Students learn services available with tuiton through Techspo

Texas Tech hosted the Texas Techspo on Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Building for students to get more information about the support resources available to them from what they pay for in tuition.

Anna Kim, a sophomore music education major from Lubbock, said she attended Texas Techspo because she wanted to learn more about the opportunities Texas Tech had to offer.

Kim said she was able to learn more of what is offered on campus that she already pays for in her tuition.

“I might use more of the resources they give me, such as tutoring” she said.

One of the 40 services available is the University Writing Center. Elizabeth Bowen, the assistant director of the UWC, said they offer assistance with all kinds of writing at every level. They help with more than English papers, she said, ranging from emailing professors to personal statements and scholarship applications.

“Our idea is not to tutor the writing but to tutor the writer,” Bowen said.

Through the meetings with writing consultants, she said students become more confident writers, which leads them to become more successful writers.

“Every smart writer needs a smart reader,” she said.

Writing is a skill that takes practice, Bowen said. The Writing Center accepts walk-ins, but call ahead reservations are preferred. The undergraduate center is located in the English & Philosophy Building, room 175. The graduate center is based in the administration building and offers the same resources.

Joshua Salmans, the outreach and engagement librarian, said there are dozens of services available through the library to help basically every student.

Document delivery can search catalogs of all libraries in the world to borrow the specific book or item for students. A digital media studio is available on the second floor of the library, which offers a 72-hour check out for professional equipment, including cameras, tripods, projectors and more.

Also available is a 3-D animation lab, graphic software, a professional recording studio, and more than 200 PC’s for students to work on.

One popular service, Salmans said, is the anatomical models with muscles and ligaments.

“The bones do move at night,” he said, “especially when the anatomy test are coming around.”

Salmans said he encourages students to take advantage of the study rooms available for individuals and groups. There are walk-in and reservations available.

The library is open Sunday at 10 a.m. and stays available for 24 hours a day until Friday night at 11 a.m. On Saturday, the library is open from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Jeff Hays, the Student Legal Services attorney, said the office has three attorneys – landlord tenant, criminal defense, and another attorney covering everything else.

Hays said he looks over leases, but prefers to see the lease before students sign them.

“Students don’t need to sign their leases until about March because there are too many beds and not enough students, so the rent rates will go down in the spring,” Hays said.

The Student Legal Services is located on the third floor of the SUB, room 307, but is closed noon to 1 p.m. everyday for lunch.

Hunter Coday, a Red to Black financial coach, said they offer free financial coaching in a one-on-one client session.

Coday said they often help create a spending plan or budget, offer information on how to open and manage a credit card, give advice on how student loans work and how benefits of maximizing them.

“We’re just a service to help educate other students about money and what problems they might have,” Coday said.

Red to Black sessions are available through appointment only made online at www.r2b.ttu.edu.

Margaret Piper, the doctoral practicum student therapist, said the Student Counseling Center offers many resources for students – individual counseling, group counseling, stress management programs, and services related to mental health.

“Just going in and having that initial appointment and allowing yourself to open up a little bit,” Piper said. “Essentially, any therapy is going to be helpful. I think the most effective thing is going in at all.”

She said the MindSpa is a popular service where students can go during their free time to relax in the massage chair or learn about stress reduction through Biofeedback.

The Counseling Center is located at the Student Wellness Center and offers walk-in clinic hours between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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