Communication Strategies to Assist Students in Peril

1. Communication Strategies to Assist Students in Peril Katie J. Spencer, M.F.A. St. Lawrence University June 5, 2013

2. Objectives: • To consider strategies of communication, specifically the procedures of the A-Team at St. Lawrence University. • To examine scenarios of students in crisis and problem solve using your own methods and eventually integrate other methods. • To conceptualize challenges and rewards. • To assess how the A-Team methods can be utilized at your own institutions.

3. Communication Strategies to Assist Students in Peril • Introductions • Small groups to discuss strategies and first scenario • Discussion • History and Communication Strategies of the A-Team • Q&A • Scenarios in groups • Discussion • How to implement A-Team methods at your own institution • Q&A

4. How do you communicate? • Which faculty and staff members have most to offer in terms of student accountability? • With which faculty and staff members do you have direct communication about students? • How do you communicate (one-on-one, meetings, phone, email). • Is it consistent communication? • Discuss confidentiality and communication about student situations amongst your colleagues. Is there a policy in place? • With this in mind, how do we maintain our communication and rapport with students? • What challenges do you face?

5. Scenario 1 • A usually level-headed and well liked football player is currently failing his classes. After a big game, he drinks too much alcohol, gets in a fight, trashes a dorm room and is then transported to a hospital. • What would you do at your school? • Would you even find out? • Would the coach? • How much information is shared?

6. Saint Lawrence Retention Rates

7. A-Team History2006-present • How and why did it start? • What is it? • Who is part of it? • What is its purpose and goals? • Is it adaptable to my institution?

8. How and Why did it Start? • Began as an extension of a retention project • Low retention rates due to: • Isolation/transportation • Social/residential issues • Academically unsuccessful students

9. On-Campus Retention Efforts • Improved Advising • created position: Associate Dean of Advising • Implementation of a multi-level early warning system • Increased academic support for at-risk students (A-Team) • Half-unit sophomore courses • Recruiting students who fit St. Lawrence better • Improved transportation to and from the airport, major bus station and in-town • Addressing students’ financial concerns • Other social/residential improvements • Added assessment instruments

10. What is the A-Team? • A group of faculty and staff who have direct contact with students. • We are not private contractors! We do not work in silos! We must collaborate to see the whole picture. • We connect students with the right resources or suggest they meet the right professional to deal with the problem. • We “keep tabs” on troubled students. • Most of us work in the same building, in close proximity. • It is about more than retention, but to do better for our students.

11. Who is the A-Team? • This group represents ALL places students intersect • Academic • Advising • Support Services • Tutors • Athletics • Student Life • Residence Life • Judicial Board • Health and Counseling • Special Needs • Opportunity Programs (HEOP, C-Step, McNair)

12. A-Team Purpose & Goals • Meet face-to-face, once a week • Identify Problems • Find Solutions • Streamline Communication between students/faculty/staff • Parents and students get consistent answers, not threeanswers from three different places. • Some students are not academically, socially or mentally prepared for college. We can identify this right away. • Examine Early and Mid-Term Warnings. • Discover who will be the most effective point person to reach out to the student? No generic emails!

13. Early and Mid-Term Warnings • Academic Support reaches out to faculty during week three to encourage them to identify struggling students. • Official warnings are turned in at the midterm mark. • The early warnings help to “catch” students and put them on the path to recovery before they receive a midterm warning. • A-Team goes through a list of “students of concern” and a point person from the team will reach out to the student. • Coaches will reach out to athletes • Coordinator of Academic Development (me) reaches out to students on academic probation • Special Needs staff reach out to those with whom they work closely • Opportunity Programs staff reaches out to their students, etc.

14. Key Points for Success • TRUST • Members must have similar perspectives on how to retain and support students. • Agree on how much and whatinformation can be shared. • Find the balance between letting them be college students that make mistakes and preventing them from slipping through the cracks. • Build relationships with students. • Consistent communication: Weekly meetings and follow up. • Added bonus: proximity of members in one building.

15. Students • Must work in good faith. • Must communicate with point person/people: advisor, special needs advisor, professor, academic support, coach, counseling staff. • Be willing to make extra appointments for tutoring, study skills, time management, organization, writing or math centers, counseling, or one-on-ones with professors. • In some cases, be willing to sign a waiver that allows sharing of information amongst specific A-Team members.

16. Saint Lawrence Retention Rates

17. Scenarios • A student is readmitted to the university after a semester in which she took a medical withdrawal in all her courses. • The counselor is the only one who knows the details of why she left. • The Special Needs Director is the only one who knows details about her learning disability and medications. • Upon her return, she is inattentive and doing poorly in class. Her professors say she is likely to fail.

18. Scenarios • A student lashes out violently at baseball practice. His coach recommends counseling, as he needs a certain GPA to play. • His academics are average and suddenly take a nosedive. He sleeps through class and seems agitated when awake. • Is this an emotional problem? A drug/alcohol problem? A learning problem?

19. It is adaptable…Where do I start? • Create an assessment • Graduation rates • Retention rates (specifically first year-sophomore) • Populations (race, gender, international students, at-risk students, special needs, etc.) • What faculty/staff perspectives do you need to provide a full picture?

20. Key Points for Success • TRUST • Members must have similar perspectives on how to retain and support students. • Agree on how much and whatinformation can be shared. What do you need to know? • Find the balance between letting them be college students that make mistakes and preventing them from slipping through the cracks. • Build relationships with students • Consistent communication: weekly meetings and follow up. • Added bonus: proximity of members in one building.

21. A special thanks to current and previous A-Team members for contributing to this project. http://www.stlawu.edu/ir/grad_retention/efforts http://www.stlawu.edu/ir/grad_retention/retention_rates

22. Thank you