Article 16:
LASSI Helps Lehman PASS
by Jasmine Jusino-McGilchrist, M.S.Ed.,
Lehman College/CUNY

The Spring 2009 semester marked the fourth year of administering the Learning and Study Skills Strategies Inventory (LASSI) at Lehman College.  This survey is an integral part of the Program for Academic and Student Success (PASS).  This program is primarily targeted to incoming freshmen but is open to all students; and seeks to help students adjust to the rigorous demands of higher education both academically and personally.

PASS is advertised through freshmen class presentations and on-campus outreach activities.  Students are generally self-referred but may be referred through other sources such as academic advisement as well.  The first session consists of a LASSI screening via the online utility and an exploration of the LASSI results.  Subsequent sessions consist of study skills counseling and are typically scheduled for two or three meetings.
 
LASSI has had a positive impact in building and/or reinforcing student’s academic self-efficacy. The subscales help students to compartmentalize their scholastic competencies; thus, broadening an often dichotic pass or fail mentality. Reviewing the results validates the students' areas of strength. Likewise, it allows for a discussion of areas of improvement. Highlighting both areas of strength and improvement help to normalize college as a transitional time of life. This is true no matter if the student is an incoming freshmen or a returning adult; both types of students are in the process of establishing their academic identity and its associated traits. The self-regulation scales of Time Management, Concentration, Self Testing and Study Aids are the areas that students seek to improve most often.  Perhaps these subscales are more approachable than a self-induced subscale such as attitude or information processing.  Nonetheless, part of the intervention is helping students to make connections on how all ten subscales impact one another.  In this way, academic success becomes more attainable as students can rely on their areas of strength while developing one or two areas of improvement.
 
More importantly, the LASSI results are discussed within the context of the person's life circumstances.  Since Lehman is an urban, commuter college, being a college student is just one of many life roles students embody.  In some cases, LASSI sessions serve as a gateway to personal counseling and in most cases it serves as a liaison to on-campus resources such as the Tutoring Center, Career Services, Disability Services, Academic Advisement, Student Life, and other relevant services.  Overall, administering LASSI as part of PASS appears to serve as a stress management intervention.  Academic stress is an evitable part of the higher educational experience and LASSI helps students to manage this pressure while striving for scholarly success.

Contents