“We’re trying to make a difference in these students’ lives by meeting them where they are, getting them the academic support they need and creating a strong sense of community for STEM students on campus. All these things can directly impact student retention and improve academic outcomes.”
All majors are welcome. To meet demand, the Center’s team works collaboratively with students and faculty members by selecting learning consultants from each Eberly College department and responding to specific course needs.
“When we learned Eberly College was starting a STEM Foundations program, one of the first things I thought about was space and help with tutoring our introductory courses,” he said.
“WVU students in STEM arrive with a wide range of readiness. It’s essential for students who may not have a strong background to have a way to gain confidence. When the program started, I was happy that they were able to add support for physics classes almost immediately. This kind of one-on-one help with courses can really make a difference and build confidence.”
Young said the goal is to make sure WVU students can be as successful as possible in STEM.
“Whether that’s a STEM major or a STEM course, we are here to support students, especially in their first two years,” Young said.
She isn’t alone in her commitment to the mission of empowering students and fostering a thriving academic community on campus.
“As part of our grant, we were tasked with serving 3,000 students over two years and expected to achieve an 81% retention and persistence rate,” Bruni said. “We have served thousands of students and have achieved an 89% retention and persistence rate among students who engaged with our services.”
“My professor told me about TestWELL and suggested I check it out,” she said. “The support I received really turned things around for me that semester and even set me up for success in every other class I’ve taken since then.”
Keefover was such a believer in TestWELL that she applied to be a tutor. She was hired in 2022 and tutors all chemistry classes. “I had no confidence coming to college and going to TestWELL really turned that around for me. It’s really a full-circle moment for me. I was struggling in a class that I now tutor for and that’s entirely because of the support I found here as a freshman.”
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Watts said. “In Fall 2024, we had over 900 swipe-ins from August until December.” But for Watts, success isn’t just about numbers. “When I train tutors, I tell them their job is to work themselves out of a job by teaching students to be more autonomous and figure things out on their own. I am proud to say they are doing exactly that every day.”
TestWELL’s commitment to excellence has earned the Center national recognition and certification through the National Tutoring Association, which reflects the high standards and dedication to student success that define its mission.
“The first couple of months of college are super hard for everyone. I didn’t necessarily know if this was even the place for me at first,” Workman said. “I was also really nervous and didn’t know what to expect from my first accounting class. But I quickly learned that I wasn’t in it alone.”
“Everyone is new at one point, and we’ve all been in that position before,” Workman said. “All of us in the Chambers College are going to end up in the Becker Center at one point or another and all the scholars there are super understanding and never scary. We’re all in this role because we enjoy helping and we were once in their shoes. We get it, maybe better than most.”
“The busiest day we had last fall saw 173 check-ins in a four-hour window,” she said.
“Overall, we’ve seen a 2.3 % retention increase in the Chambers College. There are a lot of different factors that go into that, but the programs and support services we have in the Becker Center really are a big part of it. We had 1,300 students utilize our space in the last academic year and those students logged 9,700 hours of studying. It’s a win in my book, seeing that many students take advantage of the resources we offer.”
“Students in STEM majors tell us they feel a little cooped up with the long hours required of their classes — lots of lab work, lots of studying,” Young said. “We found some science-backed research that shows these students do tend to be more sedentary than other majors and we’re taking steps to change that.”
One of those steps is the introduction of two walking pads with desks to the space.
Young said that’s just one way they’re working to support the “whole student.”
“In the STEM world, we too often hear students wonder if they’re smart enough to be here or even to keep going,” Young said. “It’s our hope that all across campus, in all of these ways, we are doing everything we can to keep preventable things or solvable problems from changing any student’s trajectory or stifling their dreams.”
Editor’s Note: WVU Photos/Brian Persinger
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