CAM Risk Management & Mitigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student with test anxiety consistently underperforms on exams despite strong class participation. Which mitigation strategy should an academic mentor prioritize first?
- Recommend the student withdraw from the course
- Collaborate with the student to develop evidence-based test-taking and anxiety-reduction techniques (Correct answer)
- Advise the student to study harder the night before exams
- Refer the student immediately to a psychiatrist
Correct answer: Collaborate with the student to develop evidence-based test-taking and anxiety-reduction techniques
Collaborating with the student on evidence-based strategies (e.g., relaxation techniques, timed practice tests) directly addresses test anxiety as a risk to academic performance.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a 'leading indicator' in academic risk management?
- A student's final grade in a completed course
- Early warning signs such as missed assignments or declining attendance (Correct answer)
- The number of academic probation notices issued last semester
- A transcript reflecting a student's cumulative GPA
Correct answer: Early warning signs such as missed assignments or declining attendance
Leading indicators are proactive signals (like attendance drops) that predict future academic risk, allowing intervention before failure occurs.
Question 3: An academic mentor discovers that a mentee is working 35 hours per week while taking 18 credit hours. How should the mentor categorize this situation?
- Low risk because the student has financial independence
- High risk due to likely time management strain affecting academic performance (Correct answer)
- Moderate risk that only requires monitoring once per semester
- No risk as employment builds professional skills
Correct answer: High risk due to likely time management strain affecting academic performance
Working 35 hours weekly while carrying a heavy course load creates a high risk of burnout, poor time management, and academic underperformance.
Question 4: A mentor wants to create a risk mitigation plan for a first-generation college student. Which element is MOST critical to include?
- A list of elective courses to avoid
- Identification of campus support resources and how to access them (Correct answer)
- Comparison of the student's GPA to peers
- A schedule of social events to improve campus life
Correct answer: Identification of campus support resources and how to access them
First-generation students often lack knowledge of available resources, so mapping support services is the most critical mitigation element.
Question 5: When conducting a risk assessment for an academic mentee, which approach is most aligned with ethical mentoring standards?
- Sharing the student's risk profile with faculty without consent
- Using standardized data alongside confidential student disclosures to form a holistic picture (Correct answer)
- Relying solely on GPA as the single risk metric
- Delegating all risk assessment to the registrar's office
Correct answer: Using standardized data alongside confidential student disclosures to form a holistic picture
Ethical risk assessment integrates multiple data sources holistically while maintaining student confidentiality and trust.
Question 6: A student repeatedly misses Monday morning classes. Which risk mitigation step should a mentor take after identifying this pattern?
- Report the student to the dean of students immediately
- Explore the underlying cause (e.g., work schedule, commute) and co-create an attendance strategy (Correct answer)
- Advise the student to drop all Monday courses
- Document the pattern but take no action until grades decline
Correct answer: Explore the underlying cause (e.g., work schedule, commute) and co-create an attendance strategy
Exploring root causes and co-creating solutions respects student agency while directly addressing the attendance risk.
Question 7: In academic risk frameworks, 'risk tolerance' refers to:
- A student's willingness to take on a difficult course load
- The level of academic risk an institution or mentor accepts before intervening (Correct answer)
- The number of absences allowed before a student is dropped from a course
- A student's emotional resilience during stressful exams
Correct answer: The level of academic risk an institution or mentor accepts before intervening
Risk tolerance defines the threshold at which a mentor or institution decides intervention is necessary to prevent academic harm.
CAM Risk Management & Mitigation 2
A student with test anxiety consistently underperforms on exams despite strong class participation.
Which mitigation strategy should an academic mentor prioritize first?