“Student success” is the latest hot topic in higher education, and everyone wants a piece of it. There are new student success centers popping up all across campus; new positions dedicated solely to developing student success initiatives; and new class offerings and enrichment programs designed exclusively for the promotion of student success. As the Associate Director of Retention and Student Success it is my responsibility to analyze retention data, identify barriers to student success, and implement new or modify current policies and programs to increase persistence in STEM majors and loosen bottlenecks.
Student success initiatives target “at-promise” (an alternative, positive word choice for “at-risk”) populations—students of color, first generation students, students with disabilities, students with low math placement scores, and students on academic probation—who’ve historically experienced increased challenges and barriers to successful performance in the higher education system. College success predictors are found in ACT scores, high school GPA, and the rigor of high school curriculum.
In my short tenure at the College of Science and Mathematics, we’ve instituted an aggressive, intrusive approach to working with the “at-promise” populations, particularly the students on academic probation (cumulative GPA below 2.0) through the Academic Recovery Program (ARP). Our approach is “intrusive” in that we initiate contact with the students to inform them that we have reviewed their record and noticed that they are having some academic difficulty and ask them to schedule an advising meeting. After only one semester of implementation, we’ve seen some impressive gains from our students. Several students were removed from academic probation at the end of the term; some even earned 4.0 GPAs following their participation in ARP.
Through working with students on academic probation, I’ve learned that students are dealing with homesickness, relationship issues, family pressures, mental health issues, financial issues, and the list goes on. These personal issues have an impact on their academics. Even our most academically successful students are just two steps away from dealing with some of the same issues. In fact, most of the students on academic probation were at one time in the honors program or held GPAs above 3.0. It is my goal to expand student success initiatives to all students, those who are predetermined to be successful as well as our most vulnerable populations. Moving forward, I plan to work with the departmental advisors to use intrusive advising so students start viewing their advisors as not only the person who recommends classes but also a mentor, coach, and confidant.
In addition to enhancing our advising strategies, this fall we’ll be hosting our first CoSM Career Exploration week, October 12-16, which will feature daily events, speakers, and activities, covering a variety of career development topics. The goal is to get students thinking about “the next level”— graduate or professional school or the workforce. Research suggests that students who are motivated and career focused are more likely to be retained and graduate. And this is where our alumni can help. Offer to be a future career event speaker. Allow our students to tap into your wealth of experience, strategies and to hear how you overcame career challenges.
Lastly, we’ll continue to expand our student success reach beyond the first year experience. Our goal is to offer student success initiatives appropriate for all students at all levels. From enhancing the summer orientation experience for incoming students to developing and implementing new success modules into the first year seminars; from expanding careers courses and opportunities for career exploration and development to broadening participation in research and experiential learning; from MCAT and GRE prep courses to service learning and leadership opportunities; from the Dean’s list to academic probation; we are pushing forward with promoting and shaping success for all CoSM majors. Contact CoSM today to get involved!
