New course nearing end of first semester run

By Kaleigh Mathis, News Writing Student

Success in College and Life, a required one-credit hour life skills course for all freshmen, has nearly completed its first semester run — but not without its cheers and jeers.

“We want to encourage students to succeed,” said Special initiatives Dean Susan VanSchuyver.

“We want to do everything to encourage them to do all they can to master the skills of success to graduate or for when they transfer to another school,” she said.

However, a number of students surveyed did not find the course helpful.

Political Science major Jessica Bailey said she finds only a few things in the course to be beneficial to students.

“I already had 12 hours from concurrent enrollment so I was already familiar with the college,” Bailey said. “Some pointers are helpful, like time management, but it’s not really a course I needed to take.”

VanSchuyver said national research done by administrators at OCCC showed that students taking courses similar to this succeed at a higher rate in college.

OCCC has tried previous versions of the course, after a need for it was determined by faculty in the late 1990s, she said.

Currently there are 74 sections of the course, taught by approximately 55 teachers.

VanSchuyver said OCCC President Paul Sechrist is supportive of the course and was a big help in launching it.

The class is divided into several units.

One unit is Making Connections, which introduces students to the college and the different administrators.

Sechrist introduced himself by taping a welcome speech for the students in this class.

Other units teach values, critical thinking, goal setting, diversity and library use.

VanSchuyver said she’s pleased with the course so far.

“The feedback that I have gotten from my students and other professors is positive,” VanSchuyver said.

Success in College and Life is required for most OCCC degree programs and is offered every semester in 8- and 16-week courses, Fast Track and online.