Who’s in the Driver’s Seat On the Road to College Success?

Helping Your Student Navigate the Road to College Success

Julia MearsAssistant Director of Academic Assistance

Rachel BudayAssistant 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:•360-450 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 

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40

 ENG 1208:00-9:40 (or 11:20) 

8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40

 ENG 1208:00-9:40 (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 System1:30-4:50 

 OPEN 1:30-3:10

 Solar System OPEN

3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) 

3:20-5:00

 First-Year Seminar3:20-5:00 (or 4:30) 

3:20-5:00

 First-Year Seminar3:20-5:00 (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 

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40

 ENG 1208:00-9:40 (or 11:20)

 Study Time in Library 8:00 (or 8:30)-9:40

 ENG 1208:00-9:40 (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 Professor11:40-1:20

 Work Study Job11:40-1:20 (or 12:50)

 Field Placement for HGD

11:40-1:20

 Group Project Meeting11:40-1:20 (or 12:50) 

1:30- 3:10 (or 2:40)

 Solar System1:30-4:50 

 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 Seminar3:20-5:00 (or 4:30)

 Study Time in Library 3:20-5:00

 First-Year Seminar3:20-5:00 (or 4:30)

 Laundry

5:10-8:45 (or 9:00)

 Field Hockey Practice5:10-8:30

 Field Hockey Practice5:10-8:30

 Field Hockey Practice5:10-8:30

 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 COMPASSHelping Students Stay On Course

• Compass Referral SystemFaculty 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 EvaluationEach 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 ForceCollaborative, responsive, and timely outreach and support to students at risk

• Scholastic Review BoardMonitors 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 email, 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 andDisability Services

Julia MearsAssistant Director of Academic Assistance(617) 879-2179

jmears@wheelock.edu

Rachel BudayAssistant Director of Disability Services(617) 879-2030

rbuday@wheelock.edu

The Wheelock College Library, Suite 205200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215Fax: (617) 879-2163http://www.wheelock.edu/academics/academic-services