Student Academic Success supports the mission of the University by developing, implementing, and assessing initiatives and practices to ensure all students are offered the resources and relationships necessary for high quality learning, academic persistence, and degree completion. This includes Academic Advising & Transfer Services, the Center for Academic Excellence, Career Development, Second Year Experience, Summer Start, freshman learning communities, the university first year experience courses, and the USA Scholars initiative, including our Earn Back program. For more information visit https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicsuccess/.

Learning Communities

Freshman learning communities at South are focused on academic courses. A learning community usually includes two or three classes shared with other students enrolled in that community. Learning communities typically enroll about 25 first year students; generally, all students share their first year experience course. In most communities, students will share one or two additional classes with the same group of 25 students. Learning communities are designed to provide students with the opportunity to meet other students in the same major, to offer the best schedule for the first semester, and to maximize the applicability of courses should a student decide to change majors.

First Year Experience Courses

First year experience (FYE) courses are offered at universities around the world. At USA, this course was constructed by faculty and designed to address areas where first year students need additional development. First year experience courses include college success strategies, metacognitive practices, and often discipline specific skills. They help maximize our students' potential to achieve academic success; adjust to the shift in responsibility that comes with college learning; and overcome interpersonal challenges associated with college life.

Summer Start

Summer Start is a six-week, seven credit-hour summer session that focuses on providing students with a jump-start on college, giving them an early opportunity to learn more about campus, and engage with academic success and extracurricular activities during the summer term. Students who are admitted into Summer Start are required to participate in the program and to continue at the University in the fall. Summer Start allows students to enjoy smaller class sizes while learning “in community” - sharing the same group of classes together. At its core, Summer start facilitates a smooth transaction into the University by ensuring strong support networks created prior to the fall semester.

Second Year Experience

The Second Year Experience (SYE) at the University includes a leadership and skills development program for second year students, with a special focus on students who identify as first-generation and/or have unmet financial need, which supports strategic efforts to close equity gaps and graduate more students. Through the SYE Transformational Leadership Program (TLP), students develop leadership, service, and crucial career skills to prepare them for a Career Trek to meet employers. SYE focuses on student engagement with faculty in a high impact practice (HIP), such as diversity/global learning, experiential learning, internships, study abroad, and undergraduate research (AAC&U, 2013), and will culminate with a poster presentation on that experience to be delivered at the University Second Year Showcase to take place in the fall semester of a student’s third year at USA.

USA Scholars Initiative

The USA Scholars Initiative focuses additional attention on USA scholarship students who may be academically at risk. First year students whose fall GPA is below 3.0 may be contacted about additional resources designed specifically to increase academic insight. Included in this program is our Earn Back opportunity. Students who have lost their Freshman Admission Scholarship may be able to earn it back by participating in this program.

At USA, an academic advisor’s purpose is to encourage students to develop as self-directed learners and decision makers. Students begin their relationship with their advisor during their orientation. Students should meet with their academic advisor each term and are encouraged to meet as often as needed. Generally, students move to an advisor in their major when they complete between thirty and sixty credit hours. Students are expected to communicate with their assigned academic advisor regularly; however, expectations for meetings vary by major and department. For more information visit https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicadvising/.

Academic Coaching

Academic coaching can serve as a proactive approach to help students successfully overcome personal and academic challenges. Academic coaches can assist students in establishing and creating plans to reach their short and long-term goals. Coaches can help a student identify specific circumstances, thoughts, feelings and actions that can help the student identify and help change unintentional patterns. Students actively participate in this appointment by reflecting on their personal goals and dreams and with the guidance of the advisor develop a plan of action. 

https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicadvising/academic-coaching.html

Pathway USA

Pre-Health advising at the University of South Alabama offers valuable resources to students interested in a variety of graduate professional health programs. In order to prepare students for the rigorous demands of these programs, advisors provide information and guidance on required course work, admission test needs, the application process and non-academic requirements. Pre-health advising is provided as a supplement to major academic advising. All pre-health students have an academic advisor who will guide them in meeting requirements for graduation.

https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicadvising/pre-health/

https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/artsandsci/pscj/pre-law/

The Center for Academic Excellence is a full-service learning center, providing subject tutoring, writing center consultations, workshops, and learning resources for all USA students. The Center for Academic Excellence strives to help every student reach their academic goals. The CAE’s academic enrichment services are grounded in a growth mindset that students can learn anything with hard work, perseverance, and good study habits.

The Center for Academic Excellence offers subject tutoring for a large variety of general education courses. Subject tutoring is a collaborative learning experience in which peers work together to develop knowledge, build skills, and think critically and creatively to solve problems. The CAE also provides writing center consultations for courses in any discipline. Writing center consultations focus on helping students improve their writing skills, rather than simply editing papers. Students may receive help with any type of writing task at any stage of the writing process, including understanding assignments, brainstorming, organization, development, and revision. Additionally, the CAE provides workshops, events, and a variety of programs aimed at empowering USA students to succeed in their coursework and beyond.

The Center for Academic Excellence is located on the second floor of the Marx Library. For more information, please call (251) 460-6480 or visit https://www.southalabama.edu/cae.

Career Development

USA Career Development assists students and alumni in all phases of the career development process. As a comprehensive career center, the office supports career and academic major exploration by assisting students in determining career interests and selecting appropriate academic programs to reach their goals. Staff helps students in co-op and internship participation which can supplement classroom experiences and promote academic and professional development. They also assist students in identification and preparation for employment opportunities, and graduate and professional school preparation.

Handshake, an online career management system, is just one of the resources students are encouraged to use when seeking a job, internship, or co-op. From Handshake, students can share their profile, submit employment applications, and have resume documents reviewed. 

https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/careerservices/