FOCUS on College Success

The fifth edition of FOCUS ON COLLEGE SUCCESS recognizes the varied experiences of today's students and guides them to be more mindful, motivated, productive, and focused. The text's research-based approach builds a solid foundation, helping students to see the relevance of this course. Increased attention is given to diversity, mindfulness, resilience, grit, financial literacy, technology, and productivity, college-related "life hacks," alternative presentation e-tools, and the newest strategies in career planning. Many students today are distracted, over-optionalized, and over-obligated. FOCUS ON COLLEGE SUCCESS addresses these issues head-on, creating teachable moments ― and concrete results ― in every face-to-face or online learning experience. New for 2021: Empower your students to connect the dots between what they’re learning now and their current or future careers with “How Transferable Are Your Skills?” - a new MindTap activity that challenges students to identify how their personal and academic experiences can help them become career-ready.

Constance Staley is a professor of communication and acting dean of the Graduate School at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where she directed the First-Year Seminar Program for nearly 25 years. An award-winning teacher, Dr. Staley designs and teaches online courses (Professional Presentations), hybrid courses (Communication, Training and Consulting) and face-to-face courses (Conflict Management). Her works include a faculty training package, TEACHING COLLEGE SUCCESS, as well as the groundbreaking resource manual 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LECTERN. She also is the author of FOCUS ON COLLEGE SUCCESS and the co-author of FOCUS ON COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS with Steve Staley. A well-known name in FYE circles, Dr. Staley is a leader in faculty development nationwide. During a three-year leave from the University of Colorado, she joined an East Coast Fortune 500 company to design and deliver its management and supervisory training. In addition, she represented the university as a Fulbright Scholar, teaching in the former Soviet Union. She earned a B.S. in education, an M.A. in linguistics and a Ph.D. in communication.