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End of Term Support for Academically At-Risk Students

The following content has been shared by Tony Shurer and Dr. Andrea Atkin of Academic Advising Programs & Services (AAPS). More information about AAPS and about the services and resources provided by the Academic Coordinator for International Student Support can be found on the AAPS website.

  • Identify students on your advising roster who might be at risk. (Academic Warning, Academic Probation, Progress Probation, etc).
  • Help ensure those students understand their current academic standing.
  • If a Continuation Appeal/Request for Reinstatement might be necessary, encourage your students to begin drafting their statement in advance. 
  • If a Continuation Appeal/Request for Reinstatement is necessary, encourage your students to submit their appeal in MyPack before the University closes for break. 
  •  If a student has requested 3rd party feedback or a letter of support from you, it would be most helpful to have this uploaded to MyPack well before the appeal deadline.  

The first priority is to help your students assess their current academic standing. Encourage your students to use the GPA Forecaster tool in MyPack Portal under “Planning & Enrollment.” This will be especially important for students who are already on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or have otherwise expressed concern about their academic performance. The goal is to begin conversations with students who might need to complete a Continuation Appeal. The more that you can do in advance to help your students anticipate this possibility, the more time they will have to prepare an appeal statement. 

After  you have identified at-risk students, consider inviting them to speak with you. Even when an appeal is not necessary, students can still benefit from guided reflection and self-exploration. The following questions will help prepare students  for an appeal:

  • What were the challenges and obstacles you faced this semester? 
  • What were the strategies that you have already used in an attempt to overcome these challenges? 
  • Why do you think these specific strategies were successful/unsuccessful? 
  • What changes do you plan to make next semester to help improve your academic standing? 

Having these types of conversations in advance can also benefit you if the student approaches you with a request for 3rd party feedback to accompany the appeal. A student’s responses to these questions can reveal how realistic their plans are for moving forward and provide insight into the level of support they may need.