Programs for Academic Success Skills (PASS) provides students with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enhance study and exam-taking ability, while decreasing anxiety related to academic performance. Services include individual and group counseling, assessment of study behaviors, screening for learning disabilities, an extensive collection of self-help resources, and weekly workshops on a variety of study skills topics.

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The goal of the PASS Certificate Program is to provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enhance their study and test-taking ability, while decreasing anxiety related to academic performance.

The PASS Certificate Program is individualized for each student, but has several consistent elements.

1. An assessment tool, usually the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), is administered to determine the student's needs, concerns, academic interest level, and academic attitudes. After taking the study skills measure, the student will meet with an academic counselor. This meeting provides students with feedback about results of the assessment tool, as well as suggestions about how the student can improve his/her study techniques. A contract is agreed upon, which specifies how the student will fulfill the program hours.
2. The Certificate Program is individualized for each student, but has four consistent elements. The four essential program elements are study skills testing, interpretation of test results, an initial academic counseling session and the exit academic counseling session. All 4 required elements must be completed before the calender semester ends. Additional program requirements will be based upon student needs and may include any combination of workshops, videos, counselor guided projects, and/or individual or group academic counseling sessions. All services and resources are offered free of charge at the Student Counseling Service in Cain Hall or online.
3. When the student has completed the certificate program hours, an exit counseling session is required. At that time, the student's experiences and progress are discussed. If desired, the student or counselor may request a second administration of the learning skills inventory for comparison purposes.
4. Upon completion of the exit session, the student will receive a PASS Program Certificate, which can be used to verify participation within the program for that semester.
5. Because of strict client confidentiality at the Student Counseling Service, each student who successfully completes the program will receive a certificate indicating completion of the program. It is the student's responsibility to present this certificate to his/her Academic Dean, Professor, or Advisor as proof of program participation.

Results for students who complete the certificate program indicate that an individual's GPR increases significantly from the semester before program participation to the semester of participation. These gains are retained the semester following participation. Specifically, students who complete the certificate program have an average GPR of 1.646 the semester before participation in the program. Their GPR at the end of the semester they participate in the program averagse 2.449. Their average GPR for the semester following participation in the program is 2.474.

Academic Deans, Professors, and Advisors:

If you would like to offer a PASS Academic Success Skills Certificate Program to supplement your department's educational experiences, please contact Lyle Slack, the Programs for Academic Success Skills (PASS) Coordinator.