The SMU in Four team releases the year-one progress report on SMU’s Quality Enhancement Plan.
Updates are provided on early-alert mechanisms, undergraduate academic advising, technology enhancements, and gateway & introductory courses. Plus, student retention and graduation numbers are shared along with goals for year two of the five-year initiative.
In September, a copy of the year-one progress presentation was shared with the SMU community and is also available online. Questions regarding the report or presentation may be directed to smuinfour@smu.edu.
One reply on “SMU in Four Year-one Progress report available”
Great report, tough problem to solve for SMU. So glad with Admissions bringing us this great diversity of students. One suggestion might be to have faculty of large enrollment courses be incentivized ($$) to personally (not TA’s) outreach to any student performing poorly and mentor them into higher performance. Maybe a standing pool of money (like an Engaged Learning award but for rare student “slip-up” terms in which they needed a little extra help)? Faculty could apply WITH the student to plan, do, and document an recovery plan for short-term intensive learning plan (a SLIP). A University-wide program to remind faculty (yes, even research-heavy faculty) of their obligation to teach every student who enrolls (not just sage-on-the-stage stuff) and their potential impact on these 1st year retention numbers would send a good message to the University community, would provide a structure thru which faculty to justify deeper investment than normal in struggling students, might please the faculty already deeply invested in teaching, and be money well spent toward SMU-in-Four goals. Just an idea.