This is the presentation that I give each semester to Academic Probation students on the night before classes start to help inspire them for the semester ahead. It discusses what it means to be on probation, steps they can take to improve academically and resources available to help them.
1. Center for Student & Academic Achievement (CASA)
Back on Track
Probation Meeting
2. Workshop Agenda
What Is Academic Probation?
How to Improve Your GPA
Campus Resources
Steps for Academic Success
Academic Policies to Know
Back on Track Program
Wrap Up / Next Steps
3. What is Academic Probation?
“Academic probation constitutes a serious
warning that a student's academic record is
unsatisfactory and that failure to improve the
record will lead to dismissal from the
University.”
- USF University Catalog
4. How to Improve Your GPA
Address Obstacles
Preventing You From
Being Successful!
Improve
Your Habits!
Consider a
New Major!
Confront
Personal
Issues!
6. Steps for Academic Success
1. Attend Class Regularly
2. Be Attentive In Class
3. Prepare Carefully for Assignments and
Tests
4. Visit Instructors Before or After Class
or During Office Hours
5. Treat School Like a Full-Time Job &
Manage Your Time Wisely
6. Take Advantage of Extra Credit
Opportunities!
7. • Dropping Classes
• Changing Your Major / Minor
• Leave of Absence / Withdrawal
• Incomplete Courses
• Repeat Courses
• Continuing Student Registration
• YOU Are Responsible for Checking Your Mail!
Last Day to Drop w/ Refund Friday, September 5th
Last Day to Drop w/ No Refund Friday, October 31st
Academic Policies to Know
8. Back on Track Program
Requirement Timing
Back on Track Probation Meeting Today!
One Individual Meeting w/
University Adviser
By Sept. 12th
(Bring Completed Academic
Action Plan With You!)
Academic Progress Reports
(1 for Each Class)
By Oct. 20th
Two Student Success Workshops
(Sign the Attendance Sheet)
By End of Semester
9. Where Will You Be at the
Conclusion of This Semester?
Removed from Probation?
Continued on Probation?
Academically Disqualified?
Your Academic Future is in YOUR Hands
– and WE are Here to Help!
Academic Policies to Know
In the Back on Track folder that you will receive, there is a full sheet that describes in detail Academic Policies that you should be aware of – we encourage you to read through it and ask your University Adviser if you have any questions There is also a fully detailed description of all Academic Policies in the USF University Catalog.
For now, I would just like to highlight two important dates. First of all, the Last Day to Drop Classes with a Refund is Friday, Sept. 6th. That is the last day that you can drop classes without getting a W notation on your transcript and having eligibility for an adjustment of tuition to reflect the new number of credit hours that you are registered for (i.e. 8 cr. of tuition vs. 12 cr. of tuition). If you think you may want to drop one of your classes, we encourage you to discuss your plans with your University Adviser.
After Sept. 6th up until Friday, November 1st, you can still drop classes but you must fill out out an Add-Drop form and have it signed by the Instructor, an Adviser, and the Dean of your College (which you can get in our CASA office). You must then take it up to the One Stop center in LM 251.
After Friday, November 1st, you cannot drop any classes and will be subject to whatever grade you have earned in your class.
Back on Track Program
Next, I will go over the basic requirements of the Back on Track program that you will participate in this semester. These requirements will also be specified in the Academic Contract that you will go over and sign with your University Adviser.
First, each student on Academic Probation must attend the Back on Track probation meeting at the start of each semester. This online session is intended to take the place of that meeting. Once you have viewed this session and taken the accompanying quiz, you will need to pick up your Back on Track folder and sign your Academic Contract with your University Adviser in order to fully meet this requirement and have your hold removed.
Each student on Academic Probation must meet individually with his or her assigned University Adviser at least once during the semester. This meeting should take place before Sept. 6th and you are expected to bring your completed Academic Action Plan with you to the meeting to go over with your adviser. After watching this tutorial and taking the quiz, make sure to stop by the CASA office in the UC 3rd floor or call 415-422-5050 to schedule your individual meeting. Further individual meetings may be scheduled at the discretion of your University Adviser if we feel it is advisable.
Each student on Academic Probation must submit Academic Progress reports for each of your classes to the CASA office in the UC 3rd floor by Friday, October 18th. The blank forms will be in your Back on Track folder. Fill them out with your name and the class information and give them to your instructors about one week ahead of the deadline. Have them return them to you once they have filled them out and then submit them to our office. The progress reports are intended to help you have a clear idea of where you stand in your classes before the Last Day to Drop and what (if anything) you need to improve upon for the remainder of the semester. Make sure to review them closely before turning them in and discuss them with your instructor or University Adviser if you have any questions.
Each student on Academic Probation is expected to attend two Student Success Workshops. There will be a brochure with a list of workshops offered this semester in your Back on Track folder. When you attend the workshops, sign in on the attendance sheet which will be passed out towards the end of the workshop. You also have the option to register and complete one of the College Success Courses listed under Interdisciplinary studies - i.e. INTD 050 or INTD 053. We encourage you to discuss this option with your University Adviser if you choose to take advantage of it.
Note – students on probation are generally required to take 16 credits or less each semester while on probation. If you wish to take a College Success course or other elective that would bring you to over 16 credits, make sure to discuss your plans with your University Adviser – he or she can determine if that would be an appropriate option for you.
Where Will You Be Next Semester?
At this point, we have gone over what it means to be on probation, strategies and resources that you can use to improve your performance, and the components that you will complete in the Back on Track program.
From here, the trajectory that you semester will take is up to you. We encourage you to think ahead now to where you wish to be at the conclusion of this next semester? Do you wish to be Removed from Probation? Continued on Probation? Academically Disqualified?
You alone can control your academic future, but we are here to support you – we encourage you to take this probation seriously and do everything you can to get back to Good Academic Standing. We believe you can do it if you address the obstacles standing in your way, utilize the resources here at USF, and adopt some of the successful student practices we have reviewed in this session!