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SPARK SCL
THE POWER OF STUDENT EMP Retention and Student Suc
JENNA ROWLANDS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ADMIN & STRATEGIC INITATIVES FOR CCLD
LEAP
Student employment plays a vital role in student retention and persistence here at ODU. Through opportunities coordinated by the Center for Career and Leadership Development( CCLD), students gain meaningful work experience while developing the professional and leadership skills that help them succeed both in college and after graduation.
At ODU, we recognize that student employment can be so much more than a paycheck, and we seek to demonstrate that through the Learn and Earn Advantage Program( LEAP). This high-impact, ODU-specific work study program combines part-time work across a variety of employment roles with a one-credit workplace readiness course during students’ first year at ODU. Through LEAP, students reflect on their workplace experiences while learning how their employment connects to their career goals. Students who are successful in LEAP 1 are then eligible to continue to LEAP 2, 3, and 4 throughout the rest of their time at ODU.
While engaged in the LEAP program, students benefit from meaningful, ongoing conversations with their supervisors who leverage the Monarchs GROW ® framework to guide their reflection. Monarchs GROW ® involves structured supervisor / student conversations that help student employees reflect on how their oncampus jobs connect to their academics, career aspirations, and skill development. Monarchs GROW ® also encourages students to continuously reflect on their development of t Association of College career readiness comp known at ODU as“ 8-to integrating career dev Monarchs GROW ® con LEAP program, CCLD s employee supervisors the value of their educ confidence in their ski
LEAP is recognized as first-year retention pr because first-year LEA students are retained and have a higher GPA year peers. For examp LEAP 1 students’ Fall-t rate was 93 % as comp their Fall 2024 first-ye Additionally, LEAP 1 s 3.14 first-semester GP only 2.74 for their Fall counterparts.
Looking ahead, the CC Employment Team is c to apply principles of the LEAP program to o employment opportun This includes further e Monarchs GROW ® init of student employmen study programs. Addit planning a partnership University’ s Work + pro 2026-2027 academic input on how to elevat employment opportun have the same level of and Earn Advantage P