Student Advisement & Academic Support Center (SAAS)

SAAS is located in the Garnett Library and is available to all students. Missouri State University-West Plains provides a comprehensive campus advising program coordinated by SAAS and supplemented by faculty/staff advisors and all campus resources. Our academic advisors subscribe to the philosophy of “proactive advising,” which means the institution takes the initiative. Advisors do not wait for students to have academic problems, but contact them to set up appointments throughout the course of the year. All academic advisors receive in-service training. For college experiences to be as meaningful as possible, students need to gather information and develop goals that provide the basis for decisions relating to course work and future plans. SAAS advisors help students in this decision making process, in order for students to realize their maximum educational potentials. As coordinators of the students’ learning experiences, SAAS advisors also monitor students’ progress toward their educational and career goals. Trained staff at SAAS assist students in the areas of reading, writing, math, study skills, and many other subject areas. Students who have been out of school for several years will find SAAS especially helpful. Tutors, computer programs, videos, and other resources are available to aid students in improving skills. Computer instruction is an important part of the SAAS program. Computer programs are available in reading, math and writing. Students can be assisted in using the computer for class assignments. Student study groups and one-on-one tutoring enhance opportunities for students to succeed in college. Special needs of students are met on an asneeded basis through the use of video enlarging computers, tapes, individual assistance, and the Arkenstone Open Book. The Arkenstone Open Book is a reading machine that converts text to computer text, and a computerized voice synthesizer reads the text for the student. The academic support programs at Missouri State University-West Plains facilitate and reinforce the activities of faculty and students.

Disability Support Services

The Disability Services Coordinator helps ensure an equitable college experience for students with disabilities at Missouri State University-West Plains. The student should notify the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as the need for academic accommodations becomes evident. Academic accommodations are available at no cost to students who can provide documentation of a disability and can demonstrate that the requested accommodations are necessary for participation in University programs with established guidelines. Any prospective or currently enrolled student interested in obtaining information about academic accommodations at Missouri State University-West Plains should contact the Disability Services Coordinator in SAAS at (417) 255-7222 (voice) or TTY (417) 255-7715.

Library Services

Garnett Library on the West Plains campus provides information services to students, faculty, and staff of Missouri State University-West Plains. Members of the community are also welcome. A variety of resources and services are available to support and enrich the educational programs of the University. Barbe Library at Shannon Hall (Mountain Grove) provides library resources and services to students, faculty and staff at the extended campuses in Mountain Grove and Houston, Missouri. The Garnett Library and Barbe Library collections include approximately 35,700 volumes, 8,000 microforms, 197 print journals, and six national and area newspaper subscriptions. Garnett Library is also a partial Missouri state document depository. Book collections and resources at Garnett Library and Barbe Library are searchable from the online catalog on the Missouri State University libraries web page at http://library.missouristate.edu. Books may be requested within the Missouri State libraries system, from SWAN (Southwest Academic Network) or from other libraries in MOBIUS (Missouri Bibliographic Information User System). A statewide courier system delivers books to Garnett Library and Barbe Library. For assistance with the book transfer service, contact library staff. Journal databases, reference resources, and e-books are also available from the Missouri State University libraries web page. Online resources can be accessed with a University private ID and password from Computer Services. Online Interlibrary loan service is available for books unavailable in MOBIUS and for articles unavailable in Missouri State libraries. Equipment, audiovisuals and multi-media resources may be reserved for University use. Both Garnett and Barbe libraries schedule classes and groups upon request, provide tours, and give library orientations for classes. For assistance contact librarians at Garnett Library (417) 255-7945 or Barbe Library (417) 547-7575 or email librarians through the “Ask a Librarian” service on the Missouri State University libraries web page at http://library.missouristate.edu.

Veterans Services

Veterans Services provides quality support services to prior active-duty Veterans, members of the Selected Reserves, Army National Guard, Air National Guard, spouses and dependents of a veteran who died or are 100 percent disabled due to service-connected causes. Veterans Services also provides individual advising and counseling, assistance with education claim preparation, explanation and interpretation of federal and state veteran education programs available to eligible persons, and personal support. Other services provided by Veterans Services include certifying enrollment, monitoring progress, conferring with the students, and ensuring that students are in compliance with federal and state laws governing educational benefits. For further information call (417) 255-7222 or visit SAAS located in the Garnett library.