STUDENT ADVISING AND MENTORING CENTER (SAM CENTER)

Located in Academic Building IV (south of the Lee Drain Building, corner of Avenue I and Bowers Blvd.), the Student Advising and Mentoring Center (SAM Center) at Sam Houston State University offers academic counseling and enrichment services to students. The Student Advising and Mentoring Center is a resource dedicated to helping students adjust to academic life at Sam Houston State University. Services available include career testing, aid with time management and/or study skills. The Center can be contacted by email at SAMCenter@shsu.edu or by telephone (936) 294-4444.

Academic Advisement

Students are encouraged to be advised each semester to progress properly towards their chosen degrees. Each academic department has experienced advisors who will help all graduate students with the proper courses to take. Students are urged to review the academic calendar which provides the dates for advance registration. Students should schedule their advisement session with an advisor at an early date to ensure that the advisement procedures occur prior to advance registration. Questions relating to Academic Advisement can be directed to either the department of the graduate’s choice or to the Director of the Student Advising and Mentoring Center, located in Academic Building IV. Telephone: (936) 294-4444 and e-mail: SAMCenter@shsu.edu.

Academic Support Programs for Graduate Students

Individual and group programs are offered to support graduate student success. Each semester Academic Support Programs in conjunction with the Writing Center offer workshops that help graduate students complete theses and dissertations in a timely manner. Sessions cover the entire process from choosing a topic to proofreading the final draft.

TESTING CENTER

Located in Academic Building IV, Room 102 (south of the Lee Drain Building, corner of Avenue I and Bowers Blvd.), the Testing Center at Sam Houston State University provides test site opportunities for students to utilize through a variety of college entrance, vocational, guidance, state-mandated, and/or placement exams. Mailing address: Testing Center, Sam Houston State University, Box 2240, Huntsville, TX 77341-2240; telephone (936) 294-1025.

This section addresses some of the testing choices a student may utilize for counseling purposes, PROGRAM entrance, and/or receiving college credit. SHSU accepts a maximum of thirty (30) hours of undergraduate course work credit through a combination of national standardized exams and/or locally designed departmental exams (except when transferred from another college or university).

College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Sam Houston State University is an open national testing center for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Testing Center at (936) 294-1025 or by visiting the CLEP website at http://www.collegeboard.com/clep.

The DSST Program. The DSST Program (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) is a credit-by-examination testing service used by colleges and universities to enable students to earn college credit in subjects they have learned outside the traditional college classroom. Sam Houston State University is a testing site for DSST exams. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Testing Center at (936) 294- 1025 or by visiting the Chauncey website at http://www.getcollegecredit.com.

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT).This test is required for admission to graduate study in the College of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University. Registration for each test may be arranged by calling 1-800-GMAT-NOW or by visiting the GMAT website at http://www.gmac.com. For additional information about the GMAT, please contact the College of Business Administration’s Coordinator of Graduate Studies at: Box 2056, Huntsville, TX 77341-2056 or by phone (936) 294- 1239 or FAX (936) 294-3612, or e-mail busgrad@shsu.edu. The College of Business Administration’s internet address is http://coba.shsu.edu.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE). This test is required for admission to some programs of graduate study at Sam Houston State University. Registration for the computer-based examination may be scheduled by calling 1-800-GRE-CALL or by visiting the GRE website at http://www.gre.org. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Testing Center at (936) 294-1025.

Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). This exam is required for admission to law school. The exam is given three times per year with all registration handled through the testing company. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Testing Center at (936) 294-1025 or from the Law School Admission Council’s website at http://www.LSAC.org.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT). The Miller Analogies Test is a test often required for graduate school admission and is administered in the Testing Center. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Testing Center at (936) 294-1025 or by visiting the MAT website at http://www.milleranalogies.com.

TCLEOSE Tests. Prospective police officers and/or jailers may take tests that are required by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education for certification by the State of Texas. An Endorsement of Eligibility form, signed by the instructor of the course or academy, must be provided by the student before the test(s) may be administered. This test is administered by the Testing Center and individuals may schedule an appointment or obtain additional information by calling (936) 294-1025.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of non-native speakers of English. The TOEFL is administered several times per year, and there is a fee for administration and scoring services. For information regarding paper-based or computer-based testing centers, refer to the appropriate edition of the TOEFL Information Bulletin or visit their website at http://www.toefl.org. For further information, contact the English Language Institute, Box 2030, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341; telephone (936) 294- 1028; website https://www.shsu.edu/~www_eli/.

Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA). This exam is required of all students seeking initial educator certification in the state of Texas. The minimum standards for Admission to the Educator Preparation Program are 250 for the Reading and Math sections and 240 for the Writing section. For additional information on the THEA test, contact the Testing Center at (936) 294-1025 or visit the website at www.thea.nesinc.com. For additional information on Admission to Educator Preparation, visit the College of Education’s website at https://www.shsu.edu and link to Certification.

Quick THEA. The Quick THEA test is administered on campus Monday – Friday at 8:30 a.m. This test is the same test as the regular THEA test. The only differences between the THEA test and the Quick THEA test are that the Quick THEA is given during the week, there is a charge for registration/administration in addition to the test fee, and the scores are received quicker. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Testing Center at (936) 294-1025.

WRITING CENTER

The Writing Center at Sam Houston State University helps all University students, staff, faculty and community members. The Writing Center was created to help individuals become better writers and develop more confidence in their writing abilities. To this end, the Writing Center tutors provide one-on-one and small group writing instruction. One-session workshops on various topics relating to writing are offered throughout the school year.

Students may seek assistance for any type of writing needs ranging from English composition essays to science lab reports, résumés, scholarship and job application letters, even theses and dissertations. Writing Center tutors do not merely correct a student’s writing, but rather help students learn prewriting, revising, and editing skills.

The Writing Center’s staff includes a full-time member of the English faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students from a variety of majors who are trained as writing tutors. Contact the Writing Center: telephone (936) 294-3680, FAX (936) 294-3560, e-mail wctr@shsu.edu, https://www.shsu.edu/wctr.

READING CENTER

The Reading Center was created to assist students, faculty, and staff with professional and academic endeavors. The primary goal of the instructors is to empower all students with effective reading strategies and the confidence to excel in their expository reading. To this end, the Reading Center tutors provide students with one-on-one and small group reading instruction. To facilitate faculty members, instructors can make reading strategy presentations in the classroom. One-session workshops on various reading strategies will be offered throughout the school year.

In addition to serving undergraduates to develop reading strategies and/or prepare for the THEA, the SHSU Reading Center can also be used by those whose first language is not English to prepare for the TOEFL. Also, students preparing for post-baccalaureate educational endeavors can use computer-assisted tutorials for the reading/verbal sections of the: GRE, GMAT, LSAT, PCAT, or MCAT.

The Reading Center is an entity of the Language, Literacy, and Special Populations Department in the College of Education. The staff includes a full-time Reading Specialist and graduate assistants who are trained as reading tutors. For assistance, visit the Wilson Building, Office 111, or contact the Reading Center by telephone at (936) 294-3114 or FAX (936) 294-3560. Web: https://www.shsu.edu/~rdg_www/.