Petitioning and Probation for Exploring Students

This program is designed to move students from academic challenge back to success and good standing. In the longer term, we help students remain enrolled at MSU and progress toward graduation. 

It is intended to help students with three overlapping problems:

• Academic proficiency: course performance, study strategies, workload, use of tutoring or academic supports.
• Institutional navigation: understanding MSU policies, deadlines, repeat rules, major pathways, reinstatement/readmission processes, and which offices can help.
• Socio-emotional engagement: belonging, motivation, confidence, accountability, and connecting students to people rather than leaving them to interpret probation as personal failure.

STARLite explores risk indicators and their effect with student success, such as: 

• Grades
• Poor attendance
• Missing or low scoring early assignments
• Limited engagement in a course
• Connects students to support quickly, before issues escalate
• Emphasizing early intervention
• Centering holistic advising
• Supporting exploratory and first year students in particular
• Reinforcing a culture of shared responsibility for student success

Academic standing is reviewed at the end of the semester. Students receive an Academic Standing of Undergraduate Students notice based on updated grades.

Students with a GPA below 2.0 and those with a significant drop in cumulative GPA are identified for intervention. 

Students meet with an assigned STARLite advisor at least three times in their next semester of enrollment. The advisor functions as both strategist and accountability partner. STARLite advisors guide students using a growth-mindset approach, help students build belonging, provide institutional navigation tools, and help students believe they can recover academically even while on probation.

The students’ outcomes are measured at the end of the semester. A primary short-term goal is for the student to return to good academic standing; the long-term goal is the accomplishment of the student’s goals, persistence, and graduation.

Engagement

Students who complete all required components, or extra, return to good standing at higher rates. 

Bottom line

University Advisor’s STARLite Program is an intervention & academic progress support program designed to identify and support Exploratory Preference and Exploring Business Preference students who have experienced academic difficulty in a prior semester.
 

Reach out to Debra Thornton-Fitzpatrick to learn more.