THE ROLE OF FACULTY IN STUDENT RETENTION

"Student-faculty interaction has a stronger relationship to student satisfaction with the college experience than any other involvement variable, or indeed, any other student or institutional characteristic." – Alexander Astin, UCLA HERI

"Students who have frequent contact with faculty members in and out of the class during their college years are more satisfied with their educational experiences, are less likely to drop out, and perceive themselves to have learned more than students who have less faculty contact." ‐ K. Patricia Cross, About Campus, 1998


"There is no decent, adequate, respectable education, in the proper sense of that much‐abused word, without personal involvement by a teacher with the needs and concerns, academic and personal of his/her students. All the rest is ‘instruction’ or ‘information transfer', but it is not teaching and the student is not truly learning."
 ‐ Page Smith, Killing the Spirit, 1990


"Relatively simple changes in teaching methods can produce significant gains in learning for college students." - Harvard Assessment Seminar, 1990

Changing Lanes…Become a Mentor

Mentoring is your opportunity to connect with a first-year student or a continuing student at the University. Students are paired with faculty, staff, upper class students, former mentees, and alumni. Mentors connect students to campus resources, provide encouragement and friendly support. To become a Changing Lanes mentor, contact Howard Wright, Ed.D. at 256.372.5493, howard.wright@aamu.edu. His office is located in 101 Buchanan Hall. ORAS office hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5: 00 p.m.

ORAS Contact Information

We are here to help! Feel free to contact us! Leatha M. Bennett, Ph.D. Director ORAS 256.372.5491 leatha.bennett@aamu.edu Cynthia Benion, M.A. Academic Specialist Academic Success Assistance Program (ASAP) 256.372.8087 cynthia.benion@aamu.edu   VACANT until filled Academic Specialist Supplemental Instruction (SI) 256.372.5487 Debra Higgins GSA Office Management256.372.8089 dhiggins@bulldogs.aamu.edu Linda Skeete McClellan Tutorial/SI Coordinator Tutorial Assistance Network (TAN) 256.372.5487 linda.skeete@aamu.edu Dawn Miles, M.ED. Academic Specialist Bulldog Academic Resource Connection (BARC) 256.372.5494 dawn.miles@aamu.edu Janet Jones, B.A., M.A. (2011) Academic Specialist Bulldog Academic Resource Connection (BARC) 256.372.5496 janet.jones@aamu.edu Howard Wright, Ed.D. Program Specialist Changing Lanes Mentoring Program (CLMP) 256.372.5493 howard.wright@aamu.edu

What Are Students Saying About ORAS?

• "The program is a great help."
• "I was very grateful to have such a concerned and helpful counselor (Program Specialist)."
• "I have used the study skills suggested for me and they worked out well and are reflected in my grades."
• "The program did a whole lot more than what I expected."
• "I have implemented time management strategies to my weekly schedule. I am better prepared for classes and not stressed as much as I used to be."
• "My counselor (Program Specialist) recognized me as a person first and then a student."
• "The program helped keep me on track and motivated. It let’s you know how you are doing all while giving you the opportunity to connect with someone who cares about your future."
• "I would encourage anyone who is struggling to become a part of this program."
• "The faculty feedback form (progress report) gave me confidence and it let me know what I had to improve in."
• “Don’t’ change anything; everything was perfect.”
• “Overall, the staff is enthusiastic in providing quality service.”
• “The tutor/SI leader reviewed the course material to ensure I understood.”
• “The Tutoring/SI office staff treated me well.”
• “The Tutoring/SI application process was simple.”
• “Tutoring/SI prevented me from dropping the course.”
• “The tutor/SI leader increased my interest in the subject.”
• “The tutor/SI leader expected me to be prepared for the session.”
• “The tutor/SI leader used the time wisely in the sessions.”
• “The chosen method(s) of communication (email, telephone) worked well.”
• “Tutoring/SI increased my self-confidence.”
• “The tutor/SI leader used the time wisely in the sessions.”
• “Tutoring/SI is a valuable service.”
• “The tutor/SI leader was able to explain the subject matter to me well.”
• “Tutoring/SI helped [me] to understand the course material better.”

Who Are The Students Who Seek Services From ORAS?

Students who seek assistance from ORAS come from all disciplines across the University and from every level of undergraduate including a few at the graduate level. They may be U. S. citizens or international students, full-time or part-time, undergraduates or graduates. Our primary populations are first-time freshmen and sophomores.

Students come to ORAS with general concerns about academic issues, i.e., students may want to know what may be expected in different courses, how to handle the required reading, how to work with a particular instructor, how to improve a draft of an essay, or how to engage in a contractual academic arrangement because of his or her probation status. Some students are required to register with ORAS because they are not in good academic standing with the university. Others come by to say “hello” or just to connect with people in a friendly office.

ALERTing all AAMU Faculty…

The Academic Alert Program is designed to identify students who are having academic difficulty at any point in their four or five years at AAMU, especially first-time freshmen. By identifying these students, an Academic Specialist in the Office of Retention and Academic Support (ORAS) can attempt to address their needs, thereby increasing the likelihood of their success. The primary goal of this program is to assist faculty and staff in improving the motivation and performance of students at risk of failing in an effort to better AAMU’s capacity to retain these students.

While the faculty member should always be the first person to establish contact with the student and address issues, it is true that often faculty do not have the time or resources to get to the root of each student's problem. The Office of Retention and Academic Support can support faculty in their efforts to help students be successful in their studies.

 How does Academic Alert Program work?

• Academic Alert is a system for identifying students who are having difficulties in a given course. Faculty awareness of potential student problems constitutes the backbone of the Academic Alert Program. Students may be identified for Academic Alert for a variety of reasons, including frequent absences, lateness, poor test scores, language skills, and writing ability. Faculty members and instructors who have identified such issues should submit names via the Academic Alert form on the ORAS webpage.

• Once the notice is received, the Office of Retention and Academic Support contacts students via e-mail or telephone to set up an individual appointment with an Academic Specialist to discuss steps to improve their performance in the class. The Specialist will also suggest resources for the student to access. A follow-up e-mail is sent to the student and referring faculty within 48 hours.

How is a student identified for Academic Alert?

• A student is identified when an instructor notices the student’s work does not meet the standards of the class and needs improvement. The identification is made on the basis of poor performance on an early test or quiz, attendance issues, language or writing ability, or any other number of possibilities. The instructor makes the decision as to what behavior is causing concern regarding the student’s success.

Who participates in Academic Alert?

• Faculty members, instructors, advisors, and staff work together to provide an effective system of early intervention to improve student retention and success. All instructors are encouraged to participate in the Academic Alert Program.

When should an instructor use the Academic Alert Program?

• Any faculty member who is concerned about a student's failure to attend classes and /or a student's poor performance in class is encouraged to submit the student’s name at any time in the semester. ORAS encourages instructors to assess students’ progress during the first two to three weeks of class and provide the students with immediate feedback. Research shows that the earlier the student is made aware of faculty concerns regarding his or her performance, the earlier interventions can be initiated to increase the student's potential to achieve academic success. Some instructors submit names immediately after the first test, while some wait for two tests to see if there is a pattern. While some instructors submit names of students who have scored below a C on the first test, others prefer to only send in names of students with failing grades. A section on the Academic Alert Form allows faculty to indicate reasons other than low test scores/attendance issues when students are Alerted.

What should I tell the students in my class about the Academic Alert Program?

• Some faculty members place information about the Academic Alert Program in their syllabus, and also announce it as part of the class introduction. The following example may be used in your syllabus:

Hello to all General Biology (BIO 101) students. AAMU has implemented an Academic Alert Program for students who are having difficulty in their classes. I have agreed to participate in this program and submit the names of all those students who score less than 70 percent on the first exam. This is an excellent program that is designed to assist students in being successful this semester. I have included a description of the Academic Alert Program below:

o   This program is a retention tool to improve students’ academic persistence and to provide students with resources to support their efforts. It is designed for faculty to identify, report, and provide feedback for students who are at risk of failing in a course. Faculty members will be able to email detail concerns regarding student performance and behavior or simply provide a list of Alerted students to the Office of Retention and Academic Support (ORAS).

o   These referrals will be reported to ORAS. Within 24 hours of a referral, the Office of Retention and Academic Support  will make contact with the student, and offer a meeting with the student to discuss concerns and to connect the student to campus resources appropriate to the student's needs. ORAS will conduct ongoing assessment to evaluate the level of student response and outcomes of the effort.

Handling Requests for Classroom Accommodations

Students who request classroom accommodations should be referred to the ACCESS Office located in 203 Ralph Lee Center. Ms. Sanoyia Williams is responsible for reviewing and approving all classroom accommodations. Students are required to provide documentation to receive services in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  For more information, please contact Access Office at 256.372.5263.