How To Go Platinum with Your Probation Programs
NACADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012
Presented by:
Stacey Braun, Emporia State University
Andrea GillieHarris, Pepperdine University
Heather D. Maldonado, SUNY Buffalo State
Sara Solloway, University of San Francisco
BUFFALO STATE
SUNY Buffalo State’s Academic Intervention (AI) program is housed in University College (UC) and is staffed by one full-time (10-month) master’s level professional and a shared administrative assistant. The purpose of the AI program is to assist undeclared students with grade point averages (GPAs) of below 2.0 to return to good academic standing.
Undeclared students who are placed on academic warning (a first-semester only option) or academic probation are reassigned to the probationary advisor. Students are assigned back to their original UC advisor when they return to good academic standing.
AI students must meet with their probationary advisor prior to registration ending to make appropriate schedule adjustments. At this time, an intake interview is conducted to assess what “went wrong” in the prior semester and to develop a course of action for the upcoming semester (e.g., attendance at study skills workshops, counseling referrals). Students may be required to take UNC 100: Mastering the Academic Environment or UNC 111: Career Planning in Theory and Practice. They are also required to meet with their probationary advisor at least four times during the semester to review their progress and make plans for the upcoming semester.
The AI coordinator sits on the dismissal appeals board, reviews readmissions requests, and is one of two financial aid appeals officers on campus.
Spr 2010Spr 2011
Return to Good Academic Standing 52% 59%
Student Withdrawal 4% 4%
Dismissed 11% 19%
Extended Probation 25% 18%
Of the approximately 500 undeclared undergraduate students at Buffalo State, we average about 100 students per year with GPAs of less than 2.0.
11,659 students (10,002undergraduate and 1,657 graduate).University College at Buffalo State uses a particular rubric based on class standing and GPA to determine if a student will be dismissed or placed on probation, as UC monitors the probation and dismissal of all undeclared students, including general admits and transfers, All-College Honors, and two special admissions programs, plus Individualized Studies majors. Students are given one semester to return to good academic standing. In the past academic year, the AI program yielded the following results for probationary students (Spring 2012 percentages are not yet available)
Successes: Mandating participation in the UNC 100 section taught by the AI program coordinator for certain students has resulted in a greater percentage of students enrolled in that course being returned to good academic standing than those not in the course. The intrusive advising model, including the use of mid-semester grades, has been the most effective element of our program. The shared job responsibility for UC probationary students and financial aid waiver review for students with GPAs below 2.0 has also been an efficient use of staff time and has resulted in better student outcomes.
Challenges: It has been challenging to get students to participate in the program, even though our data suggests participation is helpful in returning to good academic standing. It has also been challenging to secure support staff for the program to managing the scheduling and record keeping needs of the program. Most elusive is our failure to discover an effective mechanism that alerts us to students in academic danger prior to term grades posting, even though we have used both “home-grown” and nationally marketed means to do so.
Contact Information:
Heather D. Maldonado, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of University College
Director of Academic Standards
University College at Buffalo State
1300 Elmwood Avenue - Twin Rise 100
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-5222
Fax: (716) 878-4037
Emporia State University
Emporia State University is a residential, 4-year public, regional university. We offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Our total campus enrollment is approximately 6500 students.
TheStudentAdvisingCenterconsistsoffourfull-time professional academic advisors as well as a handful of part-time faculty advisors. Our office works with all first-year students, students who are undecided/exploratory, and visiting and degree- seeking International students. Fall 2012, we advised 765 students; 98 are on academic agreements.
Students advised in the Center whose cumulative
GPAs are below 2.0 are required to completed an Academic
Agreement and complete the 3 inventories listed below:
Online Academic Probation Workshop Learning Styles Inventory Study Skills Inventory
Once students complete the inventories, they meet with the Assistant Director or Director to discuss the challenges which have/are preventing their academic success, and create a plan for improvement.
After mid-term grades are reported, our office contacts students whose mid-term GPAs are below 2.0 to meet with them to discuss how they can improve and be academically successful.
We utilize an early-alert system that enables facultyto electronically submit academic concerns. Once we receive theconcerns, we contact students to schedule a meeting to discussthe concern and help them get back on track.
Dreams/Challenges: D1: Required class for students who are on academic probation or have been reinstated. D2: More buy-in from faculty regarding the importance of early intervention.
C1: Inconsistent method/process for assisting students once they transition to departments. C2: Changing University Culture
Contact Information:
Stacey Braun
Assistant Director
Student Advising Center
206 Plumb Hall
Emporia State University
1200 Commercial Street, Campus Box 4016
Emporia, KS 66801
620-341-5421
Pepperdine University
The Academic Advising Center at Pepperdine’s Seaver College is comprised of 3 staff advisors and one administrator trained to work with students experiencing academic difficulty with the goal of ensuring eventual student success, culminating with graduation.
All students at Seaver with a major have a discipline-specific faculty advisor as well as the staff advisor in our office.
All students on probation must meet with an advisor in our area or with their faculty advisor to discuss plans for academic success, such as a change of major, time management, or external family or personal situation.
In cases where problems extend beyond academics, we will work with the Seaver College Students of Concern Committee to ensure a proactive, comprehensive intervention.
We work with all dismissed students to return to our community, should they wish to do so. We readmit 6-10 per year, on average.
In 2008, we revised our probation policies to ensure greater transparency, something that has resulted in better statistics and definitely a clearer understanding by our students and faculty.
Seaver College is the residential, undergraduate school at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA with3184 undergraduates. As of the end of spring 2012, we had 54 on first-time probation, and 21 on continued probation, roughly 2.4 percent. 30 cleared probation after that term as well.
We typically dismiss 20 students a year, and will work with each to select a full load of substantive classes to take at another school with regional accreditation.
Grades of A and B in a full load of appropriate courses will ensure readmission (max of 16 units)
Readmitted students will receive one term of institutional aid to clear probation.
Dreams: Ah, a school with nobody in academic peril. We will be implementing midterm warning system this year, which we think will do a lot t help us take a more proactive approach to student success. We hope to achieve significant faculty compliance (without threats or bribes).
Challenges: We have identified a particular demographic subgroup of students who seem to have the most academic difficulty, and we need to figure out the best way to intervene proactively to prevent those problems from occurring in the first place.
Contact Information:
Andrea GillieHarris
Senior Director, Student Administrative Services
Pepperdine University
Direct: 310.506.6148
Fax: 310.506.7203
E-mail:
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is a residential 4-year private Jesuit Catholic university. There are approximately 5000 traditional undergraduates, 1100 returning adult students and 3000 graduate students for a total of about 9,100.
Title of Probationary Support Program: Back on Track (formerly called Bounce Back)
Number of years program in existence: 7 yeårs. Number of staff that work with the program: 2 (only part-time working with probation programs)
Program Intervention Activities: academic contracts, required one-on-one-meetings, required large group meeting prior to classes beginning, use of holds to get them to attend meeting to sign academic contract. Students required to use early alert warning forms completed by professors (either once a month or once a semester). Limited number of units that can take each semester. Degree projections completed by students and advisor and academic action plan completed by student. Attend a minimum of two student success workshops per semester. Reinstated student hearing process. In the past, we offered a non-credit course for reinstated students.
Academic probation is when students cumulative or semester gpa falls below 2.0. Students are disqualified (dismissed) after two consecutive semesters with semester gpa below 2.0.
Spring 2012 (College of Arts and Sciences only)
Total students on probation = 138Total students removed from probation 84 = 61%
Total student disqualified (dismissed) = 16 = 11%
Total students continued on probation = 38 = 28%
88% retention rate of students on academic probation
USF Just started using the MAP-Works retention software program to intervene with students earlier. Also use Advisortrac SAGE early alert software.
Challenges: Working with students who are continued on academic probation for a longer time period. Creating a more personalized probation “workshop” before classes start.
Dreams: Having staff to work as Back on Track academic coaches for one-on-one guidance for each student on academic probation.
Contact Information:
Sara Solloway Director, Academic Success and Enrichment Programs/University Advisor
Center for Academic and Student Achievement (CASA)
Liaison to theCollege of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Dean
University of San Francisco 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA. 94117-1080 Phone: 415-422-6742 Fax: 415-422-2346 Email: