February 2019

Letter from the Dean

I hope your semester is going well! In partnership with Student Affairs, I am writing with news of the newly launched Cougar Study Buddy Program.  If this pilot to pair student scholars with other scholars proves helpful to students, we will expand it.  Additionally, for spring 2019, we have expanded support for Math 100 and 101.  Encourage your students to visit the Math Lab.

Finally, I write with a gentle reminder about a powerful resource on campus. Student Affairs successfully launched the Cougar Care Network (CCN) in Fall 2015.  CCN is CSUSM’s innovative early support initiative that allows Faculty and Staff to refer students for additional information, resources, and support to ensure their personal and academic success.  The Cougar Care Network serves as a safety net to assist students who may be experiencing challenges in- or outside the classroom. Thank you for making great use of this tool; students are being served.  While many of you have made use of CCN this year, I also understand that some of our colleagues have hesitated wondering if they should use CCN.  They’ve wondered, for instance, if it is only for students in crises or emergencies.  CCN is a tool to help our campus support students.  If you think a student needs support, he or she likely does. Check out the Cougar Care Network or read below for more information.

Thank you for your role in helping students connect to the many campus resources to support them on their journeys to graduation!

Cheers to an engaging semester,
Dawn

Dawn M. Formo, Ph.D.  
Dean, Undergraduate Studies  
Division of Academic Affairs  
dformo@csusm.edu   

Cougar Care Network

Working with a student who needs help now?

Refer a student directly to Cougar Care Network (CCN) Below

   

What Is the Cougar Care Network (CCN)?

Student Affairs successfully launched the Cougar Care Network (CCN) in Fall 2015. CCN is CSUSM’s innovative early support initiative that allows Faculty and Staff to refer students for additional information, resources, and support to ensure their personal and academic success. The Cougar Care Network serves as a safety net to assist students who may be experiencing challenges in- or outside the classroom. More information about the Cougar Care Network can be found at the CCN website or by calling the Dean of Students Office at 760-750-4935.

Common Referrals

Common Referrals include both Academic and Behavioral Concerns such as the following: 

• Poor performance on homework, quizzes, exams, assignments, etc.   
• Frequent absences that could impede the student’s ability to pass the class
• Personal issues impacting success such as food insecurity, financial challenges, suicidal remarks or attempts, homelessness, withdrawal or isolation, depression, anxiety, other mental health concerns, etc. Your awareness of these personal issues may evince themselves in conversations with your students or in their coursework.
• Disruptive behavior such as aggression, heightened emotional distress, frequently falling asleep in class, inappropriate interactions with faculty or other students, etc. 

Faculty and staff will receive acknowledgement of receipt of their referral and additional follow-up will occur as needed or appropriate. 

The Cougar Care Network is prepared to support our students as needed. Feel free to refer a student to the Cougar Care Network.

Cougar Study Buddies Program

The Academic Success Center (ASC) and General Education Writing (GEW) are partnering this semester to pilot Cougar Study Buddies (CSB). CSB is a program that helps students find other students and form semester-long study groups. Students will work on assignments, exam preparation, and more. Acknowledging students' busy schedules, the ASC facilitates study groups that are fully in-person, fully online, or a hybrid of both.This program hopes to support students in their studies – the more they talk about what they’re learning in class, the more prepared they'll be for their homework or exams.

MATH 100 & MATH 101 Course Support