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State of Louisiana Partners with SMARTHINKING to Help all Students Succeed. Students to have Access to Online Tutors Any Time, from Anywhere. Immediate Contact: Washington, DC and Baton Rouge, LA - January 7, 2003 - The Louisiana Board of Regents has partnered with SMARTHINKING, the leading provider of online tutoring and academic assistance for college students, to pilot the use of online tutoring services designed to help all students in the state achieve academic success. During the six-month pilot, students from Louisiana's technical colleges, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities will have access to online tutors, around the clock and from any Internet connection. "What we are trying to do is reach students in Louisiana," said Mike Abbiatti, Associate Commissioner for Information and Learning Technology. "We want very much to provide online resources for students who may or may not be on campus." To date, more than 200 faculty members have been trained on how to blend the online tutoring services with their classes, thus providing their students with 24/7 virtual office hours in addition to on-campus resources and faculty support. Students will be able to access qualified and trained tutors in mathematics, statistics, chemistry, economics, accounting, Spanish, and writing. In addition, students will have access to SMARTHINKING's Online Writing Lab where they can submit papers for any course and receive a critique of that writing project from general writing, ESoL, business and technical, creative, or career writing specialists, usually within 24 hours. The Louisiana Board of Regents, along with college leaders, will be carefully following the use of the online tutoring services and will be assessing faculty and student opinions at the end of the pilot to determine the future role of online tutoring services in the state's student retention and success plans. "The growth of electronic learning in recent years has made access to college instruction a reality for people who otherwise have been prevented by geography or personal circumstances from continuing their education," Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie said in a prepared statement. "Online tutoring is the next logical step in this evolution of electronic education access," he explained. About Louisiana Board of Regents The Louisiana Constitution authorizes the Board of Regents to plan, coordinate, and have budgetary responsibility for Louisiana's public higher education community, including public colleges, universities, and professional schools. The agency also serves as the state liaison to Louisiana's accredited, independent institutions of higher learning. The Board of Regents is a policy-making and coordinating board only; it is not directly involved in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the various college campuses. The 1974 Constitution reserves that responsibility for the state's four higher education management boards: the LSU Board of Supervisors, the Southern University Board of Supervisors, the University of Louisiana System Board, and the Louisiana Community and Technical College Board. About SMARTHINKING (www.SMARTHINKING.com) SMARTHINKING, the leading provider of online tutoring to colleges and high schools, provides live, online, easy-access tutoring to students. SMARTHINKING works with schools, colleges, universities, textbook publishers and other institutions to help educators offer students outstanding academic support. SMARTHINKING’s custom solutions improve faculty support and raise student performance by connecting students to qualified assistance anytime, from any Internet connection. SMARTHINKING clients include schools, colleges, libraries, education companies, individuals, and anyone seeking to increase student achievement. SMARTHINKING currently works with over 500 school clients and businesses. To learn more, please visit www.smarthinking.com or call 888.430.7429 ext 224. |
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