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SOS provides options for students considering leaving university

Universally, the letters "SOS" are recognized as a call for aid and assistance. This spring, UNT adopted "SOS" to identify its new intervention program, which presents options to students who feel that withdrawing from school may be the best way to resolve their difficulties.

UNT's Division of Student Development created its Seeking Options & Solutions (SOS) service to provide relief — in the form of referrals, identification of practical options and development of workable solutions — to students who are considering dropping out of the university.

"Even though we are a large university with more than 26,500 students, UNT is committed to maximizing every student's potential for success," says Ken Ballom, dean of students.

"Retention is an extremely important factor, because students cannot succeed if they don't stay in school," he explains.

According to Ballom, reasons for withdrawal are commonly related to social adaptability, stress, job conflicts, health issues, family difficulties, financial distress and academic difficulties.

The SOS program aims to identify students who are overwhelmed by the pressures of collegiate life — before they drop out. The program then helps these students find ways to relieve the pressure so that leaving school is not their only option.

The UNT registrar now refers students with withdrawal requests to Ballom, or SOS facilitators in his office, for consultation. However, anyone connected to the university (including faculty and staff members, students and parents) is welcome to contact Student Development at 565-2648 with the names of students who appear to be in need of SOS assistance.

SOS facilitators start by identifying students' specific problems.

Once facilitators determine which offices or campus services will best help specific students with possible solutions for their problems, the facilitators are responsible for doing everything possible to get the students to check out all the available options.

Options include:

    • Peer and social counseling to help students who feel alienated and want to get more involved with the university.
    • Psychological counseling to help students deal with stress or other issues.
    • Assistance with resolving conflicts between work and school.
    • Assistance with health or disability accommodations.
    • Assistance with family-related issues (such as childcare).
    • Information and advice for students with financial difficulties who need help in applying for financial aid, scholarships or emergency loans.
    • Mentoring and academic assistance to help with study habits and grades.
    • Advising for students with academic and course-scheduling difficulties.

Students seeking SOS assistance do not need appointments.

Ballom is optimistic about the success of the SOS program because a recent telephone survey by the Division of Student Development concluded that 90 percent of all recent UNT dropouts have plans to return to the university.

BY RODDY WOLPER
rwolper@unt.edu

 

 

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