Support the Whole Student

There are many moving parts to supporting all kinds of students. It is necessary for individual faculty and staff as well as whole departments to keep some important key issues in mind as they envision how to move their students successfully through the program all the way to graduation. What does it mean to
Support the Whole Student? »

Following the three part construction of Jolly et al. (2004), supporting the whole student involves building a sense of community for the students in the program, developing students' inner drive and motivation to succeed, and providing students with the necessary academic support for them to be successful.

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Build a Sense of Community

Research shows that students who feel they 'belong' have a higher degree of intrinsic motivation and academic confidence.

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Develop Student Motivation to Succeed

There is much that educators can do to increase students motivation to succeed on an assignment, in their course, in a degree program, and in the profession.

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Provide Academic Support

Institutions of higher education need to concern themselves not only with supporting the students that are already on their campuses, but also in strengthening the pipeline that brings students into STEM disciplines.

Departments that attend to the whole student often have a number of characteristics in common. Such things as having strong mentoring and advising, student research programs, and assessment of impact with data can underpin the work of Community, Motivation, and Academic Support.

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Practice Good Advising and Mentoring

Advising and mentoring are a critical part of retaining and graduating students who are ready for their next step, whether it be transitioning to the workforce or going on to further study.

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Engage Students in Research

Research experiences provide a wide array of benefits for all students including those traditionally underrepresented in STEM.

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Use Data to Assess Impact

The collection of quantitative data is important for establishing a baseline for your department's efforts at broadening participation.