Page 27 - Laker Connection Spring 2012

Clayton State University’s Center for Academic Success (CAS) is a critical piece in the puzzle of student success and retention. Leading that center is di- rector Kathy Garrison, who has made a 23-year career of supporting students at the University.
Prior to working in CAS, Garrison spent many years on the Clayton State faculty teaching courses such as Univer- sity Foundations, Essentials of Peer Tu- toring, Arithmetic & Beginning Algebra, Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Alge- bra, Mathematical Modeling, College Algebra, Pre-calculus, Calculus I, FOR- TRAN, BASIC, Pascal I and II, Introduc- tion to Webmaster, Intermediate Webmaster, and Advanced Webmaster.
She also instructed remedial math courses.
“I enjoy teaching those classes,” shares Garrison. “A lot of the students are non-traditional, and I find that, for the most part, they want an education so badly. Math is an obstacle for many of them. Some of them have never had the mathematical foundation to be success- ful in Algebra. I try to help them de- velop that foundation and build on it... In some cases it is more getting over the fear of math than the actual math. It is so rewarding to see students who have little or no math background, grow into strong math students who begin helping other students with their struggles with math.”
By Lauren Graves
As director of CAS, Garrison over- sees the daily operations of the center, serves on the Readmission Appeals and the Operation Study committees, trains CAS tutors, oversees the Learning Sup- port program and offers academic ad- vising. Her position allows her to continue to demonstrate her heart for Clayton State students who may need additional support to succeed in college.
“The motto of the CAS is ‘Helping ALL Clayton State Students Reach Their Academic Potential.’ Our goal is to find ways to help students be more success- ful and hence remain at Clayton State earning their degree,” Garrison ex- plains. “ Among the services we offer are peer tutoring in more than 70 courses, drop-in math and writing tutor- ing, Academic Skills Workshops, Sup- plemental Instruction in historically difficult courses, instructional software programs, study behavior assessments, and group study rooms.”
In an effort to further support the students who utilize Clayton State’s CAS, Garrison wants to expand the Sup- plemental Instruction offerings and ex- plore online tutoring. She also wants to continue to increase the number of stu- dents CAS serves.
“Working with students and watch- ing them grow educationally and so- cially is the best part of my job,” says Garrison. “Watching them mature aca- demically is very rewarding.”
Garrison holds a B.S. in Mathemat- ics from North Georgia College & State University and an M.S. in Mathematical Sciences from Clemson University. She served one year as a temporary instruc- tor at the University of West Georgia be- fore finding her calling at Clayton State.
“In life, it is rare to have the oppor- tunity to work in a profession that you truly love,” she shares. “I feel fortunate to have worked these last 23 years at an institution that has truly meant the world to me. Perhaps the greatest joys have been my relationships with so many wonderful students, staff and fac- ulty – so many of which I consider my friends.”
In her spare time, Garrison enjoys roller coasters and camping. She and her husband Mike celebrated 22 years of marriage in December 2011. They have two children, daughter Danielle, 17 and son Jordan, 14. Garrison and her family are active in their church, Mt. Pleasant UMC.
A native of Washington, Ga., where her parents still reside, Garrison cur- rently lives in Social Circle.
staff profile
KATHY GARRISON
Helping ALL Students Reach Their Academic Potential
SPRING 2012 25