Academic Support

30 Library Study Room
On This Page

University Libraries

The extensive library system at the University of Louisville is designed to support undergraduate and graduate student success.  The University Libraries consist of:

  • Ekstrom (Main) Library,
  • Archives and Special Collections,
  • The Margaret Bridwell Art Library,
  • The Louis Brandeis Law Library,
  • The Dwight Anderson Memorial Music Library, and
  • The Kornhauser Health Sciences Library.

Each library offers welcoming, updated individual and group study spaces to support study and research.  Many of the study and meeting rooms are reservable online.  Ekstrom Library is open 24/5 to all students during the semester and houses a Starbucks.  The other libraries post current hours of operation on the University Libraries web site. 

The University Libraries provide in person and virtual services including research assistance, book borrowing, course reserves, and spaces for group and individual study.  Other services located in the University Libraries include the Writing Center, the Digital Media Suite, and the REACH Computer Resources Center for peer tutoring and academic coaching. 

The Libraries’ digital and print collections are extensive and are selected to support the university's academic programs.  In addition to print books and journals, the collections include extensive digital resources such as e-books, e-journals, streaming media and digital collections that include student publications and scholarship such as theses and dissertations, and open educational resources.  Interlibrary loan services provide access to research materials not owned by the University Libraries.

More information about library facilities, services and materials can be found at the University Libraries website.

Information Technology Services

Information Technology Services (ITS) offers numerous technology and computing solutions in support of University of Louisville’s teaching, research and service missions. Serving students, faculty and staff, ITS maintains campus wired and wireless networks and delivers enterprise administrative and academic applications. More information concerning ITS can be found at louisville.edu/its.

UofL’s ULink services is the university’s most popular website: ulink.louisville.edu. ULink is a secure portal to all necessary campus information and services, including the administrative student environments where you can check your class schedule, tuition balance, grades and much more. Any changes to your personal information, technology accounts and email addresses can be done through ULink. Tutorial videos are available for assistance. To access ULink, everyone must use UL2FCTR (a Duo product), our second factor of authentication tool that is separate from your username and password. Students and employees must enroll in and use UL2FCTR (Duo) to access most UofL systems.

Everyone in the UofL community has an Microsoft Outlook university email as part of an entire Windows Office365 system. Enrolled students have options for online and downloadable O365 (on up to 5 devices – phone, tablet, laptop or desktop) including applications such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams and more plus 50GB of OneDrive storage. See outlook.office365.com or louisville.edu/email for email information and login.microsoftonline.com for more about O365 accounts.

The ITS HelpDesk assists the UofL community daily with regard to technology questions and issues. Need help changing your password, for example? The ITS HelpDesk can be reached at helpdesk.louisville.edu for online assistance (chat, incident tickets, self-help) or call (502) 852-7997 to talk to someone. Additionally, ITS provides free, 1:1 walk-in technology help for students, faculty and staff. The iTech Connect team, located in the lower level of the Miller IT Center on Belknap campus can troubleshoot various technology problems like wireless connections, antivirus protection and digital device management. See helpdesk.louisville.edu for hours and details.

ITS maintains the university’s extensive networking, including a 200 gigabit campus backbone network and a high-speed intercampus fiber network. Wireless service is universally available for University of Louisville students, faculty and staff and guests across all campuses. Eduroam is our preferred wi-fi but we ask that you use our on-boarding application (uofl.edu/setupwireless) to access best options for secure wireless.

ITS offers secure, unlimited data storage free for faculty, staff and students via CardBox. A CardBox account lets you synchronize and backup all of your personal files plus collaborate, securely share and edit easily with other UofL users. See louisville.edu/its/cardbox for information on how to sign-up for an account.

Another great resource ITS makes available for everyone at UofL is free access to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of products. With this collection of 20+ desktop and mobile apps for photography, video, audio and web design, you can discover new ways to create and collaborate. The Adobe Creative Cloud includes access to industry-leading software applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat Pro DC, and Premiere Rush among others. Installation instructions, tutorials and support can be found on ITS Adobe Creative Cloud Support.

For discounted and free software, sign-in to louisville.onthehub.com with your UofL userID and password. Also free to UofL students, faculty and researchers, MATLAB is transformative software for mathematicians, scientists and engineers. Users will find new ways to express computational mathematics, experiment with how to deploy algorithms, visualize complex data sets, and so much more. Check out the information on our portal UofL.edu/matlab.

REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement)

Resources for Academic Achievement (REACH) is the university’s centralized academic support unit for undergraduate students. REACH conducts multiple services and programs from the Belknap Academic Classroom Building (BACB), Ekstrom Library, and the Academic & Leadership Center (JB Speed 107).

These academic support services and retention programs offer students the opportunity to better prepare and adapt to college life and to improve their academic skills and performance in college courses. REACH’s mission statement, values statement, goals, and annual reports are available on the REACH website.

ARTS & SCIENCES, HUMANITIES, & MUSIC SUPPORT
The Learning Resource Center (BACB 248 and 250)
Scheduled Tutoring offers students small group tutoring sessions each week for many 100-, 200-, and some 300-level courses. These sessions provide guided study and review of course material. Tutoring sessions are scheduled for 60-minute recurring, weekly sessions. Online tutoring sessions are also available, and scheduled drop-in hours are available for select science lab courses, select languages, and other courses.  Find more information on scheduling on the REACH website

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) provides weekly class and exam review sessions for specific courses that are historically difficult for students. PAL facilitators work closely with the faculty of these courses to integrate how to learn with what to learn. PAL is voluntary and free, with sessions designed to assist small and large groups of students.  Find more information about Peer Assisted Learning on the REACH website.

Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) embeds specialized tutors (Structured Learning Assistants) into targeted STEM+H classes. SLAs support faculty by implementing and facilitating active learning exercises to help reinforce course concepts, improve learning, and enhance self-confidence. SLAs also offer weekly review sessions or tutoring outside of class times.

Individual Tutoring is available for students who have documented physical or learning disabilities and need accommodated tutoring sessions. Documentation must be provided to REACH from the Disability Resource Center at the time of a student’s request. Students receive individualized tutoring and additional tutoring time in scheduled onsite or online appointments each week. Find more information on tutoring on the REACH website

Language Conversation Tables offer students conversation opportunities for practice in speaking a new language. Tables vary each semester, but may include Spanish, French, Arabic, ASL, German, and others. These sessions offer additional practice to prepare for the classroom and real-world scenarios. Available tables and meeting schedules are available on the REACH website.

Academic Coaching helps students who want to improve their academic and self-management skills, such as time management, organization, test taking, study skills, and life skills. Students develop personalized goals and work with our coaches to develop self-advocacy and become independent, life-long learners. Learn more on our website.

Special Topics in Supplemented College Reading (GEN 105 ) (BACB 248) helps first-time, first-year, and transfer students with less than 24 credit hours who are admitted to the university with identified college reading deficiencies. Under Kentucky state law, identified students are required to register for a section of GEN 105 (2 credit hours) in their first college semester. Find more information on GEN 105 on the REACH website.

The Hackademic Series, available to all UofL students, are workshops that help students develop effective academic strategies and skills (e.g., mindset, brain functions and neurolearning, developing grit, time management, studying smarter, note-taking, textbook reading, test-taking, preparing for finals, and becoming a disciplined student). The Hackademic Series is offered both online and on-site. All first-year students can find these interactive, online modules in their Blackboard Organizations (named the Online Hackademic Series by REACH).

SmartCards provides invaluable, online financial success resources through fun, interactive, and dynamic content. You'll receive a personalized plan with recommendations on content to help you with financial decision making. Explore the wide array of content on our website.

Graduate Exam Preparation Workshops are offered for free through our partnership with The Princeton Review. Workshops and free, full-length practice tests are available for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT, and OAT. Interested students may also receive tutoring for CLEP, a national testing program designed to help students earn college credit for selected general education courses. Workshop registration is required.

MATHEMATICS SUPPORT

The Math Resource Center (MRC, BACB 241) offers drop-in and online tutoring to students enrolled in most 100- and 200-level university mathematics courses, including Special Topics in College Mathematics courses (GEN 103 and GEN 104). Resources include knowledgeable tutors, a mini-computer lab for mathematics software, and web-based instruction. Find more information on mathematics tutoring on the REACH website.

Special Topics in College Mathematics (GEN 103 and GEN 104) are three credit hour intervention courses in mathematics that are offered through REACH Math Resources. These courses are designed for students who are not eligible to take the mathematics or quantitative reasoning course required for their intended major/program (due to ACT or SAT math sub-scores or math placement test scores).  GEN 103 (for non-STEM majors) or GEN 104 (for STEM majors) are computer-based courses that focus on pre-algebra and algebra topics--such as linear equations and factoring--and utilize an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program. Successful completion of GEN 103 and/or GEN 104 is required for students to progress to the mathematics and/or quantitative reasoning courses required for their program. More information on intervention coursework is available on the REACH website.

The Math Xcelerator Program offers students who place into GEN 103 or GEN 104 a free, four-week intensive review during the summer. Students qualify if their ACT math sub-score is between 0-18, SAT math sub-score is between 0-490, or their Accuplacer score is between 200-262. Successful completion of the program reduces the amount of intervention coursework for the fall semester.

The Speed Calculus Preview Program is a fee-based summer program designed for all first-year engineering students (additionally, some students will be referred to this program based on their standardized test scores). This program provides an advanced algebra review to help students prepare for calculus in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & ENGINEERING SUPPORT
Computer Resource Centers (First floor Learning Commons-Ekstrom Library and the Academic & Leadership Center, J.B. Speed 107)

The Computer Resources Centers offer scheduled tutoring, drop-in tutoring, and test reviews for select College of Business courses (Ekstrom Library location) as well as targeted Speed School of Engineering courses (Academic & Leadership Center). Additionally, we help students understand the most common technologies used on campus including Microsoft Office Suite products, Blackboard, ULink, email, and basic computer operations. No appointments needed for drop-in support! More information is available on the REACH website.