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Letter for Parents

Letter for Parents

Letter for parents

We are pleased that your son or daughter has chosen to participate in the Structured Monitoring Program in the Academic Support Center. This program encourages the development of independence and responsibility in our students. While we work hard to provide support for our students who are transitioning to adulthood, we provide a different type of support than parents may have experienced from high school in the hope that we can in facilitate the transition to RIT and college life. We would like to share guidelines that we have developed that spell out appropriate interactions among the Learning Specialist, the student, and the parent.

Accordion ArrowWhat Structured Monitoring CAN DO:

  • Review syllabi with students to discuss due dates and course expectations.
  • Inform students of available resources and help students to access those resources (for example: referring students to tutoring services).
  • Help students to stay organized by use of a weekly/ten week calendar and to-do sheets.
  • Monitor progress by asking students for weekly updates regarding class attendance, upcoming homework assignments, and grades received on assignments, quizzes, and exams.
  • Introduce college level study strategies related to the students’ courses
  • Review how to utilize notes and/or tutors effectively.
  • At mid-quarter only - conduct outreach to faculty about students’ progress with follow-up attempts if no response.
  • Encourage students to meet with their academic advisor and assist with on-line registration, class withdrawal forms, etc.
  • Contact students either by email or phone when a check-in is missed.
  • Encourage students to access counseling services as appropriate (Note: LSS cannot mandate that a student attend counseling).
  • Give students information about how to register with the Disability Services Office or TRiO Student Support Services if appropriate.
  • Encourage development of independent advocacy skills by identifying times when students should make appointments to see their instructors, academic advisors, or other professionals on campus. Learning Support Specialists might at times help students to prepare for such meetings, and they may even hand students a phone so they can place a call. Role playing can be used, when appropriate.

Accordion Arrow What Structured Monitoring CANNOT DO:

  • Monitor students’ daily attendance in classes (beyond asking for students’ self-reports and what professors’ report on mid-quarter reports).
  • Complete homework for students.
  • Hand in students’ work for them.
  • Ask professors for confirmation that students have indeed turned in their assignments.
  • Provide tutoring in specific subject areas (i.e. Computer Programming, Financial Accounting).
  • Guarantee 100% response from faculty at the mid-quarter outreach.
  • Force a student to sign up for a tutor or other approved accommodations (note taking, extended testing).
  • Force a student to make use of their approved accommodations.
  • Conduct weekly collaborative communication with parents, faculty and/or advisors.
  • Resolve Residence Hall concerns.
  • Assume the role of an academic advisor (i.e., relaying relevant information regarding specific department policies and degree requirements).

Please note that the university environment is such that we are not able to provide parents with weekly updates on students’ performance. After the mid-quarter reports are returned from faculty (about week 6-7), ask your son or daughter what those reports contain. If at that time students do not have that information, please feel free to call the Program Coordinator or the Learning Support Specialist.

Attendance

As you know, this is a fee-based ten week program for which students must register each quarter. Please be aware that the Learning Support Specialist will adhere closely to our attendance policy. When students are absent, we will contact them and note this in their file. If the student continues to have unexcused absences, the parent will be notified by either phone or email with a follow-up letter in the mail. The most appropriate way to handle future absences will then be determined by the parent and the Learning Support Specialist (email, phone).

Parent Contact

You can expect to be contacted under these circumstances:

  • As stated above in the attendance policy.
  • When an Early Alert is received that, according to the Learning Support Specialist, is problematic and parents should be aware of its content.
  • When notified of a D/F grade at mid-quarter (about week 6-7).

If your son or daughter is working with supports in multiple areas such as AIM, Spectrum Pilot, Disability Services Office, or TRiO, you may receive just one comprehensive notification from a point person in one of those various areas.

Structured Monitoring helps students build self-advocacy and self-efficacy skills, both of which are paramount to a student’s academic success. It is crucial for students to take an active role in the day-to-day management of college life, whether managing factors within their control or coping with factors outside of their control. Stress is inevitable, especially with the fast-paced quarter system at RIT. When students do experience adversity, this is an opportunity to learn and develop behaviors that are constructive. Through this process, the students’ belief and confidence in their own effectiveness grows stronger. This is a critical developmental step for every young person.

For this reason, some students will only work with our program for 1-2 quarters or the first year of college. Others will choose to work longer, or throughout their entire career at RIT. Many parents ask “How long should they stay?” At the end of each quarter the student and Learning Support Specialist will complete an evaluation and discuss the next quarter. Some students come back when they feel they need it again and others stay because they just like to know they always have someone to talk with. If you have any questions, please contact me at (585)475-5296 or by email at Lisa.Fraser@rit.edu.

The Structured Monitoring Program team looks forward to working with your young adult.

Sincerely,

Lisa Fraser
Academic Support Center
Coordinator,
Structured Monitoring Program

Do you have a comment or suggestion? Send it to us!
For more information please contact the Academic Support Center at asc@rit.edu.