Retention Activities for NCA
Valley City State University has several activities to assist with retention. Each major
has requirements laid out on a program sheet that a student can print and keep track of
courses taken to the completion of their degree program. The program sheets are updated
with each new bulletin. Faculty advisers have access to the printed program requirements
to assist students with planning. The Office the registrar provides completed status sheets
in the case of students who transfer in course work.
Students are assigned an adviser according the major stipulated upon enrollment. The
student makes a change of Adviser as they progress through their chosen degree
requirements if there is a change of program or area of emphasis. When students change
their majors often times a new adviser is chosen.
Throughout the course of a term, Faculty are asked to report student absences (VCSU
Policy V517) to the office of the Director of Student Academic Services for follow-up
action which can be a recommendation to reduce course load, encourage regular
attendance to eligible for peer tutoring services, speak with instructors to clarify a
possible option, and or check on the progress of students in their other classes.
A peer tutoring service funded by the Student Senate is available to students regularly
attending classes. Students who have been excused from classes for documented medical
reasons are also eligible to receive tutoring services in order to catch up on course content
and missed assignments.
Students receiving less than a 2.00 grade point average (GPA) for a term receive a letter
informing them they are at risk from the Office of Student Academic Services. Students
are requested to make an appointment with the director and try to come up with a plan to
help students succeed.
Students that find themselves on probation are required to enroll in a study skills class
that focuses on learning style, goal setting and time management. The students are
restricted to 14 credits per term until they have earned an overall GPA that indicates they
are in good academic standing with the policies of the institution.
Students that need to withdraw from the university during the term are asked to complete
a short survey with respect to their experience at the university. Students are encouraged
to contact the university for assistance in returning as soon as they are able to pursue their
academic study.