Category: Student Success & Retention

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Academic Center for Excellence Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Offices & Programs Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center services offered remotely on Friday, September 6

Due to the Friday, September 6th football game in Ford Stadium, the Loyd Center will require early security checks and lockdown. Therefore, all services offered in the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) will be offered as virtual options only. All staff will be remote that day. Tutoring is canceled for the day, but all other services will operate as scheduled. Please check with the individual staff member for the specific modality (ZOOM or TEAMS). Services include the Writing Center, DASS services, and academic counseling. Pony Up and beat BYU!

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Academic Center for Excellence Academic Devleopment of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Offices & Programs SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

You’re invited to DASSapalooza on Thursday, August 29

The Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) Office is inviting all DASS students, new and returning, to visit our office on the first Thursday afternoon of classes.

We’ll have great food, presentations on different topics like the benefits of coaching, a student’s perspective from our Graduate Assistant, answers to questions about how to share accommodation letters with faculty, and a demonstration for returning students on how to submit their Semester Requests.

Faculty and staff are also invited to see our physical space, ask questions about implementing accommodations, and just grab a bite to eat. All DASS staff will be available.

In addition, we need help naming our new DASS mascot. Add your suggestion on the voting board for the otter on our new “Accessibility For All” stickers.

Come see us and say hello!

Location: Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) Room 202R, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Loyd All-Sports Center

Call us with any questions: 214-768-1470Cartoon otter, the mascot of DASS

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Academic Skill Development Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention

Summer Forge successfully ends their second year

Summer Forge, an academic support program at SMU, provides invited undergraduate students with financial, academic, and social support to accelerate their path to on-time graduation. This year’s cohort included 29 students, who completed courses during May Term and Summer Term to fulfill a major, minor or Common Curriculum requirement. This year’s cohort attempted over 167 credit hours during the summer, with 97% of the coursework being completed successfully. 

Summer Forge participants completed check-ins throughout the summer with Jay Guillory, Student Success & Retention, and Brittaney Wilson, Office of General Education.  Additionally, students received academic coaching in partnership with the Academic Skill Development team. Of the 29 students in the Summer 2024 cohort: 76% of students reported using the ALEC for tutoring, and 17% reported receiving support from the Writing Center. 

Here is what some students had to say about their time in the Summer Forge: 

“The Summer Forge Program allowed me to catch up on my courses without the financial worry. The program provided support to help students succeed in the accelerated course of their choice. “– Grace B. 

 

“Summer Forge is beneficial, as it provides students with an Academic Advisor/Counselor, access to various resources, and free treats along the way as they catch up with students.” – Muskaan B. 

 

“I was able to catch up on credits I lost over the past few semesters, which helped me deal with the stress of not graduating on time.” -Iyanna C. 

Summer Forge is a collaboration between the Office of Student Success and Retention, Office of Academic Skill Development, SMU in Four, Office of Student Financial Services, and Student Academic Success Programs. 

For more information, visit www.smu.edu/summerforge. 

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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention

Join the Offices of General Education and Student Success & Retention at our suite warming

The Office of General Education and Student Success and Retention will host our Sweets and Suite Warming Gathering on Wednesday, August 14th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Blanton Suites 100 and 338. This is a come-and-go event.

The Office of General Education was previously housed in Blanton Suite 100 but has moved to Blanton Suite 338. Student Success and Retention, which operated out of the Perkins Administration Building, has moved to Blanton Suite 100.

Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to come tour our new office locations and enjoy sweets from Nothing Bundt Cakes and J.D’s Chippery.

We look forward to welcoming you!

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Student Success & Retention

Year-end review: Retention alert and advising note reporting system recap

confetti

With the Academic year ending, the Office of Student Success and Retention would like to focus on the effectiveness of our Retention Alert and Advising Note reporting system. We would like to thank every individual advisor or faculty member who used these tools to report any retention risk. 

 This academic year, with the valuable assistance of advisors across campus, 231 advising notes were submitted during the fall and spring semesters, in addition to 94 retention alerts. These submissions from our campus community have played a crucial role in identifying students who are considering transferring or taking a leave of absence from SMU.  

The Office of Student Success and Retention has utilized the information from both reporting systems to effectively intervene with at-risk students, demonstrating our collective efforts. SSR would like to express gratitude to the faculty and staff members who submitted advising notes and retention alerts this academic year. Through your partnership, SSR has been able to reach out to and assist students while providing them with support and connections to campus resources.  

If you would like to learn more about this tool and how the Office of Student Success and Retention utilizes it to aid with retention and intervention, please contact Jay Guillory. 

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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention

General Education and Student Success & Retention offices to move July 29 and 30

The Office of General Education and the Office of Student Success and Retention will be moving on July 29 and 30. Both offices will close during this time.

The Office of General Education will move from Suite 100 within the Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building (6185 Airline Road) upstairs to Suite 338.

The Office of Student Success and Retention will move from Suite 301 of the Perkins Administration Building to Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building (6185 Airline Road) to Suite 102.

Our departmental emails, phone, and booking links will remain the same, but we look forward to welcoming you to our new spaces on August 1, 2024. Please update any websites and printed materials that may have included our former physical locations.

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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention University Testing Center

Undergraduate Education and Academic Success publishes annual report

Undergraduate Education and Academic Success is an area within the Office of the Provost’s Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success, which oversees a wide range of academic support and engagement office units.

Our 2023 – 2024 offices and initiatives included:

 

A copy of the annual report is now available for download.

Questions, comments, and feedback can be directed to Dr. Dustin Grabsch (dgrabsch@smu.edu).

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Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention University Testing Center

Undergraduate Education and Academic Success units closed Monday, July 1 for staff retreat

The Undergraduate Education and Academic Success area within the Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success will close on Monday, July 1, for a staff retreat.

We encourage our constituents to use our websites or office self-service portals during this time for answers to common questions and requests.

Units include:

We will reopen during standard operating hours on Tuesday, July 2.

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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention

Crossing the Finish Line cohort continues to thrive in Spring 2024

classof2024

The Office of Student Success and Retention (SSR) is committed to providing support and resources to help students overcome challenges and achieve their goals on the Hilltop.  

Crossing the Finish Line is a program that assists SMU students with completing their degrees. The Office of Student Success and Retention works collaboratively with University Decision Support, academic advisors, and School Records Offices to identify undergraduate students who have left SMU and were close to graduation based on credit hours but did not attend another university. The purpose of Crossing the Finish Line is to use re-engagement efforts to support those students in graduating within the four to six-year timeframe. 

SSR invited a select number of students to participate in the Spring 2024 cohort, and 4 out of 15 invited students decided to return to SMU, or students currently attending SMU utilized this initiative to complete their degree.  

Dr. Sheri Kunovich, Associate Provost for Student Academic Engagement and Success, Dr. Dustin Grabsch, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education and Academic Success, and Shun Colter, Assistant Director of SSR worked together to identify eligible students who meet the requirements for Crossing the Finish Line. This criteria includes a GPA of 1.8 or above, in good standing with the University, and residing in the Dallas area. 

Crossing the Finish Line, is one of the Student Success initiatives led by SSR, such as Summer Forge, that support and empower students to succeed from their first day through graduation.  

Please contact Shun Colter for more information about Crossing the Finish Line. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention

Summer Forge returns for Summer 2024 with a 29-student cohort 

Following the successful completion of the inaugural Summer 2023 cohort, Summer Forge is back with a cohort of 29 students. Summer Forge provides invited undergraduate students with financial, academic, and social support to accelerate their path to on-time graduation.    

Invited students receive up to 8 paid semester credit hours over May, Summer, and/or August terms. To make the program more accessible, housing costs were included for non-local students. The Summer 2024 cohort consists of 29 students attempting over 167 credit hours during the summer terms. The average participant takes 6 hours to fulfill major, minor, or Common Curriculum requirements.  

Summer Forge is a collaboration between the Office of Student Success and Retention, SMU in Four, Office of Financial Aid, and Student Academic Success Programs. It reflects the university’s commitment to improving retention and graduation rates. Program Co-Directors Brittaney Wilson, General Education and Academic Appeals Coordinator, and Jay Guillory, Success Counselor in the Office of Student Success and Retention, initially identified the students based on various criteria, in addition to their commitment to complete classes in the Fall 2024 semester at SMU. They would like to thank the many advisors who recommended students and assisted with student outreach for their support.   

To kick off a successful Summer Term, Becca Umobong and Chris Meyers from Academic Skill Development led a Learning Strategies Workshop focused on: Time Management Resources and Improving Academic Success. In addition to the workshop, all students have individual academic counseling sessions. Students are also encouraged to visit the A-LEC for tutoring services across course content areas.  

Please contact Brittaney Wilson or Jay Guillory with any questions about the program.