The Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC) evolved from the Tutorial Center housed within Student Development Services (SDS), which was originally created in 1992 to assist students in both the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Academic Support Program for Increased Retention in Education (ASPIRE). Over the next six years, the SDS Tutorial Center extended its support services to include student athletes and students with disabilities. In 1998, Student Development Services expanded its programs and officially adopted the name of “Academic Services.”
In 1999, a University task force was appointed by the Provost’s Office to study the extent of students’ need for academic assistance. The committee found a fragmented and decentralized system that offered various types and levels of services. Students expressed great frustration in locating programs for which they would be eligible and which would also match their specific needs. In addition, limited space, funding, and staffing issues all led to the necessity for a centralized learning center that could offer systematic services to all students requesting academic support.
In the spring of 2000, at the Provost’s Forum titled “Academic Services and Learning Assistance,” the task force reported its survey results to the campus community. A special consultant was appointed by the Provost’s Office to work with the learning specialists at the Tutorial Center to complete the preliminary draft of a campus-wide learning center proposal. A 5-year strategic plan was developed and presented to the Provost’s Office. The name Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC) was adopted in the fall of 2000 when the Center opened its services to all San José State University (SJSU) students.
The Center’s tutor training program has been nationally certified by CRLA. It was cited by the University’s Faculty Scholars at the 2004 SJSU College Teaching and Learning Conference as an impressive campus resource that embodies a student-centered pedagogy. In 2010, LARC also received second place from the Learning Support Centers in Higher Education (LSCHE) and the National College Learning Center Association (NCLCA) for the program’s website. LARC tutors are often recognized as Dean's and President’s scholars and scholarship recipients. LARC staff are proud of the Center’s achievements and are dedicated to providing efficient service and effective assistance to all SJSU students and the campus community.
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