Recent revelations from the National University of Samoa (NUS) have sparked inquiries into the institution's approach to supporting students facing academic challenges. 

The release of a purported list of at-risk students has raised questions about the university's strategies for assisting these individuals and addressing their academic needs.

In response to queries from this newspaper about the origin of the figure, the NUS Vice Chancellor clarified that the list stems from a longstanding practice of monitoring student performance throughout each semester. 

Tuifuisa'a Patila Amosa said through internal assessments conducted around Week 7, academic staff identified students who may be at risk of failing a course due to various factors, including academic struggles and personal challenges.

For students facing academic difficulties, course coordinators provide personalised academic counseling sessions. 

During these sessions, students pinpoint specific areas of difficulty, enabling coordinators to tailor remedial actions to meet individual needs. 

Meanwhile, students encountering personal challenges outside the classroom are referred to student counselors for pastoral care counseling and support.

Despite ongoing efforts to support at-risk students, concerns persist regarding the recurring nature of this issue. 

University representatives acknowledged that each semester sees a cohort of students grappling with academic or personal obstacles. 

However, they underscored the institution's commitment to providing comprehensive support to help students improve their performance.

Furthermore, officials highlighted the prevalence of cases where students fail to attend classes during the initial weeks of the semester, leading to their inclusion on the at-risk list. 

While some students benefit from remedial assistance and go on to excel academically, others fail to engage with academic or pastoral care counseling, resulting in eventual dropout.

One notable challenge faced by the university is the retention of students who remain on the at-risk list despite their disengagement from the academic process. 

Many of these students fail to formally withdraw from their courses, leading to a lingering presence on the at-risk roster within the student database.

"There have always been students every semester in this situation due to various reasons and the university has always provided support to improve their performance," Tuifuisa'a said. 

"There are also cases every semester of students who do not attend classes in the first 7 weeks of semester hence the reason why they are on the At-risk list but some pick up and do well after the remedial assistance given and others never turn up to the academic or pastoral care counselling and eventually drop off. 

"Most of these dropout students linger on the system as At-Risk students because they never come and fill-in the official withdrawal form so that we are able to process the removal of their names from our student database.

"All academic staff have set consultation hours per week during the semester for any student with learning difficulties to see them for assistance."

In light of these concerns, the university has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting students with learning difficulties. 

All academic staff members maintain designated consultation hours each week, providing students with opportunities to seek assistance and guidance tailored to their individual needs.