Talking Stick - July/August 2014 - 19

school to college. Kris Johnson, director
of student leadership, says that the 40
students accepted into the program
each year "attend the STAR orientation
and enroll in a one-credit class in the
fall, titled Creating Success for College
and Beyond, and a one-credit class in
the spring, titled Academic Paths and
Career Opportunities." The orientation
takes place three and a half days prior
to the general ﬁrst-year orientation and
includes a variety of workshops to boost
skills in problem solving, leadership,
and communication. "The skills are

Upward Bound, helps to prepare
students and families for postsecondary education, and another,
the Student Support Services (SSS)
program, helps motivate students
to ﬁnish college. Kurt Earnest,
coordinator of residence life, says that
the program accommodates students
on an individual level as staff help
"students to identify their preferred
learning style and incorporate effective
study techniques." Students also have
access to a computer lab within the SSS
ofﬁce that allows them to study and

and parents who are concerned for a
student's academic performance or
emotional well-being. Kevin Rounsley,
an academic advisor, explains that the
system is used campus wide: "Once a
week we meet with folks within student
development, and that includes the
health center, community standards,
and student conduct. We update
everyone so that they are all in the loop
on a particular issue." This meeting
is held after the initial alert is received
through the email system, with a single
point of contact in the advising ofﬁce

THESE NUMBERS SUGGEST THAT SSS AND OTHER TRIO PROGRAMS HAVE AN
OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE STUDENTS INVOLVED.

then used as a metaphor as the skills
needed for success in college," says
Johnson. It is not the intention of
the program to alienate students by
setting them apart from their peers; the
goal is to provide the supplementary
support needed to ensure their success.
Johnson says that, through the STAR
program, she hopes students "can feel
good that they are in a program that has
a community where people care about
each other and faculty and staff that are
invested in their future."
As at-risk students begin classes,
the skills learned in programs like
STAR are set into motion, but in order
to remain on the path to success they
need continued support. Iowa State
University in Ames offers the TRIO
program, a set of federally funded
outreach and support programs for
students from diverse backgrounds,
including low-income and ﬁrstgeneration students. One program,

complete homework assignments in a
positive environment that encourages
and supports their continued academic
success. The support is not limited
solely to academics; peer mentors
meet with each student individually
or in groups "to process experiences,
brainstorm ideas, and discuss topics
important to their identity," Earnest
says. It is this array of support services,
both academic and cultural, that
allows students to "establish trust, seek
resources, and build a community
which equips them to overcome the
challenges frequently encountered by
students from similar backgrounds."
Students of all backgrounds can fall
behind academically and can beneﬁt
from early intervention measures. The
Early Warning System at Gonzaga
University in Spokane, Washington
- an online system managed by the
academic advising ofﬁce - is designed
to be a point of contact for faculty

who divides up the cases. Having such
a variety of professionals working on
a single student's issue allows faculty
to determine what resources the
student needs and which department
can best provide the needed help. The
Early Warning System serves as "the
beginning conversation to potentially
revealing a bigger issue," says
Rounsley. While the system is designed
to assist any student who is struggling
academically, it can also speciﬁcally
target at-risk students who may not
have had the conﬁdence to approach
a particular department in search of
support. In general, Rounsley says
that once they receive the information
through the alert system, they contact
the student. "Some students don't want
to come to us, and they don't have to.
Our role is to give them the advice and
the resources."
How students respond to any
program at any institution relies heavily
JULY + AUGUST 2014

19
Talking Stick - July/August 2014

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