OUR STRATEGY

Each month, Student Support Services directs all events, activities, discussions, initiatives, and meetings around a distinct content-area. These content areas are directly attached to the permissible and required services under federal regulations. These content-areas are designed as classification-specific so participant experiences vary year-to-year. Below are the content areas for Student Support Services participants:

September – The Adjustment

• Returning and continuing students must adjust to new people, new routines, new challenges, and new connections. It's important to remember that everyone is different in how they adjust to each academic year. To prepare participants for their upcoming academic year at KSU, The Adjustment content area focuses on re-conditioning participants for a renewed time On The Hill.

 

October – Time and Stress Management

• College students commonly experience stress because of increased responsibilities, a lack of good time management, changes in eating and sleeping habits, and not taking enough breaks for self-care. Students tend to experience elevated stress during predictable times such as studying for exams, competing for admissions or internships, and trying to master large amounts of content in small amounts of time. Additionally, most students find that their greatest challenge in adjusting to college life and succeeding in the classroom is in managing their time effectively. Time and Stress Management content area focuses on developing effective time and stress management skills that will assist participants with persistence through the academic year.

 

November – Career Preparation and Exploration

• Some students enter college with clearly defined academic and career goals that do not change over their college years. However, many students move their job or graduate school search to the last minute for many reasons. The Career Preparation and Exploration content area focuses on the early and comprehensive process of exploring, deciding, and pursuing career and graduate school opportunities for all participants.

 

December – Self-Defense (Mind, Body, and Soul)

• During the holiday seasons, many factors could emerge drawing participants away from KSU. To combat these factors, the Self-Defense (Mind, Body, and Soul) content area was established. This content area equips participants with the mental and emotional fortitude to return next month. 

 

January – Financial Literacy

• Typical college students enter college with limited knowledge of how to manage money. Failure to manage personal finance results in a continuation of generational cycles for many of our participants. To address this important issue, the Financial Literacy content area is designed to address personal financial literacy, knowledge of markets and economics, building credit, managing personal finances, knowledge of higher education financing and repayment (e.g., college savings and student loans), or other skills aimed at building personal financial understanding and responsibility.

 

February – Leadership Development and Service

• Challenging all students to develop deeper capacities for leadership and commitment for service is a primary purpose of historically black colleges and universities. To honor this precept, the Leadership Development and Service content area was design participants to engage in on-campus and off-campus leadership and service opportunities. 

 

March – Personal Branding and Niche

• To position students for increased opportunities for internships, careers, graduate school, and scholarship, they must become conscious and intentional with their efforts to create their individual and personal brands. The Personal Branding and Niche content area encourages students to build a personal brand in preparation for the next stage of their collegiate careers.

 

April – Next Chapter (Persistence/Graduation Prep)

• Students persisting from one academic year to another is often viewed as a 50%/50% probability. Additionally, college graduates moving directly into their desired career or graduate school statistics are even more alarming. The Next Chapter (Persistence/Graduation Prep) content area is designed to establish commitments to either 1) return the next academic year or 2) move directly into their career path or graduate school. All tools and resources are explored to assist participants in these efforts.