While we all know that life outside the classroom has an impact on what happens to students in class, rarely do Student Affairs and Academic Affairs work together to sort out students' problems. At Union, we have been working to build bridges between the two, to think about student welfare in a holistic way.
Two summers ago, the Dean of Students Office got a disturbing phone call from a mother of a student who had withdrawn a second time because of failure to attend classes. The mother asked how we could let this happen when all of us knew her child had a pattern of avoiding classes. Why had we not checked to see how classes were going?
Dean of Students Steve Leavitt, who was then fresh from Union's faculty, thought she had a point.
The student had entered Union with as much potential as any student I have met. However, my colleagues and I watched life's growing pains get the best of her. She found solace by withdrawing emotionally and pretending everything was going well. The first time around, we worked closely with Academic Affairs and professors to organize her withdrawal, and we were all happy when our efforts seemed to pay off with her early return. Once she was back on campus, however, we realized too late that previous patterns had returned.
We called a meeting of Academic and Student Affairs deans. By the end of the meeting, we had formed the Retention Committee. So began a serious effort to bridge the gap between Student and Academic Affairs. Last fall we hired a Director of Student Support Services. Each term, we discuss every student on Academic Warning. We meet regularly with the students. We ask their professors about their performance and attendance.
We have been able to identify students with emotional concerns before they are dismissed for academic reasons. During the first year, we saw a decrease in the number of students remaining on Academic Warning and the number suspended for academic reasons.
Working with students and professors on a daily basis has shown the importance of a close relationship between Student and Academic Affairs. When students realize that we share in their development and education, they are much more likely to succeed. It's a case where building bridges truly does improve the landscape.
Trish Williams
Senior Associate Dean of Students