August 16, 2024
Dear faculty,
Welcome back! I am celebrating your return to campus after what has – hopefully – been a summer of recharging for you. The Division of Academic Affairs has been hard at work preparing to welcome you back for a robust fall semester. As we enter this new season, I am already grateful for your diligent attention to our students both new and returning.
As you know, one of our institution’s top priorities is holistic support for keeping these students enrolled and graduating on time. You are a key part of their academic journey, and there are some actions you can take early in the semester to help retain even more students.
We recommend that you require a graded assessment that is indicative of class performance in your course by week four and no later than week six. Early feedback of this type has been found to reduce DFW and drop rates, as poor performance on this assessment can function as an early warning that a student should be referred to one of our numerous support services:
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Academic resources – All undergraduate students have an assigned academic advisor who can assist them. The University Advising Center can be reached at 803-777-1222 or advising@sc.edu. In addition, the Student Success Center offers a variety of course-specific supports such as tutoring and supplemental instruction. They can be reached at 803-777-1000, at sassc@mailbox.sc.edu or by submitting an alert.
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Mental health support – The Center for Health and Wellbeing can be reached at 803-777-5223 or at 833-664-2854 (24 hour support). You can also submit a referral to the Student Care and Outreach Team (Care Team).
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Basic needs insecurity – The Gamecock CommUnity Shop provides access to food, casual and professional clothing, school supplies, hygiene products, and many other needs. They can be reached at 803-576-8300 or unityshop@sc.edu. You can also submit a referral for basic needs support.
Let’s work together to make this fall a successful semester and retain as many students as possible. If you have questions or need further information, please contact Dr. Lara Lomicka Anderson, vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies, at lomicka@sc.edu.
I am, as always, proud to be your provost.
Forever to Thee,
Donna Arnett, Ph.D.
Provost and EVP for Academic Affairs