The far right tab in the MyUH online portal might be easily overlooked, but it opens a powerful communication tool that more and more students, faculty and staff are benefitting from.
Developed at Leeward Community College and launched at WCC in fall 2014, MySuccess brings efficiency and convenience to communication on campus.
For instance, while trying to schedule an appointment with someone through email can require several back and forths, instructors and counselors can post their office hours on MySuccess, taking the guesswork out of figuring out people’s availabilities. Not only that, students can make appointments with other academic and support services on campus, such as the Speech Lab, Writing Center, Math Center, TRiO and the mental health and wellness counselor.
“MySuccess shows you your instructors’ and lab appointments availability, which makes it an efficient use of my time,” said student Amber Ichinose.
“MySuccess is a quick way for me to get what I need,” said student Reanna Serikawa. “It makes contacting my instructors and visiting labs easy and convenient.”
The tool also facilitates closer relationships between students and instructors. This semester, about 20 percent of students went to the site and updated their profiles with pictures.
“When students upload a picture, only their counselors, instructors and support services can see it, but it allows these folks to put a face to their name,” said counselor and early alert/MySuccess coordinator Joe Yoshida. “Students will also be able to see a picture of the people that are working with them, and this fosters a sense of connection.”
MySuccess also serves as an early alert system, trying to catch students who are floundering before it’s too late. The online tool sends electronic surveys to instructors during the 1st, 3rd and 8th week of each semester, asking them to identify students who have not been attending class. Counselors then reach out to the students to try and assist them before they get too far behind in their coursework. This semester, 118 students were identified in the first round of surveys.
“It can be awkward for some students to write and email or make a call asking for help, so this makes getting that help a little less scary,” Yoshida said.
Instructors can also give students positive feedback, which can inspire them to continue working hard.
“Our instructors send many more ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ job messages through the MySuccess survey than most campuses,” Yoshida said.
The program continues to grow. Soon, students will be able to book a study room in the library using the tool.
“I urge everyone to go onto MySuccess and check out all the people and places on campus that work with them and to make an appointment,” Yoshida said. “They might be amazed.”
For more information on how to use MySuccess, visit www.windwardsuccess.weebly.com or contact Yoshida at josephdy@hawaii.edu.
by Ka ‘Ohana, News staff
