Dr. Blicharz is Named Director of Student Academic Support
Supporting Students in Their Futures in the Health Sciences, John Blicharz, Ph.D., Will Lead the Office of Student Academic Support
John Blicharz, Ph.D., joins the New York Medical College (NYMC) community as the director of the Office of Student Academic Support, whose mission is to provide academic support services to students at NYMC and Touro College of Dental Medicine. The office offers academic coaching for students, creates and delivers workshops and resources on study strategies, time management, in-house and board/licensure exam preparations as well as writing workshops and one-on-one writing assistance. The office also offers a Peer Learning Partner Program, which is a tutoring service for students. The office assists students with disabilities ensuring that reasonable student-specific accommodations are available throughout their program of study.
A skilled higher education administrator and instructor with more than 11 years of experience supporting students’ academic needs in-person and online, Dr. Blicharz served as the director of centralized tutoring and academic support programming at New Jersey City University. He developed a centralized tutoring model, which included tutoring, workshops, academic coaching, academic probation support, academic integrity plan and student success and retention initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led cross-divisional efforts between the Student Services and Academic Support at his university to ensure students overcame any personal challenges and had the tools they needed to graduate. He and a team of colleagues were recently awarded a $3 million grant to support embedded tutoring in English composition courses, accommodation services and other student support and retention initiatives. Dr. Blicharz also served on the university committees including curriculum, strategic planning, accreditation, programming and other committees.
“Every student enters the room with culture, beliefs, experiences and pre-existing knowledge,” said Dr. Blicharz. “It's important for us, as educators, to understand that these components affect how students engage course materials, peers and instructors and find ways to draw upon this wealth on knowledge, so students increase their sense of belonging and engage in learning and retention of material…then apply it.”
Dr. Blicharz earned a B.A. in English, an M.A. in criminal justice at New Jersey City University, a TESOL Certification from the Teachers College at Columbia University and a Ph.D. in literacy from St. John’s University in Queens, New York.
“I want to commend and thank the students, staff and faculty who participated in the search committee and others who met with the candidates, for their insightful feedback,” said Dana Mordue, Ph.D., vice chancellor for accreditation and student support and associate professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology. “Dr. John Blicharz brings extensive experience, emotional intelligence and insights to the position of director of academic support. His focus on the importance of creating an environment of belongingness for students, faculty and staff expanded my own mission and vision for the Office of Student Academic Support.”