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September 17, 2007Goals in Action Program Reports Promising Results in Helping Academically At-Risk Students |
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From Univerrity of California San Diego: What can colleges and universities do to help their low-performing students set and attain higher academic goals while transitioning successfully to campus life? Social scientists know that that poor academic performance not only manifests itself in low grade point averages (GPAs) for these students, but can also be a sign of poor time management and goal-setting skills, low self-confidence, lack of connectedness to campus resources and social support systems, and a feeling of hopelessness in adjusting to the college environment. The program, known as Goals in Action (GIA) addresses social, behavioral, and psychological functioning both inside and outside the classroom while closely examining the role these factors play in student underachievement, and ways to alleviate such problems, says Daniel Singley, Ph.D. a psychologist in UCSD's Psychological & Counseling Services and principle investigator of the GIA initiative. According to Singley, "Students who take part in the program not only have the chance to learn concrete skills, and to talk with other people who are in the same situation, but they also learn how to build relationships and to capitalize on the strengths that make them unique as individuals." "These results suggest that the program is useful in terms of helping academically-at-risk students feel, adjust and perform better in the college environment," Singley indicates. A new, innovative approach using positive psychology and self-esteem enhancement was proposed with the concept of promoting general wellness and allowing students to thrive in a supportive milieu." During the Winter 2007 quarter, Singley and Manese teamed up with Dr. Murray to expand the project to include a group of students from UCSD's Warren, Eleanor Roosevelt and Thurgood Marshall Colleges who were facing dismissal for academic reasons.
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