Academic Probation, Resilience & Retention with Dr. John DeVault | Learning Outcomes Leaders 013

How can colleges help students on academic probation raise their GPA and stay enrolled? In this episode of Learning Outcomes Leaders, Dr. John DeVault, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs at Ferrum College, shares how flunking out as a freshman shaped the STAR program. Built on stoic principles like resilience and focusing on what you can control, STAR helped 71% of students on probation improve their GPA and lifted fall return rates from 37% to 60%. **Questions answered in this podcast include:** - Why are academic problems often not about academic skills? - What is the STAR program and how does it support students on academic probation? - How do you get buy-in from students who don't want to admit there's a problem? - How can stoic principles and mindfulness improve student retention? - How do you launch a student success program with no budget? **Episode timestamps:** - 00:48 - From Flunking Out as a Freshman to a Career in Education - 06:17 - Why Academic Problems Often Aren't Academic - 08:32 - What Is the STAR Program (Students Taking Academic Responsibility)? - 12:20 - Applying Stoic Principles to Students on Probation - 15:56 - How to Get Buy-In From Resistant Students - 21:05 - What Students on Academic Probation Are Really Dealing With - 24:29 - Launching STAR: Naysayers and Early Setbacks - 27:56 - Results: 71% Improved GPA, Retention Up From 37% to 60% - 32:44 - Getting a Student Success Program Off the Ground With No Budget - 34:34 - Teaching Mindfulness Through a Classroom Phone Rule **About Learning Outcomes Leaders** Learning Outcomes Leaders is a higher education podcast brought to you by Genio. We interview university and college leaders, researchers, and administrators pioneering modern strategies to improve the student experience.  Full Episode & Transcript: https://genio.co/resources/learning-outcomes-leaders-podcast 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on higher ed strategy, student success, and EdTech analysis. #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #StudentOutcomes #HigherEdLeadership #LearningOutcomesLeaders