Academic Achievement at SOU

Academic Support Programs Office
(541)552-6213
Stevenson Union Room 134

The following items can help your student succeed academically and make the most of their college experience.

1. Interactions with faculty

At SOU, students experience small class sizes and faculty who focus on building strong relationships with students. Students, however, need to play their part as well. Encourage your student to communicate with their professors during class sessions as well as outside of class during faculty office hours to ensure that they understand course material. These interactions will strengthen your student’s knowledge of the subject and will help them to be fully engaged in the classroom.

2. Develop a study plan

Regular class attendance and time management are important elements to your student’s academic success. Encourage your student to create a study schedule and to keep up with reading and assignments from the first day of classes. Falling behind in the first week creates a snowball effect that compounds week after week, leaving your student feeling overwhelmed and unsuccessful.

3. Meet with an advisor regularly

SOU requires first-year students to meet with their academic advisor every term before registering for classes for the next quarter. Students who have not yet declared a major and all first-year students can meet with their University Seminar instructor or a professional advisor in Academic Support Programs or the Higher Education Center; students who have decided on a major should meet with an advisor in their academic department. Advisors will help your student stay on track toward graduation.

Students enrolled in a USEM class should contact their USEM instructor for advising. Students not enrolled in a USEM class can call the Academic Support Programs office to arrange a meeting with an Academic Advisor.

4. Utilize specialized academic resources

Academic Advising, Disability Resources, Math Tutoring, the Writing Lab, the Student Health and Wellness Center, and other support programs and services are all available to help students clarify their academic and post academic needs.  

Encourage your student to utilize these services as needed. If your student has learning differences, is in need of academic assistance, or has a documented disability, please encourage them to contact Disability Resources in Academic Support Programs.

5. Take classes seriously

Students should treat their education as a full-time job. If they commit to regular class attendance and study two to three hours for every hour spent in class, they dramatically increase their chances of meeting their academic goals and personal expectations.

6. Manage time wisely

Encourage your student to set realistic goals, and invest in a planner to schedule classes, blocks of study time, projects, college activities, work, and free time.

7. Look forward to new experiences and ideas

Persuade your student to be open to new ideas as well as to people who look, speak, act, and dress differently from them, or who have beliefs, values, perspectives, or practices different from their own. Diverse experiences help students learn more about themselves and prepare them for the world in which we live and work.