What is PASS?

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are weekly, voluntary, group study sessions to support students studying difficult subjects.

PASS Sessions are facilitated by a PASS Leader, a student who has studied the subject before and done well in it. The PASS Leader provides direction to the session and contributes to activities and discussions to ensure that students get the most out of every session. PASS integrates subject content with study skills and transition assistance to help students succeed. PASS takes a non-remedial approach by targeting difficult subjects instead of struggling students. Removing the remedial tag from PASS also makes it applicable for all students, from students who want to pass the subject to students who want to receive an HD.

PASS was piloted at CSU in 2011 in conjunction with the STAR Program. The program has since expanded to include more subjects on more campuses with DE subjects now included in the program.By 2013 it has expanded to support subjects in each of the four faculties. It supports students on the Albury, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, and Wagga Wagga campuses, as well as students studying via DE.

Effect on average grades and attendance

Students who attend PASS also see the benefits of attending PASS in their assessment results. Results consistently show that students who regularly attended PASS finish the session with a higher average mark than students who did not attend PASS. These students also had a reduced fail rate and a higher average GPA. Below is a graph indicating the magnitude of this difference.