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Take a Nap, Study, Get tutoring, Use the Computer, 
Read the Paper. It's a "home" at school for 
South Seattle Commuting Students

Introduction / Context / Special Events / Success  / Student's Story / Resources 

Introduction - Comfort for commuting students
     A campus "home" for commuter students at South Seattle Community College (SSCC). That's what the Student Support Services' tutoring and advising program provides for the 185 students participating in their program each year. 
     All students are commuters. A central place to do homework, find tutoring, solve personal problems and relax is a great boon.
     Coordinated by SSS advisor/instructor Shash Woods, the Collaborative Learning and Instruction Center (CLIC), and open weekdays from 9 to 3, the 730 square-foot classroom is equipped with the usual computers, printers, telephone, tables and chairs. But CLIC also offers two comfy couches where students exhausted from their night job can catch 40 winks, or simply sit and browse books, magazines or newspapers. Students also can find current scholarship and transfer resources, thanks to program coordinator Sheryl Tuttle and advisor Marcia Kato. 
     Next door is a small quiet office with a computer which students can use if they need more quiet than the big lab offers.

Furnishings are cheap: "We found them"
     Providing such a room for SSS students doesn't have to be a big expense. At South Seattle CC, most of the extra furniture was "found" or inherited. "Our space used to be a computer lab for testing, so we inherited their furniture when they moved to a new space. The sofas we just found in the hallway and are on loan from Student Life," says director Maureen Shadair. "The furniture used in CLIC demonstrates the collaborative relationships we've built with other departments, too, which also strengthen our program."

Snacks and a place for children
    Tea is usually brewing, and there's a microwave for heating up home-made lunches. if single parents need to bring along a child for a few minutes while putting finishing touches on, or printing an assignment, the room is user friendly for them, too. Paper, coloring crayons, Tonka trucks, puzzles, books, and more provide sanctuary while mom or dad complete their work.
     "Many of our students are single parents holding down day or night jobs," says program director Maureen Shadair. "So they really appreciate having a place where they can study, find help from staff tutors or advisors, and complete school projects away from laundry, bill collectors and other distractions at home. One stop for many needs. That's us."

Next: Context


Tobitha (Tabby) Anderson, a sophomore studying Computer Technology, reads from comfy couch in lab


Photos of SSS students welcome visitors to special Collaborative Learning and Instruction Center


TRIO Training Home / Best Practices / Drop-in Tutoring /
Commuter's Home / Career Exploring / Service Learning /
Peer Tutoring / Peer Review