Nicole June Reporting
njune@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Classes began Aug. 26 at Austin Peay State University (APSU), and as students begin their college journeys or just get back into the swing of things, they may notice some major changes on campus and in the classroom.
Incoming freshmen have already settled into the newly completed Martha Dickerson Eriksson Hall, a new dormitory that adds flair and much-needed space to the campus as its enrollment continues to climb each year.
Though this construction project is complete, the Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building will not be ready until later in the fall, according to President Tim Hall. At some point the university hopes to begin constructing a new fine arts building adjacent to the Trahern building already in place.
Perhaps the most anticipated construction project is that of the new Governors Stadium, which will begin its massive transformation at the close of the Govs’ home season.
Hall said he is looking forward to the development and implementation of several new programs on campus that will dramatically change the way freshmen learn and navigate their early college years. The first of these is called Inside Track, which provides personal life counseling to students. “We pick up signals from different places that a lot of our students have a difficult time managing college life and knowing how to solve their problems,” Hall said. The program aims to guide freshmen toward a course of persistence, and APSU is the first university in TN to use it.
APSU was also fortunate enough to be one of seven universities in the nation to receive a special grant from the Gates Foundation that will fund two additional programs: Breakthrough Innovators Incubators and Starfish.
Breakthrough Innovators Incubators uses My Future, which is similar to Degree Compass and uses student data to determine appropriate goals. When freshmen arrive, they will be advised on which majors to transition into a career they might be interested in based on their academic information and the availability of jobs.
Starfish is an early academic alert program which helps faculty and staff identify students who are struggling and get them back on track. “We try to track students who are engaging on campus, because we know students who engage tend to persist more than students who don’t,” Hall said. Student engagement is often measured by participation in campus events.
More freshmen will also participate in ‘cohort scheduling’, which places them in at least three classes with the same students during a semester. “This creates a kind of informal community that has been shown to help students make it. They’ll be more readily able to ask questions of their peers,” Hall said.
Freshmen are not the only students with new opportunities on the horizon. APSU is in the process of beginning its first doctoral program. The new psychology doctorate will be focused on equipping practicing professionals with the skills to counsel military personnel and families. The students will work closely with Fort Campbell and those who suffer from PTSD. Hall said the program was chosen because it fills a need within the community. The process takes time, however, and Hall said it will be at least two years before it comes to fruition.
Visit APSU’s web site for information about enrollment.