Interventions for Performance and Program
There is a great deal of strategic information out on the student advising pages. Examine “Improving your CPA” or “Should I drop a class?” or “Transferring credits into Alma” under “General Academic Issues” and “I’ve really changed my direction” under “Field of Study Questions”. The Success Manual is also located on the advising website. You can encourage students to read these resources and reflect on possible solutions before meeting with you.
Early referral for problems to the appropriate source:
- Study skills workshops, ACP Office
- Tutorials and/or instructor consultations
- Teaching them time management (under the Success Manual “Organization” section)
Activities/Passions causing the difficulty:
- Possible discontinuation/reduction of activity (whatever is consuming them)
- “Required study time”
- Connect students to better habits and use of success manual for skills
- Send to Academic and Career Planning Office for skill help
- Connect to student mentor program if applicable (ACP Office)
Reducing load (see “Should I drop a class?” webpage)
- Dropping classes (watch out for falling below 13 credits)
- Student should check with financial aid about progress for financial aid retention
Repeating classes at Alma (to rescue a serious situation/get student on track)
- Best strategy if there is time and student can radically change grade, because new honor points will increase CPA
- if retaken at Alma:
- grade becomes “R”, credits/HP disappear, new grade stands
- Beware! Credit level and progress stalls, and second grade stands
Retaking classes elsewhere: if grade is “C” or better, old grade becomes “R”
- Best strategy to remove problem grades if grade increase is likely to be minor, but student can pass the course
- Credits/HP disappear, new credits appear under credits attempted (not used for CPA)
- Student can get a “Registrar consultation” for the best plan
- Student must fill out transfer of credit form before taking class to avoid problems
Change of Advisor (simple form to be signed by the new advisor only)
- When program/interests change
- When communication/match is not optimal
Change of Program
- When interest or ability no longer matches
- Send to Academic and Career Planning Office for interest/career surveys
- Have students talk to others (people in the new major, world of work etc.)
- Connect to “Informational interviews” webpage and “I’ve changed direction” webpage
Withdrawal during the term (see Registrar or ACP Office as appropriate)
- from a course via drop/add before drop date, course disappears from transcript
- from a course via petition if after drop date, leaves a “W” for the class on the transcript
- from an entire load which also can be petitioned very late if there is good reason
- To save CPA, self-esteem, or in other serious situations)
- shows up as a series of “W” for each course on the transcript
Change of School (see also “I’ve really changed direction” webpage)
- Report all students thinking of transferring to the Registar’s Office
- Students may be influenced by others, so try to get a history of the “leaving issue”
- Try to determine if a student is “running from a problem” rather than “toward a solution”
- A term away to accomplish goals might work better than leaving entirely
- Try to keep the door open for returning if possible, many students do return
- Speak about loss of time when transferring
- Send students to Sue Deel (Registrar) for help in assessment/transfer problems
Remember you can always brainstorm with colleagues for creative ways to help students get past difficulties. Fostering a sense that you care what happens to them can be a powerful motivator and persistence enhancer!
