Academic Support & Resources

Davis & Elkins College is committed to providing our students with the academic support and resources you need to discover and excel.

Academic Support Services

Academic Skills ProgramFoundations (FND) 103, Academic Skills, is available to all first-year students and may be a requirement for provisional admission for some students. Designed to support academic skill development, this course consists of a two semester, one credit hour graded course and focuses on motivation, goal setting, and study skills. Classes meet once per week in an informal, small group setting, and students are also encouraged to meet with staff for individual assistance. The staff and resources of the program remain available to assist students even after their formal participation in the course ends.
Academic Warning ProgramMonitoring and academic support are provided to those students identified as being in academic jeopardy by working cooperatively with the student's advisor and faculty. The staff also works individually with each student to identify previous difficulties and develop success strategies.

Student Alert Program This program serves as a referral source for faculty and staff who have identified students experiencing personal or academic difficulty. Once referred, students are made aware of the concern and offered assistance. Faculty then receive follow-up information on the interaction and outcomes.
Study Skills AssistanceAssistance with study skills is available to all students. The staff provides assistance with time management, note taking, test preparation and similar aspects of college life.

Tutorial Program Free peer tutoring in many subjects and assistance in preparing/correcting assigned papers is available to all student. Tutors are recommended by respective faculty.

Career Services Help equip students for the transition to a professional life beyond college, including graduate studies and career counseling. Students are encouraged to begin career planning as freshmen, so that by senior year they are well on their way toward a meaningful life goal.

Supported Learning Program Provides individual support to college students with specific learning disabilities. To participate in the Learning Disabilities Program, a student must meet the admission requirements of the college and complete a separate application to the program. The program is fee based and does accept a limited number of students.

Academic Resources & Facilities

The Booth Library The physical and intellectual center of the College. It is a state-of-the-art building, designed to support the information needs of the college community. The library has space to house 300,000 volumes, 450,000 microforms and 8,500 pieces of nonprint material. It includes archives, a media center, a community room, and a student lounge. The collection is accessible through an on-line catalog and includes over 500 periodical subscriptions, a collection of media materials, U.S. government documents and the college archives. The most spectacular features of the building are its setting and the bridge which connects the north and south edges of the college glen. The building was named for the family of its major donor.

The Writing Center Located in Albert Hall 200, the Writing Center and its online companion site provides help with all your college papers and writing assignments: not just English essays, but business theses and biology lab reports, history and political science research papers, psychology and sociology article reviews, take-home essay exams, job and grad school applications, basic word processing, resumés, senior projects, and so on. The Writing Center is staffed by a faculty director from the Davis and Elkins College English Department, and trained student tutors enrolled in our Introduction to Journalism and Advanced Composition courses- so you can count on getting the help you need. We are open to everyone: every student in every class.

The Computer Services Center The administrative hub for all College computing, the Computer Services Center serves the needs of both academic and administrative users. Technology resources include both departmental and public access computer labs. D&E subscribes to the Microsoft campus Agreement and students and faculty members have access to word processing, database management, spreadsheet, presentation software, and Internet access programs. Discipline-specific software in support of the academic program is also available in support of specific courses. A majority of computers are connected to the campus fiber-optic network giving access to a variety of campus resources. Students with computers may connect to the campus network via an Ethernet port in the residence halls. Off-campus dial-up Internet service is also available. Campus supported email accounts are available by request. Incoming students living on-campus must register with the CSC in order to access the Internet.

The Flynn PlanetariumThe planetarium is located in Eshelman Science Center, was recently refurbished and now features seasonal public “star shows” each semester. Originally opened in the early 1970s, the facility houses a new Venus star projector and recliner-style seating for up to 35 people.

The Eshleman Science CenterThe science center was completed in 1972, and houses classroom and laboratory facilities for the College’s natural sciences and nursing programs as well as classroom space for several other disciplines. A multi-purpose, 120-seat lecture hall, seminar rooms, planetarium, darkroom, greenhouse, classrooms, offices, and computer center and laboratories add to the versatility of Eshleman Science Center.

Harper-McNeeley Auditorium The auditorium has a seating capacity of 1,300 and is large enough for college assembly and meetings involving the entire student body. The Paull Gallery, which is adjacent to the balcony areas of the auditorium, allows space for viewing special works.

The Health, Sport and Movement Sciences Department's Exercise Physiology Lab Features a metabolic unit, Quinton treadmill, EKG machine, exercise bikes, and all equipment necessary for a quality program.

The Kelly ObservatoryCompleted in 2000. It houses three telescopes, one made by Mathew J. Kelly of Elkins in 1928, formerly housed in the old observatory.

The Pigeon Creek Experimental Watershed Encompasses 134.7 (54.53 hectares) acres of rural Randolph County, West Virginia. The watershed is located 1.2 miles (1.9 km) NE of the Davis & Elkins College campus on the outskirts of the city of Elkins. The area was designated as a research area during the summer of 2001 and is one of six small watersheds being investigated by member colleges of the Appalachian College Association. Institutions involved in the Collaboration through Appalachian Watershed Studies (CAWS) include Davis & Elkins College (West Virginia), Ferrum College (Virginia), Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky), Montreat College (North Carolina), University of the South (Tennessee), and West Virginia Wesleyan College (West Virginia).

The Robert E. Urban Nature Study Area An approximately 30-acre area that provides a resource for nature study, teaching, scientific research, recreation, and quiet reflection. It is also an important feature in the campus aesthetic, and a link to our historical and cultural heritage. Located on the ridge above Roxanna Booth and Gribble Residence Halls, the area has been maintained in a forested condition since the time that the Davis and Elkins families were living in the Graceland and Halliehurst Mansions.

The Nature Area includes several different ecosystem types, including a stand of old-growth Appalachian hardwood forest with a number of trees, mostly oaks, that attain breast height diameters of three feet or more. Another small part of the area was planted in white pine in the 1940s. A smaller portion yet is essentially in an old-field successional sequence. The area is traversed by the self-guiding S. Benton Talbot Nature Trail.