Coley is USC’s new director of retention and planning in the Division of Student Affairs, and she and her staff have launched an array of programs designed to help students stay on track. Several of the programs have been adapted from other universities that have charted impressive gains in retention and graduation rates.

“USC has made great strides in its persistence rates from freshman to sophomore year, but we realized there were some new things we could be doing to improve not only retention but graduation rates,” Coley said. “If you compare our numbers with other selective Ph.D. public universities, we’re not in a bad place, but we do have room to grow.”

This year’s freshman class is the most academically prepared in University history, but their SAT scores and high school GPAs only predict—not guarantee—academic success. Coley and her staff are focusing on class attendance, performance in select courses, and availability of programs to support academic success.

A new supplemental instruction program, coordinated by Julie Holliday, is aimed at improving pass rates in several large lecture classes as well as other courses that historically have been a stumbling block for students. These gateway courses include Math 141, Biology 101 and 102, Chemistry 111 and 112, History 111, and Psychology 101.

Thirty-one supplemental instruction leaders have been recruited to lead study sessions three times per week for students in these courses. The S.I. leaders are undergraduate students who have already completed the courses and were recommended by their course instructors. They earn a $1,500 stipend to retake the course and lead students through study and homework sessions.

“These study sessions are open to everybody, not just the students who are struggling,” said Holliday, coordinator of Academic Success Initiatives. “So a B student attending the S.I. sessions could potentially earn an A, and the D student could improve enough to pass the course. This is brand new for USC.”

All of the supplemental instruction sessions are held from 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, in the Nursing Building. Faculty members who teach these courses are invited to nominate students to serve as S.I. leaders for future semesters.

Coley and her staff also are working with several pilot programs funded by University seed grants aimed at improving retention and graduation rates.

One of the most basic is the Early Intervention Initiative, which monitors freshman attendance in all University 101 and English 101 and 102 courses. When a student misses two classes, an instructor calls or e-mails the student to express concern. Upon the third absence, an online report is filed, and appropriate student affairs staff are notified to follow up. After a fourth absence, a student is steered toward a workshop sponsored by the Counseling and Human Development Center that addresses class absences and their consequences.

“It’s common sense that you should go to class, and research has proven that freshman class attendance is linked to first-year GPAs, which are linked to graduation rates,” Coley said. “Students with identical academic preparation coming into college can end up with very different graduation rates because of their first-year performance.”

Other retention initiatives include programs to work with students in African-American Greek organizations; a multicultural student leadership series focusing on African American, Latino, gay, lesbian, and bisexual students; and a program in student disability services that helps students learn to map out their written assignments.

In addition, University Housing’s Academic Centers for Excellence—located in Bates, Columbia Hall, Sims, and the Towers and directed by Anna McLeod, coordinator of residential learning initiatives—have been expanded to offer assistance in general academic skills in addition to writing and math. Students also can take the LASSI assessment, which measures their awareness about study strategies and strategic learning.

Student affairs also is partnering with the English department to bolster the visibility of the Writing Center services. A graduate student will be funded to provide Writing Center consultations in the Thomas Cooper library this year.

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