By Ariel Houchens
Senior Staff Writer

A seasoned fighter steps into the ring in the battle against student failure. With years of experience behind her she has been chosen to wear the gloves and become a champion of UNCP by reducing student failure rates.

Saundra Richardson stepped through the ropes when she was appointed the new Director of the Office of Advisement and Retention December 2004.

Richardson has always been in the corner of student success, but this year she is in the spotlight and round one began with the spring semester.

The Office of Advisement and Retention offers help for any student who is having educational difficulty. Staff from the office can assist students with advising and registration, Richardson said. Richardson also helps students who are on academic probation or are appealing academic suspension.

Richardson focuses a lot of attention on freshmen. She is currently teaching four Freshmen Seminar classes. The Freshmen Seminar class is a required eight-week course that introduces freshmen to college life.

Nontraditional students are also very important to Richardson. She is the coordinator of the Center for Adult Learning, which is a one-stop shop for campus resource information.

Richardson said she has been a nontraditional student and understands how difficult it is to juggle life and return to school.

“I have been divorced and raising children as a single parent, working a job and attending school,” Richardson said. “I can identify.”

Richardson said many students come to her for assistance and then tell their friends to go see her.

Some students are referred to Richardson through a program called Early Alert.

The Early Alert Program is in place to provide help to freshmen, who are in danger of failure.

The program allows faculty to alert Richardson’s office when a student is performing poorly.

Once notified, a faculty or staff member of the Office of Advisement and Retention calls the student in for a meeting.
Richardson said she always meets with students in person and never discusses problems over the phone. She said that is her way of helping the student to understand the seriousness of the matter.

During the meeting with a student, a faculty or staff member counsels the student on how to best deal with the academic problem.
Richardson said 187 students were referred through the Early Alert Program last year alone.

Richardson wants to get more faculty members to participate in the Early Alert Program.

“If everyone on this campus would focus on student success, retention would take care of itself. Everyone who comes in contact with a student is part of the retention process,”
Richardson said.

Students can help in the bout against failure by seeking out help when it is needed

“None of us can do it alone,” Richardson said.

Richardson can be reached at (910) 521-6591 or by e-mail at saundra.richardson@uncp.edu.