Who’s in the Driver’s Seat On the Road to College Success? Helping Your Student Navigate the Road to College Success Julia Mears Assistant Director of Academic Assistance Rachel Buday Assistant Director of Disability Services __________________________________ Office of Student Success

What is the Destination? How do students define college success? Personal Growth Engagement in Purposeful Activities Acquisition of Skills and Knowledge Academic Achievement Career and Professional Development (preparation for post-college success) Satisfaction “What Matters to Student Success: A Literature Review”. Kuh et al, 2006

Encountering Bumps Along the Way Many students struggle with these challenges as they transition from high school to college:  Managing Time  Prioritizing the Workload  Juggling Commitments  Monitoring Progress  Seeking Out Support  Taking Responsibility for Academic Successes and Non-Successes

Syllabus: Many high schools don’t use syllabi If they do, many of these do not cover the entire semester, but rather are distributed week-to-week Syllabus: The college syllabus is a guide and contract created by each faculty member, and stipulates important course components like attendance policies, assignment deadlines, class expectations, and grade calculations Students will receive a syllabus for each course Semester-Long Document Class Time & Attendance: 1,080 hours each school year Many “excused” absences allowed Class Time & Attendance: hours each school year No such thing as an “excused” absence Type of Work: Regular homework assignments, handouts, essays, presentations, projects Tests/ Quizzes given weekly Type of Work: Journal entries, presentations, projects, some problem sets in math or science, and MANY MORE PAPERS Tests/ Quizzes given less frequently (2-3/semester) Satisfactory Progress: Attend school regularly Pass classes (D- or above) Satisfactory Progress: Abide by attendance policy in the syllabus Professors will expect students to be prepared for class Maintain good academic standing (C or above) Just passing is not usually enough: Most professional programs will require higher GPA’s Grades: Quantitative Attendance, numerous tests/quizzes, quantity of homework assignments completed Grades: Qualitative All students must meet the same standards as stipulated in the course syllabus How is College Different from High School? High School College

Sample Class Schedule… MONDAY TUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAY 8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40 ENG 120 8:00-9:40 (or 11:20) 8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40 ENG 120 8:00-9:40 (or 11:20) 8:30-9:40 ENG 120 9:50-11:30 (or 11:00) 9:50-11:30 Human Growth & Development 9:50-11:30 (or 11:00) 9:50-11:30 Human Growth & Development 9:50-11:00 11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) 11:40-1:20 11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) Field Placement for HGD 11:40-1:20 11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) 1:30- 3:10 (or 2:40) Solar System 1:30-4:50 OPEN 1:30-3:10 Solar System OPEN 3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) 3:20-5:00 First-Year Seminar 3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) 3:20-5:00 First-Year Seminar 3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) 5:10-8:45 (or 9:00) 5:10-8:30 5:10-8:30 5:10-8:30

By Mid-Semester… MONDAY TUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAY 8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40 ENG 120 8:00-9:40 (or 11:20) Study Time in Library 8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40 ENG 120 8:00-9:40 (or 11:20) Study Time in Library 8:30-9:40 ENG 120 9:50-11:30 (or 11:00) Study Time in Library 9:50-11:30 Human Growth & Development 9:50-11:30 (or 11:00) Study Time in Library 9:50-11:30 Human Growth & Development 9:50-11:00 Work Study Job 11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) Meeting with Professor 11:40-1:20 Work Study Job 11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) Field Placement for HGD 11:40-1:20 Group Project Meeting 11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) 1:30- 3:10 (or 2:40) Solar System 1:30-4:50 OPEN 1:30-3:10 Solar System OPEN 3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) Study Time in Library 3:20-5:00 First-Year Seminar 3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) Study Time in Library 3:20-5:00 First-Year Seminar 3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) Laundry 5:10-8:45 (or 9:00) Field Hockey Practice 5:10-8:30 Field Hockey Practice 5:10-8:30 Field Hockey Practice 5:10-8:30 Field Hockey Practice Socializing

Who’s Supporting Your Student at Wheelock?  Academic Assistance, Writing Center and Disability Services Professional Learning Specialists Peer Tutors Writing Consultants  Academic Advisors  The Faculty  Counseling Center Staff  Residence Life Staff  Coaches and Athletic Staff  Student Leaders

Disability Services Students with documented disabilities may be eligible to receive services under state and federal laws.  Learning, physical/medical and psychiatric disabilities  These services may include: Testing Accommodations Priority Course Selection Electronic Text Resources Weekly Meetings with a Professional Learning Specialist  Students Must: Provide appropriate, updated, disability documentation from qualified professionals Disclose the disability and request services through an intake process with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) Meet with ODS at the beginning of each semester in which accommodations are requested to receive accommodation letters for faculty

The Wheelock COMPASS Helping Students Stay On Course Compass Referral System Faculty alert students and The Compass Response Team to concerns they have about students. These concerns may be about attendance, test performance, quality of written work, professionalism at Field Placement, and classroom behavior, etc. Mid- Semester Evaluation Each professor enters a “grade” of “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” at the mid-term to indicate a student’s progress in meeting the goals and objectives of the class. Students with unsatisfactory grades will automatically be reviewed by the Compass Response Team and/or the Student Outreach Task Force Compass Response Team & Student Outreach Task Force Collaborative, responsive, and timely outreach and support to students at risk Scholastic Review Board Monitors the academic status of all students and applies academic policies

Getting Your Student into the Driver’s Seat: Learning the Rules of the Road  The course syllabus is the primary academic document your student must follow as it includes all course requirements as stipulated by each faculty member The primary mode of communication from the Wheelock community to students is through their Wheelock , so it should be checked daily Systems like Moodle are also used to manage weekly assignments and course expectations  Students must be proactive! They should not wait until they are in trouble to get help! Most first-year students try to “make it on their own” during their first semester, which can hurt them

Getting Your Student into the Driver’s Seat: Learning the Rules of the Road (continued) MyCompass Faculty Support Staff Writing Center  If your student is having difficulty in a course, the professor (and our staff) will assume that s/he will seek extra help Your student is responsible for monitoring his/her own progress  Parents do not have access to information without the student’s permission (FERPA) There are no team meetings or parent/teacher conferences  It’s your student’s job to keep you in the loop, so encourage that communication with them When they do, encourage them to communicate with their professors and support staff if they need help

Office of Academic Assistance and Disability Services Julia Mears Assistant Director of Academic Assistance (617) Rachel Buday Assistant Director of Disability Services (617) The Wheelock College Library, Suite The Riverway, Boston, MA Fax: (617)