Student Success Programs - University of Houston
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Student Success Programs

Comprehensive Student Success Program

The Department of Biology and Biochemistry’s Comprehensive Student Success Program, launched in Fall 2012, is designed to improve student success in BIOL 1306/1307 (formerly BIOL1361/1362), our Introductory Biology series for science majors.

The program’s goal is to increase student completion rates in these courses by improving services provided and implementing current best practices in teaching. Our program consists of the following interventions:

  • Prerequisite checks
  • Recitations
  • Online homework
  • Active engagement activities in lecture
  • Lab tours and field trips
  • Teaching workshops for both faculty and teaching assistants

In the pilot year, 2012–2013, the program served 902 students. In the second year, the program served 1,751 students. The program is now provided to all sections of the BIOL 1306/1307 (formerly BIOL1361/1362) series, serving approximately 2,500 students annually. The program has resulted in a 14.5% improvement in the departmental passing rate (grades of A, B, or C) for the BIOL 1306/1307 (formerly BIOL1361/1362) series.

Program Resources Toolkit

The Comprehensive Student Success Program website serves as a toolkit for sharing the resources developed through the program with the external community. Materials are available for use in other programs and can spark new ideas for future course development.