The College of Social Sciences and Communication at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has extended its reach by launching a student success center that supports students at any stage of their academic journey.

The Link, located on the first floor of Ross Hall, was a vision of the college’s dean, Lisa Bond-Maupin, that came to fruition in 2015.

“The Link was designed to provide resources to our students, such as connecting them to the right people and places on campus and helping them to figure out their career goals,” said Julien Mirivel, interim associate dean of the college. “We’re also trying to improve student retention rates, help students finish their degrees, and try to get them to think about graduate school.”

To accomplish these goals, Bond-Maupin and associate deans gathered a team of student specialists to provide students with academic success coaching, supplemental advising, and success workshops and events.

“The Link is like a one-stop shop for student needs,” said Rachel Jones, assistant dean of learning and student success.

Besides using the computer lab or study area, students can make an appointment with a Link advisor to plan and take steps toward a successful college career and future.  

“We want to help our students to be proactive and focused on the things that they really need to do,” Jones said. “Often times students wait until it’s too late to get help, but we want to jump in early and make sure we’re taking active steps to get things done.”

Aside from appointments, students can also be referred to The Link by professors.

“We care about our students, which is why we now watch for early warning signs or red flags,” Mirivel said.

If a student becomes excessively absent or tardy, doesn’t participate in class, or has low test scores, advisors from The Link take the opportunity to step in and intervene before it’s too late.

“Not all of our students are full-time college students,” Jones said. “They’re juggling a bunch of demands and sometimes GPA is not the focus. We’re here to help students focus, prioritize, and come up with concrete steps to take to be successful.”

Students who visit The Link can also look forward to getting help exploring majors, finding internships, learning interviewing techniques, and writing resumes and cover letters.

For more information, visit The Link or contact  Rachel Jones, assistant dean of learning and student success at rejones@ualr.edu.