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Sheila Bauer-Gatsos, associate professor of English; Tina Taylor-Ritzler, professor of psychology; and Mark Carbonara, director of advising and first-year experience, were quoted in an article in Diverse Issues in Higher Education. The three led a workshop for the virtual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)  35th annual conference, during which they shared tips that Dominican has used for improving student success metrics.

Dominican switched to a holistic advising model in 2015 which has proven to be scalable, adaptable and, most importantly, has been shown to have an impact on retention and completion, according to Bauer-Gatsos. The university's First-Year Experience is an initiative that is fully integrated into an incoming student's first semester and focuses on unfamiliarity with higher education, how to learn in college, how to use time effectively, and how to take care of one's mental health. The program also includes information on financial literacy and provides opportunities for students to become acquainted with the resources Dominican has to offer. 

The first-year experience program also features peer tutors embedded in classes to help students before they struggle as well as an alert system that surveys students' wellbeing a critical junctures during the first semester. 

"This is a triage effort to meet students where they are and to promote student engagement and belonging before they experience crisis," Taylor-Ritzler is quoted in the article. 

You can read the article here.