MCC Success Series leads to student success stories

Navigating through and learning to use all available resources may seem overwhelming to a new college student, so last year, USI's Multicultural Center began Success Series Workshops to help not only new college students, but any college students. Candace Fairer, outreach coordinator and student mentor, collaborated with USI administrators, faculty and professionals in the community to teach students time management, study techniques, budgeting and introduced them to many of the campus resources.

Fairer reflected back to her own time as a college student and the challenges she faced. "You can be told to go to Financial Aid, but the anxiety about what to say, who to talk to or what the terminology is, still is there," she said. "Those are the things we break down in these sessions. The presenters give them a face behind the department and can explain the terminology. That takes away some of the anxiety."

Students responded well to the sessions and allowed them to extend their network of resources in the community and on campus. Knowing there are people who care about their success and want to help them achieve is key to retaining students. Fairer says that transparency and honesty also goes a long way. "I want presenters who let students understand that sometimes things aren't going to be easy. Students want to know the truth about the struggle so they can avoid or overcome them," she said. "They want someone who can connect with them, not talk at them."

Workshop leaders guided them through the process with interactive exercises. They took a tour of the Rice Library, were introduced to mobile apps, and learned how to read and study to learn rather than memorize. "We retain 50 percent of what we hear, a statistic that rapidly declines as more time passes," said Lori Saxby, reading specialist in Academic Skills. "When we actively engage and do, we retain closer to 90 percent afterward, and the retention rate lasts much longer."

"I was a first generation, under-represented college student, so these workshops are close to my heart," said Fairer. "I want to foster the help that I felt I didn't have. When they know that care is genuine, they flood in, and it's all about building those relationships."

Fairer is seeking new presenters for the upcoming year and help spreading the word about the workshops to students. The workshops are held from 3 to 4 p.m. every first and third Thursday in the Multicultural Center. Each session will cover a different topic. 

Upcoming sessions:

September 7: "Starting off Right"
Presented by the Dean of Students Office, Financial Aid, Counseling Center, Rice Library, Academic Skills and Student Development

September 21: "Time Management"
Presented by Katie Dausman, Disability Resources

October 5: "Attitude, Motivation and Goals"
Presented by Alex Burton, Old National Bank

October 19: "Mobile Apps for Student Success"
Presented by Walter Fisher, Information Technology

November 2: "Title IX: What I Need to Know"
Presented by Melanie Kendrick, Title IX coordinator

November 16: "Preparing for Finals"
Presented by Lori Saxby, reading specialist in Academic Skills

For more information contact Candace Fairer at cperry@usi.edu or 812-465-7188.