University Learning Center Renamed to Honor Alumna Norma Clayton
New Jersey Institute of Technology yesterday officially recommissioned the university's tutoring laboratory as the Norma J. Clayton '81 Learning Center, in honor of the alumna and benefactor of the university, who earned a B.S. in industrial administration here, spurring an accomplished leadership career at companies like Boeing and RCA.
Clayton, who retired in 2017 and is now co-vice chair of the NJIT Board of Trustees as well as chairwoman of the Board of Trustees at Tuskegee University, said she was hesitant to seek academic help as a new student but later came to crave it.
Coming into college, she said, "I was totally unprepared. I was in the top 10% of my class and I thought, 'This is going to be a breeze, I worked hard and it's probably not going to be too difficult for me.' Boy was I wrong."
Mathematics professor Martin Katzen steered a reluctant Clayton to the tutoring center. "I became entrenched. … I spent more time with my TAs than I spent in class," she said, sometimes scouring the campus to find her tutors and mentors, or jumping into another student's appointment slot if they did not show up.
Clayton said her best mentor was then-teaching assistant Fadi Deek, now the university's top academic officer. “Norma is a person who we should all emulate. She is intelligent, accomplished, generous and committed. Norma is an example who inspires our students and instills pride in our alumni. I say this both as Provost as well as an alumnus myself,” Deek said at the reception. He too sought tutoring as a student here — "I never shied away from seeking help while a student no matter what level I was at," he recalled.
Clayton, a graduate of NJIT’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), has given generously to the university through various means such as supporting EOP, giving to NJIT’s general scholarship fund, and establishing the Jacqueline V. Brown Memorial Scholarship in honor of her mother, a champion of education.
"This center is more than just a tutoring center. It's a unique space where students can engage in free-form thinking, learn from others, have candid conversations and engage in discussions on a range of topics. You can't just be literate in one thing," Clayton added. "I know that it will serve many students to come. It will be a continuous investment for me and hopefully for my family."
"There are thousands of students who, every year, come to our learning center," NJIT President Joel S. Bloom said. As did Clayton, "They come not necessarily because they always need help, they just need the support, the mentoring, the reinforcement."
It's better to ask for help and get help, than not to succeed
Sandra Taylor, the center's director, said her staff currently has about 20 tutors. Some are employees and others are Albert Dorman Honors College students helping as a community service. She said the staff learned how to provide remote tutoring during the COVID pandemic and will continue offering that option in addition to in-person learning as a normal service.
Taylor said students are matched with tutors who might be a good fit in personality and learning style.
One such student is Christine Conaghy, of Absecon, who received her B.A. in biology last year and is now a fifth-year student studying history and playing on the soccer team. She attended the ribbon-cutting event to show her gratitude for the center's assistance.
"I was here probably all of my sophomore year. When we had our meetings with our athletic advisors, they directed us here. They knew that I needed help with math and chemistry," Conaghy said. "It definitely was a huge help. I would have struggled a lot more if I didn't have this. I still struggled, but with this I had a chance."
"Asking for help sometimes is difficult. We're all in the same boat and everyone struggles. It's better to ask for help and get help, than not to succeed. They do a great job."
