Evaluating the effectiveness of an Academic Recovery course for suspended freshman and sophomore students

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Academic Recovery course at Middle Tennessee State University for students who have been readmitted on appeal after they were academically suspended. The Academic Recovery course involved intensive study and practice in academic and personal skills that characterize academically successful students. The course was designed as a retention tool to assist students in regaining satisfactory academic standing by reassessing and improving academic and study skills. The researcher analyzed academic records of the forty-eight freshman and sophomore students who were enrolled in the course beginning in the Fall 1999 semester and ending in the Spring 2002 semester and forty-eight students who were similarly suspended and readmitted on appeal, but were not required to take the course as a condition of readmittance. Results revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the Academic Recovery students and the control group students. All statistical analyses were conducted at the p \u3e .05 level of significance. The researcher found that at Middle Tennessee State University, the Academic Recovery course was not effective in helping suspended students perform academically better than similarly suspended and readmitted students who were not required to take the course as a part of conditions for readmission. The Academic Recovery students did not regain satisfactory academic standing at a higher rate than the control group students. Recommendations for future study include determining which students are at highest risk for suspension and the long-term impact of students who are suspended. Furthermore, further research should be conducted to determine which forms of academic assistance or intervention are most successful at helping suspended students recover and continue their academic careers