At Oregon State University, it is not enough to have a retention rate that is above the national average. The College of Science’s new Student Success Advisor, Cori Hall, understands that every science student at Oregon State is capable of excelling if given the right tools and resources to do so.
Hall comes to the College with an extensive history in academic advising. She was an advisor for the College of Science from 2009-11 before becoming the head advisor in the newly formed College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences in 2012. Most recently, she was an advisor in the University Exploratory Studies program, where she discovered her passion for helping students overcome challenges. Hall earned a B.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego, and then a master’s degree in college student services and administration at OSU.
As a Student Success Advisor, Hall’s work will focus largely on the creation of intervention strategies and initiatives to help struggling science students regain focus. She will provide one-on-one academic and career advising to undergraduates in need of guidance, and serve as a referral agent for students needing services beyond the scope of academic advising. Many of the students she will be working with are a part of the campus-wide STAR (Students Taking Academic Responsibility) program, which serves as a safety net to catch first-year students who may be beginning to slip in their coursework, and steer them back on track.
This position is particularly meaningful for Hall because of the obstacles she has faced in her own personal life. Several years ago, she was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, and her battle with the disease forced her to take time away from her professional life to heal. This fight to get back on her feet gave her a unique understanding of the uncounted struggles that students go through as well.
“I enjoy working with students to overcome barriers and challenges, because I understand that a lot of students who get into these situations often have circumstances outside their control. It takes a team, and we want to make sure students don’t fall through the cracks.”
Hall’s office is located in Room 120 of the Science Success Center, on the first floor of Kidder Hall.
