Learning Communities

In Summer 2025, we offered a summer calculus prep program for students identified by our undergraduate admission team as not yet meeting the criteria for placement in MATH 1551 (Calculus 1). We targeted students already engaged in summer bridge offerings: (1) Tech Promise Momentum Mentoring, a remote mentoring program offered in partnership with the Office of Scholar Programs, and (2) Challenge, a six-week immersive summer program offered through the Office of Student Achievement. 

Students enrolled in MATH 1113 (precalculus) have been identified as a high-priority population as the course is a gateway to successfully completing a STEM degree, especially if a student’s high school math program is under resourced. In addition, MATH 1113 enrollment is steadily rising (161.4% increase from Fall 2018 to Fall 2022).

In freshman orientation classes each 1st-year student will be required to complete an assignment designed to encourage the use of stepping blocks data.  Based on an academic major of interest, students will research common jobs associated with the major as well as the job market and the salaries associated with these positions.

Student Learning Communities consist of courses in which a common theme or themes are utilized to create opportunities for students to explore these themes in more depth and see how the theme (s) crosses different disciplines. In addition, SLCs encourage a sense of belonging and student engagement since students may share two or more courses together which focus on the same theme.

The Roadrunner Scholars is a residential and immersive summer bridge program designed for students requiring learning support math and English.  In this six-week program, students were enrolled in both learning support math and English as well as their credit course counterparts, and the Perspectives seminar. Roadrunner Scholars were provided tutoring assistance, peer education, development opportunities, as well as social activities.  All aspects of the program were provided at no cost to the student through scholarships offered by our Dalton State Foundation.  Students were invited to app

The original plan read, “Research situation for English language learners (ELLs) in ENGL 1101 through the administration of surveys to students. From this research, we may create a project to provide additional ELL support to ENGL 1101 faculty and/or students.”

In late Fall 2024, a survey went to all ENGL 1101 and 1102 students. Two-hundred and sixty-three students answered the following questions:

This activity expands the work ASU currently conducts within its University College. 

Albany State University currently does not require students to have standardized test scores prior to admission.  As such, it has been difficult to identify incoming students’ specific strengths nor areas that need improvement.  Our student success supports are therefore often too general to directly address specific student-related deficiencies.  To overcome this barrier to success, we are piloting a First Year Student Assessment Protocol (FYAP).

KSU’s “Starting Blocks” project launched in Fall 2024.  Block scheduling serves multiple purposes, all designed to enhance the academic experience and support student success. It streamlines the registration process for easier enrollment, ensuring students make appropriate selections of courses, including introductory English and math, during their first semester. It helps minimize potential credit loss if students change majors, and it provides students with the optimal opportunity to register for a full-time (15 credit hour) schedule.

Through a US Department of Education grant, GGC launched a STEM Living Learning Community (LLC) specifically for Informational Technology (IT) and Health Science (HS) programs that offers competitive housing awards and academic and career readiness support for two cohorts of 16 students pursuing these degrees each year.  Our LLC program builds on GGC’s record of successfully preparing STEM students by providing intensive academic support, proactive advising, career planning, and high impact practices such as undergraduate research opportunities.