The Student Support and Retention team creates a culture of empathy and accountability. We understand that some things in life are beyond our control and deeply impact us. But, with the support of others, we can choose how to respond to these events and make a plan for moving forward.

Ultimately, we view ourselves as a partner to our students. We help them develop a holistic plan for flourishing and facilitate connections to other offices and appropriate resources through referrals, advocacy, follow-up support and accountability.

Additionally, our team focuses on how to increase retention and support students to degree completion. Teaching students resilience and celebrating their success are our passions. 

Guiding Principles

There are three guiding principles that lead our team.

Access

All students must have equitable access to resources and opportunities to thrive as a member of the Hope community. We help students identify barriers and learn how to navigate them. 

We encourage students to learn advocacy skills. When students understand how to advocate for themselves, they take charge of their academic journey. We model and discuss these skills and then let students take the lead.

Skill and habit development are crucial to student success. We provide resources, tools and workshops to help students learn effective and useful strategies. We specifically target self-motivation, goal setting, combating procrastination, stress management, organization, planning and prioritizing.

Generosity

Generosity is a fundamental pillar on which Hope College is formed. We bring the spirit of generosity into our lives through listening to our students and their stories. We want to understand what makes them unique and what motivates them. We need to understand where they’ve been to know how to help them get to where they are going.

We are generous in our advocacy for students. We aid and recommend in the best interest of our students. We help students identify what resources they have available to them and how to advocate for themselves when needing additional support. Ultimately, we bridge the gap between needing help and knowing how to utilize all the opportunities available to Hope College students.

Community

At Hope College, we not only foster development of the whole person — intellectually, spiritually, socially and physically — but we also create deep-rooted, caring communities. It is our goal to help students cultivate their own communities and experience a true sense of belonging.

Our staff and faculty actively engage in professional development so that we can build upon our previous experience with new knowledge and research. We highly encourage inter-departmental collaboration as we are better together and have much to offer one another.

Resources

Here’s a quick list of resources that will help you navigate the some of the challenges of college life.

Syllabus Review

• Use this Syllabus Review Sheet to keep track of your tests, quizzes, and other assignments. This helps you see the due date and percentage of each item for your overall grade.

Student Resources

• Tutoring
• Studying
• Navigating your syllabus
• Group help/study opportunities
  
• Motivation
• Organization
  • Keep track of your tasks and deadlines (weekly to-do list)
• Peer Partnership learning (PPL)
• Time management
• Test preparation
• Test-taking strategies

Klooster Center for Excellence in Writing

The Klooster Center for Excellence in Writing is here to help you brainstorm ideas, organize and revise your paper or presentation draft.

• Schedule an Appointment with a Writing Assistant
• Hints and Tips for Writing

Adjusting to College Life

• Six Areas of Adjustment for First-Year College Students

Moodle

Moodle is the main platform on which Hope College classes are hosted. Faculty and students are automatically added to Moodle courses when they are enrolled by the registrar.

• Moodle How Tos

Understanding Research

• Library Research Tools