. RECOGNIZING NON ACADEMIC ISSUES THAT IMPACT STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Twinette L. Johnson Southern Illinois University School of Law .RECOGNIZING NON ACADEMIC ISSUES THAT IMPACT STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Counseling Students on Academic and Non Academic Issues • NON ACADEMIC ISSUES THAT CAN IMPACT LAW STUDENT PERFORMANCE • COUNSELING STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES IN WORKING WITH STUDENTS • CASE STUDIES • THINK * PAIR * SHARE • DISCUSS STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES FOR COUNSELING STUDENTS USING CASE STUDIES

NON ACADEMIC ISSUES THAT CAN IMPACT LAW STUDENT PERFORMANCE • GETTING STUDENTS TO SEEK/ACCEPT HELP • SPOTTING THE ISSUE

GETTING STUDENTS TO SEEK/ACCEPT HELP • MAKING THE CONNECTION • CONTINUE CONNECTING • BUILDING TRUST • BUILDING SELF DETERMINATION • BUILDING AUTONOMY SUPPORT

GETTING STUDENTS TO SEEK/ACCPET HELP – WHAT YOU CAN DO • Make sure students know you exist and know how you can help • Hold workshops • Work with SBA – attend meetings • Attend student events • Speak in classes • TWEN Page • Videos • Pod casts • Meetings with students • Casual advising sessions • Blogs • School webpage • Emails • Bulletin boards • Law School Newsletter

GETTING STUDENTS TO SEEK/ACCEPT HELP – INCORPORATING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LAW SCHOOL COMMUNITY Faculty Members Teaching Assistants Dean of Students Associate Dean ________________ “Academic Support Across the Curriculum” (Shulze)

GETTING STUDENTS TO SEEK/ACCEPT OTHERS’ HELP – USING UNIVERSITY SERVICES USING UNIV

GETTING STUDENTS TO SEEK/ACCEPT HELP – USING OUTSIDE SERVICES USING OUTSIDE SERVICES

SPOTTING THE ISSUE • ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH • The student is the best source in determining any issues he or she may be dealing with. • “[O]ne must see the world as one’s subject sees the world to understand the choices they make….” (Kidder)

SPOTTING THE ISSUE • Focus on reflection • Informal • Questions that will encourage the student to really think about their problems • Formal • Assessment forms • Improvement plans • Questionnaires

DISCERNING ALTERNATE ISSUES • Students may present with a certain issue. • A faculty member may recommend and state a certain issue. • There could still be alternate issues.

NON ACADEMIC ISSUES – NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST • Depression • Anxiety • Stress • Law School produced depression, anxiety or stress • Learning Disabilities • Alcoholism • Drug Use • Lack of Motivation/Confidence • Break Ups/Divorce • Physiological Illness • Roommate Issues • General Housing Issues • Crime Victimization • Reports of Other Students Victimization or other problems • Child Care • Financial Issues

ADDRESSING NON ACADEMIC ISSUES • Once identified, I can help with some issues. • But, some are not appropriate for me to handle. • Getting students to identify, recognize and seek the appropriate help for non academic issues is my major task. • OJ will now discuss techniques and strategies for helping students in this regard.

BIBILIOGRAPHY the following sources were used in preparing this presentation • Barbara Glesner Fines, Fundamental Principals and Challenges of Humanizing Legal Education, 47 Washburn L.J. 313 (Winter 2008). • Robert L. Kidder, Exploring Legal Cultures in Law Avoidance Societies, 108-207, Practicing Ethnography in Law eds. June Starr and Mark Goodale, Palgrave McMillan (2002). • Louis N. Schulze, Jr., Alternative Justifications For Academic Support II: How Academic Support Across the Curriculum Helps Meet the Goals of the Carnegie Report and Best Practices, 40 Cap. U. L. Rev. 1 (2012). • Louis N. Schulze, Jr., Alternative Justifications For Law School Academic Support Programs: Self Determination Theory, Autonomy Support and Humanizing the Law School, 5 Charleston L. Rev. 269 (2011). • Sheilah Vance, Should Academic Support Professionals Look to Counseling Theory and Practice to Help Students Achieve?, 499 U.M.K.C. L. Rev. 499 (2001).

. RECOGNIZING NON ACADEMIC ISSUES THAT IMPACT STUDENT PERFORMANCE