WELCOME TO ON COURSE!  If you're a college or university educator seeking innovative ways to help students achieve greater academic success and retention, this web site is for you! As a college educator myself for more than forty years and a designer/facilitator of professional development workshops for more than twenty, I've created this web site as a one-stop resource for educators across the curriculum...especially those who want to empower their students to become active, responsible, and successful learners. If you're frustrated by seeing capable students struggle, you'll relish exploring the gold mine of learner-centered strategies and resources at this site.  New strategies are added frequently, so bookmark this page (Control-D) and come back often. If you're looking for something in particular, search the entire site with the Google search engine at the bottom of this page. And if you teach a student success course, call Wadsworth/Cengage Faculty Services toll-free (800-423-0563) to request an examination copy of my text, On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life (used at more than 500 colleges and universities). Enjoy! --Skip Downing

1. STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGIES: Explore a huge collection of innovative learner-centered strategies for empowering your students to become active, responsible learners. You'll find something here you can download (free!) and implement today! New article added 4/23/12

2. ON COURSE NATIONAL CONFERENCE: The 7th annual On Course National Conference will be held April 27-28, 2012, in Long Beach, California, with full-day pre-conference workshops offered on April 26th. Join us at this festival for learner-centered educators to exchange and celebrate best practices in student success...from instructional and counseling strategies you can use immediately to campus-wide programs that increase student academic success and retention. Learn practical and proven strategies from educators who are changing the lives of their students and transforming their colleges into learner-centered institutions. Best of all, you won't just hear about how to empower your students to become active, responsible learners. You'll experience it! The conference is limited to 500 registrants, and our 2011 conference filled early. 

3. ON COURSE I WORKSHOPS: Held at conference centers on both coasts of the United States, this workshop is our flagship professional development event for college and university educators. In these four-day workshops, you'll learn dozens of learner-centered strategies for empowering students to become active, responsible and successful learners. Like no other workshop you've ever attended, these events are ideal for all college faculty, student success instructors, counselors, Trio personnel, and administrators looking for a proven approach to dramatically improving student success and retention. See what past participants had to say...read the Testimonials. An online Graduate Course (3 credits) is available as a follow-up to this workshop!  

4. ON COURSE II WORKSHOPS: (Prerequisite: On Course I Workshop) In this advanced workshop, you'll not only add dozens of new learner-centered strategies to your toolbox, you'll also learn the essential skills for effectively designing and facilitating learner-centered experiences of any length...from an hour to a semester. These events are also held at conferences on both coasts of the United States. See what past participants had to say...read the Testimonials.  An online Graduate Course (3 credits) is available as a follow-up to this workshop!

5. ON-CAMPUS WORKSHOPS: Bring a dynamic professional development workshop--from one to four days in length--to your campus. All of our workshops present and model engaging learner-centered educational practices, and participants will leave with dozens of effective new strategies they can implement immediately. These strategies empower students to become active, responsible learners, improving student academic success and retention. If you are looking for a professional development 

6. ON COURSE (THE BOOK): On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life (Wadsworth/Cengage) is a market-leading text that presents a hands-on approach to learning essential life and study skills. Now in its 6th edition, On Course is used as a text in student success courses, first-year experience programs, and inward-looking courses that promote student growth and self-awareness. Because of the unique journaling component, this text is also used in developmental and freshman composition courses and Writing Across the Curriculum initiatives. See the next menu item for impressive data from On Course programs.  To request an examination copy, call the publisher's Faculty Services toll-free at 800-423-0563. To request the On Course Syllabus Collection, send an email to info@oncourseworkshop.com (be sure to add what you're requesting). Note: Because the Syllabus Collection contains syllabi from many colleges and universities, this large file (about 6 MB) may take a bit longer than usual to download. 

7. ON COURSE DATA: Read compelling data from a number of colleges and universities using the On Course text book and instructional strategies to achieve greater student academic success and retention.

8. ON COURSE NEWSLETTER: Professional Development on your desk top! Receive FREE monthly e-newsletters with innovative learner-centered strategies for empowering students to achieve greater success. TO SUBSCRIBE YOURSELF automatically simply send a blank email to oncourse-on@mail-list.com (our computer will subscribe your return address).  You’re in complete control of your subscription, and you can cancel at any time using the unsubscribe link included with each issue. Rest assured, we won't sell, rent, trade, loan, bend, spindle or mutilate your e-mail address. If you would like to subscribe a group or have any problem subscribing automatically, send an email to workshop@oncourseworkshop.com and simply request that we subscribe you or a group (send email addresses).  Subscribe today and join more than 51,000 educator-subscribers...and growing!

9. ON COURSE AMBASSADORS: Here's the roster of more than 1400 educators taking a leadership role at their institutions by introducing their colleagues, as well as students, to On Course strategies. The OCAmbassadors' ultimate goal is to transform their colleges and universities into learner-centered institutions that empower students to become active, responsible learners, thus achieving a significant increase in academic success and retention. Is there an On Course Ambassador on your campus? Check the roster and see.

10. ON COURSE PRINCIPLES: Learn the eight On Course Success Principles for promoting greater student achievement.  These timeless principles empower students to become active, responsible partners in their own education. Also, read about the Learner-Centered Instructional Principles that are taught, modeled, and experienced in all On Course professional development workshops.

11. ON COURSE SELF-ASSESSMENT: Have your students take the free On Course Self-Assessment on line. You'll be leaving this site, so use your back button to return here. The link for the self-assessment is in the upper right corner of the new page (very small font).  You'll also find other nifty On Course resources at this link, including self-management forms, practice quizzes, a learning style inventory, affirmation certificates, and additional articles on being successful in college. Many of the resources are accessed through the "Navigate by Chapter" section in the upper left hand corner of your screen. 

12. SKIP DOWNING: Meet the creator of On Course Workshops and the author of On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life (Wadsworth/Cengage).

13. STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST: Motivate your students by having them write about the success they have created with On Course strategies. Winning essays will be published in the next edition of the text, On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life. To view videos of six students reading their winning essay, click HERE. Two of them are shown presenting their essays to more than 500 educators at a recent On Course National Conference.

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS? Call: 650-365-7623 Mon, Tues, Thursday (9:00-3:00 Pacific Coast Time). Or send an email anytime to workshop@oncourseworkshop.com. Or write: On Course Workshop, 61 Renato Ct. Suite 21A, Redwood City, CA 94061