Charlene Belew
Staff Writer
In the spring of 2013, Cameron University implemented a new class, titled Strategies for Academic Success (SAS). This course will be required for any student who has earned fewer than 45 credit hours and goes on academic probation or academic notice for the first time.
According to the course details for SAS, students who have been placed on academic probation, earning a GPA lower than retention standards — a GPA of 1.70 for up to 30 credit hours and a GPA of 2.00 for more than 31 credit hours — are required to take SAS to maintain enrollment in CU courses.
This class requires completion — any student who does not complete this class after being enrolled will be dropped from all other CU courses through administrative withdrawal.
Students who need to be returned to good academic standing are required to take this class to remain enrolled in current classes. Students will also need to complete this class to enroll in future courses.
The course details states that the basis of SAS is to teach students about the basic college fundamentals: how to handle time management, how to manage study time, how to prepare for tests, how to identify academic strengths and how to plan a successful academic plan for the future.
CU SAS Instructor Gabriele Wethern is currently teaching two sections of Strategies for Academic Success, as well as Reading Fundamentals and College Reading and Study Strategies.
Wethern said that teaching SAS has been a positive experience for her and for her students.
“Teaching this class for the first time has been a positive experience,” Wethern said. “We received a lot of support from above and from Mr. Larson in the Academic Advising Center. Most of the students who are enrolled in the class are very receptive to the concepts we are teaching.”
Wethern said that the course officially started on Jan 16, meeting twice a week. This course counts for one lecture credit hour.
“The other people who are teaching this course and I sat down together and decided what we wanted for our students as a foundation,” Wethern said. “My first class started on the 16th. Right now, because we are still early on in the course, we are only getting into time management. The ideal scenario would be the students taking these important concepts with them to be successful in their academic careers.”
Wethern said that the course will be regulated strictly, especially in class attendance. Students enrolled in the course are required to attend class or they will be administratively withdrawn from the course.
“We will be very strictly administering the class,” Wethern said. “However, I think the majority of the students are coming to class, turning in assignments, and participating in classroom activities, which are wonderful things. This is exactly what we want for them.”
The results from the newly added class will not be available immediately. Results will not be available for review until after the 2013 spring semester ends and final grades are posted and released.
“Ultimately, we will not see the results until the end of the semester to see if students’ GPAs have improved and if the class has made a difference.”