The Academic Foundations Center (AFC) is an alliance of academic support service programs, including the Department of Education and Academic Foundations (DEAF), the Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF), and the Center for Pre-College Education and Community Outreach. The center offers specialized instruction in communication skills-reading, writing, and English as a second language-and basic mathematics, science, and study skills. AFC combines strong instruction and tutorial assistance with the personal, financial, and career counseling support necessary for the academic and social advancement of underprepared students. The AFC also houses a department with tenured faculty who are recognized in their disciplines of education, mathematics, and communication skills, and who are deeply committed to bringing high school and college experiences to underprepared students entering Newark College of Arts and Sciences and University College. AFC is important in accomplishing the university`s and Rutgers-Newark`s mission to educate New Jersey`s diverse range of students, as well as prepare the communities` K-12 precollege students to enter college.