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| Student Retention Services |
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Our goal is to provide students with resources to assist them in becoming academically successful. The College Success Skills course (SDV 100) provides information to you concerning academic advising, career development, study skills and general College information. The Student Success workshops are offered for all students, and Retention Services also offers assistance to students who may be struggling academically.
Our services include:
• Administration of "College success skills" courses
• Student Success Workshops
• Assistance for students on Academic Warning, Probation or Dismissal
• Assistance for students on Early Alert
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| Tips for a Successful Semester [Back to top] |
• Know the specific deadlines, policies, and procedures  relating to your academic status, course withdrawal, course repeats, course registration, and major program application and admission. Be sure you understand all course requirements as outlined in your syllabus.
• Keep track of all grades in each course. At any point and time in the semester you should know exactly what grade you have in each course. To do this, you must understand how the professor calculates your course grade as described in the course syllabus. Also, you will need to log each test score, paper grade, quiz score etc.
• Go to class! It is impossible to replace the learning that occurs by attending and participating in class. “Getting the notes” is not the same as attending class.
• Prioritize and organize your study and personal time into daily and weekly patterns of effectiveness. Maintain regular study hours and establish study environments in order to be productive throughout the entire semester.
• Develop timelines and keep semester, monthly and weekly calendars for dates when course assignments are due. Plan and prepare for exams and papers in advance.
• Go to office hours, ask questions, and talk with instructors.
• Review continuously in your courses. When you get exams and papers back discuss them thoroughly with your instructor. Studying for final examinations begins now!
• Develop a network of resources. Make a list of phone numbers and email addresses of your faculty, advisors, tutors, and at least one other student from each class.
• Communicate, collaborate, and correspond with your family and friends as well as your campus support network.
• Utilize the appropriate campus services starting at the beginning of the semester. JSRCC has lots of support for students, including the Student Support Center (tutoring), the Center for Career, Employment, and Transfer, computer labs, the Library, and the Student Access Centers. The most successful students use these services!
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| Creating a Plan for Success [Back to top] |
A wise man once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result”. If you have had academic problems in the past, think through the following questions, and develop your “plan” using these resources.
1. Go to ACADEMIC ADVISING ??? Where is this?? and answer the questions. When you have finished this, you should know what you need to do to complete your degree and raise your gpa.
2. Go to “Calculating a GPA” and actually calculate your gpa from last semester.
3. Now list three things you believe prevented you from doing your best work.
4. What have you changed about each of these things?
5. Go to The Study Skills Resource and determine at least one campus resource you will use.
6. As you plan for the upcoming semester, ask yourself - - -
How many classes can I take and maintain a high (“C” or better) average?
Am I registering for the correct classes for my curriculum?
Am I in the correct curriculum for my goals?
If you need assistance answering these questions, your Academic Advisor is a great resource for you. You may also seek assistance through the Student Access Centers, and the Center for Career, Employment and Transfer on each campus. |
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| Reviewing Your Academic Progress [Back to top] |
| The purpose of “Reviewing Your Academic Progress” is to help students review their information in the Student Information System (“My JSR”) to make certain that this information is correct, and to assess where you are in completing your chosen major.
To complete this, you must have access to the Internet. You may use the computers in the Computer Lab if you do not have home access. The purposes of this exercise are to: 1) verify information in your transcript
2) confirm your curricular choice and
3) create a list of courses remaining for you to take. It may be helpful to run copies of your transcript off to answer these questions.
>>Start by visiting the MyJSRCC Website
>>Enter your user name and password.
>> Next click on VCCS SIS89. This is your student information system.
Then follow these easy steps:
>>Click on self-services
>>Go to Academic Records
>>Click on degree progress/graduation
>>Go to ‘degree progress report
>>Use the first drop-down box to enter JSCC
then use the second dropdown box to enter:
>>Advisement Transcript
As you explore this information, you will notice that it includes:
Your identifying information, curriculum and your placement test information. It also has courses you have taken with grades. Those which you have completed are listed under each requirement. Your screen has required/actual/needed with numbers after it such as 9/3/6. This means that 9 hours are required, you have taken 3, and you need to take 6 more. Red means that you still have a requirement to complete under that heading.
“Other courses” are courses that do not apply to your current degree program.
>>Now go back to academic records
by clicking that at the left of your screen.
>>Go to View Unofficial Transcript
select report type:
>>Unofficial
As you explore this information you will notice that it includes:
• More identifying information
•Grades for all of the courses you have taken
• A description of your grades after each semester (such as “good standing”, Dean’s List, “academic warning”)
• Your cumulative gpa (Your cumulative gpa is a grade point average of all courses you have taken.)
After viewing this information, answer the following on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Is all of your identifying information correct? (social security number, address, etc.) If not, please go to the >> Campus Personal box to correct it.
2. According to your placement test scores, which English should you take first?
3. According to your placement test scores, which Math should you take first?
Note: Level 1 is Math 02, Level 2 is Math 120 or 03, Level 3 is Math 04, Level 5 is Math 163 or 166. You need to be positive that you are taking the correct math for your curriculum. If you are in an AAS program, that is probably Math 120, if you are in an AS or AA program that is Math 03, 04, 163, etc. Any questions about Math placement should be addressed with your Advisor and/or to the Student Access Center.
4.What is your curriculum? Is it designed to transfer to a 4 year college?
Note: AS and AA degrees are designed to transfer to a 4 year college. IF you plan to go on to a 4 year college and are in an AAS or certificate program, please speak with someone in the Student Access Center about changing your curriculum.
5.List those requirements you have not satisfied.
6. >>Go back to Self Service and
a) print a copy of your class schedule. (Turn this in)
b) print a copy of your “View financial Aid” sheet from“campus finances”
c) what are 2 things you can find under “academic records, and 2 things you can
find under Enrollment””?
>>Go to www.reynolds.edu to find your curriculum program
Then answer the following questions:
1.Which occupational objective listed for your program interests you most?
2.Which specialization most interests you? Is this the specialization in which you are enrolled? Note: Not all curriculums have specializations.
3.How many credit hours must you take to graduate in this curriculum?
Note: Add the courses you must take before you take these courses (such as Eng. 01 if required) to find the total number of hours required for you.
4.Which courses should you take next semester?
Note: In general, curricula are designed so that you take courses in sequence each semester, for example you take Eng. 111 before you take 112. You can see which courses have prerequisites by “clicking on” that course and checking the course description.
5. Does your curriculum have a practicum or an internship?
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| How to Calculate your GPA [Back to top] |
Very often at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College you will hear people talking about their GPA or Grade Point Average. Your GPA for a semester is determined by dividing the total of grade points you have earned by the total number of credits you have attempted in that semester. The example below will show you how to compute your GPA.
1. Multiply the credit hours for each course completed by the number of grade points assigned to the grade received in that course. For example; ENG 111 is worth three (3) credits and you receive a grade of B. The B is worth three (3) grade points. So you would multiply the credits and points (3 x 3) for a total of nine (9) grade points.
2. Add the credits attempted. In the example below, the total number of credits attempted is 13. If you receive grades of P, S, R, I, U, W or X, the credits attempted will be zero.
3. Add the total grade points.
4. Divide your total grade points by the number of credits attempted. This gives you your GPA. In the example, you would divide 13 into 40. This gives you a GPA of 3.077 for one semester.
You can also compute your cumulative GPA, which is you grade point average for all courses that you have taken or attempted at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. This is done by dividing all grade points you have earned in all semesters at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College by the total credits you have attempted here.
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ENG 111 |
3 |
B |
3X |
3= |
9 |
HLT 200 |
3 |
A |
4 X |
3 = |
12 |
OFT 111 |
3 |
C |
2 X |
3 = |
6 |
BUS 125 |
3 |
B |
3 X |
3 = |
9 |
STD 100 |
1 |
A |
4 X |
1 = |
4 |
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3.077 = GPA |
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13) 40.000 |
Your cumulative grade point average is used to determine your academic standing (i.e.: President’s Honor Roll , Academic Dismissal, etc.) eligibility for financial aid and scholarships, and eligibility participation in campus organizations such as SGA.
Grades of P,S,R,I,U,W or X are not calculated in a gpa. Colleges do not combine gpa’s. If you attend 2 colleges, you have 2 gpa’s. CREDIT for a course may transfer, but the grade does not. When a course is repeated, the grade of the most recent attempt is used in the calculation of gpa.
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| Helpful Links [Back to top] |
• Study Skills Websites
• Want to assess your study skills?
• JSRCCC Academic Support Center and Tutoring
• JSRCC Office of Student Accommodations for Student with Disabilities |
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| Frequently Asked Questions [Back to top] |
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What Is Student Development 100 ( SDV 100), and why do I have to take it?
SDV 100 is a one credit hour College Success Skills course required by the Virginia Community College system for all students in a degree or certificate program. It is intended for students with 15 or fewer achieved hours, and should be taken early in your college career. We teach SDV 100 because it works! We know that students who take SDV 100 have better grades and stay in college longer.
What is included in SDV 100?
Careers: Students take the DISCOVER Career Inventory and gather information about careers for which they might be a good “fit”.
Academic Advising: Students meet with advisors to confirm that they are in the correct program/plan (major) and are registered for appropriate classes.
Study Skills: Time Management, Reading Comprehension, Note-taking, Test-Taking, Using the Library, and Study Styles are all important skills. They have been proven to help students succeed and are covered in this class.
Life Management Skills: Dealing with Diversity, Managing Money, Time Management and Goal Setting are also covered in this course.
Becoming a Member of the Community: Through SDV 100, you will have the chance to participate in workshops, student life activities, and a wide range of college opportunities from trips to helping build Habitat for Humanity houses!
When should I take SDV 100?
It is strongly recommended that students take SDV 100 within their first 15 semester hours since it is a course geared to first-time college students.
What formats is SDV 100 offered in?
SDV 100 is offered as: *an 8 week on-campus course (5 weeks in the summer),
*an 8 week “hybrid” (half on-campus, half distance learning) course and as
*distance learning courses that are specifically for students who have more than 30 credit hours of successfully completed courses.
What other student development courses are offered?
The College also offers SDV 107 (a 2 credit hour course) which is geared to specific program/plans or major. You should check with an advisor before registering for one of these courses. We also offer SDV 101 (a 1 credit hour course) which is specifically for automotive majors.
What are some of the things I need to know when I take SDV 100?”
1. Remember that most classes are taught in an 8 week format. Please:
a. Check your schedule in “My JSR” to be certain when your class begins.
Some classes begin the second half of the semester!
b. In general, students who do not attend (or log in if it is a distance learning class) the first two classes are withdrawn from the class.
2. Class attendance is very important, since the class only meets for 8 weeks. Please
be certain that you attend all classes!
3. All work and assignments are due on assigned dates. No work is accepted after the
final exam.
4. Your Instructor’s email and phone number are on your syllabus. Your
Instructor’s expectations for the class are on this syllabus. Email is a good
way to reach your Instructor. Remember, in college, your Instructor
expects you to ask if you have any questions.
What workshops do you offer, and who facilitates them?
All students are welcomed to attend any of our workshops. We offer more than 25 workshops each semester which focus on many different topics. In the past, we have done workshops focusing upon succeeding in college, study skills, and life skills (such as personal wellness, career development, money management and stress management). These are facilitated by all of the college counselors and specialists from the Access Centers, Centers for Career, Employment and Transfer, and the Office of Student Accommodations. To find the workshops for this semester go to: (LINK TO WORKSHOPS)
What resources do you have for students who want to be more successful?
We offer workshops (LINK TO WORKSHOPS) and information about study skills assessments and college success websites. These are in the “Links” section of this webpage. Under our links we also have information on tips for being a successful student, understanding how a gpa is calculated, and “Planning for Academic Success”.
Students who need further information concerning any of these areas are welcomed to contact the Access Center, their Academic Advisor, or sshutt@jsr.vccs.edu.
What are Early Alerts, and what should I do if I receive an Early Alert letter?
When Instructors have a concern about a student’s progress in a class, he or she will generate a letter to alert the student that there is a concern. Students should carefully read the letter and follow through with the recommendations to improve their chance of success in the course. Recommendations may include receiving tutoring, attending class regularly, or receiving academic or financial aid advising.
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