The centers were one of the first initiatives designed to enhance undergraduate education by shifting the emphasis from teaching to learning. Currently, the College centrally supports the Writing Center, the Mathematics Learning Center, the Chemistry Learning Center, and the Physics Learning Center. These facilities and their staff promote learning in small groups. In addition, Learning Centers in Computer Science and Biology are in development and currently depend on student volunteers. The impact of the Learning Centers on retention will be discussed in the next section.
Several factors present obstacles to the continuing enhancement of undergraduate programs.
Although Michigan Tech attracts top-quality high school students, the scores of the basic skills tests that we administer to beginning students give evidence of some basic skills erosion in high school graduates, especially in mathematics. This has a special impact in a technological university because mathematics is the basic language of all of science and engineering. The costs associated with buying technology and training students and faculty are increasing. The recruitment of more Sciences and Arts majors is a University as well as a College goal. To accomplish this, the Associate Dean works actively with Enrollment Management.