Established in July of 2020, the Office of Student Retention implements targeted advising
interventions for students in need of additional support to be successful. Through
collaboration with cross-campus partners, the office identifies these students and
provides academic case management, advising students and connecting them with campus
resources.
The office also collaborates across campus to coordinate and measure existing initiatives
to support student retention and persistence, with a focus on retention efforts beyond
the first year.
Appeal of Academic Suspension or dismissal
Statement of Academic Intent
Collaboration with Faculty and Staff
The Office of Student Retention welcomes any opportunity to collaborate with faculty
and staff to support students as we identify those in need of additional advising
or resources and recruit students to initiatives designed to increase retention. One
current such initiative is the Academic Success Coaching initiative, a virtual coaching
program to help students adapt to and prepare for changing instructional modalities
necessitated by COVID-19, funded by a UNC System grant.
How to Refer a Student
Faculty or staff who have identified a student needing additional outreach from Office
of Student Retention advisors should submit an Issue Alert about the student within the Navigate system (previously GradesFirst) and select “Retention Outreach” as the issue alert reason, in addition to any other
applicable reasons for the alert.
Learn More
Academic Success Coaching initiative
The Office of Student Retention is coordinating WCU’s Academic Success Coaching initiative.
This initiative supports students in need of additional resources to be successful
in online learning environments necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn More
Academic Standing and Other Policies
In response to the UNC Board of Governors' Fostering Student Success initiative, WCU
will update policies pertaining to academic standing, course withdrawal, and grade
replacement. The changes are meant to create policies that keep students moving forward
to the successful completion of their degrees.
Explore Additional Resources
About Our Staff
Dan Torrington
Director, Office of Student Retention
dtorrington@wcu.edu
828.227.2959
1st Floor Killian Annex Cullowhee, NC 28723
Dan brings a decade of experience supporting students from diverse backgrounds to
achieve academic, social/emotional, and professional success. Before joining the Office
of Student Retention, Dan served as an academic advisor in the Advising Center. Dan
is originally from Hazelwood, Missouri, and has supported students at the University
of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and as a middle school humanities teacher. He
holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Ithaca College and a B.A. in Political Science
from the University of Pennsylvania. Dan is passionate about connecting students from
diverse backgrounds with the resources to help them succeed and believes such work
can only be achieved through meaningful collaboration.
Diamond Brown
Retention Advisor
diamondbrown@wcu.edu
828.227.2956
1st Floor Killian Annex Cullowhee, NC 28723
Diamond joins WCU from Salisbury University in Maryland, where she earned her M.A.
in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution and her B.A. in Sociology. Diamond brings
experience advising students through supplemental instruction, tutoring programs,
and peer support programs with Salisbury University’s Center for Student Achievement.
Diamond is dedicated to inclusive excellence, having served on the Salisbury University
President’s Diversity Taskforce, where she advised the president on the formation
of the new Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Diamond has also worked to create and
lead workshops supporting diverse student groups, including students who identify
as LGBT and students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups.
Christopher Foster
Retention Advisor
cfoster@wcu.edu
828.227.2957
1st Floor Killian Annex Cullowhee, NC 28723
Christopher joins WCU from the University of West Georgia, where he earned his M.Ed.
in Professional Counseling: College Student Affairs and his B.S. in Sociology. Christopher
brings experience advising students with UWG’s African American Male Initiative, where
he also planned and coordinated programming for student groups affiliated with the
Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Through his work, Christopher has demonstrated
his passion for inclusive excellence, having contributed to an increase in student
participation with UWG’s African American Male Initiative and collaborated on special
projects with UWG’s interim Chief Diversity Officer and the Center for Diversity and
Inclusion.
