Peer Mentors

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERITY

Office of Retention


MISSION

  The mission of the Office for Student Retention is to retain students through the completion of their baccalaureate degree by providing programs that assist them in  their academic success. This is accomplished by coordinating retention activities; supporting and monitoring students' academic progress; coordinating with academic advisement units; providing referrals to campus resources and support services; and coordinating programs that foster the academic success of GSU students. The Office of Retention is a University-wide program that targets first-time, full-time freshmen and returning sophomores in the bonding and transition  from high school to college.

 

Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that utilizes peer-assisted collaborative group study sessions. The SI Program targets traditionally difficult academic courses that have a high failure and withdrawal rate. 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 purposes of SI are:

  • to reduce rates of attrition within targeted historically difficult courses
  • to improve student grades in targeted historically difficult courses
  • to increase the graduation rates of students.

SI is currently offered in Mathematics and English.

 

Early Alert Program

Grambling State University is committed to the success of its students by providing an environment conducive to teaching and learning. To ensure that every student takes full advantage of the educational opportunities, the University has implemented an Early Alert Retention Program, coordinated by the Office of Retention. The Office of Retention professional staff utilizes a systematic and comprehensive approach to improve the quality of students’ personal growth and development and to enhance their learning.

The Early Alert program was developed as a retention tool to improve students’ persistence and promote survival skills. The Program is based on the model that the faculty will be proactive, supportive, and involved in facilitating the academic components of student retention. Faculty awareness of potential student problems constitutes the backbone of this retention program. Through Early Alert, faculty contributes directly to retention by assisting with the early detection and intervention of students who are doing poorly in class, chronically absent from class, or experiencing other kinds of problems that affect academic performance.

The Early Alert Program provide faculty with a tool early (four weeks into the semester) to identify at risk students and address problems that interfere with their success.

  • Faculty will complete the online Early Alert Referral Form and submit it to the Office of Retention via e-mail.

 

Peer Tutoring Program

The Peer Tutoring program offers free tutorial assistance in select freshman and sophomore level courses. Students with ACT scores 15 or less will automatically be contacted by the Office of Retention and required to report for tutoring and assigned to a faculty advisor in their major. Students with high school GPAs of 2.0 or less will also be required to report to the Office of Retention for the tutoring. 

 

Student Success Center

The mission of the Student Success Center is to provide a learning environment that allows students the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve academic success.The Academic Computer labs offers free academic support, such as tutoring and study skills seminars, writing labs and math labs to all undergraduate students at Grambling State University. There are programs and activities for students who experience academic difficulties, as well as, those who are already succeeding academically, but simply want to enrich their educational experiences. Academic Skills Computer labs are constantly updated to meet the needs of students.

A total of five computer laboratories are available for student use. Each laboratory serves a specific function and has an on-site student monitor. 

STAFF

Ms. Ebony Peterson, Retention Specialist Ms. Ebony Peterson
Retention Specialist 
Brown Hall, Room 132 
Grambling, LA 71245
Phone: (318) 274-2095
Email: petersone@gram.edu | retention@gram.edu