Building the ARC
The Academic Resource Center offers free, comprehensive support for all students.
From his spot high on a wall, Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu deity known as the remover of obstacles, gazes down upon the desk of Executive Director of the Academic Resource Center Noel Garrett. He’s not alone—more than a dozen Ganesh figures can be found throughout Garrett’s office.
“Pretty much everywhere you look, you’ll see Ganesh,” says Garrett, who also serves as Conn’s dean of academic support. “I like having him here, because I can talk to students about what Ganesh stands for—removing obstacles.”
The Academic Resource Center—more commonly known on campus as “the ARC”—isn’t your typical tutoring center. It’s designed not just to help students who are struggling, but also to ensure all students reach their full potential. Professional staff, peer mentors and tutors offer support and skill development in everything from time management to exam prep, presentation development to public speaking, and, well, just about anything they need.
“If a student comes in and says, ‘I’m working on X, can you help?’ The answer is almost always, ‘Yes!” Garrett says.
Since its opening in 2013 following an $11 million gift from anonymous donors, 100% of the student body has worked with the ARC in some capacity, and three out of four students use it on a regular basis throughout their time at the College. All services are free.
“The donors made sure students never have to pay for a single hour of tutoring. I really want to make sure people know how grateful we are,” says Garrett, who served as the ARC’s inaugural director.
In 2019, the ARC received a second gift of $10 million from the donors, allowing it to expand to include the Roth Writing Center, the Quantitative Center and, recently, Student Accessibility Services. All of the services are united under the Office of Academic Support. And while they are primarily for students, faculty and staff have access, too.
Garrett points to the Quantitative Center as an example. “It has a student focus, but it is also here to support faculty,” he says. “We help them scaffold quantitative assignments, and we create workshops and supplemental support for faculty and students.”
Libby Kotei-Fearon ’26, a neuroscience major with a double minor in education and Africana studies, says the study skills and time management techniques she learned through the
ARC have been instrumental to her success in college.
“Coming straight from high school, you’re used to having a structured schedule, but now you’re structuring your own time. Getting guidance in how to navigate that really helps to solidify what you should be doing to stay on top of everything,” she says.
“The staff really do care, and they do want you to succeed, and there’s really good resources available. It makes the biggest difference in succeeding in these rigorous classes. You don’t have to wait until you’re struggling.”
Kimball Bryant ’29, a member of the Men’s Soccer team who plans to major in psychology and minor in economics, first learned about the ARC and met Garrett—who also serves as a staff liaison to a few of the athletic teams—before classes even started.
“One of the first things our coach wanted us to do was meet with Noel and know he’s there for help. I take my exams in the ARC, and Noel and [Assistant Director of Operations] Tricia [Walsh] are great resources to go to when I need help with literally anything,” he says.
Even the ARC’s location—on the second floor of Shain Library, in the heart of campus—is specifically designed to be accessible to all. Many colleges hide their resource centers, if they have one, Garrett notes. Not Conn. “We don’t look at this as a place where you need to be private. Students have a sense of pride in coming here.”