Today@Sam Article
Heritage Magazine: From Struggle to Success
Jan. 6, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins
Sam Houston State University’s resourceful approach to education is prevalent throughout the entire learning process. From the enrollment stage through professional development after college, Bearkats receive immersive, peer-driven guidance at Sam’s innovative Academic Success Center (ASC).
“Student success is part of Sam Houston’s story,” said Austin Dixon, the ASC’s director of academic outreach and recovery. “We have a unique population that we serve and connect with. A lot of these students come from spaces in which they have additional needs to be met in order to be successful. We empower those students and boost their abilities by tapping into what makes them the best student they can possibly be.”
When Dixon accepted his current role at the center, he was tasked with creating a new peer-education service for students on academic probation or suspension. The result was academic coaches, or individuals who assist those in academic recovery or experience other academic related challenges.
“Over time, we sought to serve students more proactively through jumpstart, learning and recovery coaching,” Dixon said. “Some of these individuals have targeted groups that they support, but are primarily here to serve anyone who may need assistance with academic strategies and skill development. Some of them have even connected with doctoral students.”
Like many Bearkats, junior Micah Wilkins’ path to higher education was anything but traditional. The Pearland, Texas native, who comes from a single parent household, had aspirations of studying construction management at SHSU. However, he found himself ill-equipped to handle the stresses of college life when he arrived in Huntsville as a freshman and was on the verge of failing four classes his first semester.
Then, he found the Academic Success Center.
“I heard about the center when I first came in, but I was an ignorant high school student who thought everything would work itself out,” Wilkins said. “I did not adjust well, and it was a huge shock for me, as it is for many people.”
Fortunately, Wilkins’ mother had no plans of seeing her son fail. Concerned about his grades, she phoned Dixon at the ASC, who then reached out to Micah directly with further details on the resources available to struggling Bearkats.
“I finally went there my second semester, which helped a lot,” Wilkins said. “I got an academic success coach, who kept me on track and taught me how to navigate college, different courses and actually communicate with my professors. It was older, experienced students teaching younger students.”
Wilkins’ coach customized the guidance to his specific needs, maximizing his chances to not only rebound academically, but to stay afloat.
“Time management was my biggest weakness, so we had to figure out a system that was right for me,” he said. “Every Sunday, I take an hour to write out everything I needed to accomplish in the coming week. I set it up in my Outlook Calendar: every little assignment, quiz and test. I’m more prone to being on my phone, so it was all right there for me when I needed it.”
Wilkins is just one of many SHSU students who have benefitted from the ASC’s specialized mentorship and tutoring services. During the Fall of 2023 alone, the team served over 750 students, an increase of nearly 400% from the previous semester.
“The ASC completely changed my collegiate path. I probably would have failed out if I never went,” Wilkins said. “I really appreciate the resources available at Sam Houston. You can go to any office on campus to find an answer to just about any question you have. A lot of colleges make you sift through online information or make countless phone calls to find out what you need to know.”
Wilkins has done more than simply rise above his lackluster start at the university. In the Fall 2024 semester, he began working as an ASC academic coach and now offers the same guidance he once so desperately needed.
“My experience motivated me to help incoming freshmen who may be struggling like I was,” he said. “I understand the process of not knowing what to do while in college, and it’s really scary. You may fail, but that doesn’t mean it’s over or that you’re not smart enough.”
The center’s services are not limited to academic coaches. The ASC transitioned all services to the Newton Gresham Library as a central location for student support in the Fall of 2021. The center now exists as a tutoring wing as well as a recovery and outreach wing. Along with Dixon, Ted Stuberfield serves as a director at the center, overseeing the tutoring side.
In the 2023-24 academic year, there were 17,758 tutoring appointments seen within the center covering a multitude of disciplines. The ASC also supports an extensive progress report initiative that reaches out to students who have been alerted for academic progress. Over 300 students were supported and provided with academic resources in Spring 2024.
“The ASC stands out here at Sam Houston because we want to meet our students where they are in their learning process and help them become successful,” Stuberfield said. “We are not just tutoring or coaching students to be their very best, but also providing them with skills they will need to become better learners. The goal is to get them to where they can navigate successfully within the university and into the workplace once they graduate.”
The ASC works directly with multiple departments and colleges at SHSU to ensure they offer indispensable success resources for every Bearkat. In the summer, they offer assistance to incoming students through their Jumpstart@Sam program, providing critical resources necessary for their first academic year. On top of early intervention, they have learning and recovery coaches.
“We have initiatives and interventions at every critical point,” Dixon said. “Hopefully, those individuals would like to continue using our services throughout their academic careers.”
Along with their coaching and tutoring guidance, they offer an array of workshops and events to introduce individuals to their services as early as possible.
The Academic Success Center is available to all students at each stage of their collegiate journeys and is located on the second floor of the Newton Gresham Library on the Huntsville campus. They also have an office at The Woodlands Center in room 218.
ASC Points Of Pride: Students on academic recovery who meet with an ASC coach four or more times improve their GPA by 1.08 and are 1.47 times more likely to continue to the next semester. ENGL 1301 students who visit the ASC’s Writing Center at least once improve GPA by an average of 0.61.
To read the full version of Heritage Magazine - Fall 2024, follow this link.
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