Wabash Refresh

Wabash Refresh is a program that serves as an alternative to the traditional readmission process for students who earned less than a 1.0 GPA during their first semester at K-State and were dismissed. Wabash Refresh is a two-component intervention that 1) connects students to an Academic Coach who helps them navigate their first semester post-dismissal and 2) builds a personalized Success Checklist to be completed during the semester.

The design of Wabash Refresh is predicated on the success of academic coaching intervention through teaching students to be self-directed learners, self-starters, and self-managers while providing an individualized approach to success. With the support we give, students can become equipped with the skills, resources, and connections that they need to be successful and help to prevent repeat scenarios. The checklist, coaching relationship, and developed skills are meant to be tools for the immediate semester and beyond reinstatement. We imagine Wabash Refresh is part of the work of the K-State NISS Playbook to improve second year and beyond retention.

Program Components

Academic Coaching

Students will meet with their assigned academic coach at least every four (4) weeks during the semester. This timeline connects students to their academic coach during key points in the semester.

Week Two Coaching: Course expectations and Success Playlist creation
Week Six Coaching: Midterm strategies and progress report check-in
Week Ten Coaching: Post-midterm pause and refocus discussion
Week Fourteen Coaching: Final exam planning and semester reflection

During these coaching sessions, students will meet with an Academic Coach for 30-minute sessions one-on-one. These meetings are expected to be in-person except when enrolled in a fully remote program of study. The coach will guide the student toward academic success. Each session is individualized for the student to help them understand strengths and gaps in their current academic success efforts. This directs them to areas of improvement for the weeks ahead what they need to work on. In Academic Coaching, the student is also oriented to their role in order to facilitate successful sessions. Students are expected to arrive prepared to discuss grades across their coursework and provide insight as to what is going well and where they are challenged. Academic Coaching is meant to help guide students toward success through academic, social, and emotional wellness.

Success Playlist

To complement Academic Coaching and to connect students with services and resources across campus that are available to help them success, students will partake in many different activities during the readmitted semester. The Academic Coach will discuss options and help the student select activities that best address their personal situation. The Academic Coach will verify and document completion of selected options each meeting, document in Navigate the completion of the activities, and provide a signed Success Playlist at the end of the semester.

Frequent meetings:
- Meet every four (4) weeks with your assigned Academic Coach (outlined above)*
- Meet every-other-week with a study skills tutor*
  - Success skills tutoring will provide you with a frequent check-in person, support in time-management/prioritization/project planning/etc., and help you stay on the Success Playlist.
- Meet monthly (or more frequently) with another professional aimed at helping you succeed. (Mentor, advisor, dean, advocate, therapist, etc.)

Activities with others:
- Attend office hours for a class at least once a month.
- Attend content tutoring sessions at least once a month.*
- Attend a university-wide event, lecture, etc. once a month.*
Independent activities:
- Check your @ksu.edu daily
- Create a personal Academic Success Plan.
- Choose at least four:
  - Journal/summarize/rewrite notes of class each day.
  - Use a daily planner.
  - Utilize the Rec Center.
  - Participate in Study Buddies (Navigate).
  - Practice an “inbox-zero” method.
  - Participate in 'Cats Connect.
  - Other ideas with the approval of your Academic Coach.

*These meetings are expected to be in-person except when enrolled in a fully remote program of study.

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Program Eligibility and Enrollment

Students are eligible for Wabash Refresh if they:

Earned below a 1.0 GPA during their first semester as a undergraduate student at Kansas State University which resulted in dismissal.
Are in good financial standing, a remaining balance of $2,000.00 or less.

Applicants will be screened by the staff from the college of enrollment, Student Support and Accountability, Student Financial Assistance, and Housing and Dining Services. Applicants receiving support from all offices will move to the selection committee chosen by the Academic Achievement Center. The selection committee will check references, review the personal statement and essay, and check the fall semester record. Results of the references check, personal statement, essay, and prior semester record will be used to determine acceptance into the program.

This program will have limited capacity to ensure quality of support offered to the students. Only 45 spots will be available each semester. Students who are not chosen or choose not to participate in Wabash Refresh will remain in dismissed status and must follow the standard reinstatement policy. Students participating in Wabash Refresh who fail to meet with their academic coach for a second time by February 28th will be removed from the program and notification will be sent to the student and to their college.

Apply to Wabash Refresh

Students who are eligible and are interested in participating in Wabash Refresh will need to complete the following application process:

Provide three (3) character references to speak to their ability to succeed. Only one reference can be a relative and the relative cannot be of immediate family (parent, grandparent, sibling, or child).
Write a 200-word personal statement that shows awareness of past challenges and a commitment to completing what is needed to be successful academically.
Write a 500-word essay on one of the following prompts:
- Winston Churchill said, “a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” What did your first semester at K-State teach you about difficulties and opportunities.
- A growth mindset is about being open to learn and develop at every point in life versus believing that our ability to learn new things is limited. What motivates you and how do you keep a commitment to a growth mindset?

Applications for Spring 2025 have closed.

All applicants will be notified of enrollment acceptance on January 9th, 2025 at 1:00 PM CT.

Students in the College of Engineering: if you are selected for the Wabash Refresh opportunity, you will be required to change your major out of engineering to another program on campus. To be readmitted to engineering, certain academic marks must be achieved as an internal transfer student.

Students in the College of Business: if you are selected for the Wabash Refresh opportunity, you will be required to change your major out of business to another program on campus. To be readmitted to business, certain academic marks must be achieved as an internal transfer student.

Students who do not get accepted or choose not to participate in Wabash Refresh will not be able to return to K-State for the upcoming semester. Students will remain in dismissed status and will have to wait two semesters for re-entry, per the academic dismissal policy at K-State.

Some tips for students to return in good standing:

Contact Housing & Dining Services to cancel your contract and make arrangements to retrieve you belongings.
Cancel your campus parking permit. You may be able to get a refund for the remainder of the year.
Notify financial aid. If you have loans from the first semester, you may be responsible for beginning to make payments after six months of your last enrolled date.
Check your KSIS account to resolve any holds you may have.
Stay in touch with your academic advisor! Your advisor can help you as you plan for your time away from K-State and to develop the best plan for transition back to the university.