Meet the staff of the Academic Success Center (ASC), in alphabetical order. We are located in VanZoeren 261 and all services offered are free to current students.
Carrie Dattels is the Coordinator of Disability Services. After thirteen years in various vocational rehabilitation roles she returned to Hope in 2016, having been a student and RA during her undergrad years. Carrie spends the majority of her time interacting with students to determine and implement accommodations across campus. She also collaborates with faculty and staff to ensure students’ access to academics, programs, and services; supports and educates faculty and staff on disability and the legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act; supports students’ self-advocacy; identifies necessary resources for their overall success; and assists with proctoring exams for students with disabilities.
Lisa Eding has been the Office Manager for the Academic Success Center and the Sociology and Social Work Department for seventeen years. Her responsibilities include hiring and training front-desk staff, setting up and processing student-staff payroll, and assisting with the various needs of two very busy departments.
David James is the Coordinator of Academic Coaching and Study Skills Tutoring and has worked 30 of his 32 years at Hope College in the ASC. He coordinates the peer academic coaching program, which involves hiring, training and pairing experienced, successful students with students seeking help on setting goals and mastering skills to improve their academic lives. He coaches, too, but also meets one-on-one with any Hope student seeking help on a specific academic skill, such as time management or test taking. He is also an academic advisor, both through his role as a professor in the First Year Seminar program every fall and as an advisor in the fall FOCUS and spring SOAR programs for students on or nearing academic probation. All this occupies around half of his time, while in the other half he is an adjunct associate professor of English, mainly teaching composition but also world literature.
Jeanne Lindell serves as Head of Disability Services and Assistant Director of the Academic Success Center. She has been employed at Hope for 26 years, first working sixteen years in Counseling and Psychological Services and then ten years as the ASC’s Coordinator of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities. She promotes equal access and inclusion for students with disabilities in all aspects of college life. Jeanne is also a First Year Seminar instructor and an academic adviser.
Janet Pinkham is the Director of the ASC, now in her 28th year with Hope, having previously served as the ASC’s Tutoring Coordinator and Hope’s Alumni Director. In her current role, Janet oversees the ASC, directs the Peer Partnership Learning (PPL) program, teaches First Year Seminar, is an academic advisor, and serves on multiple campus committees.
Suzette Staal has been the Coordinator of Tutoring Services and ASC help sessions for three years. Her responsibilities predominantly include hiring and training peer tutors and help-session leaders. She makes all tutoring matches for most 100- and 200-level courses, for which applications can be printed from the website but must be delivered in person. Suzette also oversees the daily operations of the ASC-sponsored help sessions for courses with highly requested tutoring, such as the Sunday-through-Thursday-evening Math Lab available for most Math courses. Suzette also is a First Year Seminar instructor and an academic adviser.