by ABBEY ELAM
LASSO Center workers John Cloud and Sydney Burton work to help a Northwestern student planning for his future at Northwestern
Northwestern Oklahoma State university students facing academic challenges do not have to navigate them alone.
The Leadership, Academic success, Superior Outcomes Center provides students with academic advising, degree planning, career exploration and other resources aimed at helping them succeed and stay on track toward graduation.
Located in Ryerson Hall on Northwestern’s Alva campus, the center assists students with course enrollment, educational planning and challenges that may affect their academic progress.
John Cloud, an academic adviser and student coach in the LASSO Center, said a large part of his job is working with students who may be struggling.
“I work with retention, so I’m trying to help students stay at Northwestern,” Cloud said. “Helping them if they’re struggling in a class with grades, that kind of thing, or attendance.”
One situation students may bring to the center is deciding whether to withdraw from a class. While removing a difficult course from their schedule may seem like a simple solution, Cloud said the decision can have a larger impact on the student’s degree plan.
Some degree programs require course to be completed in a particular sequence. For those students, withdrawing from one required course could delay other courses they need to graduate.
“Dropping one class could put you potentially a year behind or more,” Cloud said.
He said advisers consider how urgently a student needs the course as well as how much danger the student is in of failing or becoming overwhelmed. If a course is not immediately required and withdrawing will not affect the student’s full-tine status, leaving the class may be an option.
The center also provides resources for students who are unsure about their major or career plans. Through academic advising and career exploration, students can receive help determining an educational path and planning the courses they need to complete it.
LASSO staff members also work with students though Ranger Connection, an introductory course designed to help students transition into college life.
Cloud teaches Ranger Connection and said working with students in the classroom gives him an opportunity to help prepare them for more than their coursework.
“You’re not just teaching them a subject,” Cloud said. “You’re also preparing them for the rest of the college experience.”
He encourages students to build habits such as communicating with professors and participating in class, skills that can help them as they continue through college.
Students use the LASSO Center throughout the semester, but the office becomes particularly busy around enrollment.
“It’s pretty rare when we don’t have someone come in every, like, 20 minutes at least,” Cloud said. “Some days we’ll see people nonstop the entire day, and some days we’ll see very few people.”
For Cloud, helping Northwestern students succeed also has a personal connection. He attended Northwestern and said the sense of community he experienced as a student played a role in his decision to work at the university.
“I really love Northwestern, and I want to help it thrive,” Cloud said. “I want to help the students here thrive.”
He wants to provide the students with the same type of supports and community that influenced his own experience at Northwestern.
“I want to make sure I’m a resource that students can use so that they’d be more likely to stay and enjor their college experience,” Cloud said.
Students seeking academic guidance or assistance can visit the LASSO Center in rooms 142 and 145 of Ryerson Hall.