Student Affairs

EARLY ACADEMICS

During your student’s transition through their first year at college or at a new college,

there may be several highs and lows you experience as your student calls and texts home

throughout a day, week or month. Ultimately, we want the same outcome as you — for your

student to be safe, healthy and successful at Clemson University. The information gathered

in the next several sections is designed to help you understand the transitional experience

and how Clemson assists students through the process.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

At Clemson, we found the following four practices are key strategies for persistence through

higher education and academic performance:

1. Attending Class

Today, so many high schools have different attendance policies; therefore, it is easy to see

why students have different points of view on attending class. In higher education, class

attendance is the number one way to stay on track with academic progression and engage

with faculty.

2. Time Management

Time management is something students constantly experience throughout their time

in college. Time can get away from students, trying to balance a full course load, maintain

friendships or make new ones, stay involved on campus and perhaps work part-time. All of

this combined can cause concern for anyone attempting to manage time wisely. Attending

college should be treated as if it were a full-time job. A full-time job requires roughly 40 hours

a week. An average course load is 15 hours per semester, so you could look at it this way:

30 hours of study + 15 hours of class = 45 hours per week.

3. Communication with Faculty

At Clemson, we found faculty-student interactions significantly support academic success

and performance. Faculty are excited about their field of study and want to engage students

in the field. Faculty also administer the grades each semester, so a student who takes their

time to get to know their faculty member will stand out and become known to them.

4. Encouraging Students to Seek Help Early

One of the best ways to combat getting into trouble with grades is by asking for help.

Encouraging your student to seek help will not only improve their classroom experience but

likely their personal life as well. There are many places to look for help at Clemson: resident

assistants (RAs), academic advisers, faculty members, Student Affairs staff members and

Counseling and Psychological Services counselors, among others. There is help all across

campus. The best place to start is by encouraging your student to seek help from someone

if they need it.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Academic Success Center

During their first semester of enrollment at Clemson, students may find the academic

expectations and rigor at Clemson to be at a higher level than expected. The Academic

Success Center staff provides students with the support they need to be confident,

independent and lifelong learners. The Ted G. Westmoreland Academic Success Program

TIGER CUBS

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:

CLASS ATTENDANCE

•

Ask your student if they have been

going to class.

•

Ask about their classes.

•

If you have concerns, contact the

Office of Advocacy and Success.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:

TIME MANAGEMENT

•

Encourage your student to start a

schedule to use on the weekdays,

allowing time to work between classes.

•

If your student is struggling, have

conversations with them about their

schedule and how they are balancing

their social and academic life.

provides academic programs designed for students’ academic and personal success. These

programs, offered to all undergraduate students, include Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL)

sessions, LearningLab Tutoring, Academic Coaching and Success Strategy Workshops.

There’s something for every student at the ASC.

Academic Coaching

Academic Coaching allows students to see themselves, their skills and their study habits from

a fresh perspective through one-on-one sessions focused on learning and personal success

strategies. An academic coach equips each student with a toolkit of tangible strategies while

demonstrating unconditional positive regard as an ongoing source of support and connection

within Clemson University. Individualized coaching appointments typically last between 30

and 60 minutes and occur on a regular basis throughout the semester.

Course Support Programs

Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) is a series of twice-weekly interactive peer-facilitated study

sessions for students enrolled in historically difficult classes. The PAL program has received

international recognition for its effectiveness. PAL sessions are facilitated by an upperclass

PAL leader who completed the course at Clemson and earned an A or B. The PAL leader

attends all class meetings and guides their peers through the course material throughout

the semester. PAL leaders are trained to integrate course content (what to learn) and study

strategies (how to learn) into the PAL sessions. The PAL leaders also help students organize

class material, compare notes, discuss difficult concepts, develop strategies for studying the

subject and master content. Data shows students who participate in PAL on a regular basis

(six or more visits during a semester) earn a higher percentage of As and Bs and a

lower percentage of Cs, Ds, Fs and withdrawals (Ws) than non-participants.

Tutoring is available for a variety of courses. Students can attend by scheduling a one-on-

one appointment online. Tutoring sessions are led by an upperclass tutors who completed

the course at Clemson and earned an A or B in the course. Tutors assist students by sharing

strategies for learning challenging course material and empowering students to become

independent learners. Clemson’s tutor training is certified by the College Reading and

Learning Association (CRLA). Tutoring is offered throughout the week in the ASC or online

in an interactive video appointment. The ASC website

( clemson.edu/asc )

is the best place

to check for a current listing of courses, to access video links, and to view locations and

times. Students seeking tutoring for courses the ASC does not support may access the Tutor

Matching Service to identify Clemson students who are available to tutor for a fee.

LearningLab is available for any student enrolled in any course. Students can work with

peer learning consultants (PLC) who can help students identify effective learning and study

strategies they can utilize for their courses. The peer learning consultant can also refer

students to other helpful success services.

PARENT TESTIMONIAL

“Our daughter came to Clemson from out

of state and did not know anyone coming

to Clemson. She made a conscious

decision to get to know her roommates

and meet other people. She made an

effort to go beyond her comfort zone.

Even when her high school friends were

trying to get her to leave Clemson for

the weekend, she chose to stay and try

to establish friends at Clemson. She

made a good number of connections as a

freshman and increased her friend base

as a sophomore. She is thriving socially

and academically, but it took time and

effort to make it happen.”

Mary Blount

Atlanta, Ga.