YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - After 25 years, Youngstown State University is changing the name of the Resch Center for Student Progress to the Resch Academic Success Center.

 The Resch Center for Student Progress was formed in 1996 to provide a more financially-efficient and collaborative manner of delivering services to YSU students, including services for first-year, adult, multicultural and disabled students, as well as student tutorial, academic coaching, supplemental instruction and orientation services. 

The name change has been in consideration for about a year now, Director Becky Varian says the new name will reflect the universities beliefs on academic success. 

Varian says there is a misconception on campus that the university serves students who need to make progress, but really want to support students academic success. 

The Resch Center for Student Success is one of the largest student employer on campus with about 100 student tutors. Students are able to come the center and find a peer tutor that has succeeded in a class they are struggling in. The Center tutors over 100 classes. 

Varian says the Resch Center makes it easy for students who may feel uncomfortable in class to find proper help.

Academic Coaching is another element of the Resch Center of Student Success, which helps students become academically independent and develop study skills. 

The program has also helped students reach a higher passing rate and a higher GPA, data collected over 25 years at the Resch Academic Success Center shows that students who consistently go to tutoring will have about a half grade to a full letter grade higher, along with students who met with academic coaches. 

Varain says that they have learned that meeting with someone individually or in small groups is a effective success model. 

Students who don't necessarily need help with their grades can still benefit from the Resch Academic Success Center. Everyone can benefit from learning to apply, analyze and evaluate information.

Varian wants all students at Youngstown State to know that no matter what happened in their academic past, the university believes in you and wants to support you.  

The center is named in honor of Marion G. Resch, who, with her husband, Paul, were generous philanthropists. Mrs. Resch, who died in 2004, created the Marion G. Resch Foundation in 2000 to enable area youth to reach their potential and grow into influential community leaders.

To learn more listen to Danielle Cotterman's 21 News podcast with Becky Varian click here.