The purpose of the Office of Student Retention is to empower and support students to reach their goal of earning a degree from Bluefield State University. This is accomplished through intentional collaborations with students, faculty, support professionals, and college administrators.
The staff assists with coordinating the Early Alert System, an intervention system allowing faculty to alert students in need of assistance so that they receive the help they need from the Academic Success Center, tutor.com, and the Counseling Center. The Office oversees the Peer Mentoring Program, which connects freshman and new transfer students with peer mentors to assist them with the transition to college, encourages student engagement, and helps students identify and overcome any possible barriers to success. They also assist with student advising for freshmen and transfer students.
In addition, the program provides faculty training in a variety of areas such as academic advising, the use of early alerts, and other best practices. The Office of Student Retention also gathers, analyzes, and distributes retention and student success data. Please visit us at 308 Conley Hall for more information.
GO BIG BLUE!
Dr. Tamara Ferguson
Retention Specialist