Information for Faculty
Academic Skills at Trent is dedicated to helping undergraduate and graduate students develop the skills necessary to succeed and excel at university. We embody Trent’s commitment to small-group teaching and individualized learning through one-on-one appointments and small-group workshops. Academic Skills provides instruction in all aspects of academic, writing, and study skills, including:
- Grammar
- Essay, lab and review writing
- Research and documentation
- Critical reading and thinking
- Mathematics
- Listening and note taking
- Oral presentations
- Exam preparation
- Time Management
Specialized instruction is also available for ESL students and students with learning disabilities.
Learn more about Academic Skills services:
Customized Workshops
Academic Integrity Module
Referring Students to Academic Skills
Academic Skills Instructors
Customized Workshops
Subject to availability, one of our staff members can visit your classroom to give a five to fifty minute workshop tailored to your course and assessments. We can provide a short presentation highlighting Academic Skills services or a longer workshop that directly addresses an assignment or a particular area of interest. At least two weeks’ notice is required. Possible workshop topics include the following:
- The Writing and Research Process
- Critical Reading
- Writing the Essay Proposal
- Critical Thinking/Critical Writing
- Structuring a Piece of Writing
- Poster Presentations
- Math for Physics
- Math basics for Algebra or Applied Calculus
Email acdskills@trentu.ca to request a workshop or to learn more.
Academic Integrity Module
The Academic Integrity module is designed to help undergraduate students to appreciate the importance of academic integrity and to understand how to avoid plagiarism and other acts of academic dishonesty.
The module contains three parts:
- Understanding Trent’s Academic Integrity Policy
- Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism
- Understanding and Avoiding Cheating
Each section comprises instructional materials followed by a quiz that assesses students’ understanding of academic integrity. In order to successfully complete the module, students must earn 100% on each of the three quizzes.
If you wish to require the AI module for your course(s), please complete a registration form for the appropriate academic term.
For more information about the module, or to preview it, please send an email to aimodule@trentu.ca
Referring Students to Academic Skills
While most students come to Academic Skills on their own initiative, many are referred by instructors for ongoing help with writing, grammar or language-related issues. Academic Skills instruction, however, is not simply remedial. Even the best student can benefit from a “fresh pair of eyes” on an assignment.
Students have the opportunity to see a writing instructor for up to five sessions per term. No other university in Ontario provides this level of professional, ongoing, one-on-one academic support.
- Individual Appointments: The one-on-one appointment is the core of what we do. Appointments often focus on a work-in-progress, which can be a piece of writing at any stage of composition, but they also can cover any skills on which the student wishes to improve. A part-time math instructor also offers math instruction in-person and online.
- Online Appointments: Academic Skills offers an online appointment service for students whose schedules don’t allow them to make appointments easily. Students can submit questions on academic skills or send drafts of their work, and an instructor will respond to their questions.
- Students can book online or in-person at any college office.
We also offer diverse online publications, including screencasts that demonstrate proper formatting.
- Online Resources: Academic Skills provides online resources covering a range of organizational, thinking, and writing skills. The Online Documentation Guide explains how to cite and reference in all disciplines at Trent. In addition, we have a comprehensive set of resources to explain the essay writing process including checklists, exercises, and examples.
Academic Skills Instructors
Academic Skills instructors hold graduate degrees in a range of disciplines. We bring professional experience from secondary and post-secondary classroom teaching, adult education, teaching English as a second language, and teaching children and adults with learning disabilities.
Academic Skills instructors help Trent University achieve its stated goal of providing educational programs that encourage students to think critically and to communicate their ideas effectively and that foster creative interaction between academic departments, programs, faculty, staff and students.