During my tenure as Associate Dean of Academic Advising and co-chair of the Retention Committee at St. Lawrence, I researched many aspects of student success, which I bring to my work with students. Some examples include the following:
• My team and I undertook a systematic review of academic standing practice and outcomes, with a particular view to understanding how policies and procedures impacted students' academic success. In reviewing who was suspended or placed on academic probation, what the outcomes were for students who successfully appealed academic suspensions, etc.–we were able to understand how our policies and procedures might be adjusted to lead to a higher likelihood of students graduating from the university, and also how to more effectively support the marginalized students most impacted by our academic standing policies. As a result, we totally revised our academic standing communications to focus on growth mindset and non-punitive messages. We also successfully pushed for the revision of the term "academic probation" to "academic notice" to avoid the negative connotations of the prior term.
• We analyzed many years of grade outcomes to understand which classes students were most likely to fail or earn grades below 2.0 in, so we could make sure appropriate support systems were in place to help students succeed in these classes.
• We began systematic outreach to first-year and sophomore students with GPAs between 2.0 and 2.5 (in good academic standing, but likely not achieving to their full capacity), inviting them to work with us to chart a path to greater academic success. We also initiated a program of hand-writing cards to students whose GPAs were on an upward trajectory over the previous two semesters, to provide positive encouragement for students who had found their academic footing.
• I and other members of the Retention Committee undertook many projects analyzing the reasons students leave our university, and proposed to the University's Senior Staff recommendations for actions that could help with retention. Among the most important issues that lead to students to leave college are mental health and wellness concerns, leading our university to create a Wellness Education coordinator position, increase the staffing of the health & Counseling Center, and develop collaborations among Student Life and other offices to help students cope with stress, develop positive wellness habits, and make wellness awareness central to the work of offices across the university. Another key issue for student success and satisfaction is developing a sense of belonging and community, which we also devised multiple programs to address.
• My work with students navigating the academic standing process, as well as my supervision of Student Accessibility Services and our Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and other opportunity programs, and working closely with our director of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Multilingual Student Academic Support has helped me understand how to make a campus as supportive as possible of the full range of our students.
• As Associate Dean of Academic Advising, I also did extensive research and one-on-one work helping prepare pre-law students, pre-health career students, and others intending to study in graduate school, working closely with them on their academic planning, personal statements, and other aspects of the application process. I also worked with students applying for external scholarships and grants, such as Fulbright, Gilman, and Pickering.
• My experience on the Academic Advising Committee, Academic Standing and Petitions Committee, Academic Planning Committee, Health Careers Committee, Assessment Committee, and Sophomore Program Steering Community entailed research and discussions on a broad range of issues relevant to student success, belonging, and retention.