury is always planning additional overseas programs. For more information, please stop by the Campus Center, Room I-210 or call (516) 876-3906. Emails are welcome at overseas@oldwestbury.edu.

Learning Centers

Math Learning Center

The Math Learning Center provides tutoring and advising for students taking mathematics courses, and encourages students to develop a deeper appreciation and interest in mathematics. Staffed by professional educators, the Mathematics Learning Center welcomes all students. It is located in Campus Center, Library, (516) 628-5622. Specific hours are announced each semester.

Tutoring Center

The Tutoring Center provides tutoring and academic skills assistance for students in a variety of general eduaiton and major courses. It is located in Campus Center, H201. No appointment is necessary.  Specific hours are announced each semester.

Writing Center

Campus Library, Room L-242
(516) 876-3093
http://oldwestbury.mywconline.com

The Writing Center offers free writing assistance and non-credit writing workshops for Old Westbury students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Students can walk-in or make advanced appointments to discuss their work in progress with a writing consultant. We help with writing for any course or academic occasion and welcome students from all disciplines and academic levels. We assist with all aspects of the writing process including understanding assignments and generating ideas, developing thesis statements, organizing, paragraphing, and communicating clearly at the sentence level. Both face-to-face and online assistance is available. In conjunction with academic departments and the Writing Across the Curriculum Program, the Writing Center promotes excellence in writing.

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Center

The WGSS Center is an inclusive and intersectional feminist community space and resource center for members of the SUNY Old Westbury community. It has three main goals:

· To educate and empower people of all genders about issues of gender and sexuality, health and well-being, and achievement;

· To raise awareness of and to reduce inequities, discrimination, and violence based on gender and sexuality; and

· To champion diversity, to advocate for equity, to build community, and to promote social justice.

The WGSS Center collaborates with campus and community partners to promote individual and community health, well-being, and development and to raise awareness of intersectional inequality.

Co-curricular opportunities through the Center encourage students to connect with and learn from each other and from faculty and staff. The WGSS Center sponsors presentations, small/informal discussions, workshops on advocacy and activism, and other activities designed to foster personal and intellectual development. The Center provides student-centered spaces for community-building and collaboration and maintains a small lending library and resources on a range of issues related to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. It offers a limited number of student internships in addition to opportunities for service learning, volunteering, and work study.