AIM SKYward: An Innovative Approach to Onboarding and Retaining Developmental Students
AIM SKYward is a cohort orientation for SKYCTC’s limited enrollment population. New students with a high school GPA between 2.0 and 2.9, or who place into the college’s developmental reading and writing courses, are restricted to enrollment in three specific courses. Students in the population are vulnerable, displaying academic under-preparedness and experiencing nonacademic barriers. Past data show high withdrawal rates and a significant percentage of students who earn grades of D and F. Students in the cohort also struggle with personal issues that interfere with academic success. The primary purpose of AIM SKYward is to address three factors that impact persistence: Affective skills, Intentional connections to campus and community resources, and Multilingual learning. Students gain relationship-building strategies and time management skills that improve their confidence, performance, and persistence. The one-day orientation is held at two campuses the week before classes begin. Additional sessions for multilingual students are offered on-demand throughout the semester.
Innovator
- Stephanie Hyman, Dean, Arts and Humanities