Student Achievement Team
Spring 2013 Interventions for Academic Difficulty Recommendation
Respectfully submitted by: Jessica Long, Rob Falvo, Martha Wilson, and Heather Lippard,
chair.
Overview
Academic probation impacts a significant number of students on college campuses. Many of
these students do not have the support network or the skills to improve their academic situation
and are unaware of services that are available to them that may help them find academic success
in the future.
Consider the following data:
 Currently (Spring 2013), there are 583 enrolled students actively on probation.
 Over the past four years (Spring 2009 to Fall 2012), there are an average of 654 students
on probation per semester.
o This averages to be about 4% of the student body population impacted each
semester (with a range of 3.6-4.2%)
 Since Spring 2009, we’ve had 263 students withdraw from ASU after going on probation
and 1365 students placed on academic suspension.
 Between Spring 2009 and Fall 2012 (4 full calendar years), only 607 students TOTAL
with at least 1 academic probation term on their transcript graduated, suggesting that
these students have significant difficulty regaining academic footing once they have
faltered.
 In the Fall 2012 semester, a total of 1320 enrolled students (7% of total enrolled
population) were either on probation, continued probation, or were in good standing but
had at least 1 probation term on their transcript.
o Freshmen: 15%
o Sophomore: 23%
o Juniors: 25%
o Seniors: 37%
 In University College general advising (where students are advised prior to major
declaration), advisors are provided lists of the students on their caseload who end up on
academic probation.
o A mailer is sent to the student’s permanent address with information about ASU
policies with respect to probation
o UC advisors send emails to those advisees on probation, encouraging them to
schedule a meeting to discuss their academic status and options
o UC advisors are asked to meet with their probation students within the first five
weeks to set up an action plan. (Difficulty arises with enforcement of the plan
with most UC advisors managing a caseload of over 400 students)
o Probation workshops are announced and held. Students attend on a voluntary
basis. (In January 2012, 2 workshops were held with 80+ students attending)
o Advisees are required to meet with with UC advisors before they are able to
register for classes. During that time, an action plan is developed.
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o
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UC Advisors encourage their probation students to stay in contact with them
throughout the semester. The number and types of meetings required are at the
discretion of the advisor.
Once a student declares a major and moves out of general advising, there are inconsistent
policies and procedures for helping students. The few faculty advisors the committee
interviewed indicated that they were unaware of students on their caseload who were put
on probation unless the student self-disclosed. With 32% or more of the students on
active probation in the Fall 2012 semester being advised outside general advising (i.e.,
have declared), they may never receive the support they need in order to improve their
academic standing.
Discussion of ASU Interventions in Place
Appalachian has many, if not all, of the necessary resources in place to help students on
academic probation achieve good academic standing; however, the problem is that the
interventions that would help connect students to those resources are inconsistent, generally
offered on a voluntary basis. A few examples of resources available include:
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Probation Workshops take place at the beginning of every semester. These workshops are
run by academic advisors and are designed to share with students how they may achieve
good academic standing. Each student who attends the workshop is strongly encouraged
to meet with their academic advisor so they can make a plan for the semester. University
College (UC) advisors are good about keeping in contact with their students on probation
throughout the duration of the semester in order to help them stay on track to achieve
good academic standing.
Undeclared students and UC major students are required to meet with their advisor in
order to be able to register for classes. During this meeting, the advisor and student
discuss the necessary steps for the student to improve their GPA and achieve good
academic standing (aka- an action plan). This action plan is provided to the student on the
Academic Planning Form. This population of students is the only group with required
follow through concerning their academic probation; however, the follow through with
UC majors and undeclared students is still a problem due to large caseloads for the
academic advisors.
The Tutoring Center offers free individual and small-group weekly tutoring sessions for
most 1000-2000 level courses on campus (with some higher-need upper-level courses
also covered). Supplemental Instruction (SI) is also offered for some classes. This is a
system where a tutor who has taken the class before and done well, is hired to go to class,
take notes as if they were a student, and then use that information and information from
the professor in the development of materials to be used in 2 study sessions a week.
Study Skills Courses are offered to any student, regardless of academic standing. Classes
focusing on Time Management, Effective Study Skills, Power Reading, Learning Skills
and Technology, and Electronic Research Skills are offered for 1-hour elective credit.
Not only do these courses focus on specific strategies for academic success, they also
incorporate activities that promote self-reflection and the potential for making changes in
their lives as a whole that can transfer to all academic courses, as well as life after
college.
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Academic Coaching is offered on a limited basis through Learning Skills Services (a
component of the Learning Assistance Program). With a 1/2 time temporary position, 18
slots are available for meetings with a professional academic coach. In these meetings,
students are able to work to develop a plan of action for the week, are held accountable
for what they accomplished (or did not accomplish) in the week, etc. A peer version is
also offered through the Tutoring Center, with some tutors being designated as
Interdisciplinary Tutors. They are trained to work through a similar process with students
in need of academic assistance that is not necessarily content based. Students who do not
require regular weekly meetings, but who need some individual assistance can meet with
a learning skills specialist for a one-time consultation focused on the students’ area of
need.
2 case studies
In the research of various schools both within the UNC System and ASU’s BOG Approved
Peer Institutions, the committee discovered a wide range of policies and procedures for
students on probation. Two schools stood out with programs that appear to have led to
great success.
• Eastern Illinois University (EIU)
In 2007, EIU created a Student Success Center, comprised of 2 full time staff, 6 graduate
assistants, 4 graduate interns. This center maintains both in-person and virtual components. It
encompassed 2 different approaches:
 Proactive Approach- Building Outreach and Opportunity for Students in Transition
BOOST- for at-risk students identified through lower high school gpa’s and test scores.
 Reactive Strategies for students who end up on probation (below 2.0 gpa).
At the core of these resources for students on probation is the REQUIRED Strategies for
Academic Success. This is a semester-long class that meets once a week. The required
component is enforced by flagging students on probation in Banner, and registering students
automatically for a section of the class that fits in their schedules if they do not do so on their
own. Students must pass with C or better to get off probation. The course has a strict attendance
policy (to model what would be expected in the students’ other classes), and focuses on
developing skills for overall success. In addition, weekly individual meetings are held with many
students who may required additional assistance, similar to an academic coaching model. This
helps those students to learn to hold themselves accountable and to learn weekly strategies that
are individualized for them. As Cindy Boyer, the Center’s director states, “Students may initially
say that need help with test taking, or another academic skill, but when you talk more, you learn
that their roommate just moved out, they lost financial aid, they broke up with their boyfriend. If
the Center doesn’t have what they need, we make referrals to get them headed in the right
direction. We don’t just pass students on to the next office. We make sure they get the help they
need.”
Student success has improved dramatically since the creation of this Center. The percentage of
students who have moved from probation to good standing has increased from 34% to 86% over
the span of only 4 years.
• University of North Carolina- Greensboro (UNCG)
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At UNCG, students on academic probation are allowed to register for no more than 13 hours
during fall and spring, and 4 hours per summer session. Every student who falls on academic
probation must register for the Student Academic Success (SAS) program. The SAS courses
carry no credit and are not included in a student’s semester hours. Students on academic
probation must earn at least a 2.30 semester GPA every semester, including summer, until they
restore good academic standing. The limited amount of semester hours allowed continues until a
student restores good academic standing.
There are two tiers of the SAS program. Both SAS 100 and SAS 200 are eight week courses
graded Pass or No Pass. SAS 100 is the required course for students on academic probation at the
end of their first degree-seeking semester at UNCG, and covers the topics of: self-assessment,
study skills, motivation and goal setting, time management, stress management, and also an
introduction to the Student Success Center and additional on-campus resources. SAS 200 is the
required course for students on academic probation following a semester of good academic
standing at UNCG. This course is different from SAS 100 in that it focuses on career choices and
prior academic successes at UNCG. In addition, it covers the topics of: personal strengths, Myers
Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), time management, self advocacy, and also guides students to
appropriate on-campus resources. Enrollment in either course requires students to meet with their
SAS instructor at least twice throughout the semester. Students who do not pass SAS 100 or SAS
200 potentially face academic suspension. Both of the SAS courses are taught by professional
staff, adjunct faculty or graduate students. All instructors attend a mandatory day-long training
during the semester prior to teaching.
Students who are placed on academic suspension and return to UNCG are required to participate
in the Academic Contract for Excellence (ACE) program. The ACE program requires students to
meet regularly with their assigned academic coach in the Undergraduate Student Excellence
(USE) office. This USE academic coach will direct each student to visit an appropriate UNCG
support office, in addition to requiring each student to attend an Academic Excellence workshop.
The purpose of these meetings is also to discuss goals concerning academics, career and life. In
addition to regular USE academic coach meetings, students are required to meet with each of
their instructors concerning their academic progress and grades.
Although the SAS program has been in place for 14 years, there is no longitudinal data available
at this time. In 2011-2012, the eligibility to continue rates for SAS 100 students (freshmen) were
58% (meaning they met satisfactory academic progress guidelines, with 43% of SAS 100
students restoring their academic standing. In 2011-2012, of the SAS 200 students (students with
at least 1 semester of good academic standing), 63% met satisfactory academic progress
guidelines and 47% restored their academic standing.
Taking this information into account, the subcommittee would like to make the following
proposals for assisting students who are on academic probation regain Good Academic
Standing.
1. The committee recommends the implementation of a systematic alert system for
professionals (advisors, etc.) working with students who are on academic probation,
regardless of class status (declared vs. non-declared).
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2. The committee recommends the creation of a Retention Office, which would act as a
centralized location for students on academic probation, connecting students with
professionals who can assist in strategically addressing their individual needs, help them
access services on campus, and follow up with them as they work their way back into
good academic standing. This office would work closely with other campus resources
that are already available and in place for Appalachian students.
3. The committee recommends the creation of a required, systematic process that ALL
students actively on probation must follow. Some examples of what could potentially be
included in the plan are:
a. Required meetings with an advisor or Retention Coordinator/Specialist to discuss
options available to help them return to Good Academic Standing
b. Creating an Individualized Action Plan to follow that will help them return to
Good Academic Standing, taking their specific situation into account
c. Participating in Academic Progress Pursuits (APPs)- Examples may include the
following: Attend a workshop specifically designed for students on probation,
take a course designed to improve academic study skills, meet regularly with an
academic coach, meet with each of their professors regularly to continually
monitor their progress in each class, seek assistance through available resources
on campus, etc.
d. Obtaining a particular GPA each subsequent semester, as determined in their
meetings with their advisors and/or Retention Coordinator, to demonstrate
Satisfactory Academic Progress toward achieving Good Academic Standing.
e. Following up with their advisor regularly and continually assess progress and
identify and deal with areas of potential concern as they arise.
f. Failure to follow these guidelines would result in registration holds being placed
on the student’s accounts until the requirements were met.
4. To assist the process of providing systematic access to APPs, the committee recommends
the creation of a course designed specifically for students on probation. Emphasis would
be on developing life skills, study skills, interdependence, etc. This class could act as a
“hub” for filtering students through and into the resources available on campus.
Suggested elements may include:
a. This course will be a required, one semester course for all students on academic
probation the first semester after going on probation. Although the course will carry
no academic credit toward graduation (and therefore will not be counted in the 140hour surcharge count, a passing grade (at least 70/100 points) will be required.
Students must attend all class meetings in order to receive a passing grade.
Registration for the following semester will not be permitted for students who fail the
course.
b. Each student in the course will be required to meet at least two times with their
instructors throughout the semester in which he/she is enrolled. Ideally, these
meetings would occur near midterms and again near finals. Similar to meetings with
the Retention Coordinator should take place. These meetings will take the tone of a
collaborative exploration and planning about academic progress and goals for the
student.
c. Through the duration of the course, students will be introduced to on campus
resources such as, but not limited to, the Learning Assistance Program, Psychological
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Counseling and Testing Center, Peer Career Center, Career Development Center,
Tutoring Center, Study Skills courses, etc. Students in the course will complete a
written assignment regarding their personal experience involving at least one on
campus office or resource selected based on their area(s) of need.
Future Research Suggestions
After conducting research from various campuses, the committee noted the presence of more
proactive programs geared toward at-risk students to help prevent the likelihood of students
ending up on probation on campuses with higher rates of success. The committee respectfully
suggests that the Student Achievement Team consider looking into this area further. Specifically,
the committee noted the following that could be researched further:
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The possibility of creating an early identification program for at-risk students. This
program could utilize information from Map Works and other data sources to identify atrisk general population students (i.e., those not being served through specialized advising
services or other areas on campus such as ODS, SSS, ACCESS, Athletics, etc.).
Once identified, this program could include services such as academic coaching, a
mentoring program (potentially using sophomores to help alleviate problems associated
with the “sophomore slump”), study skills classes, academic success workshops, etc. and
would be geared toward preparing at-risk students for academic success.
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