CEDARVILLE — The Cove, Cedarville University’s academic enrichment center, is celebrating 20 years of service to students. In this time, The Cove has proven to students that it believes in them, and that they can believe in themselves.

The Cove began by offering academic assistance programs and disability services. Now, after two decades, it has become a center of comprehensive service that helps students with their studies, mental health and ability to thrive in every area of college life.

The numbers alone speak to The Cove’s massive impact. Originally employing three staff members, The Cove now employs seven full-time staff members and has over 200 part-time workers who serve in a variety of roles, such as one-on-one tutoring, of which 3,800 hours were logged during the 2023-24 academic year.

The Cove offers many courses designed to help students excel academically, recover their GPAs and learn study methods that help bolster student retention. In addition, the staff has registered more than 200 students for disability services and accommodations, including note taking in high-intensity classes and private testing centers with increased time limits for exams. New methods of accommodation are continually made available to meet the needs of the growing student body.

While the numbers remain impressive, the story of The Cove is not about statistics, but people. The enrichment center’s true impact extends to the personal lives of students.

The concept of The Cove originated in 1997 as the Academic Assistance Center. The idea was pitched by Dr. Pamela Diehl Johnson, longtime faculty member at Cedarville University and dean of Undergraduate Studies. Diehl Johnson, who died Feb. 14, 2024, was appointed the initial director of the center. She utilized her role to lead the charge in recognizing student needs through the start of academic enrichment programs and the development of ADA assistance accommodations.

Ten years after the idea was born, Kim Ahlgrim was selected by Diehl Johnson to succeed her as director and was charged with developing new ways to enhance the college experience for Cedarville students. The Academic Assistance Center was restructured into The Cove in 2004.

“Serving students through The Cove has been a remarkable blessing,” said Ahlgrim, director of The Cove. “Yet every decision we’ve made has been inspired by the students who have given feedback and communicated their needs to serve them better. If we try to create something for students from our generation, it isn’t going to work. We must listen to them for what they really need, not just what we think they need.”

The transition from Diehl Johnson to Ahlgrim is just one example of how the academic center has flourished.

When Ahlgrim first took charge of the Academic Assistance Center, it was originally within the Callan Athletic Center. Students found it difficult to come forward to ask for help, and students with disabilities felt devalued by being forced to enter the most athletic-focused space on campus. This uncomfortable environment, as well as an unapproachable name, served as the first warning signs that a changed attitude towards learning assistance was needed.

The Cove that students visit today, located in the Center for Biblical and Theological Studies, showcases through bright colors and subtle beach-themed decor that the center is no traditional educational environment. The Cove is vibrant, colorful and full of excitement — including the service dogs that greet visitors — and this design is an intentional choice to physically express The Cove’s goals.

The vision for The Cove was not just to improve students’ academic performance, but to change the culture of academics. This mission, enforced by the support of Diehl Johnson and other university executives, allows The Cove to now focus on academic improvement through multiple methods, including student retention programs and extracurricular events.

One significant addition to The Cove’s services is its summer college prep program, Wave, that is offered for incoming freshmen. During the two-week stay, students attend classes and workshops that equip them for college in the fall.

“If a student comes into the office facing deep academic struggles, most programs will simply try to fix the performance, which is only a symptom,” said Ahlgrim. “Most of our visitors aren’t just students struggling with their grades, but students who were at the top of their classes in high school, need a rigorous GPA for their scholarships or are facing significant struggles in their home lives. We want to find the root.”

In its 20 years of service to Cedarville, The Cove has become a lighthouse for students. With a staff that is trained in support and counseling, The Cove fulfills a unique role in helping students in crisis and connecting them to the right professionals.

“If it weren’t for the wonderful faculty and staff we have had all along the way, we wouldn’t have 20 years of The Cove’s story,” said Ahlgrim. “They bring their educational and work experience, their gifts, their own struggles and lessons, and from that, it equips us to walk alongside students. To serve here has been one of my greatest honors.”