Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Student Success Efforts at Winston-Salem State U Boost Learning Outcomes

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 03/12/19
college student working on laptop

Several years ago, Winston-Salem State University put a big emphasis on student success through a revamp of its student success services, including addition of a "quantitative skills center" to provide support on math, science, business and social sciences; supplemental instruction that offered out-of-class study review sessions for courses that are historically difficult for students; and an online service that gives students free access to tutors 24 hours a day.

Now the university has gone public with the overall results of the impact of those initiatives: Students' writing grades have improved by 20 percent and math grades by 10 percent.

For the tutoring specifically, Winston-Salem contracted with Upswing, whose TutorUp program connects students with academic coaches in real time, to extend the reach of the university's own support services. TutorUp was implemented in early 2017.

The service allows students to search for coaches by subject or class and ratings and reviews, then request an immediate session or schedule something for later. Students receive alert reminders about their upcoming sessions and interact with the tutor via audio, video, chat and digital whiteboard.

"We've seen literal improvement in GPAs, especially with our sports teams who engage with the service primarily through our study hall program," said Derick Virgil, associate dean of academic services and assessment, in a statement. "Our partnership with Upswing has been a win-win for the university in many ways. We've seen a direct increase in student success markers like GPAs since gaining the platform, and we're expecting to see indirect increases in retention and graduation as a result of using Upswing."

Virgil noted that students' ease of interaction with the service — and the fact that the cost isn't passed onto them — have been major draws.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Digital cyberspace with particles and Digital data

    Report: AI Is Moving Faster than Data Trust

    AI agents are already in use or pilot at most organizations, but data visibility, governance and precision recovery capabilities have not kept pace, according to Veeam's new Data & AI Trust Gap report.

  • person typing on a touch screen schedule plan calendar

    DOJ Extends Deadline for ADA Title II Compliance

    Institutions working to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II regulations for digital accessibility have received a temporary reprieve: The United States Department of Justice has published an interim final rule to push back the compliance deadline by one year.

  • Abstract polygonal hacker with laptop on technology dark background

    Cybersecurity Researchers Identify First Fully Autonomous AI-Driven Ransomware Attack

    Threat researchers at cloud security firm Sysdig have disclosed what they describe as the first documented ransomware operation carried out end-to-end by an autonomous AI agent, with no human typing commands or directing individual steps once the attack was underway.

  • broken digital lock and glowing chain

    Cybersecurity Researchers: AI Has Crossed into the Live Attack Chain

    AI is moving beyond assisting cybercriminals and beginning to operate within live attacks, according to a new report from Check Point Research. The technology is making sophisticated capabilities faster and more accessible while creating new security risks for businesses deploying their own AI systems.