UCOL News

STAR: Supportive Mentor Program Has a Positive Effect on Institution’s Retention Rate

The STAR (Students Taking Academic Responsibility) Program at University College, IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) is thriving under the leadership of Chris Maroldo, Coordinator of Academic Success Programs in the Office of Academic and Career Development. He has taken the program to new levels and into uncharted territory. Maroldo, also Chair of the Probation/Dismissal/Reinstatement Issues Interest Group of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), states, “This intervention is fairly cutting edge in terms of what other schools are doing. I am not aware of other mentor programs for students on academic probation like this.”

The STAR Program is a retention effort. Currently, second semester freshmen with a GPA below 2.0 receive extra support via mentors who have volunteered to help them succeed in college. The mentors use the tools of the program to assess the needs of the student and the students pick the appropriate intervention once the key problems are identified. Typically, the pair meets on a weekly basis for approximately ten sessions where goal-setting is a key component. Maroldo adds, “Study skills is part of it—but it’s not a huge part. There are many issues these kids are facing.”

The other issues Maroldo is referring to are obstacles such as transportation, finances, and juggling school and family responsibilities. The mentors are volunteers who share a desire to make a difference in these students’ lives. They listen and brainstorm with them and celebrate the successes as they come. Some students value this support so much that they ask to remain in the program after their sessions are complete, while others believe so strongly that their mentor changed their lives that they volunteer to be mentors themselves. Maroldo would like to begin to integrate the latter into the program this fall.

Maroldo would love to accommodate all students who ask for this support, but there are not enough mentors at this time, although numbers are growing. While the relationship between University College (as a two-year gateway to four-year institutions) and IUPUI causes most freshman programs to fall solely on the shoulders of University College staff and faculty, those from different IUPUI schools have come to realize that some of these students will never make it to their program if they do not succeed at University College. Proving that sometimes it really does take a village, mentors run the gamut from deans to instructors and advisors to students to faculty.

The STAR Program fits very nicely with the retention philosophies of University College as is evidenced by the numerous other programs the school has in place to help students succeed. While STAR has been available to struggling students for three years, an average 71% retention rate each semester prompted administrators to make it one of two available mandatory interventions for University College students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Maroldo expects this mandatory requirement to have a very positive impact on the retention rate for the program. The program will undoubtedly face challenges in carrying out this new mandate and will undoubtedly undergo additional changes as it develops ways and means to serve this new demographic.

Beginning fall 2008, all first-year undergraduate (FYU) students will be placed on academic probation at the end of their first semester if their IU GPA is between 1.0 and 1.99. FYU students who attempted 12 or more credit hours (including Ws) and do not obtain at least a 1.0 GPA at the end of their first semester will be dismissed.