![Ronay Lyons](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2023/09/n21195253/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1694624938150.jpg)
Cultivating student success one position at a time
College of Allied Health Sciences hires success coach to help students succeed at UC
Further action is required to make this image accessible
One of the below criteria must be satisfied:
- Add image alt tag OR
- Mark image as decorative
The image will not display on the live site until the issue above is resolved.
Ronay Lyons might be a familiar face to you. She just graduated from UC’s College of Medicine with a degree in public health.
Ronay attended Withrow High School, is a first-generation college student and Pell Grant recipient.
She now works as a success coach for the College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) – the first role of its kind for the college.
“Students need to have someone help them and being a recent graduate, I know first-hand what they are looking for and need,” says Ronay.
Ronay’s newly created position was born out of an ever-evolving strategic review of student performance at the college. Not only of curricular requirements but also student support structures including academic and mental health support, supplemental instruction and engagement with college faculty and staff.
"Generally, when students do leave CAHS, they stay with the university. We wanted to focus on strategies that allowed students to persevere and stay within our college and their chosen career path, " explained Lauren McCants, the senior assistant dean for CAHS.
In 2021, 85% of first-year CAHS students were retained at UC; however, some transitioned into degree programs at other UC colleges. In CAHS 65% of first- and second-year students were retained in the college. Looking closer at student demographics, only 60% of first generation and 64% of underrepresented minority students were retained in CAHS in their first year. The college is looking to reduce those gaps. Here's a look at the newly admitted CAHS Fall 2023 students, which form a diverse group:
- 26.6% are non-white
- 22.3% identify as male
- 26.1% are first generation college students
To help improve retention rates and student success, we are taking a full-circle approach.
Charity Accurso, interim dean, College of Allied Health Sciences
“To help improve retention rates and student success, we are taking a ‘full-circle approach’,” adds interim dean Charity Accurso. “That means creating an environment that connects faculty, advisors and students together, in addition to connecting students with university support. We want students to feel comfortable letting someone in their circle know that they are struggling and they need help either in the classroom or with challenges outside the classroom.”
That’s where Ronay comes in.
Her role is designed to be more proactive in reaching students rather than reactive. Given her experiences as a UC graduate, she is collaborating with other UC organizations and programs to connect students with resources throughout their academic journey. CAHS is focusing much of Ronay’s work on first- and second-year students who are a lot like her — students in underrepresented populations. “I can be that friendly face and safe space for them,” says Ronay. “My role is intended to develop relationships and help students connect the dots. I can even walk them over to meet someone in academic advising, financial aid or student affairs or introduce them to people at one of our identity centers to help them create that sense of belonging.”
"It is important for us to build relationships with the academic teams within those colleges so we can collaborate to help students through their entire academic journey,” says Accurso. “By working together, we identify students that are struggling early on and give them the help they need so they can qualifty for their clinical year or progress into a graduate program.”
By increasing retention and academic success the college hopes to increase graduation rates and ultimately aid in the diversification of its professional graduate programs as well as Greater Cincinnati’s allied health workforce.
Ronay began her position as a success coach on Aug. 7 and has hit the ground running. She has participated in the college’s fall retreat, met with programs directors, and held one-on-one meetings with advisors to raise awareness about her role and establish partnerships.
“This is about creating a circle of care for our students,” says Ronay. “I am excited to get started and see what I can do.”
Learn More
The College of Allied Health Sciences supports continued growth and success of its students through its degree programs, student support services and service-learning experiences in the diverse communities where we study, work, and live. Learn more about how UC's College of Allied Health Sciences can help you become a successful health professional.
Related Stories
E-BRIEF: Let's Toast to a Healthier 2003
January 8, 2003
The New Year often means a new health kick: Vows to tone up and trim down, and maybe going to the doctor and getting ourselves as regularly "maintenanced" as we do our cars. So, this week's University of Cincinnati e-briefing examines the health concerns of the young and old, and what you should be doing to preserve your good health.
UC Named Lead Organization for OSHA Training Consortium
January 13, 2003
UC Continuing Medical Education (CME) has been selected as the lead organization for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Great Lakes Training Consortium by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ignorance of Stroke s Warning Signs a Barrier to Treatment; More Education Needed, UC Researchers Report in JAMA
January 14, 2003
Demographic groups facing the greatest risk of death and disability from stroke are the least likely to recognize stroke s warning signs and risk factors, according to a study by UC researchers published in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
UC Researchers Find New Link Between the Eye and the Clock in the Brain
January 21, 2003
Results of a study done by a team of researchers working in the laboratories of Michael Lehman, PhD, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the UC College of Medicine, will appear in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience.
Leader of Fetal Surgery to Deliver Lectures at UC
January 31, 2003
An internationally recognized authority on fetal surgery will lecture at the UC Medical Center, representing the first of a series of lectures on fetal surgery presented by the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn).
UC Celebrates National Heart Failure Awareness Week
January 31, 2003
UC Medical Center physicians Lynne Wagoner, MD, and Harvey Hahn, MD, are teaming up with The University Hospital to celebrate National Heart Failure Awareness Week, Feb. 10-14, 2003.
UC College of Nursing Announces New Scholarship for Graduate Program
January 31, 2003
The UC College of Nursing announces the availability of a new scholarship for a full-time student in the Women s Health Graduate Nursing Program.
Inaugural Paul B. Hammond Award Goes To NIEHS Director
February 7, 2003
In a ceremony held Jan. 14, 2003, Kenneth Olden, PhD, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), received the inaugural Paul B. Hammond award.
UC Stroke Researcher Receives Award from American Stroke Association
February 13, 2003
Joseph Broderick, MD, chair of the University of Cincinnati (UC) Department of Neurology, received the 2003 William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke from the Stroke Council of the American Stroke Association.
PROFILE: Two Reach Across Racial Divide
February 16, 2003
One is white, and one is African American. Both deplore the lack of solid research on the subject of domestic violence and blacks.