Student Success

Students conducting a chemistry lab

Academic Supports

Project Status: Implementation/Execution

Student Academic Support Services facilitates embedded academic support for students in large gateway STEM courses and subjects with historically low completion rates. This initiative leverages peer-led interventions to improve student success and provide high-quality academic support directly within these high-stakes learning environments.

Accomplished

  • Embedded tutors in 5 ECE courses
  • Embedded tutors in CS 161, 162 and 163
  • Embedded tutors in EAS 211
  • Embedded tutors in two sections of  Gen Chem 221(over 400 students enrolled).
  • Served 169 unique students over 550 times through embedded tutoring
  • Engaged 13 unique pre-calculus students through weekly MTH 111z and MTH 112z study pods
  • Offered weekly reviews sessions for PH 201 and PH 211, serving 46 unique students
  • Finalized AY24-25 Embedded Tutoring Impact Report demonstrating over an average 8% reduction in DFW rate

In Progress

  • Continued partnership with Math faculty to provide math 111z and math 112z study pods for AY 2025-2026
  • Continued partnership with ECE Department to recruit, hire and train Embedded tutors for ECE courses winter term
  • Reviewing and analyzing annual data sets with a specific focus on DFW rates, demographic trends, fall-to-fall retention metrics, and qualitative student feedback regarding self-reported confidence and academic persistence.

Project Health

  • Students with a high need for academic support are not accessing tutoring services even with an embedded tutor, or SI sessions. We especially like to see an increase in the number of students attending pre-calculus study pods.
  • We’d like to see a decrease in DFW rates for General Chemistry (currently a 4% reduction compared to 8% for other subjects tutored). Further exploration of the data is needed to determine tutoring impact in Gen Chem.
  • Continued project management and data analysis support will be needed in the future. Additional funding needed if we decide to expand embedded support beyond our current regularly supported courses.

Project Team

Team: Shoshana Zeisman-Pereyo and Crystal Tenty