An alumnus of St. Lawrence, Matt McCluskey returned to his alma mater in 2008 as the Coordinator of Academic Support. He also teaches in the First Year Program, mentors and instructs students in the Higher Education Opportunity Program, and plays a primary role in the University's early warning process. Within these positions Matt has been able to further long-time interests in reading and writing pedagogies, education, and the social sciences.
After graduating from SLU, he went to work at the Kildonan School, an institution that specializes in teaching gifted students with learning disabilities. He has since worked with students with dyslexia and ADHD in Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and New York. He also taught history and coached soccer at the Doane Stuart School, an ecumenical college prep school in Albany, New York. Matt earned a master’s degree in political science at Duke University in 2001 and has longtime interests in public policy and the history of political thought. Related to these passions, he has taught such courses as America’s Suburban Landscape, Reading Political Philosophy, and American Soil. He particularly enjoys providing hands-on learning experiences within these courses, including opportunities with the University Archives, the GIS lab, and Community-Based Learning placements. He is a representative on the First Year Program Council and at the Center for Civic Engagement, delights in serving as the university mentor for the men's soccer team, and has written on education issues for such publications as the Huffington Post and Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
One highlight among Matt's academic support duties is helping students develop the habits that will allow them to head off academic trouble in the short run and excel throughout their college careers. He meets regularly with students who are working on their note-taking, test preparation, communication, and time management skills or exploring their academic interests. He is especially interested in helping students to use active reading strategies and to connect them with engaged learning opportunities around campus. When he’s not at work, Matt can be found venturing out on photography excursions or playing soccer with his wife, Jennifer, and his son, Sean.
