The Academic Center for Excellence provides assistance to students who need or desire additional academic support with their courses.

The tutors working in ACE are ETBU students who excel academically in their studies. They are committed to assisting any student by empowering them with the skills needed to become a successful student.

The ACE Lab offers one-on-one and group tutoring sessions free of charge to all students enrolled at East Texas Baptist University. Our tutoring focuses on general education and gateway courses, and we offer help in all of our courses fitting that description.

ETBU's ACE Lab is a Level I CRLA certified program that trains tutors in accordance with best practices in the field.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: Over 95% of students who attend the ACE Lab for academic tutoring report being highly satisfied with the services they receive.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of Academic Success

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Bryan Mead at bmead@etbu.edu or 903-923-2229

Academic coaches at ETBU work with students to help hold them accountable for all things academics. Our coaches help students develop study skills, good study habits, and continually assess the current academic status of our students. Coaches also help advise students with course scheduling, changing majors, and overall academic development. Academic coaching typically takes place once a week, with students working with the same academic coach throughout the semester (and, oftentimes, over the course of several semesters). Academic coaches discuss a student's current grades, attendance, and missing assignments during each session, and help students in setting up contact with instructors/professors when needed.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Academic Success

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Bryan Mead at bmead@etbu.edu or 903-923-2229

WBU Academic Coaching exists to help students transition from high school to college learning with particular emphasis on developmental students. We also mentor students in order to establish a safe environment for not only learning, but also emotional support. This approach has also served to create community among our students.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of Student Success

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Rosemary Peggram at peggramr@wbu.edu or 806-201-3414

While forging ahead with course platform innovations, the former one-hour course of College Assembly known as Chapel has been redesigned a weekly informative session of an Academic Symposium. This allows students to benefit from the experience of weekly interactions with professors and professionals. Interaction is an essential part of academic life. The symposium allows students to have exposure to division major presentations, and student demonstrations for creative intellectual purposes. The weekly symposiums that were initiated during the first week of the semester have proven to be beneficial. During the weekly interactions, students are given the opportunity to increase networking skills, meet with professors in their majors, improve communication and presentation abilities; plus glean the latest information that can have a positive impact on the Texas College academic community. Each major within the four divisions has committed to design programs for each week such as a major fair, internship orientations, graduate school opportunities, resume writing, financial literacy, soft-skill training, and various other motivational programs. Each session begins with an invocation, weekly announcements, reminders, and a weekly program. The Academic Symposium programming is designed to include the aspiration to respond to expectations of business and industry for core workplace skills mathematics, quantitative, analytical reasoning, written plus oral communication, and critical thinking/problem-solving. Having agreed on the three broad areas to be addressed, each division determined the learning outcomes. Thus, there has been an overwhelming response of attendance by students and faculty participation

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is online only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: The Academic Symposium is an influential learning tool for Texas College students. Students can become bored with the day-to-day humdrum of classes, and home. The symposium helps break the monotony of the college routine. In many ways, it can help instill a sense of camaraderie, and school spirit, or even help develop an interest in potential extracurricular activities and future careers.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Academci Affairs

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Jan Duncan at jduncan@texascollege.edu or 9035938311

The Access and Opportunity Portal (AOP) supports undergraduate funding requests that can include (but are not limited to) internship related expenses, test preparation, textbooks, course fees, financial emergencies, commencement regalia, technological supports and medical co-pays. The aim of this fund is to fill in the financial gaps that prevent students from fully participating in the Rice educational experience.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Unknown

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Success Initiatives

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Araceli Lopez at al14@rice.edu or 7133484345

The Advising Students for Success project fall in line with the intent of the Accelerate Student Success Planning Grant. Through the Accelerate Student Success Planning Grant, our project will begin to improve our efforts of advising support to our students.
Project Goals and Objectives:
- Improve an advising model and move it to a student success model that is receptive to students (e.g. transfer students, specialized student populations (i.e. athletes, online/distance learners, etc.) and disciplines.
- Increase retention and timely progress to degree benchmarks by leveraging technology platforms
- Ease institutional barriers to ensure students can graduate in four years
- Increase high impact practices by providing training for all student success coaches to promote student success
- Post-completion goals (e.g., obtaining employment, continuing education, career advancement, economic development). We believe we are on track to accomplish many of the objectives.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Division of Enrollment and Student Services

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Dr. Emmanuel Lalande at Emmanuel.Lalande@cbshouston.edu or 8322520707

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions. SI sessions are regularly-scheduled, informal review sessions in which students compare notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools, and predict test items. Students learn how to integrate course content and study skills while working together. The sessions are facilitated by “SI leaders”, students who have previously done well in the course and who attend all class lectures, take notes, and act as model students. The purpose of SI is to:

-To increase retention within targeted historically difficult courses
-To improve student grades in targeted historically difficult courses
-To increase the graduation rates of students

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Center for Academic Success and Engagement

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: De'Janae Tookes at dejanae_tookes@baylor.edu or (254) 710-8709

Best Achievement Strategies for College (BASC) is a system-wide, university orientation course created to encourage traditional and non-traditional students to persist to degree completion. The class focuses on three elements: the development of a growth mindset, the early identification of a major and career, and the hands-on involvement in service learning. BASC is offered face-to-face on the residential campus, each external campus and online, each with a slightly different student population. The course is designed to assist and empower first-year learners with strategies and information to support the successful launch of their college career. Faculty from each academic school on the Plainview campus offer discipline-specific sections of the course, allowing students to make connections with faculty in their primary area of study while receiving information and success strategies specific to that major and profession. Throughout the semester, students learn about growth mindset, and receive information about student services, the writing center, the library, tutoring, and health and wellness, as well as strategies such as time and financial management, study skills, note taking, and learning styles. Students explore their interests, skills, and career goals upon choosing a major and are assisted one-on-one with registering for classes for their second semester. Members of the BASC course also participate in a service-learning project that ties discipline-specific activities to community service. The Best Academic Strategies for College (BASC) course is designed to make the transition to college a little less stressful by making information, strategies, and services readily available.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Success

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Dr. Rosemary Peggram at peggramr@wbu.edu or 8062913414

Experiential learning is a key component of the St. Edward's University undergraduate education. This type of learning engages students outside of the classroom to broaden and deepen their awareness of societal problems and participate in community-based activities that address these issues. There are two types of experiential learning: Introductory Experiential Learning, which exposes students to foundational experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom and Advanced Experiential Learning (AEL) which provides more robust and meaningful experiential learning opportunities with additional engagement required of the student in both time and effort.

As articulated in Strategic Plan 2027, 100% of undergraduate students will complete at least one AEL opportunity before graduation. To support this goal over five years, constructing definitions of experiential learning areas and establishing clear criteria for advanced experiential learning across the university is key to overall success. As a result, St. Edward's has developed five definitions for AEL: Internships and Field Experience, Research and Creative Works with Faculty, Immersive Domestic and International Travel Experiences, Service-Learning, Volunteering, and Student Employment/Leadership on and off campus.

To achieve rigor through time and effort, an AEL opportunity must meet all of the following criteria, 1) Quantitative - 60 clock hours within a semester 2) Intentional - The experience should be purposeful, planned in advance with explicit goals and intended outcomes, 3) Beneficial - Support students' interests, career readiness, and aspirations, and 4) Supervised - The experience should be supervised, including ongoing faculty, staff, supervisor and/or community involvement in all phases.

The Blue & Gold Scholar program recognizes St. Edward's University undergraduate student participation in advanced experiential learning opportunities. There are three types of scholars, 1) Blue Scholars complete one AEL opportunity, 2) Gold Scholars complete two advanced experiential learning opportunities, and 3) Blue and Gold Scholars complete 3 or more AEL opportunities.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Success Center

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Nicole Trevino at nicoleg@stedwards.edu or 512-428-1037

The Connect Mentorship Program (known by students as Connect) is a year-long mentorship program aimed at retaining students of color at SMU. The program has two parts: the Connect Institute and Peer Mentorship. Connect helps incoming students of color become effective, successful, and engaged members of SMU through peer mentoring. Mentors help incoming students develop personally and academically by introducing them to various resources, learning opportunities, and co-curricular experiences offered on campus.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of Social Change & Intercultural Engagement

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Dr. Jennifer Jones at scie@smu.edu or 214-768-4580

The CVS Scholarship Program will open doors to supporting partnership opportunities that will lead to professional development and career pathway relationships for Texas College students with CVS. The components of the initiative propose to have varied opportunities of participation that provide mutual benefits for both CVS and Texas College in the immediate and long-term future. The general thrust of the initiative will address select needs and complimentary services with support of students, community residents, faculty-staff, and CVS associates in the Tyler Texas /East Texas region. For CVS and Texas College, the ultimate interests of the project is to establish ways to recruit-retain-retrain suitable individuals, from program entry at Texas College, and further to career pathway employment opportunities with CVS Corporation.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Academic Affairs

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Jan Duncan at jduncan@texascollege.edu or 9035938311

Circle of Care is an intervention program designed as a community initiative to support the success of all students through a collaborative effort of connecting people and departments across campus that are directly connected to students. Circle of Care serves all students on campus each year as a best practice to provide students with the support they need when they need it. The program is structured in an intentional way that provides support through a student's academic and student life experience. The Circle of care utilizes a platform on campus, Schreiner Insight, to connect people in a way that allows for immediate communication allowing for appropriate intervention to occur specific to the needed support within the experience area of student. This program allows for effective collaboration across campus, from faculty, advisors, department heads, and coaches to upper-level administrators of campus to support student success.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Academic Support Services

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Matt Goodwyn at tmgoodwyn@schreiner.edu or 8307927330

S+R Stars is a program for high-achieving, first-generation students that offers participants a number of targeted resources to support success throughout a student’s educational journey. These supports are meant to help participants reach their full potential as they pursue their degree at Ithaka.

The S+R Stars program provides mentorship, cohort events, financial aid resources, and career planning. Students in the S+R Stars program must:
-attend at least three cohort events per semester
-meet with their mentor once a month
-and complete financial aid courses

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: Data shows that the S+R Stars program increases retention and graduation rates by providing a strong support system for students. The one-year retention rate of S+R Star students is 80% compared to 70% for other first-gen students and 75% for students who are not first-generation.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Success Center

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Jane Doe at email@college.edu or 123-456-7890

Jarvis Christian University has a two-tiered approach to advising in that students who have earned between 0-60 semester credit hours are advised by professional advisors and students above 60 hours are advised by faculty in their respective educational programs. Prior to the pandemic, the University strengthened its capacity to increase persistence rates by implementing an early warning and holistic student success management system, the Educational Advisory Board's Navigate.

Faculty identify at-risk students through the Navigate early alert system during the first four to five weeks of the semester. Using a cross-representative team of faculty, staff and professional advisors, the Navigate system was programed to send automated emails to students based on the early alert that was generated. The system provides students with detailed instructions along with the next steps they should take to get back on track.

Following early alerts, professional advisors invite students to schedule an appointment to discuss the early alert and offer any assistance needed. For severely struggling students, professional advisors will work with residence hall managers and the like to track the student, and if possible, meet with the student to mitigate failure risk and identify resources as needed.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: 78% of faculty completed 2,506 progress reports, indicating at-risk factors, for 732 unique students; 63% (N=461) were marked at-risk in at least one class for which intervention was provided through specialized email support. Of the students marked at-risk, 348 (75.5%) had a "C" or lower at midterms in at least one class, but almost half of the "Cs" were increased by 1+ letter grade(s) at finals. Further, all of the at-risk students who increased their grades from midterms to finals, re-enrolled for the spring 2020 term at a higher rate (77.3%) than the rest of the institution (62.4%).

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Division of Student Success

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Dr. Yolanda Jones at yjones@jarvis.edu or 903-730-4890

The Early Start Summer Program (ESSP) was implemented summer 2017, a summer bridge-style program for high school graduates who will be first-time entering freshmen. Designed to accelerate credit accumulation, enhance self-confidence and self-efficacy, and foster a sense of belonging, ESSP included a full-bodied cohort college experience in a summer term. Much like the CUNY ASAP program, students are placed in blocked courses, are offered supplemental instruction opportunities, are assigned a peer mentor, participate in social and civic activities such as community service, and receive specialized advising and orientation. Students can earn up to 12 semester credit hours in transferrable coursework and receive a substantive reduction in tuition.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: One cohort, students entering as first-time freshmen in the summer of 2017, has matriculated through to completion. The ESSP students within this cohort had a higher graduation (four-year) and retention rate than that of the 2017 total entering freshmen cohort. Due to its model of credit acceleration, nearly half graduated early (i.e., within 3-3.5 years). Post-program focus group data revealed that students preferred to receive the same degree of support throughout their entire first year.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Division of Student Success Services

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Dr. Yolanda Jones at yjones@jarvis.edu or 903-730-4890

The University of the Incarnate Word FLIGHT (Financial Literacy, Integrated Guidance and Health career Tracks) program is a transformational university- wide, multi-pronged mentorship program for Hispanic and low income students who might otherwise not complete their degree and graduate. Research shows that a network of mentors, who contribute diverse skills and backgrounds to assist students at varying stages of the college experience, is more effective than one or more stand-alone mentoring programs.

The UIW FLIGHT program includes three activities:

- A FLIGHT Mentoring Center to implement a coordinated mentoring program that affords students access to mentors to guide them to graduation with a developed academic and financial plan.
- A first-year course taught by FLIGHT-certified faculty and embedded in learning communities with FLIGHT-certified peer mentors.
- A health professions pathway guided by a FLIGHT-certified Pre-Health mentor/advisor who works with the Health Professions Advisory Council, which is comprised of undergraduate faculty and mentors who support the pre-health academic programs at UIW.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Provost office

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Sandra McMakin at mcmakin@uiwtx.edu or 210-832-5602

This First-Year Experience Seminar is a two-credit course that prepares first-time-in-college students to succeed at UIW, get the most out of their college experience and graduate on time. In a small classroom setting, structured lessons tied to the 5 pillars of the University's core mission values (education, truth, faith, service and innovation) will encourage a sense of community, show new students how to use campus resources to ensure a positive transition to UIW, and introduce proven academic success skill development including financial literacy and personal wellness. FYES students participate in service learning to incorporate such experiences as part of their lives at UIW and beyond. Students will navigate the unwritten rules and expectations for success in college through close collaboration with peer mentors embedded in each FYES section. In addition, students will investigate career options and learn a variety of UIW technology tools commonly utilized to further their learning while at UIW.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of the Provost

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Kevin B. Vichcales at vichcales@uiwtx.edu or 2108292759

For first-generation college students, adjusting to college can be difficult and may lead to lower graduation rates. Despite the availability of resources on-campus at St. Edward's University, there were obstacles that often prevented its first-generation college students from making the best use of resources. In response to this, in 2020, St. Edward's University implemented programming to remove barriers to success for students who are first in the family to go to college. Recognizing that there is financial need, little family background in higher education, and social and academic stress, First to GOat provides holistic programming that emphasizes mentoring, building community and belonging, leadership and character development, academic and career readiness, financial assistance and literacy, and personal health and wellness. First to GOat develops
and provides a supportive, inclusive community that values and celebrates their identity.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: The average one-year retention rate for first-generation students at St. Edward's University is 77.5% for 2020-2022, exceeding national and state averages. In addition, the average fall-to-spring first-generation college students persistence is 92.5% for 2020-2023.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Success Center

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Sonia Briseno at sbriseno@stedwards.edu or 512-448-8625

Focus Forward is a first-year experience program designed for incoming freshmen. Focus Forward serves the incoming freshmen class as a student success campus community program with the goal of connecting the students to the campus as an active member of the community. Focus Forward is built on the foundation of three pillars, academic focus, university engagement, and personal responsibility. As with all things there is overlap, this overlap strengthens the student's connection to the campus and provides them with a successful experience. As an institution of higher education Schreiner University provides a service dedicated to the individual growth of each student by providing the opportunity to be successful.

Academic Focus. Students are given the opportunity to learn. In the first year a specific focus is dedicated to helping students establish a strong foundation of understanding about the academic rigor, expectations, self-discipline, and university support that is needed to be successful.

Personal Responsibility. Students are given the opportunity for personal growth. In the first year a specific focus is dedicated to helping students understand the responsibilities of a student within the Schreiner community. From their interactions with peers to their interactions with faculty and staff, they have opportunities to learn from experiences and grow in their personal responsibilities.

University Engagement. Students are given the opportunity to engage as an active member of the Schreiner University community. The university strives to provide opportunities for students to have a meaningful connection with the university that helps them in their success as a student.

Meaningful collaborations occur across campus to provide the overlapping support of these three pillars, including Freshmen studies IDST course, peer to peer mentoring, academic advising, tutoring services, co-curricular experiences, community engagement, and student leadership opportunities.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: First Year Experience

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Matt Goodwyn at tmgoodwyn@schreiner.edu or 8307927330

Increasingly, students name food insecurity as a barrier to their success. St. Edward's University is committed to eliminating on-campus food insecurity. Through grant funding and donations from faculty, staff and alumni, we support peer-to-peer outreach about on-campus and community-based food resources, transporting students to nearby food resources, stocking the St. Edward's Monarchs Food Pantry, fulfilling weekly grocery requests, reducing food waste and providing emergency aid funds through HOOF (Hilltoppers Overcoming Obstacles Fund).

During the 2021-22 academic year, 750 St. Edward's students applied for emergency aid through the Hilltoppers Overcoming Obstacles Fund (HOOF); 95% of applicants cited food insecurity as the reason for their request. Additionally, the free, on-campus Monarchs Food Pantry is open every weekday afternoon. While open to the university community only, we anecdotally know that many of the students who access these resources do so to feed their families. Started by students for students, the Monarchs Food Pantry is maintained through Campus Ministry and supported through privately raised dollars and food donations. It is currently student volunteer-run with a paid student Food Pantry Operations Intern supervising. Additionally, St. Edward's has formal partnerships with two South Austin food pantries: St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church and Foundation Communities.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Dean of Students Office and Campus Ministry

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Connie Rey Rodriguez at connierr@stedwards.edu or 512-448-8408