Being placed on academic probation can be a disheartening time for a student. They are confronted with many emotions including shame and anxiety. Oftentimes they are left wondering what their next steps are to pick themselves back up and move forward in their academic careers.  

Students at Purdue lean heavily on their academic advisors to guide them through this process and guide them down the road to academic success. In a recent survey of students on academic probation, 13 academic advisors were highlighted as the reason for their success. In prior Steps to Leaps in Action articles, we highlighted programs that use the language of Steps to Leaps intentionally. We have heard from students and academic advisors that the language of Steps to Leaps and the intent of the five pillars is woven into conversations and advice, guiding them toward student success. 

As outlined in the Steps to Leaps grit/persistence pillar, “Life is filled with ups and downs.” This is one of those down times. However, Elizabeth Pearson, an academic advisor in Industrial Engineering tells the students to, “Take the lesson, leave the shame.” She has them focus on the future knowing they can do better. Miranda Baer in the College of Science – Biological Sciences, helps students walk through those steps of moving forward.  Together they make plans for where the student wants to go. Helping them visualize this purpose and direction brings in the second part of the grit/persistence pillar – “Learn strategies to tap into your inner fortitude to overcome challenges […] with steps to resolve and character.” 

Academic advisors make sure students know they are not alone. Cara Wetzel, an academic advisor in Exploratory Studies, offers to be their accountability partner, checking in on them throughout the semester with regular meetings. Others, like John Pearson in Mechanical Engineering, have the students notice who they see around them, studying in the same place or attending the same TA office hours, and to try and use those connections to build a network of support. Courtney Wilson in the College of Liberal Arts encourages building individual networks and provides Purdue resources for the student’s network such as the Academic Success Center or Counseling and Psychological Services. In every case, these academic advisors help students begin to round out a network of support that may have lacked before.

These grit/persistence and network discussions are all part of helping the student to develop their well-being. As John Pearson tells his advisees, “It is difficult, if not impossible to be well in the classroom if you are not doing well outside of it.” He, along with others like Alyssa Powers in the Office of Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, helps students prioritize the “importance of self-care and what they do as part of their own self-care routines.” They help students develop a plan, use their strengths and tap into resources on campus that will help them build their capacity to be well.