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Academic Skills Center: Home

This guide provides a compilation of resources designed to assist students throughout their time at Central Seminary.

Academic Skills Center

Welcome to the Academic Skills Center! The Academic Skills Center is designed to provide resources and assistance to students throughout their time at Central Seminary. The resources included here cover a wide variety of topics such as strategies for reading well, improving academic writing skills, using programs like Microsoft Word, and assistance if English is not your primary language. The Center exists to equip you to develop the skills necessary to communicate your ideas clearly and succeed in seminary. Please be sure to take advantage of these resources during your time at Central!

Overview of Resources

The resources compiled by the Academic Skills Center are organized for you to explore on your own. You may find that you do not need all the information at the start of your time in seminary, and some pages may become more relevant depending on the courses you are taking. Be sure to check the resources available through the Academic Skills Center before requesting an appointment for further assistance. The Academic Skills Center can help with questions like:

  • How should I communicate with my professors?
  • How should I take notes over all the assigned readings?
  • What are the differences between normal writing and academic writing?
  • What resources are available to practice communicating in English?
  • How do I create footnotes in Microsoft Word? 
  • When do I need to cite sources to avoid plagiarism in my writing?

Requesting an Appointment

The Academic Skills Center also provides individual consultations for students. After exploring the available resources, students can request a Zoom meeting to discuss any additional concerns or questions related to Academic Skills. Students can also request feedback on specific assignments for class. For feedback on assignments, please submit the request at least 2-3 days before the due date. 

To request an appointment, please fill out the form on the right. You must be logged in to your Central account to fill out the form.

Other Support at Central

You may encounter an issue or problem that does not fall within the resources and assistance provided by the Academic Skills Center. Be sure to consult the following resources and people for additional support during your time at Central. 

  • For help using the Digital Theological Library or conducting research, check out the Library's LibGuides or contact the librarian, Carolyn Johnson (cjohnson@cbts.edu).
  • For issues accessing your Central account or other technology, fill out this tech support form.
  • For other frequently asked questions, check Central's FAQ page.