Views differ on new Res Life program

By Hanh Quach
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 19, 1996

In an attempt to combat low GPAs, Residence Life has launched a program to help students in residence halls improve their academic standing.

Of the 4,800 residents in University of Arizona residence halls, 772 received a letter last week inviting them to meet with their hall director to discuss ways they could improve their academic performance.

The letter, accompanied by study tips and a resource packet, is part of the Academic Success Intervention Program.

"We want students to know that we care," said Greg Ziebell, assistant director of Residence Life.

The program targets students who earned less than a 2.0 grade point average last semester and offers suggestions on how they can improve their grades. The average GPA for UA residence halls fall semester was 2.63, excluding the two honors halls, Yavapai a nd Yuma, and the all-female hall, Gila.

"We're trying to find out what caused the academic problems in the first semester and what we can do to improve their grades," said Brad Henner, Graham-Greenlee Residence hall director.

Although the program intends to help students with lower academic standing, some question the university's right to interfere.

"It wasn't even mine and I got really angry about (the letter). I thought it was a complete violation of someone's privacy," said Jason Crawley, theatre arts sophomore.

"It's more degrading than it is helpful," Crawley said. "When you get your grades, it's up to yourself to do something about it - go study."

The Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the release of student records without the consent of the student except to other officials of the university.

Hall directors, considered university officials, receive the list of student names that fall below the university requirements but do not receive student GPAs.

Since the program is in its first week, Residence Life has not received results yet, Zeibell said. However, he said he hopes students will take advantage of the program to help improve their academic performance.

Of the 87 residents in Graham-Greenlee that received the letter, five have responded, Henner said.

"I don't feel close to my hall director at all. I know his name and say hi, but he is one of the last people I would consider talking to about my grades," said Crawley, who is a resident of Manzanita-Mohave Hall.

During one-on-one sessions, Henner said he and the student try to understand the students' study habits and lifestyles, and create a plan to help focus the student on academics.

In addition, Henner said he tries to educate students on resources available on campus since, as freshmen, many do not take the initiative to seek help themselves.

Seventy-five percent of students in residence halls are freshmen, Zeibell said.

"One thing we want to emphasize is that residence life is part of the university mission, not a separate entity. As part of a mission, our responsibility is to emphasize and promote academics," Zeibell said.

Apache-Santa Cruz hall director, Jerome Maese hopes students will get a feel for residence halls as more than just a place to live.

At Apache-Santa Cruz Residence Hall, for example, Maese requires the 15 resident assistants to stimulate residents in their wings to think about academics through activities and discussions.

Of the 63 students in Maese's hall who received the letter, 10 have responded.

Maese attributes many academic problems of freshmen to the readjustment period of their first semester of college.

"They have trouble seeing how this first semester of college fits into the rest of their lives," he said.

"They're going through major adjusments and we want to create a good living and learning atmosphere to help their success in school," Ziebell said.

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