College is not always easy and for some the barriers can seem insurmountable, especially for students who are already at risk.
Looking at the retention rate for students on academic probation for any length of time at Ohio State Lima over a six-year period, only 55 percent of the 740 returned the next semester and, of those, only 23 percent returned without further academic issue.
The Student Success Team at Ohio State Lima aims to improve those outcomes and has developed a program to help this vulnerable population succeed. Buckeye RISE will pilot this summer and be ready to serve up to 20 students in the fall.
Disability Services Coordinator Karen Meyer came across a journal article on the 2-4-8 system developed by Caitlin Rothwell at the Catholic University of America and brought it to the Student Success Team as a way to help students experiencing academic barriers.
Meyer and Student Success and Retention Coordinator Courtney Roeder worked with Rothwell to modify the 2-4-8 program to fit the needs of students at Ohio State Lima. The result is Buckeye RISE, a structured but flexible program that will provide one-on-one support and build effective connections between the participating students and other essential academic support areas on campus.
“Education should not be a one size fits all approach but should be more of structured individualized experience tailored to each students needs and goals,” said Roeder. “Buckeye RISE will give us the opportunity to work with students individually to develop skills and strategies to overcome barriers they are experiencing and guide them to reach their fullest potential.”
As part of the program, students will identify their individual areas of difficulty and the campus resources that can assist them, learn goal setting and implementation, practice school/social life balance and explore engagement with the campus community.
Buckeye RISE will have a soft launch during summer term 2022 and will launch fully during autumn semester. The Student Success Team plans to include a research component so the program can be scaled up for use by a wider audience.
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Read the original journal article
Rothwell, Caitlin A., and Joseph J. Shields. “Setting Students up for Success: Academic Skills Before and After Participation in 2-4-8, a Proactive Advising Model for Students with Disabilities.” Journal of Postsecondary Education & Disability 34 (4), 2021: 349–59.