Beginning Fall 2026, AsUR will primarily serve first- and second-year students in order to support executive functioning skill development early in students’ college careers.
AsUR primarily supports first- and second-year students who want early, structured support in developing the skills needed to succeed in college. The AsUR program is designed for students who:
- Want to strengthen executive functioning skills such as planning, organization, time management, task initiation, and self-monitoring.
- Would benefit from one-on-one mentoring, accountability, and personalized strategies.
- Are interested in developing independence, resilience, and self-advocacy in college
What Membership Looks Like
Members of AsUR:
- Meet weekly with a graduate student mentor for approximately 45 minutes. Meetings are scheduled at a time when neither the student nor mentor has class, lab, or other academic commitments, and they are typically held at the same day and time each week throughout the term. For students on the main campus, meetings are usually held in person.
- Use planning and task-management tools
- Build executive functioning skills such as organization and prioritization
- Participate in community events and workshops (on a voluntary basis)
- Receive personalized support to track progress, set goals, and celebrate achievements.
Application Process
Students must be admitted to App State through the regular admissions process in order to be considered for AsUR admission.
Applicants must be admitted to Appalachian State through the regular admissions process in order to become a member of AsUR. An application to the AsUR program is required also for membership consideration.
AsUR accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. However, interviews and admissions into the program occur during specific periods: the summer term, over winter break, and at the start of the fall and spring semesters before the UNC census date (typically within the first 10 days of the semester). Applications submitted outside of these periods will be reviewed and held until the next interview and admission window.
We are currently at capacity.
Please submit your application using the link above, and you will be put on our waitlist. As space becomes available, we will reach out to the folks on that waitlist to schedule an interview and continue the application process.
Schedule Interview Appointment
Please follow the instructions within the application in order to schedule your AsUR interview
Potential AsUR member interviews will be held virtually (e.g., via Zoom or Google Meet) 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 AsUR staff.
You do not need to prepare, but if knowing what to expect will be helpful, here are some resources for you.
Who are AsUR members?
AsUR 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
AsUR members often develop strong bonds with their Mentor and/or other AsUR staff. While some members gain the skills they need after a short period of time participating in AsUR, 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.
AsUR 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 AsUR membership.
Weekly Meetings
Members meet with their mentor in person, one-on-one, for 45 minutes each week.
During that time, a mentor can help a member use an assignment tracker to assess priorities and deadlines, plan out big assignments and break them down into doable chunks, and assist the member in scheduling appointments to connect with other resources on campus.
Study Materials & Learning Assistance Technology
AsUR 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 AsUR Director while completing homework in AsUR-designated spaces.
AsUR Assessments
Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)- According to the publishers of this tool, the LASSI is a 10-scale, 60-item assessment of students’ 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
AsUR 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.