Parent Connections: past issues

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. " Proverbs 1:5

New initiatives help students achieve success

Goshen College attracts bright students from all over the world. Sixty-four percent of the 2003-04 first year class members were in the top 25 percent of their class in high school. The incoming class also had a combined grade point average of 3.55. However, not every first year student who excelled academically in high school will be a straight-A student in college.

"Many students never experience failure until they reach college. If that happens - an F on an exam or a paper for example - the student reaction can far outreach the academic consequences of getting the low grade," say authors Norman Giddan and Sally Vallongo in "Parenting through the College Years." Because the success of our students is so important to us at Goshen College, two new initiatives have been established to provide broad and specific attention to student needs:

The Early Grading Experience

The Early Grading Experience initiative is designed to provide early feedback in every class to each student. Professors were asked to provide a graded experience (quiz, essay, etc) in each course by Sept. 22. Grades were then posted through the registrar's office and distributed to students and advisors. For Colloquium professors, this revised schedule allowed for input prior to personal interviews with each first year student the following week. By providing students with a clearer understanding regarding their academic performance early in the semester, students have more time to imporve their grades. If students are struggling, parents and other suppport contacts can encourage them to seek help from the Academic Support Center.

The Electronic Alert System

The purpose of the Electronic Alert System is to provide a convenient and informative means of communication for professors regarding any student concerns that may arise during the course of the semester. Faculty can submit any concerns they have through the Alert System, an Alerts Committee reviews the weekly alerts submitted, and appropriate support contacts (advisors, Student Life staff, coaches, etc.) respond in order to engage a student to further success.