������ý

Located in the Campus Center, the Academic Enrichment Center (AEC) sits at the center of daily campus life. With its wide glass entrance opening into the lower-level hallway, the AEC transforms quick pass-through moments into opportunities for meaningful connection and support.

More than just a tutoring space, the AEC is reframing what academic support looks like on campus, creating an environment that is integrated into students’ everyday routines and relationships. A free service available to all students, the AEC helps students maximize their learning and develop skills for academic and lifelong success.

What sets the AEC apart, says Director Rose Postma ('02), is the central role students play in shaping the space. “Having students run our front desk alongside us—and for us in the evenings—makes this a student place as opposed to a faculty/staff place,” she says. “Students have a voice in a lot of what happens here, and that allows us to be attuned to the actual needs of students as opposed to what we as faculty/staff think are relevant.”

That sense of student ownership is evident in the steady stream of students intentionally seeking academic support. According to Postma, as of mid-March, 681 individual students have attended at least one tutoring session, and the AEC has had 5,181 total tutoring visits this school year.

“The variety of majors and interests of students who come here is what allows us to connect with so many students. It is hard for someone to come to the AEC and not find someone to talk to or connect with,” says Postma.

Gena Koetsier, a nursing major, has worked at the AEC front desk for several years and once received support there. She describes the AEC as a place of comfort during challenging seasons away from her home in Canada. “As a Canadian, the AEC gave my heart a home to rest in the chaos of politics and culture. It’s clear that the people who work here care about you as a whole person, not just your academic situation,” she says. “The AEC is proof to me that anyone can find a place and community on Dordt’s campus.”

Marja Burgsma, an elementary education major, says, “The AEC is another amazing way that Dordt builds the strong sense of community at the heart of campus. Being part of it has truly been a blessing and has helped me feel like I’m making a difference in the lives of others. I love when students stop me while I’m walking across campus to tell me how their test went or to talk about something they’re stressed about. It has been so rewarding to encourage them and help them succeed.”

Ultimately, Postma hopes that students find their time in the AEC as a formative experience. "I hope the practice they got here of giving and receiving help better equips them as kingdom citizens when they leave Dordt. I hope we have modeled how to have fun and do hard things, and that the students we have connected with leave knowing how to connect with others and are able to build community wherever they are called.”