/Institutions/Messiah-College/json/2024-2025/Graduate-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Messiah-College/json/2024-2025/Graduate-Catalog.json

Academic Support Services

Textbooks

Through Messiah's partnership with Slingshot, you are auto-enrolled to receive your required textbooks and course materials automatically, delivered to your home or campus store. Once you enroll for your course or courses, the default setting will be for you to rent your books, but you may change that to purchasing or using digital formats in your account preferences. To change your preference, use your Messiah credentials and log into www.slingshotedu.com/student-login. You may also look up pricing for your materials, see when rentals are due, access required digital materials, and update your mailing address through your portal.

When you sign into your account portal, you may also access a live chat feature to receive assistance from Slingshot.

For assistance regarding Messiah's campus store, you may contact Ms. Aleisha Wildon at awildon@messiah.edu.

Murray Library

A key facility in the University's educational program is the Murray Library. It contains quiet places for individual and group study; more than 250,000 books, periodicals, online databases and journals, audio/visual media, and other media, as well as access to myriad web-based electronic resources. The library building houses the media center, including audiovisual production space, a film production studio, a computer laboratory, and the archives of the University and Brethren in Christ Church. The Office of Academic Accessibility, and the Learning Center moved into recently renovated space; now educational services to support student learning are located in one facility. Membership in various consortia expedites the loan of resources from other libraries.

Reference services are available from librarians; hours and contact information are listed on the library website. All students, residential and online, have access to online databases (including full-text articles, e-books, and streaming videos) and the library catalog. Students can access the library through the Messiah website. Most graduate courses also have direct links to the library in Canvas. Journal articles not available online can be requested through Interlibrary Loan and will be forwarded electronically to students. Books owned by the library will be mailed to a student’s home address. Students may also present their Messiah ID card at various Pennsylvania libraries to check out books from a local library. Students outside of Pennsylvania may visit their local college to see if they offer borrowing privileges. If in the area, students in online courses are always welcome to visit Messiah’s Murray Library to do research, check out materials, or place interlibrary loan requests in person.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities 

Students with disabilities requiring accommodation in classes, programs, or services can arrange for accommodations through the Office of Academic Accessibility (OAA). This office is located in the Murray Library, suite 115. The Director of the Academic Success Center can be reached via email at aslody@messiah.edu or via phone at (717) 796-5382.

Students are required to self-identify, present current documentation of eligibility (generally no older than 3-4 years) and specify any needed accommodations. Following verification of eligibility, an accommodation profile is developed with the student.

Students are then provided with an accommodation letter verifying their eligibility and the accommodations for which they qualify. Students are then encouraged to submit a copy of their accommodation letter to any instructors from whom they wish to request accommodations. They must discuss with their instructor how the accommodations will be provided. That dialogue should continue periodically throughout the course, especially if further adjustments are necessary. Failure to verify need for eligibility early in the semester may limit the student's options for completing course requirements because accommodations will not be provided retro-actively.

The university reserves the right to deny an accommodation if that accommodation fundamentally changes the nature of the course, or if it results in lowered course standards. Furthermore, the ADA allows the university to offer an alternative, less expensive accommodation when that alternative is as effective as the requested accommodation. The university is committed to helping students and instructors find workable solutions that meet student needs while preserving course integrity.

For on-line courses, the nature of the instructional process may require a different set of accommodations than those required for traditional courses. When a student with a disability needs to request an accommodation, the student must contact the Office of Academic Accessibility to verify eligibility and to describe the perceived barrier. The student is expected to work cooperatively with the instructor and OAA to develop appropriate accommodations when possible. The University will actively work to assure that all course materials are available in a form that assures students full, equal access to content and instruction.

Students who think they may have a disability but who have not been evaluated are encouraged to meet or speak with the Director. At this meeting, the student may decide to undergo testing to determine whether their learning difficulties meet the definition of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and its revisions. The cost associated with the assessment is the responsibility of the student. This process can also be lengthy. In some situations, the Office of Academic Accessibility may offer temporary accommodations during the time when a student is actively pursuing evaluation for eligibility under the ADA. Temporary accommodations are available for a maximum of one semester.

Editing & Writing Support

Messiah University partners with Heartful Editor to provide editing support and writing coaching to graduate students. Heartful Editor’s team of caring and supportive academic coaches and editors strives to uphold the highest ethical standards in their work with students, blending ethics and compassion to build a responsible and productive editing and coaching experience.

Heartful Editor coaches and guides graduate students on writing and the mechanics of style, specifically the guidelines outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 7th Edition). Their academic coaches and editors:

• Read and review all documents for grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency in formatting, and alignment with style guidelines.
• Suggest alternative words or phrases, provide guidance on sentence structure, and advise on how to better organize ideas.
• Provide graduate students with a thorough overview of areas that need attention and improvement.
• Track all edits and changes for the client to review and accept or reject.
• Format master’s theses and doctoral dissertations in alignment with Messiah University formatting standards.

To learn more about Heartful Editor or to schedule an appointment for editing or writing coaching, please visit https://heartfuleditor.com/messiah-university/. They will respond to your request within 2-3 business days.

Heartful Editor may engage with a student for whom more support would be beneficial and hours may exceed beyond the standard 2-3 hours per project, but will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Students may be required to pay out of pocket for support on theses, capstone projects, or dissertations that extends beyond 2-3 hours.