Posted on Monday, July 03, 2017
Texas Southern University stakeholders are celebrating the return of the University’s Freshman Seminar course (FS 102). TSU’s Curriculum Committee approved a request from the Division of Student Services to reinstate FS 102, a course viewed as critical to student retention, as one of the university’s graduation requirements.
Since 2012, there have been an average of slightly more the 1,300 first-time freshmen starting each fall. About 45% of those students are first-generation students and 10% require some developmental education. In order to develop comprehensive freshmen year experiences that ensures student success, an Advising Task Force consisting of faculty and staff from across campus was assembled to develop a comprehensive advising strategy. The Task Force defined advising at TSU as a “a shared responsibility between student and advisor that helps facilitate the successful completion of a student’s educational and career goals.
The most efficient, effective, and proven way to carry out this strategy is to establish a comprehensive, mandatory course, led by advisors, who intrusively facilitate their students with setting realistic career goals, developing strategic academic plans, assimilating effectively into the campus culture by being active in the university environment, and utilizing learning strategies designed for student success.
Eight Enrollment and Completion Advisors have been hired to lead this effort and will teach the course. The 16-week course will also expose students with tools to successfully navigate the college experience ─ starting with the rich history and legacy of the University to give them a sense of TSU pride. Learning outcomes for the course have been defined and each student’s progress will be monitored to continuously improve advisor and advising strategies. Semester results will be shared with the Advising Task Force for monitoring and evaluation.
The new advisors are front row, from left
Samantha Ary earned her BA at the University of Houston. She is a native of Corrigan, Texas and has worked in advising for 13 years. She comes to TSU from the University of Houston, where she served as Program Manager and Academic Advisor;
Jocelyn Veasley earned her BA at Texas Southern University and her MA at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She is a native Houstonian and has worked in advising for three years. She comes to TSU from the University of Houston System where she served as an Academic Advisor;
Fetera (fee-teh-ra) Henry earned her BS and MA at Sam Houston State University. She is a native of Huntsville, Texas and has worked in advising for five years. She comes to TSU from the University of Houston-Clear Lake where she served as an Enrollment Management Counselor; back row,
Dewayne Stafford earned his BS at the University of Louisiana and his M.Ed. at the University of Houston. He is a native of Lecompte, Louisiana and has worked in advising for three years. He comes to TSU from the University of Houston where he served as the Program Coordinator for Retention and Graduation Initiatives;
Clishe (clih-shay) Larke earned her BA at Arizona State University and her M.Ed. at Northern Arizona University. She is a native of Gilbert, Arizona and has worked in advising for six years. She comes to TSU from Houston Community College where she served as a Success Coach and Advisor;
Angela Ambers-Henderson earned two BAs at the University of Toledo and JD from the University of Akron School of Law. She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and has worked in advising for 20 years. She comes to TSU from Lincoln College where she served as the Director of Admissions, and Millikin University where she served as Director of the Professional Adult Comprehensive Education (PACE) Program;
Robert Melvin earned his BS at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and his M.Ed. at University of Houston. He is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and has worked in Admissions and Student Affairs for four years. He comes to TSU from the University of Houston where he served as Undergraduate Admission Coordinator; and
Charles Sloan earned his BA and MA at Prairie View A&M University. He is currently working on an Ed.D. He is a native Houstonian and has worked in advising for 14 years. He comes to TSU from the University of Houston-Downtown where he served as a Career Counselor.
Category: News Media