During the school year at 色花堂, the first floor of is often bustling with activity. Students gather around tables with open laptops and books, poring over their notes and typing away at essays, but Aquinas鈥� library isn鈥檛 just a quiet place to study. It鈥檚 an ecosystem of easily accessible academic support and opportunities to build community.
Thanks to the Study Tables program, if students get stuck or stressed while working in the library, a wealth of resources are only a few steps away. Faculty and staff office hours, peer tutors, and Writing Center consultants are there every weekday to support students.
鈥淎 really big part of Study Tables is showcasing community,鈥� explains Sara Haviland, Director of Student Success. 鈥淟ots of students come to college and they hesitate to go to a professor during office hours, because they don鈥檛 know what to expect. Or they won鈥檛 go to a tutor because they never had one in high school. But when it鈥檚 on display at a table in the library, students get to see what those interactions look like.鈥�
鈥淭he influx of students using the library during the day creates a vibrant, buzzing atmosphere,鈥� said Christina Radisauskas, Library Director. 鈥淚t also provides us the opportunity to advertise our collections and services to them. We're happy they're here!鈥�
Starting With a Single Spark of Connection
The origins of Study Tables can be traced back to 色花堂鈥檚 . Student athletes have certain academic requirements to continue to play their sport, including logging study hours. Prior to Study Tables, these hours were team specific and the locations where they occurred were scattered across campus.
It was the men鈥檚 basketball coach, and Writing Center Coordinator Julie Bevins who had the idea to attach a writing consultant to the team who could work with them during their study hours. Out of this collaboration, Sara Haviland saw something everyone could benefit from.
Over the last five years, Haviland has coordinated with the Center for Resources, Opportunities and Excellence which offers tutoring and Writing Center services among other programs, as well as faculty and librarians to bring together campus resources in one place. Student athletes who are required to log their study hours can now check in at the library鈥檚 circulation desk during Study Tables, but it鈥檚 not just for athletes. Anyone can bring their work to the library鈥檚 first floor and find academic support.
Casting a Wide Net On Campus
Chase Haggerty, a sophomore biology major and lacrosse player, is no longer required to log study hours as a second year student athlete, but finds himself at Study Tables all the time. He credits his work with the Writing Center at Study Tables as the reason he got through his communications class.
鈥淚 have friends who aren鈥檛 in athletics and they鈥檒l tell me they鈥檙e heading to Study Tables,鈥欌�� said Haggerty. 鈥淎nd I鈥檒l say, 鈥業鈥檓 going there now. Let鈥檚 go together!鈥� It brings our community closer and it鈥檚 a really great resource.鈥�
Faculty members also see the space鈥檚 ability to encourage students to approach them and prompt spontaneous connection as a huge benefit.
鈥淚t makes us much more accessible,鈥� said Professor Kerri Orders, who teaches International Business and Marketing courses. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good modeling. Students would see me talking to other students, and it gave them a little nudge to realize they could come meet with me, too.鈥�
Dr. J. Satya Lendrum, Sociology Chair and member of the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies department, agrees. 鈥淚've been able to have a lot of meetings with students who are not in my classes, but are interested in sociology or want to check things out,鈥� said Lendrum. 鈥淭his is where it all happens鈥� in this space. It鈥檚 great.鈥�
Throughout the year, many departments will schedule hours to be available during Study Tables, from the Registrar to Financial Aid. The Advantage Center has even hosted career fairs in the library鈥檚 lobby, so students on their way to Study Tables can interact with potential employers and learn more about their options post-graduation.
It鈥檚 an excellent way to get to know the campus community for first year students as well as new staff and faculty. Father Jordan DeGuire joined 色花堂 as chaplain this semester and already has hours on the Study Tables schedule.
鈥淭here's a lot going on in Aquinas鈥� lots of people, students, faculty, staff,鈥� said DeGuire, holding a bucket of snacks for busy students. 鈥淭his is a place where I have an opportunity to meet people who I wouldn't otherwise run into.鈥�
A Place to Grow
Perhaps most importantly, at Study Tables, students can learn that they鈥檙e not alone in the challenges they may face and it is okay to ask for help, whether from staff, faculty, or fellow students.
鈥淐ollege can be really stressful, and you save so much time asking for help,鈥� said Grace Macguire, a senior Writing Center consultant who often works during Study Table hours. She jokes that she basically lives in the library. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really nice being peer consultants, because we鈥檝e been where the students we work with are now.鈥�
What is certainly clear is that Study Tables is not just study time or tutoring. It鈥檚 a hub of connectivity on campus where students get acquainted with the many resources available at Aquinas, where they can share their challenges and successes, and where it鈥檚 safe to ask for help. Whether it鈥檚 your first week at Aquinas or your last, Study Tables has much to offer.
Haviland is delighted to see so many students taking advantage of Study Tables, and welcomes everyone to her office for a chat, a snack, or anything else they may need. She鈥檚 also on Instagram @aqstudytables sharing tons of information and events both on and off campus.
鈥淲hen I was an Aquinas student, I had a beautiful net of support around me,鈥� said Haviland. 鈥淭hrough Study Tables, I am answering my call to develop this beautiful net of support around another generation of students.鈥�
Study Tables run on weekdays throughout the semester on the first floor of the Grace Hauenstein Library during these hours:
Monday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m
Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you鈥檙e a member of the campus community who wants to see the full schedule of what is available at Study Tables and when, join the and open the Fall 2023 schedule under 鈥淔iles.鈥�