Any degree-seeking undergraduate student who attends, or plans to attend App State is eligible to apply. As-U-R admits incoming freshman, transfer students, and current students, depending on program capacity. When a student is admitted to As-U-R they are retained in our program until graduation.
The As-U-R program has the capacity to support approximately 120 students. In addition to our full-time staff, As-U-R has a team of Mentors (graduate assistants) that provide intensive support for our members and help make this community possible.
Application Process
Students must be admitted to App State through the regular admissions process in order to be considered for As-U-R admission.
Students must be admitted to Appalachian State through the regular admissions process in order to become a member of As-U-R. However, we also encourage high school seniors who may be interested to apply (with the caveat that if As-U-R is a good fit, they will only be considered a member and eligible for support if they are admitted and decide to attend Appalachian).
As-U-R accepts membership applications year-round and offers interviews throughout the year as the Director and Assistant Director schedules allow. Due to the small nature of the program, eligible students may not be assigned a mentor immediately, but they will be paired as soon as a mentor is available. These members will be permitted to utilize all other As-U-R resources, except As-U-R mentoring. Please contact As-U-R at asur@appstate.edu with any questions or concerns.
Applying to be an As-U-R Member is a 3-step process:
- Submit the Google Form Application using the "Apply Now" button below
- Meet with the Director or Assistant Director for an interview
- Take two online assessments (access given during interview)
Schedule Interview Appointment
**Please follow the instructions within the application in order to schedule your As-U-R interview**
Potential As-U-R member interviews will be held via Zoom unless otherwise specified and last approximately 30- 45 minutes. As a reminder, while parents and family members often have valuable insight, the interview will be solely between the prospective member and As-U-R staff.
You do not need to prepare, but if knowing what to expect will be helpful, here are some resources for you.
Who are As-U-R members?
As-U-R members are traditionally enrolled undergraduate students who have been admitted to the university through the same application process as all other Appalachian students. They come from various majors and backgrounds, each facing their own executive functioning challenges and having differing support needs. Additionally, while having a diagnosis or previous history of academic support (or disclosing such information) is not a requirement in order to be in the program, many members choose to share such information in an effort to help mentors provide more targeted support.
Encouraging Connections and Strengths-Based Support
As-U-R members often develop strong bonds with their Mentor and/or other As-U-R staff. While some members gain the skills they need after a short period of time participating in As-U-R, others elect to stay through their entire Appalachian State experience. Goals shift over time as members build skills and priorities change; Mentors will be there to help members develop self-advocacy and communication skills, as well as work towards academic independence and develop strong skills needed after college.
As-U-R members receive support that exceeds standard accommodations at the college level: in one 1:1 with their Mentor, a member may learn a new study strategy, break down bigger projects into smaller, more manageable pieces, plan the week ahead, discuss scheduling time for school and extracurricular activities, or a whole host of other supports based on member need. A sample of the Mentor/Member agreement that is signed each semester can be found here; please remember, this agreement is subject to change and may reflect different details if/when you pursue As-U-R membership.
Weekly Meetings
As-U-R members in Tier II and higher attend weekly meetings with their assigned Mentor over the course of the semester. After the initial interview and assessment information is gathered, and potential members share their preferences for level of support, the member is then assigned to one of three tiers in order to customize the number of meetings to fit their needs:
Pre-Alumni: Access to Huddles, Access to AsUR space and physical resources, Access to support from Mentors/Director/Asst Director as needed, Program Placement assessment, Quarterly Electronic Newsletter, Invitations to AsUR events, Midterm Grade Reports, Option to join the As-U-R Alumni Network, and As-U-R Cords at Graduation
Typically, this level of personalized support would cost $238 for the Fall and Spring terms combined due to the extensive resources and specialized services required to provide high-quality assistance. However, for the 2024-2025 school year, we are pleased to offer this program at no cost to students.
Tier I: pre-alumni resources PLUS once weekly 1:1 with a mentor and Quarterly progress meeting with AsUR Mentors/Director/Asst Director
Typically, this level of personalized support would cost $695 for the Fall and Spring terms combined due to the extensive resources and specialized services required to provide high-quality assistance. However, for the 2024-2025 school year, we are pleased to offer this program at no cost to students.
Tier II: everything in tier I PLUS AsUR course in first semester, NACA® Employability Skills Assessment, Twice weekly 1:1 with a mentor
Typically, this level of personalized support would cost $1,052 for the Fall and Spring terms combined due to the extensive resources and specialized services required to provide high-quality assistance. However, for the 2024-2025 school year, we are pleased to offer this program at no cost to students.
We strive to provide students with meeting modality options that best meet their needs, with in-person meetings being the default and virtual meetings being an option when agreed upon by the member and the Mentor ahead of time. In-person meetings are held within one of the multiple As-U-R spaces located in IG Greer Hall. Members who may be online and/or students based out of the Hickory campus will meet with As-U-R Mentors virtually.
Study Materials & Learning Assistance Technology
As-U-R members are given access to necessary study tools, such as highlighters, notecards, Cornell note-taking paper, and list and planner tools. Additionally, Study Central provides access to free printing and access to desktop computers, as well as PC laptops and Macbooks. Students can rent these from the As-U-R Director while completing homework in As-U-R designated spaces.
As-U-R Seminar Courses
As-U-R provides an ability for members to further engage with the As-U-R community, as well as learn relevant skills related to EFCs, through access to semester-long seminars. These seminars are offered for elective credit. While these courses are not mandatory, they are strongly encouraged.
As-U-R Assessments
Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)- According to the publishers of this tool, The LASSI is a 10-scale, 60-item assessment of student’s awareness about and use of learning and study strategies related to skill, will and self-regulation components of strategic learning. The focus is on both covert and overt thoughts, behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that relate to successful learning and that can be altered through educational interventions. It is estimated that the LASSI will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. For further information, feel free to watch this video.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Adult Version (BRIEF-A)- This tool is a measure of adult executive functioning for people 18-90 years of age. This is a 75-item questionnaire with 9 clinical scales: Inhibit, Self-Monitor, Plan/Organize, Shift, Initiate, Task Monitor, Emotional Control, Working Memory and Organization. It is estimated that the BRIEF-A will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. For further information, feel free to watch this video.
Executive Function Challenges
As-U-R is an intensive student support program focused on supporting students with executive function challenges (EFCs). Skills related to academic success, such as organization, planning and setting priorities, getting started and completing tasks, monitoring progress on tasks, and decision-making are referred to as executive function skills.
Executive function challenges are defined as chronic difficulties in organizing, planning, and carrying out tasks and can make success in college-level academics much more difficult.
Some college students with EFCs may have previously been assessed for or even diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disability, but others may not, despite struggling with such tasks.