The fall caseload for him and his graduate assistant Laura Gonzales was 450 students, so they work hard. Now, all academically fragile students come through UPAS, and enter BGSU in the fall, summer or spring. In 1998, there were 202 such students, and in 1999 there were 280. In 2000, we expect 250-260. It includes developing an educational plan, mid-term progress reports, individual advising, a listserve, supplemental instruction and a bridge class.
Students sign a contract outlining expectations.
They take 12-15 credits in each of the fall and spring semesters, and must achieve a 2.0 GPA to continue from fall to spring. Students complete a bridge experience such as UNIV 100 or Springboard, and meet with a UPAS advisor four times per semester. They also participate in tutoring and mentoring experiences as recommended by advisors and faculty. UPAS gets lots of calls from faculty, and they try to work together to help students who are not attending classes or otherwise are struggling. If UPAS has a signature, they can call a parent.