Jaime Bratton
Reporter
Crowder Cares is a program that was created to help students in need and is made up of several faculty, staff, and administrative members who unite to aid students with not only academic issues, but other problems that could arise while they attend Crowder, according to Mark Aubuchon, Director of Campus Life and member of Crowder Cares. The members themselves are all professionals who are prepared to either help students access needed resources or strategize a way for them to overcome their problems proactively.
The program is still new and within a few years there could be comprehensive statistics available, but it has a good structure and team to support it, according to Julie Dobbs a Crowder Cares member. Students struggling with mental illness (including depression and anxiety) are more likely to drop out of college in comparison to their compatriots, the program includes resources and counseling that could help combat this statistic (Marjori Baldwin in A Diagnosis of Mental Illness Need Not End A College Career, Mar. 19, 2018.)
Crowder Cares was created in 2016 and has two main facets: Academic Alert, concentrating on school related issues, and Student in Distress, which deals with a wider spectrum of issues. Academic issues include low grades, missed deadlines, and unsubmitted assignments that show that the student is struggling. An Academic Alert is usually dispensed in response to a student beginning to do poorly academically, such as forgetting assignments or not doing well in class.
With the Student in Distress side of the program there are a much broader array of reasons a student may be referred: mental or physical ailments, financial or housing instability, personal issues, and more as stated by Jamie Ward, a member of the program. Anything that causes distress to a student could be addressed in the program, and referrals can be submitted by a student for themselves or another, or by staff and faculty.
Referrals are the only way Crowder Cares can know to assist a student and are a key aspect in the program. Staff and faculty are responsible for most Academic Alerts and the program is thus reliant on them to refer a student in need. With Student in Distress, students, as well as faculty and staff, can submit a referral. After a referral is submitted, the program tries to contact the student within twenty-four hours.
Communicating with students was something Crowder Cares initially struggled with according to Jamie Ward. Students wouldn’t answer their phone calls or return emails, which greatly inhibited the program assisting students who were struggling. When the program broadened their methods to include texting, the student response increased, and its members were able to better assist the student body.
“Crowder Cares acts as liaison,” said Jamie Ward, a Crowder Cares member and chair of the program, “a highly effective liaison between the faculty and students and the students and resources.”
Through Crowder Cares, students are assisted depending on their individual needs and helped by the members of the program to formulate a plan to best address those needs. For example, if a student were dealing with financial issues, they could be assisted in applying for an emergency loan or if the student struggled with housing, they could discuss on-campus housing or another solution. With academic struggles, the program’s members help students formulate a course of action best suited to them; sometimes the best course is tutoring but other times it could be better to withdraw.
An example of how Crowder Cares operates, given by Jamie Ward, revealed just how much the program could assist a student. A student whose grades are dropping due to a failure to submit assignments or do well in their studies, Ward explained, will be referred by the faculty or staff who took notice. There are counselors in Crowder Cares who, when paired with tutoring or an academic plan, can greatly assist a student in this situation and help find the root of the problem.
While the percentage of students positively effected by the program is unknown, Jamie Ward, who has been with Crowder Cares since its creation, has seen a positive effect in the students that have taken advantage of program. She and the other members have managed to assist many students since 2016 and she does believe that the program is doing well in helping college students fully benefit from their college experience.
“Crowder Cares seems like a good program,” stated Zion Shetley, a general studies major, “with everything happening lately, I think it’s a really good thing for students to fall back on. There are a lot of other problems that students face other than academic one’s and [Crowder Cares] seems to have the resources and people to try and help students with those problems. It’s really great that Crowder created this program for students and it shows just how much they really do want them to succeed.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic the roles of the members of Crowder Cares have not changed, they are still helping students reach their goals using ZOOM meetings as well as phone calls to stay connected. Crowder Cares seems to have made, and continues to make, a positive impact on the students of Crowder.
“We reach out to students who may be experiencing difficulties academically or personally,” said Julie Dobbs a Program Director of Project NOW, “To use a cliché, graduating from college ‘takes a village.’ It is important for students to know that they are not alone at Crowder College. The Care team offers support, referrals, and resources to students; our team partners with students to make the best of their college experience.”
“Crowder Cares is a confidential service with a diverse and good group of people,” Jamie Ward continued. “For students using it, they should continue to use it as long as they need it. And for students unsure of who to contact, Crowder Cares is a good program to go to. Even if it’s just connecting with someone, Crowder Cares is there for students to use.”
Crowder Cares offers counseling and academic counseling, guidance, and more. If a student knows of someone who fits the qualifications of Student in Distress or would benefit themselves, the link below leads directly to the refer forms.
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