By Sara Berry
Most college students are familiar with the idea that if they don’t do at least a minimum amount of work, they will be in danger of flunking out of school. But few people realize that those in danger of flunking out at CCSU have some options.
In order to graduate from CCSU, students must have a 2.0 grade point average equivalent to a C average. However, certain departments within the university have higher requirements for their majors, including the 2.5 needed in business and 2.7 needed in teacher education programs.
The Academic Standards Committee changed the academic probation policy starting in the fall of 2009. This semester there are approximately 600 students on academic probation, 350 of them having been placed on probation at the end of their first semester at CCSU.
Under the previous policy there was a sliding scale that determined what GPA students had to maintain in order to stay enrolled at CCSU. Students had to have a certain GPA based on how many credits they had attempted. Students were expected to have a 2.0 GPA by the time they had attempted 70 credits. If they fell short of that goal, they would be placed on academic probation or informed that they had been dismissed. Under the new policy, students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 throughout their time at CCSU.
Students who do not maintain that GPA receive a letter telling them that they have been placed on academic probation at the end of the first semester that their GPA has gone below the required 2.0. They are also required to participate in some sort of academic intervention. Students have several options for interventions.
Under the new policy, those students that are placed on academic probation after their first semester at CCSU are required to take either sign up with an academic coach to develop a personal program and strategy or take either the reading efficiency class or the master student class.
“We want more students to graduate. We want more students to succeed. That is why we put resources into supporting students as early as we can,” said Meg Leake, director of the Learning Center and teacher of the master student class. “And so the bulk of our resources right now for academic support from the probation policy is geared toward those students at the very beginning of their careers. But there are all sorts of other supports available.”
The master student class, which has been a class at CCSU since 1989 in different forms, is a one-credit pass or fail course that helps students develop study skills that they can use in their other classes. It began a class primarily taken by first semester students looking to acquire skills to help them succeed in college from the beginning. In the 1990’s it was also used by the center for student athletes to help their students. However, it has now evolved into a class designed to help struggling students.
“Some students come to get help kicking and screaming,” said Leake, and if asked why they are in the class will say, “‘Well, I don’t really need it, but I need to do this so that if my grades aren’t strong enough at the end I’ll be able to appeal.'”
“I think it is a good idea but it depends on the circumstances,” said CCSU student Holly McMahon. “If a student has a low GPA because they are not managing their time well and studying in productive ways, then they should definitely take the class. But there are other reasons that someone might have a low GPA. If one of those is the case, then that person would need more of an intervention than just having to take a class on study skills.”
Leake said that the master student course is structured around the four-pronged model of strategic learning which focuses on the development of skills such as note taking, learning self-regulating behaviors like time management, understanding motivation and will and understanding the academic environment and how it impacts studying. The course consists of nine weeks of instruction, plus two additional meetings with an academic coach.
Continuing students are also assigned an academic coach and work with that person to develop an individual plan for improvement, based on their individual needs. They have the option to take one of these classes or attend other workshops as specified in their individual contract.
Academic coaches are graduate students who are mostly future guidance counselors or in the higher education program. The job of the academic coach depends on the needs of the individual student. Academic coaches can also be peer leaders from the First Year Experience program who work with first semester students.
Students who participate in academic interventions and make significant improvements, even if they don’t achieve a 2.0, are eligible for a second appeal and may be allowed to stay at CCSU for an additional semester. Depending on the student’s cumulative GPA, it may be mathematically impossible to bring their GPA up to the required 2.0 in a single semester.
“Most of the students do take advantage [of the available services] out of fear or because they really think they need it,” Leake said. “More students who participated got off probation than didn’t.”
She also said that since the policy change, there has also been a reduction in the number of students being dismissed due to below-acceptable GPAs.