First- and Second-Year Student Success (FSYSS)

Committed to your success

First- and Second-Year Student Success (FSYSS), formerly known as the Undergraduate Student Success Center (USSC), provides academic advising and student support services to aid the University in increasing its student success rates. FSYSS’s services are accessible to all students but are notably geared toward assisting first- and second-year students.

FSYSS's organizational units are designed to assist students in developing positive relationships with faculty, staff, and other students, which will foster a strong academic and co-curricular foundation at CSU and provide programs for students to learn the skills, habits, and dispositions they need to achieve academic success.

The First- and Second-Year Student Success office contains three units: Academic Advising & Coaching, OASIS, & Strategic Programs. Its organizational units provide academic advising; online and face-to-face tutoring and supplemental instruction; retention tracking; and support for developing social and “soft skills.”

Academic Coaching and Advising

Academic Coaching and Advising serves new, first-time (NFT) and continuing students with fewer than 60 cumulative credit hours. Beginning in fall 2024, both first-year and second-year students will be advised within the FSYSS unit. Student Success Coaches will continue to meet one-on-one with students and assist them in setting and clarifying academic goals and negotiating the challenges of their first college experience.

FSYSS student success coaches view advising as an opportunity to expand students' understanding of the meaning and purpose of higher education and foster their intellectual and personal development toward academic success and lifelong learning. Students and their FSYSS student success coaches are partners in assuring students understand the pathways and requirements for their majors and identifying the steps for achieving the student’s personal, academic, and professional goals. The student and their coach have clear responsibilities and share responsibility for ensuring the advising partnership is successful.

Academic Coaching and Advising

Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services

OASIS stands for the Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services. Are you a student seeking help in a course in which you are struggling? You have come to the right place! The OASIS program offers many ways to receive the help that you need.

OASIS provides academic support to all students in various subject areas. OASIS offers course-specific one-on-one tutorial sessions with a peer tutor or Content Specialist. Additional services include Drop-in Tutoring, Online Tutoring, Learning Skills Workshops, Finals Review Sessions, and Resource Lending to help students confidently complete their current courses.

Mission

The mission of OASIS is to assist students in developing their learning skills, improving their study skills, and achieving their academic goals.

See How We Can Help

Course Registration at Central State University

You may or may not know exactly what you want to study. Either way, we are here to help you as you pursue your goal of academic success. Success coaches can help you make the right decisions in selecting a major and defining a path toward earning your degree. We can assist you in building your academic schedule, help you complete required forms, and point you toward the resources you’ll need to get where you want to go.

Whether you’re looking for guidance in planning out how you’ll meet major and minor requirements, or help scheduling next semester, we can help. Additionally, we offer support with the registration process itself and help if you find yourself on academic warning or probation. Whatever your circumstances, we can help you create the best schedule for you.

Making a Major Decision

As an incoming college student, you will start making some important decisions. You've already made one big decision by coming to Central State University, so you're already one for one in making great choices!

Another big decision you'll need to make relates to your major. Choosing a major is one of your most important decisions for your first semester. Your major will determine what courses you'll take each semester, and they can vary widely between programs of study.

There are several online resources available that can be used to help you find a major. However, most of those tools aren't personalized to you or Central State University.

This is where MyMajors comes in. MyMajors is a tool specifically designed to help Central State students find a major at Central State University. The 15-minute assessment you'll complete will show you a list of 10 majors that most align with your academic achievement, aptitude, work interests, and personal preferences.

Students in their best-fit major are more likely to succeed in their coursework and graduate on time. Even if you feel confident in your choice of major right now, we encourage you to complete this assessment to see what other majors may align with your personal and career aspirations.

https://centralstate.mymajors.com/

Strategic Programs

The Strategic Programs unit is instrumental in the development, implementation, and analysis of varied retention strategies for students’ success. This area provides creation and implementation initiatives that address the Six Pillars of Access and the social developmental requirements of freshman cohorts and rising sophomores. Strategic Programs houses the USS 1000 — Undergraduate Success Seminar course, USS 1200 — Undergraduate Success Skills course, and the Marauder Achievement Program.

Strategic Programs collaborates on initiatives with other units within the First- and Second-Year Student Success, Student Affairs, each college, Marauder Leadership and Engagement, Career Services, Academic Empowerment and Accessibility, Residence Life, and Counseling Services to ensure students develop an academic and social balance that will enrich their collegiate experience.

Marauder Achievement Program (MAP)

The Marauder Achievement Program (MAP) is designed to support students on academic probation. Students are paired with a MAP Coach to help guide them to academic success by developing an action plan and educating them about resources that are readily available on campus.

Learn More

FSYSS staff

Connect with an FSYSS team member TODAY!

LaKeisha Jenkins Washington
Executive Director, First- and Second-Year Student Success
E: ljenkinswashington@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6049

Robert J. Vidal
Program Manager
E: rvidal@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6419

Lakeysha R. Smith
Director, Academic Advising and Coaching
E: lsmith1@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6354

Adrienne Byrd
Director of Strategic Programs
E: abyrd2@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6184

Student Success coaches

Ray Moon (A-K)
Student Success Coach
Majors departments: Biology, Chemistry, Exercise Science, and Sustainable Agriculture within the John W. Garland College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture
E: rmoon@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6356

Michael Phelps (L-Z)
Student Success Coach
Majors departments: Biology, Chemistry, Exercise Science, and Sustainable Agriculture within the John W. Garland College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture
E: mphelps@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6465

Rory Infante
Student Success Coach
Majors departments: Environmental Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Industrial Technology, and Water Resource Management within the John W. Garland College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture
E: rinfante@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6486

Joi'e White (A-I)
Student Success Coach
Major departments: Social and Behavioral Sciences within the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
E: jwhite51@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6416

Daniel Bellum (J-Z)
Student Success Coach
Major departments: Social and Behavioral Sciences within the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
E: dbellum@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6416

Carlos Rodgers
Student Success Coach
Major departments: Humanities and Communications, Composition, Languages, Professional Education, and Music within the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
E: crodgers@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6026

My’Kell Howard (A-K)
Student Success Coach
Major departments: Accounting and Business Administration within the College of Business,
E: mhoward@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6158

Fougere Jacquelin (L-J)
Student Success Coach
Major departments: Accounting and Business Administration within the College of Business
E: fjacquelin@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6657

Tara McCormick
Student Success Coach
Major departments: Professional Education and School of Agricultural Education and Food Science, within the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Education, and undeclared students
E: tmccormick@centralstate.edu
O: 937-376-6670