A Network for Michigan's Learning Center Professionals
MICLCA connects writing center directors, math and science learning center staff, tutoring and Supplemental Instruction coordinators, academic coaches, TRIO and student success professionals, and testing center staff at Michigan's colleges and universities.
Supporting the People Who Support Students
Our members work in tutoring centers, academic support programs, supplemental instruction, and learning assistance at community colleges and four-year institutions throughout Michigan. We provide a professional home for the people doing this work: a place to share evidence-based practices, develop professionally, and advocate for the resources our programs and students need.
What we do:
We support learning assistance professionals in developing and maintaining programs that enhance student learning. We promote professional standards in administration, curriculum design, evaluation, and research. We act on learning assistance issues at the local and state levels, and we provide opportunities for professional development, networking, and idea exchange through conferences, workshops, and publications.
Michigan Resources
Across Michigan
The colleges and universities in our directory, each one home to students who could benefit from learning center support.
67 colleges and universities in our directory.
161 learning centers and programs statewide.
Michigan Learning Center Job Board
Open positions in learning centers, tutoring programs, and academic support offices at Michigan colleges and universities.
28 open positions across Michigan
- Director of Academic Success, School of Medicine · Oakland University · Rochester
- Study Group Program Manager · University of Michigan · Ann Arbor
- Academic Coordinator, Jacob Scholars Program · Wayne State University · Detroit
- Study Group Administrative Assistant · University of Michigan · Ann Arbor
- Part-Time Professional Tutor · Southwestern Michigan College · Dowagiac
How MICLCA came together
- October 2025 Founding board announced at ICLCA
- March 2026 Bylaws adopted by the founding board
- May 2026 501(c)(3) status granted
- July 2026 miclca.org and directory launch
- August 2026 Job board and membership open
- May 17, 2027 First conference and elections
Connected to ICLCA
MICLCA is the Michigan affiliate of the International College Learning Center Association (ICLCA), which has been promoting excellence among learning center professionals since 1986. ICLCA provides the national framework of professional standards, certifications, research, and professional development that MICLCA brings to Michigan.
Learn more at iclca.world ↗Certifications
Learning Center of Excellence (LCE) certification for programs and individual Leadership Certification for professionals.
Annual Conference
The ICLCA Annual Conference brings together learning center professionals from across the country and internationally each fall.
Publications
The Learning Assistance Review (TLAR) is ICLCA's peer-reviewed journal. ICLCA also publishes Best Practice Guides and a Glossary for Student Success.
Professional Development
Summer Institute, webinars, leadership roundtables, and a consulting service for learning center programs.
Founding Board of Directors
MICLCA's founding board was announced in October 2025 at the ICLCA national conference. The board serves from the time the organization was approved through the first annual meeting at which elections are held. Vacancies arising during this period are filled by appointment under Article VI of the bylaws.
Joe Salvatore
Joe has directed the Science Learning Center at the University of Michigan since 2017, leading a team of more than 350 student and professional staff who support undergraduates in the natural sciences. He joined the SLC in 2004 as Study Group Program Manager and served as its first Assistant Director and later Associate Director. Joe holds a B.A. in creative writing from Miami University and an M.A. in higher education administration from the University of Michigan. He has presented widely on collaborative learning, tutor and facilitator training, and equity in STEM, and was a 2019 New Leadership Academy Fellow.
Angela Zanardelli
Angela oversees Wayne State University's primary learning support services and its student progress tracking system, developing interventions in partnership with faculty, academic leadership, and student support offices. She also leads the university's Student Success Collaborative. Angela began at Wayne State in 2007 as a Learning Specialist working at the intersection of cognition and physical wellness, later completing training through the Neuroscience and the Learning Brain Institute at UC Santa Barbara and building a program that helps staff and faculty apply cognitive neuroscience research in their work with students. She holds a B.S. from Southern Illinois University, an M.A. in counseling from Wayne State, and a higher education teaching certification from Harvard University.
Rachel Love
Rachel directs the Science, Math, Business and Economics Learning Centers at Kalamazoo College, a group of peer-led centers that includes the Math-Physics Center and Supplemental Instruction in chemistry and biology, along with a long-standing program with high student participation and a strong culture of community and engagement. She has been at Kalamazoo College since 2021, previously holding a dual role teaching Plants and Human Health and Science, Communication, and Society, and also serves as Director of Faculty Grants and Research. Rachel holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Leiden University.
Sarah Clark
Sarah has directed the Chemistry Success Center at Grand Valley State University since 2014 and teaches introductory chemistry as a Senior Affiliate Faculty Member in the Department of Chemistry. She is active in the chemistry education community, serving on the program committee for the 2026 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education and presenting at previous BCCE conferences on tutor training and supplemental instruction. Her work with the Chemistry Success Center has earned several awards, including GVSU's Pew Excellence Award for Teaching and Learning Enrichment.
Holly Christopher
Holly is a faculty member in Academic Support and Tutoring Services at Grand Rapids Community College, where she has been part of the campus community since 2003. She began as an adjunct instructor in the Biology Department, became Tutorial Coordinator of the Biology Tutoring and Learning Center in 2007, and was elected Department Head in 2025. Her work centers on student success, tutor development, and curricular support, with leadership in CRLA certification, tutor training, and co-curricular assessment. Holly holds a B.S. in biology from Alma College, an M.S. in biology from Bowling Green State University, and a graduate certificate in teaching and learning in postsecondary education from Michigan State University.
Membership
Join a community of learning center professionals committed to evidence-based student support across Michigan. The membership year runs July 1 through June 30.
Founding Professional
You can become a founding professional member of MICLCA by registering for your first MICLCA membership in 2026. Your support will help MICLCA get off the ground as we prepare for our inaugural MICLCA conference. Founding memberships are valid through June 30, 2027.
- Open to anyone actively involved in or interested in postsecondary learning centers in Michigan
- Voting privileges
- Eligible to run for a MICLCA officer position on the pre-announced slate of candidates at the inaugural MICLCA conference, Monday, May 17, 2027 at Wayne State University
- Register for the 2027 MICLCA conference at the member rate, $35 less than the nonmember conference fee
- Founding memberships are only available until December 31, 2026
Student
- Open to graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at least half-time in a Michigan institution
- Voting privileges and committee service
- Access to all events and resources
- Not eligible to hold office
- Proof of student status required
Emeritus
- Open to anyone retired from the learning center profession
- Full voting privileges
- Access to all events and resources
- Stay connected with the professional community
- Not eligible to hold office
Lifetime
- Awarded to individuals recognized by MICLCA for service to the profession
- Full voting privileges
- No dues, ever
- Access to all events and resources
- By recognition only
A note on checkout: Zeffy keeps its service free for nonprofits by showing a suggested contribution to Zeffy at checkout. It is optional and separate from your MICLCA dues; to pay dues only, choose “Other” and set the amount to $0.
Payments are processed securely through Zeffy. MICLCA does not store credit card or bank information. The membership year runs July 1 through June 30.
Conferences & Professional Development
Connect, learn, and grow with colleagues from across Michigan's learning center community.
12:00–1:30 PM ET • Online
Building a Collective Vision
A participatory 90-minute session. Small groups, a share-out, and a say in what MICLCA becomes. Free and open to everyone.
12:00–1:00 PM ET • Online
Beyond the Content: Elevating Peer Educator Training with the Science of Learning
A webinar with Angela Zanardelli for anyone who trains peer educators. Evidence-based strategies and ready-to-use training activities.
MICLCA Inaugural Annual Conference
One full day at Wayne State University in Detroit: concurrent sessions, a keynote, a learning center visit, and the 2027-28 board election results. Full agenda coming soon.
See conference details → All events →Learning Centers Across Michigan
Every few months we feature one Michigan learning center, told by someone who works there.
Chemistry Success Center
Grand Valley State University
A tutor works through a problem with a student at a table in the Chemistry Success Center.
Two students laughing over an open binder of chemistry practice problems.
A tutor points at a screen, helping a student with data analysis software.
A group of students working together with laptops and whiteboards in the center.
The Chemistry Success Center is one of ten drop-in tutoring centers at Grand Valley State University. Drop-in centers offer subject-specific support and stay closely linked to the departments they serve. I direct the CSC and am also an affiliate faculty member in the chemistry department, where I teach introductory chemistry each semester.
The CSC and the other drop-in centers are part of the Knowledge Market, GVSU's central hub for peer-mediated academic support, alongside the Library Research Center, the Writing Center, the Digital Creator Lab, and the Speech Lab. As a drop-in center director I get the best of both worlds. My chemistry colleagues keep us current on content, and my academic support colleagues keep me thinking about tutor training, hiring, assessment, and practice.
About a third of students enrolled in 100- and 200-level chemistry courses engage with the CSC, and we see around 7,000 student visits each academic year. Some arrive with a specific question. Others use the center as a comfortable place to study or to meet classmates. Students work at their own pace and engage with tutors and faculty as much or as little as they want. One student told us, "I can't explain how helpful this place is and how comfortable I feel. I love it."
Both student tutors and faculty staff the center. Over 90% of chemistry faculty teaching at the 100- and 200-levels hold weekly office hours in the CSC, and those hours turn out to be a good introduction to academic support: many students walk in for the first time to see their professor. In a typical semester, 25 upper-level undergraduates tutor here. The team is small enough that people know each other, and tutors tell us the work builds their confidence and their sense of belonging at GVSU. We honor graduating tutors with paper plate awards and they organize their own pickleball tournaments.
Being close to the department opens up collaborations. Our organic lab coordinator built a mini research project into the curriculum, and students have to analyze real, messy data using technical software, which is new and hard for most of them. The CSC partnered with the organic labs to host extra help lab hours for exactly that.
Our biggest current challenge is first-year students. We have seen a significant drop in students seeking help for 100-level chemistry courses, including several with high DFW rates, while demand for upper-level support climbs every year. I am glad to be part of MICLCA so we can have conversations about problems like this one. I am looking forward to learning with and from you.
Sarah Clark
Director, Chemistry Success Center, Grand Valley State University
MICLCA Treasurer
Does your center do work worth sharing? A few photographs and two or three paragraphs is all it takes. Centers at any Michigan institution are welcome, and you do not need to be a MICLCA member.
Tell us about your center →Looking for a specific program? Browse all 161 learning centers in the directory.
Contact MICLCA
Have questions about membership, events, or getting involved? We'd like to hear from you.
General Inquiries
For questions about MICLCA, membership, or events, use the contact form or email us directly.
Interested in Presenting?
We welcome proposals for conference presentations, webinars, and workshop sessions from learning center professionals at all career stages.
Connect with ICLCA
Learn more about our parent organization and the broader learning center community at iclca.world.