had to remain flexible and responsive in design and programming, often moving away from what has traditionally been viewed as a living and learning community model. In this presentation, we will discuss results from an assessment designed to compare three critical organizational components that mark distinctive differences between our ten learning communities. These components include: themed versus non-themed communities, highly-active versus less-active communities, and “tightly” versus “loosely” connected enrollment in learning community courses. For the themed versus non-themed communities we are comparing grade, major change, and retention outcomes between teams that were organized around a specific theme (e.g., nursing and pre-business) and those that were not. The second comparison looks at how degree of activity impacts the above named outcome measures. Activity will be measured as a degree of team- member involvement, quantity and nature of programming, student participation, and responsiveness of team captain. The third and final component looks at the impact that having community members enrolled in multiple classes together has on retention outcomes compared to communities with less closely linked enrollment. Results will be presented on each of the three components with special consideration given in cases where these criteria might overlap. Discussion will focus on how to best design learning communities in medium to large university settings. The discussion will also elaborate on the relative “cost to benefit ratio” of each of these models with recommendations on how participants might incorporate them into their own campuses. First Steps to College Bridge Learning Community Cheryl Hinton Title III Project Director Baltimore City Community College 410-462-8508 chinton@bccc.edu Jonathan White Bridge Learning Coordinator Baltimore City Community College 410-462-8573 jwhite@bccc.edu Tennelia Engram Mentor Coordinator Baltimore City Community College 410-462-8509 tengram@bccc.edu This presentation will begin with an overview of Baltimore City Community College’s First Steps to College Bridge Learning Community. This community is a developmental education summer scholarship program which embraces the foundational coursework required of students who place below college level. All students who test into developmental /foundational coursework are eligible for the program. The presentation will work the audience through the eligibility requirements; candidate’s interviewing and writing sample process and orientation. A brief summation will be
given of the teaching methodologies, /tutorial and mentoring process, navigation sessions and preparation for academic achievement. The presentation will include a DVD/power point presentation of a cohort of students who participated in the program and provide situational stories of their residential and academic lives. It will express the obstacles students are and have experienced on their trek toward a higher education. It will also show the relationship between Afrocentric meaning of community and the learning community concept of today. The similarities are very intriguing enough to engage the audience. The presentation will allow the audience to interact with the presenters with an activity using the historical storytelling or Griot methodology, the influence of environment, and moral climate. Historical synopsis of current teaching and learning techniques and their usage will be provided using resources that direct appropriate attention to need for cultivating a community consciousness in students. The presentation will demonstrate that academic and home environment requires a sense of collective responsibility for growth and protection of the students’ well being. Provided there is time, a question and answer period will be provided so the audience can obtain a clearer view on why this method of instruction and learning is valuable in a predominantly African American setting. Connecting the Head, Heart and Hand Michelle Thompson Dean, Freshman College Bethune-Cookman College (386) 481-2368 thompsmi@cookman.edu Pascale Brown Freshman College Resource Counselor Bethune-Cookman College (386) 481-2308 brownp@cookman.edu Connecting the Head, Heart and Hand is an in- depth look at how the newly created Freshman College at Bethune-Cookman College, a private, historically black institution in Florida, was able to create a first year program by working collaboratively with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, the Faculty Development Center, and Student Affairs. Traditionally, first-year students were not treated as a discrete group with special needs. The creation of the Freshman College established a point of contact for new students which sought to address not only their academic needs, but also their socio-cultural needs. This holistic approach was in alignment with the college’s mission to “teach in the Christian-tradition the educational, social and cultural needs of all students- traditional and non-traditional-and to develop in them a desire and capacity for continuous intellectual and professional growth, leadership and service to
others.” By working collaboratively with the Faculty Development Center, faculty and staff were given opportunities to participate in on-going faculty development initiatives, such as workshops, conferences, and interdisciplinary meetings. Further, these professionals were given data and support to help them recognize and address the needs of this demographic group. In addition to addressing the needs of first year students and the faculty who work with them, a new relationship was formed with the Office of Student Affairs. These two departments began planning various activities which supported the academic curriculum as well as the social needs of these students. The results of this concerted effort have improved student retention and have allowed for collaboration from all sectors of the institution. A further benefit is that the college has chosen the first year experience as the focus of the QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) which proves the entire college’s commitment to the success of the Freshman College. In order to close the assessment loop, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning began working closely with the Freshman College to effectively plan, implement and assess the department’s major objectives. The cooperation of all departments has led to the combined commitment to meet the first year students’ academic (head), social (heart), and leadership development (hand). Learning to Use Time Effectively R. Steven Turley Associate Dean Brigham Young University (801)422-3095 turley@byu.edu Jessica Scott Graduate Research Assistant Brigham Young University (808)561-1156 jessiemae2000@aol.com A survey of students on academic probation or warning after their first year revealed that time management was the most frequently cited cause for academic under-performance. Brigham Young University has introduced a number of interventions to help entering students develop viable plans for addressing their changing time management issues as they move from high school to college. These include workshops, activities in student development classes, presentations and videos during new student orientation, custom planners, and personal advisement from peer mentors. We aggregated data from entering students in BCSSE and NSSE surveys as well as our own instrument to classify the students into four quadrants based on their approaches to time management: (a) “I would like to become more skilled in time management,” (b) “I am well organized,” (c)”I am spontaneous,” (d) “I am successful without time management.” Three respondents from each group were selected and interviewed about time usage in a typical day, a
successful experience with time management, and a successful experience with spontaneity. They were then brought together in small and larger groups to discuss their narratives and the effectiveness of their approaches. We will discuss an analysis of these interviews and discussion groups as well as a linking of the qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative responses provide meaning and specificity, while the quantitative responses provide comparative context. The results are analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), factor analysis and multivariate graphical methods. A First-Year Seminar for Diverse Students: Lasting Effects or Soon Forgotten? Maureen Andrade Chair, ELT Department Brigham Young University Hawaii 808-293-3606 andradem@byuh.edu International students in institutions of higher education in the U.S. face considerable transition challenges. In addition to the transitions made by most American students such as becoming independent, developing new social networks, balancing academic, social, and often employment demands, and making critical life decisions, international students must also adjust to a new language, culture, and education system. International students are usually included in mainstream orientation programs; however, due to sometimes limited English language proficiency and cultural differences, they may not fully understand the content of these sessions nor receive the information specifically needed for their adjustment. Other diverse student populations such as ethnic, cultural, and linguistic minorities also have unique adjustment needs that may not be met by conventional programming. Common assessment measures of first-year programs such as orientation, seminars, and learning communities include retention statistics and academic achievement as indicated by grade point averages. However, some have suggested a need to broaden these measures to examine student learning (Barefoot, 2000). Regional accreditation bodies are requiring institutions to demonstrate the value added through participation in higher educational systems, resulting in the determination of learning outcomes and means of assessment for all programs in universities across the nation. This presentation will briefly describe a mandatory semester-long first-year seminar for international students concurrently enrolled in English as a Second Language and university courses. The seminar provides information that specifically addresses the needs of international students as they adjust to the American university. Assessment data from students currently enrolled has been positive. The presentation then focuses on the findings of a survey administered to students a year after they completed the course to determine how the seminar impacted their academic, social, and cultural adjustment. The survey sought to determine the long-term benefits of the course and broaden typical numerical assessment approaches. Barefoot, B. O. (2000). The first-year experience. Are we making it any better? About Campus, 4(6), 12-18.
Providing Professional Development Opportunities for First-Year Program Faculty Lynn Tashiro Prof. of Physics/Faculty Coor. of Freshman Prog. California State University Sacramento 916-278-6518 TashiroL@csus.edu Motivated faculty are key to the success of first year programs for undergraduate students. In a round table discussion I would like to discuss how the following: 1) Faculty Professional Development Workshops 2) Programs centered around academic themes and 3) Externally funded research projects engage faculty and build a scholarly community to support the work of freshman programs. Faculty Professional Development Workshops specifically targeted to provide insight into and develop skills to manage relationships with freshman students can improve the quality of instruction that occurs in freshman programs. In addition, we have found that workshops that facilitate collaborative curricular design across disciplines give faculty the structure on which they can build integrated lessons and courses. This interdisciplinary work is especially important for academically based learning communities. CSUS is currently exploring a thematic approach to designing its Freshman Programs. Faculty and current freshman students have suggested topics such as “globalization”, “the politics of food”, and “faith, history, and religion” as possible themes. Many universities already use this approach with individual learning communities or some tie the entire year’s co-curricular programming to a theme. For example for the “politics of food” theme we are considering a campus screening of “Fast food Nation”, followed by a panel session with food industry experts, and a service learning project that will inform the design of the new campus eateries. Finally, what role do external grants and projects have in freshman programs? Faculty in freshman programs come from many different disciplines and a common project is one way to build community among freshman program faculty. Projects with broad application, such as information literacy, technology competency, and curriculum design and assessment research have been successful at building working groups within the large collection of diverse faculty at our institution. What do other institutions use to build community? Early Alert Probation Prevention (EAPP) Program Maruth Figueroa Coordinator, Freshman Programs California State University, Fullerton 714-278-3584 mfigueroa@fullerton.edu
Research indicates that intervention that occurring early in the semester yields a higher retention rate (Pfleging, E., 2002). Freshman Programs is committed to helping freshman students’ transition into their first year at Cal State Fullerton. As a complement to the ongoing academic advisement students receive through their first semester, Freshman Programs developed the early alert probation prevention (EAPP) program. The EAPP program, a successful component of Freshman Programs, is an intervention that identifies at-risk student’s early in the semester. Freshman Programs conducts one-on-one advising sessions with each student identified by faculty to be at- risk of not passing a course. Students are notified of the possibility of failing the course, and are asked to come in for one-on-one advising to help provide them with additional class resources to assist in satisfactory completion of their first semester. During the advising sessions students involved in this program develop an action plan in which they are expected to: • Link with support services critical to their success • Build stronger advising relationships by scheduling follow up sessions • Successfully complete all courses attempted during first semester The enhanced program began in fall 2005 and identified 10% of Freshman Programs students at- risk in one or more courses. Of this total 59% of the students were retained without probation during their first semester. Overall, 15% of Freshman Programs students were on academic probation compared to 23% of non-Freshman Programs students and 1% of Freshman Programs students were academically disqualified compared to 30% of non-Freshman Programs students after the first semester. The current program for fall 2006 identified 13% of Freshman Programs students at-risk in one or more courses; of this total 64% of the advised students were retained without probation into the spring semester. The program will enter a second stage with a second intervention during the spring 2007 semester. Implementing Moral-Based Curriculum Components in the First-Year Seminar Pamela Golubski First-Year Academic Advisor and FYE Carnegie Mellon University 412-268-2334 pam33@cmu.edu This presentation will look at the how to apply the foundations of moral education in higher education today. The specific focus will be developing morality and civility amongst the first-year students, to ensure that they have the opportunity to develop into autonomous moral agents upon leaving the college community and entering the global world. The session will offer suggestions for implementing such moral components into the New Students Seminar course. The core value will not be religious-based, as to ensure all institutions will be able to infuse ideas into their curriculum.
There will be a brief moral education summary from a historical perspective, along with exploration of contemporary, cognitive-developmental theories of Kohlberg and Gilligan. Furthermore, how to implement learning components in the New Student Seminar to enhance and increase moral reasoning, judgment, and reflection will be addressed. Topics to be covered include: freshmen reading programs, moral dilemma activities, reflection, service-learning, and utilizing technology in developing students’ character. Accreditation and the First-Year Experience Kay Smith Associate Vice President for the Academic Experience College of Charleston 843-953-7402 smithkh@cofc.edu This session will examine the trend for institutions to develop first-year experience plans to satisfy regional accreditation agencies. Particularly in the SACS region but also in other areas, accreditation processes have required institutions to develop plans that enhance quality and lead to demonstrable student learning outcomes. Several schools have chosen to create or enhance their first-year experience programs to satisfy this requirement. Colleges and universities as different as the University of Memphis and Warren Wilson College, the University of New Orleans and Wesleyan College, Austin Peay State University and the Citadel have all been involved in developing first year programs for reaccreditation. This session will examine the various approaches these and other institutions have taken to developing first-year experiences through the accreditation process, will look in-depth at this process at the College of Charleston, and will evaluate the accreditation process as a motivating factor in first-year reform. Institutions of different types express different reasons for developing a first-year experience for accreditation or reaccreditation. Austin Peay State University, among other schools, clearly acknowledges the need to increase retention as justification for centering their accreditation proposal on the FYE. Others, like Wesleyan, tend to cite the need for more intentionality in programs and processes to justify their FYE proposal. Still others, like the University of Memphis, are influenced by the success of FYE programs at other institutions in designing their programs. The College of Charleston, like some other institutions involved in the reaccreditation process, used this opportunity to make significant changes to its freshman seminar, moving from a continuing orientation model to an academic seminar model. The College also developed an extensive learning communities program and has committed to having all first-year students involved in one or the other of these initiatives by 2012. The mandate of accreditation can be both a positive and a negative force in creating meaningful first-year experiences at these very different institutions. The accreditation process can bring much- desired attention and focus to the need for planning an FYE. Because of the expectation that institutions will fund what they propose, creating an FYE proposal in the context of accreditation
can also enhance the likelihood of adequate financial support. There are, however, downsides to creating an FYE in the accreditation environment. Commitment to the program can diminish when the accreditation team leaves campus, for instance. Likewise, institutions can see the mandate of accreditation as forcing them into something to which they are not fully committed. By examining both the FYE proposals that institutions crafted for reaccreditation and the subsequent development of the programs, we can determine both the efficacy and the level of success associated with FYE programs begun under the umbrella of accreditation. Summit Base Camp: An Innovative Community College FYE Collaboration between Faculty and Student Services Dawn Zoni Student Services Advisor Colorado Mountain College - Summit Campus 970-468-5989 ext. 2806 dzoni@coloradomtn.edu Marsha Arzy Division Director Colorado Mountain College - Summit Campus 970-468-5989 ext. 2805 marzy@coloradomtn.edu Colorado Mountain College Summit Campus is a commuter campus in the heart of Colorado Ski country. Our resort community location creates some distinct challenges for our students to remain in our county and complete their education, including balancing family and multiple jobs, plus school. Our faculty and student services team have collaborated to meet the needs of our students and created a unique First Year Experience program called Base Camp. Base Camp stands for: Beginning the Adventure to Successful Experiences through CMC’s Academic and Mentoring Programs. Base Camp is a dynamic, interactive learning program that focuses on promoting five core values: Develop important relationships on campus and in the community; Goal Setting/Mind Mapping; Self Awareness; Enhance choice management and study skills; Understand and appreciate diversity. While many colleges implement FYE programs as a separate course requirement, the faculty and Student Services Team of CMC Summit Campus have created an extraordinary program where these values have been embedded into the core curriculum. Four of the values will be formalized into specific class assignments designed to raise students’ awareness regarding these values. This curriculum has been combined with a co-curricular piece: Summit Campus Connect. This part of the program encompasses the first theme: assisting students in developing a connection to the Summit Campus of Colorado Mountain College and the community. This component is comprised of four parts: Mentors; Blackboard - the virtual meeting place; Event Calendar (includes academic and personal interest workshops as well as social events); Planner. The institution has also joined forces with various community organizations to provide special interest workshops such as Career Development, Addiction, and Diversity Issues.
This unique program is an excellent example of academic and student teams working together to create opportunities for students to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom. A Unified Orientation and FYE Program: Concordia's Critical Inquiry Mark Covey Chair of the Division of Natural Science Concordia College 218-299-4213 covey@cord.edu Kay Schneider Director of Assessment and Institutional Research Concordia College schneide@cord.edu Concordia College’s First Year Experience program (FYE) arose out of dissatisfaction with a previous, mandated-themed freshman seminar, Principia. After significant debate, the faculty agreed that all first year students would enroll in a first year course which would; • demonstrate the unity of the Liberal Arts by presenting content from the professors’ expertise and passion in a seminar format; • build student readiness for a liberal arts education by emphasizing critical thinking, original research, and habits of the successful student; • Provide the peer groups and faculty mentors for the college’s week-long first year student orientation program; • Be linked to a companion Written or Oral Communication course as to share some content, assignments, and evaluation expectations. Thirty-six sections of Critical Inquiry 100, organized around diverse faculty interests such as “The Nature of Evil”, “Computers, Society, and Ethics”, and “Mau Mau and Iraq; The Nature of Insurgencies” enrolled the entire class of 2010 in sections limited to 22 students. Coordination of expectations between these diverse courses was accomplished through summer workshops exploring first-year student needs, information literacy, practical techniques for integrating library research methodology into individual courses, and syllabus sampling and construction. Emerging out of these workshops was an enthusiastic faculty that actively sought and accepted the expertise of library and student affairs professionals in the design and implementation of their courses. Further, the linked courses model (Critical Inquiry Seminar + Writing or Communication Course) resulted in unusual cooperation between faculty from different academic departments. The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Developing a Vocational Education First- Year Experience Course Robert Snowden, Jr. Professor of Radio and New Media Cosumnes River College 916-691-7666
snowder@crc.losrios.edu This presentation is an exploration of the process Cosumnes River College underwent in establishing a discipline specific first year experience course. As a community college our student population has a variety of needs and comes to our institution from a wide spectrum of experiences. Our general first year experience course was initially designed for students seeking transfer to a four year institutions and though it has been effective as a tool for promoting student success, the institution became aware that this course was not serving the broad diversity of our student body. In this presentation we will cover how our process began with identifying the disciplines at the college that would benefit from a freshman seminar course that included not only our standard curriculum but also incorporated student learning outcomes that addressed the value and purpose of vocational education, what it means to be educated in specific disciplines, career exploration, professional planning and development. We will conclude this presentation by explaining assessment tools developed by the institution, a question and answer segment, future plans for expansion of the program and articulation to our feeder four year institutions. Comprehensive College Success Courses Increase Student Persistence, Self-Confidence and Satisfaction Marsha Fralick Personal Development Chair Cuyamaca College 619-660-4432 marsha.fralick@gcccd.edu The comprehensive first year experience course at Cuyamaca Community College includes topics from college, career and lifelong success. College success topics prepare students for lifelong learning including motivation, time management, exploration of learning style, memory techniques, note taking and test preparation. Choice of a college major and career planning are some of the most important outcomes of the course. Career success topics begin with an assessment of personality types and related careers. Based on these personal assessments, students explore careers that match their personal strengths. Students also assess their values and vocational interests. Career assessment is followed by educational planning to complete general education requirements, preparation for the major and the requirements needed to transfer to four year universities. Lifelong success topics prepare students for future success in education, in the workplace and in their personal lives. Topics include communication and relationships, critical and creative thinking, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and appreciation of diversity. Lastly students examine their life stage and topics relating to positive thinking and lifetime happiness. Using technology in education is identified as a necessary college success skill and it is used extensively in teaching the course. The course is offered in various formats: online, blended and
traditional face to face with online components. One of the keys to success of this program is that community college students are motivated to enroll in a course that meets graduation requirements and can be transferred to a state university system to complete a bachelor's degree. This course is also appealing to high school students who are preparing for college or plan to attend a community college and transfer to a university. This program serves as a bridge from high school to community college and to the university. The latest Program Review has shown significant outcomes in the area of increased student persistence, self-confidence and program satisfaction. Because of the positive student success outcomes, the course has high enrollment and a good reputation with students, faculty and the administration of the college as well as the local high school district. Inspiring First-Year Student Writing Douglas Long Asst. Dir. of Academic Administration, First-Year Prog. DePaul University (773) 325-4569 dlong@depaul.edu First-Year Program instructors and administrators will discuss various strategies to both evaluate and improve the writing skills of First-Year students. We will compare and contrast various tools to measure student writing ability, and then discuss ways to improve it through class assignments and mentoring. Special emphasis will be placed on discussing the value of revision of student writing assignments. I will begin the session by discussing efforts at DePaul and other schools to address this, particularly in terms of the diverse backgrounds students have had in writing instruction. We will look at: * how the wording of writing assignments helps or hinders student learning and creativity * how the ability to revise writing assignments can help student learning, and how evaluating revision differs from evaluating a "normal" writing assignment We will end with having roundtable participants compare different strategies to bring students with less training to a "college level" of writing while also challenging other students to use the basic thesis structure - as well as other structures - to communicate as clearly as possible through words. Well Designed Programs: Delivery Needed Myrna Hernandez Director of First Year Programs DePauw University 765-658-1087 myrnahernandez@depauw.edu
Meggan Johnston Director of Residence Life DePauw University 765-658-6551 mjohnston@depauw.edu It is a difficult task for students to engage their peers in meaningful dialogue about important issues. Peer educators that work with first-year students are charged with this task as well as introducing them to the campus culture and environment. On top of this we also ask them to be examples so that first-year students not only hear about these important issues, but see them modeled by their peers. Whether these peer educators be mentors, resident advisors, orientation leaders, health educators or any number of other positions on our campuses, they all face similar challenges. How do we train students to effectively engage first-year students in these conversations appropriately without preaching and ensure consistency in the messages being sent? How do we encourage students to utilize their critical thinking skills to make immediate decisions when we can’t possibly prepare them for every situation they might encounter? What should our expectations be for accountability among these peer educators? Is it appropriate to have different expectations of peer educators in different roles? What kinds of tensions are created and how do you manage the perceptions of students when these expectations are not the same for all? This session will encourage dialogue around these questions and others surrounding the supervision of students in these roles on our campuses. Participants are encouraged to bring other questions related to this topic to pose to the group and plan to involve themselves in a lively and thought- provoking conversation. University Persistence and the First-Generation Student Fernando Perez Assistant Professor & Director of Student Support Services East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 570-422-3433 fperez@esu.edu Barbara Miccio Associate Professor/Program Counselor East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 908-362-7964 bmiccio@po-box.esu.edu The need to find ways of retaining students has become an important issue for most colleges and universities throughout this country. Many questions have been raised to help clarify the underlying dynamics and motives that contribute to student persistence and successful completion of college or university programs. Much of the retention research conducted in the past forty years
has focused on three general areas, student characteristics, institutional practices and the interaction (or fit) of these two areas. Retention research indicates that a student’s likelihood of staying in college and obtaining a degree increases as the student moves beyond their freshmen year, which is considered to be a crucial transitional period (Arnold, 1997; Astin, 1975; Cope & Hannah, 1975; Tinto, 1993). While cognitive predictors of academic ability and performance as measured by admissions test scores, high school class rank and grade point average (GPA) are considered most influential in a student’s capacity for success, they alone cannot ensure student persistence (Astin, 1975; Ting, 1998). A university faced with the high costs of attracting and recruiting students cannot afford to enroll students only to find that they do not return after their first or second year. The transition form high school to a university poses a unique set of challenges for students whose parents have never enrolled in a postsecondary institution. These students are considered disadvantaged and at a higher risk of dropping out because of their family socioeconomic or cultural background. The current study used logistic regression analysis to examine variables that were identified in the literature as related to student persistence in a post secondary education setting. The impact these selected variables had on persistence and the conclusions drawn from the study will be discussed. The presenter will also provide recommendations for practitioners that may help increase students’ persistence. Using Peer Leaders in FYE Courses to Bridge the New Generation Gap Karla Sanders Director, Center for Academic Support & Achievement Eastern Illinois University 217-581-6056 kjsanders@eiu.edu Although the millennial generation of college students depend on their parents’ advice to a great extent, like many teenagers before them, they bring to college a certainty that their generation is different than the ones that went before and a desire to learn about this new environment from current inhabitants, not those who experienced college in the 1970s or 1980s. Bridging this generation gap presents a special challenge to the freshman seminar instructor. While college freshmen often readily accept the professor as the expert in biology or anthropology, they see other college students as the authority figures on college student life. Because many of today’s freshmen truly respond to the advice and opinions of their peers over faculty and administrators from other generations, incorporating peer leaders into these freshman courses can add an important dimension to class discussions and the transition to college. The freshman seminar is a unique course on many college campuses because its primary topics surround the transitions, experiences, and academic/social/emotional lives of current students. Because this course focuses on contemporary college experiences, peer leaders provide an important perspective and must be chosen wisely and trained well. But how? Participants will be asked to share their own experiences with recruiting, selecting, training, and sustaining peer leaders. They will be encouraged to share successes as well as false starts or missteps as these programs developed and evolved. Pertinent questions will include: How do we
recruit and select the best peer leaders for a freshman seminar course? What qualities do good peer leaders embody? What training and parameters do peer leaders need in order to be prepared for the course? What makes for good continuing development of peer leaders? How do faculty and peer leaders best interact? How do you mentor the mentor? The Challenge of Academic Transition: General Education and the First-Year Student Jeffrey Knapp Director, Academy for the Art of Teaching Florida International University 305-348-4214 knappj@fiu.edu Larry Lunsford Associate VP, Student Affairs Florida International University 305-348-2797 lunsford@fiu.edu Glenda Belote Assoc. Dean, Undergraduate Education (retired) Florida International University Gb9915@aol.com Though first-year college students face numerous challenges in making the transition from high school to higher education, one of the least discussed is the move from “reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic” to taking courses such as Anthropology of Race and Ethnicity; Principles of Microeconomics; Ancient and Medieval Political Theory; Quarks and Black Holes; and Dance in Modern American Culture, 1895 to Present—in other words, General Education. Florida International University’s Core Curriculum balances foundational knowledge and skills with breadth and distribution to produce graduates who think critically, analytically, and creatively; who assess, incorporate, and synthesize new knowledge and information; who organize and clearly express their knowledge and ideas; and who determine the importance and relevance of new ideas through synthesis and integration. But do students know this, or even care, when what they really see is a checklist of categories and courses—hurdles to overcome before taking the courses that “really count,” i.e., those in their majors? This session will examine the importance of liberal education in the changing educational landscape of the 21st century, discuss FIU’s efforts to assess both our Core and student learning in Core courses, and share observations for evidence-driven decision making. The goal of this session is to use this one case study as a springboard for further discussion and evaluation. Audience participation and sharing ideas and experiences is the session’s projected outcome.
Where Have All the Resources Gone? Getting the Most for Your Shrinking Dollar Rebecca Crawford Administrative Assistant Freshman Academy, Brigham Young University 801-422-8105 becky_crawford@byu.edu Eldon Bott Supervisor, Advisement Center Brigham Young University 801-422-6007 eldon_bott@byu.edu Much of our discussion will center in Carol Dweck's latest book, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," exploring how we, as managers of resources, might become more effective in fostering the "growth" mindset. It's almost a certainty that each of us has been faced with the directive to tangibly support the effectiveness of resource use to initiate, maintain, or expand programming for our students. The following paragraphs include a couple springboards upon which we will base our presentation, hoping to spur brainstorming conversations that will allow for a variety of ideas from which our audience can pull for working with their individual institutions in establishing innovative efforts to create and maintain cost effective programs whether based on cash, time, classroom seating, or other elements. There will be an overview of our university's freshman learning community program, as far as needed to show how the implementation of new ideas over the past couple years has strengthened partnering issues. These issues include not only the efficient use of budgeted funds to administer the program, but the responsible use of seats and faculty time in providing effective learning communities for the students. Our data show that students who participate in our program become connected more quickly with their major interests and graduate in less time with a more satisfying experience. This, though admittedly a long-range benefit, saves the student money and creates spaces for incoming freshmen at a faster pace, supporting a more efficient cash flow for the university. An introduction to our faculty coordinated student development courses will also provide a basis for discussion about how this type of addition can actually create a positive cost-benefit among participants, both students and developers, when the developers come from departments upon which the community theme focuses; i.e., biological science, business, or physics. Infusing Emotional Skills into First-Year Curricula to Foster Student Success Catherine Andersen Director, First Year Experience Gallaudet University 202-651-5804
catherine.andersen@gallaudet.edu Jon Duffy Post Secondary Partner Relations Consultant Multi Health Systems 800-456-3003 jon.duffy@mhs.com William Moses Professor of Art and First Year Experience Program Faculty Gallaudet University 202-651-5804 william.moses@gallaudet.edu Deborah Seaburg Counselor/Associate Professor Minnesota State University Moorhead 218-236-2227 seaburg@mnstate.edu First year programs see many students who are certainly intellectually capable of succeeding in college, but whose difficulties with time and stress management, establishing positive relationships, or making wise decisions impact their success adversely. Defined as an array of non-cognitive capabilities, competencies and skills that influence one’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures or as the ability to deal with one’s own and others’ emotions, Emotional Intelligence (EI) is often the factor that separates successful from unsuccessful students. Emotionally intelligent students are those who can make the best use of their academic potential and are more likely to have a successful college experience. This program will discuss the relationship of emotional intelligence to academic success and persistence and will present a framework for teaching emotional intelligence skills in a variety of formats. Participants in this session will participate in several activities designed to enhance aspects of students’ emotional intelligence. Participants will also have opportunities to share their own programming ideas in the realm of EI thereby generating a variety of potential applications with first year students. Integrating Advisement Into the First-Year Seminar: Taking the Service to the Customer Carolyn Codamo Faculty Associate for Freshmen Studies Georgia State University 404-651-1604 ccodamo@gsu.edu Nannette Commander Asst.VP of Recruitment & Retention
Georgia State University 404-463-0576 ncommander@gsu.edu William Fritz Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Georgia State University 404-651-1156 wfritz@gsu.edu This presentation describes the “Integrated Advisement Model” as an advisor/faculty collaborative team model that "takes the service to the customer." By integrating advisement into the first year seminar, advisors move out of the advisement office and into the classroom reaching larger groups of students. The objective of this model is to provide a positive and comprehensive advisement experience for first-year seminar students. First year seminar faculty members elected to participated in this special in this special initiative where an academic adviser was assigned to their course. The academic adviser and the instructor collaborate to integrate advisement topics into the classes. The academic adviser attends one class a week (one hour a week for classes that just meet once a week), participates in discussions where appropriate, presents advisement topics, and conducts answer and question sessions as needed and/or scheduled. The academic adviser and the faculty member collaborate on presentations of the following advisement topics. · Core Curriculum Requirements · Academic Regulations and Policies · Financial Aid · Class Schedules and Pre-Registration for Spring Semester · Co-curricular Involvement · Choosing a Major · Utilizing Campus Resources · Working with Your Instructor · Personal Life and Academic Success The Integrated Advisement Model yields several positive outcomes. Through collaboration with the faculty member, the academic adviser becomes an integral part of the class and a resource for both the instructor and the students. Students gain an increased understanding of the advising process and knowledge of the services available to them through their academic adviser. Students also have an opportunity to develop a professional relationship with a specific adviser and to maximize their access to advisement resources. Survey data from students, faculty, and advisors provide insight into the logistics and challenges of this type of model. Juggling First-Year Student Experience and Institutional Change: An Australian Experience
Lynn Burnett Lecturer in Higher Ed., Griffith Institute for Higher Ed. Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus) 61-07-3735-5981 l.burnett@griffith.edu.au Successful transition to the tertiary context within the first year increases students’ overall satisfaction with their undergraduate experience as well as increasing the likelihood of degree completion. Large classes or programs that do not have a core curriculum to create shared purpose and identity, in combination with the financial and personal demands on students which have the potential to fragment their experiences of campus life, may contribute to making this transition difficult. This paper will identify current issues for Australian first year students and describe how one large Australian, research intensive, University engaged in a quality change process through the development and implementation of a strategic teaching and learning project. The overarching aim of the project was to implement practical, specific, student-centred initiatives to create a learning environment which would improve first year students’ experiences. The project uses an action research methodology to plan, articulate, implement and reflect on initiatives. Vignettes of seven Faculty-based and a variety of support unit initiatives will be used to illustrate how first year students’ issues were addressed to improve the overall student experience at the University. Further, in an effort to connect all aspects of the project’s initiatives together and identify areas needing attention for further consolidation in the future, a model of first year student experience at The University of Queensland will be presented. This model has been designed to identify all of the key phases leading up to, and including, the first semester of study. It highlights and identifies pertinent areas which require high levels of communication and consistency of information between the University, feeder schools, and potential university students. The model relies on the development of a continuum of cohesive experiences which inform a student’s potential success or failure in tertiary settings. The aim for a student-centered initiative change process at The University of Queensland is one which focuses on consolidating good practice, increasing teaching lead research, and embedding the achievements to date within the everyday operations of the institution. Developing a Model of College Impact: The Wabash National Study Steven Weisler Dean of Academic Development Hampshire College & Cntr of Inquiry in the Lib. Arts, Wabash College 413-559-5378 sweisler@hampshire.edu Charles Blaich Director of inquiries Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts 765.361.6250
blaichc@wabash.edu The Wabash Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts is partnering with 19 colleges and universities (representing a range of institutional sizes and Carnegie classifications) to investigate the college experiences that shape student learning and predict many of the cognitive and affective gains that we strive to achieve through liberal education. The Wabash Study is following approximately 4500 students through four years of college by administering a series of surveys, outcomes tests, and interviews at significant milestones throughout each student’s college career. The research paradigm involves extensive work to derive a systematic profile of students as they arrive at college, and then a second snapshot at the conclusion of the first year. Consequently, the Study offers rich opportunities to evaluate the effects of the first-year experience at each participating institution, in addition to studying the longer-term changes that transpire between the freshman and senior years. In this session we will present the first results from the fall 2006 administration of the Study. The Study’s methodology, which includes quantitative and qualitative measures of critical thinking, moral reasoning, receptivity to diversity, and degree of enjoyment of effortful intellectual engagement, as well as surveys of pre-college experience and family background, promises to provide an unusually rich characterization of the beginning student population. We will present the data in a comparative framework, focusing on how institutions can use this “input data” to strengthen the first-year experience. Filling the Gaps: An Early Alert Team at a Liberal Arts College Stephen Dine Young Faculty Liaison to the First Year Experience Hanover College (812)866-7319 youngst@hanover.edu This presentation will describe the structure, function and impact of Hanover College’s Early Alert Team. The Team was created to help first year students succeed at Hanover and to improve retention rates. In the past, some students have “fallen through the cracks” due to a lack of communication between different elements of the support system—faculty advisors, classroom professors, student life staff, coaches, etc. The Early Alert Team (with representatives from the Registrar, Student Life, Faculty, Admissions, and the Learning Center) was conceived as a central “relay station” to coordinate student assistance. When members of Hanover’s professional community become aware of a struggling student, they can contact a Team member. The Team then gathers additional information, offers advice when appropriate, and helps to make connections between resources. The ultimate goal is the maximization of student success. By the summer of 2007, the Early Alert Team will have completed its second full year of operation. As judged by improving retention rates and increased institutional cooperation, the program has been a success. Also, based on feedback at other higher education conferences and a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (“A Secret Support Network,” February 9, 2007), the innovative nature of the Team has generated interest at other institutions. This presentation will describe the program in
more detail, and results will be presented from the first two years of operation (e.g., retention figures; number & types of students served; success stories; not-so-successful stories; etc.). Some of the issues we have faced will be discussed: gaining community acceptance; protecting student privacy; and fostering cross-divisional cooperation. The audience will be encouraged to share their own insights about identifying and working with at-risk first year students in a small college setting. Out of the Gate: Enhancing First Year Success for Developmental Students Harold Arnett Developmental Education Specialist Highland Community College 785-442-6125 harnett@highlandcc.edu Peter Gochis Intervention Specialist, Title III Highland Community College 785-442-6061 pgochis@highlandcc.edu Sharon Weiser Director, Title III Highland Community College 785-442-6081 sweiser@highlandcc.edu The presenters will describe and present findings with statistical analysis of a variety of Title III initiatives that tackled the problems of freshman retention and academic success: Summer Blitz—Primary Target: entering freshmen, non-resident football recruits. Five week program includes experiential learning initiatives (ropes courses), enrollment in at least six hours of course credit, structured study sessions for math courses and participation in weekly social activities. Linked Courses—Primary Target: entering freshmen needing Reading Skills and College English. The two teachers coordinated instruction with the reading teaching using assignments from the English class as the basis for addressing vocabulary and comprehension. Structured Study/Supplemental Instruction—Primary Target: entering freshmen enrolled in Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra. Study group leader attended class with the students, prepared materials for and conducted study sessions once a week. Structured First Semester—Primary Target: entering freshmen needing Reading Skills, English and Beginning Algebra. Program blended benefits from earlier pilots. Students who placed into Fundamentals of English were allowed to instead take the linked College English course. Pilot
included a mandatory, once-a-week study session for math as well as an Introduction to Learning Theory course that focused on learning styles, multiple intelligences, memory strategies and multiple intelligences. Intrusive Advising—Primary Target: entering freshmen. Students participating in HCC’s structured first semester were assigned to one advisor. The students were then required to participate weekly in a 1 credit hour, 8 week college success and orientation class taught by that advisor. Additionally, meet with assigned advisor once weekly, for a one on one session, during the first 6 weeks (per Tinto's research). Early Alert—Primary Target: Entering freshmen enrolled in all sections of Reading Skills. Attendance monitored daily for the first six weeks of the semester with personal intervention from the advisor in the event of class absence. Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty Boot Camp Increasing Teaching and Technology Skills Sharon Weiser Director of Title III Grant Highland Community College 785-442-6081 sweiser@highlandcc.edu Peter Gochis Title III Activity Director Highland Community College 785-442-6061 pgochis@highlandcc.edu Harold Arnett Developmental Education Specialist Highland Community College 785-442-6125 harnett@highlandcc.edu Full- and part-time instructors were asked to submit project proposals to participate in a “Technology, Theory, and Teaching” boot camp training. The five-day training included effective teaching skills, teaching to diverse learning styles, teaching diversity, and using technology in the classroom. Technology taught included Power Point, SchoolPad, scanner, capturing video, SmartRoom usage, and IQ Web Media. The first two days were devoted to teaching techniques, followed by technology training. The last afternoon of the camp, instructors demonstrated their project using the SmartRoom technology. Evaluation of projects during the subsequent semester was required. Research indicated that students responded positively to the classroom changes, relating both interest and understanding improved. Instructors were paid for participation. Additionally, pay was available for three observations/ discussions with the Developmental Education Specialist. Explain…… The camp has been offered three times. Moreover, a series of teaching effectiveness workshops have been offered. Students, as well as, faculty have benefited
from this training. Participants have made casual observations of improved student interest, enquiry, and understanding. In classroom surveys, student responses have been overwhelmingly positive. Many faculty has been revived from this activity. Uneasiness with technology has been eased. Many discussions of better teaching have ensued. Where's the Evidence? Identifying and Interpreting Multiple-Measures of Student Success Charity Freeman Student Success Director for "Achieving the Dream" Hillsborough Community College 813-259-7755 cfreeman@hccfl.edu Sylvia Marion Carley Core Team Leader for AtD; Campus President Hillsborough Community College 813-259-7755 scarley@hccfl.edu Shannon Grinstead Student Success Center Coordinator Hillsborough Community College 813-259-6570 sgrinstead@hccfl.edu Through the open sharing and diagnosis of data, the presentation will begin with an identification of the specific approach that HCC,a first-round AtD college, took in identifying and addressing the below-average success and program completion rates of its developmental reading students. The presentation will proceed with a brief overview of the college's specific AtD workplans and the implementation process. Both the data provided to the 28 community colleges in the state of Florida by the Florida Department of Education, and the college's internal data on student success courses will be shared as evidence of effectiveness. Additional data addressing conditions and circumstances particular to HCC students (CCSSE results) will also be included, along with other qualitative data. A clear description of the approach design and implementation will be included as well. The process for collecting and measuring both quantitative and qualitative outcomes data over a three-semester period will be included, and the presentation will also focus on the unique structure that HCC has adopted in order to ensure the inclusion of varied voices and perspectives in identifying and interpreting the multiple layers of student success data at a large, multi-campus institution. The Evolution of a First-Year Experience Program: Balancing Academic Need with Fiscal Reality Eric A. Kidwell Director of the Library and Director of the Core Curriculum
Huntingdon College 334-833-4420 ekidwell@huntingdon.edu This presentation will demonstrate how one college has met the fiscal challenges that many small, private colleges have had to face while still maintaining academic integrity in its curriculum. This success can be illustrated by the evolution of its core curriculum; specifically its first-year experience program. Huntingdon’s first-year experience program began in the mid-1990s as the Liberal Arts Symposia (LAS), an interdisciplinary, mostly team-taught program required during the student’s first two years. Faculty from across the disciplines developed custom texts and theme-based curricula that took advantage of many of the cultural offerings of the local, historic area. Themes utilized included Origins, Justice, Knowledge, Evil, Gods & Monsters, and Beauty. In 2000, Huntingdon received a commendation for the LAS from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, based on the visiting team’s meetings with students. As the national economy took a downturn, the College responded fiscally. The Symposia did likewise by reducing team-teaching and focusing available resources on the most essential feature of the program – its first year. To mitigate the impact of the reduction in team-teaching, the LAS Scholars (an idea that originated from a group of students) was added that placed upper-level students in the Symposia as teaching assistants. The year 2003 ushered in a new college administration and a re-structure of the core curriculum. A new FYEx was implemented that focused on the more practical needs of Huntingdon’s students making the high school-to-college transition (e.g. study skill development, time management, interpersonal relations). Four years later another evolution of Huntingdon’s FYEx is poised to take place that will utilize the FYEx as the underpinning of an integrated college information literacy program. This new course will combine the best of the former Liberal Arts Symposia and its successor, and support information literacy in the curriculum from first to final year. Strengthening a Campus-Wide Civic Engagement Initiative with a FOCUS on Faculty Development Danielle Lindsey Special Projects Coordinator Illinois State University 309-438-3175 delinds@ilstu.edu Jan M. Shane Associate Provost Illinois State University
309-438-7018 jshane@ilstu.edu FOCUS is a faculty development program that was designed to emphasize the value of civic and community engagement at Illinois State University. FOCUS was designed to compliment current campus efforts related to the First Year Experience, the American Democracy Project, General Education, and Partnerships for Student Learning. In addition, the FOCUS project emphasizes and acknowledges the appreciation of civic and community engagement in the individual degree programs. Supported by enhancement funding from academic affairs, FOCUS was initiated through thoughtful plan and an intensive marketing campaign targeted at department chairs, school directors and faculty to provide opportunities and funding for a variety of activities. A summer fellowship in which three faculty were selected to develop on-line instructional modules addressing the basic concepts related to civic and community engagement with various pedagogical strategies to help faculty identify current or new projects/assignments in which they are make a civic/community impact was included. Various grant opportunities for individual faculty and interdisciplinary teams have been introduced to help off-set expenses that may have previously prohibited faculty from exploring a civic/community engagement component. Lastly, individual faculty and department awards are available to showcase those faculty and departments/schools who have embraced a commitment to fostering civic/community engagement. Participants will learn that although FOCUS was designed primarily for faculty, it has reverberated throughout campus as a driving force behind the campus-wide initiative to enhance civic and community engagement. Discussion time may include information regarding the assessment plan which has been developed in order to confirm that FOCUS is influencing progress among our students, faculty, and staff and that the progress is valuable for our alumni. Drilling Down NSSE Data on Academic Challenge in the First Year Robert Guell Coordinator, First Year Programs Indiana State University 812-237-8338 rguell@indstate.edu Greg Bierly Director, Honors Program Indiana State University gbierly@indstate.edu Indiana State University conducted the National Survey on Student Engagement for both its first- year students as well as its graduating seniors in both 2003 and 2005. These surveys revealed a troubling fact: ISU students report that they are less challenged in the classroom than students at peer American Democracy Project schools as well as peer Doctoral Intensive schools. Charged by the Faculty Senate to investigate this issue, the Academic Challenge Committee undertook an extensive analysis of the NSSE data on “academic challenge” and stratified results by first-year/senior-year status, by pre-entry (HSGPA, SAT) status, by post-entry student success
(college GPA), and by socio-economic status. Additionally the committee undertook an analysis to determine whether the results were correlated with the selection of courses by the students. Finally, because some of the relevant questions are largely based on student perception the committee looked closely at the syllabi of commonly taken courses to determine whether those perceived experiences aligned with faculty intentions as expressed in syllabi. Project Retaining Our College Students (ROCS) Program - A Model for Successfully Facilitating Student Persistence Carolyn Princes Director of the African American Cultural Center/Project ROCs Indiana University of Pennsylvania 724-357-2455 cdprince@iup.edu Begun in fall 2001, Project ROCS provides a wide array of educational, cultural, social, academic, and personal development support activities that support the unique cultural backgrounds and learning styles of entering, first-time, minority students. The program has experienced success and the university has seen an increase in the persistence rates of its African American students since the program was instituted. This presentation will describe characteristics and services of the program and present qualitative and statistical data on the program's outcomes using visual and print mediums. It is expected that participants of this session will be able to identify a model that may be unique in its approach and may able to assist them in their attempt to facilitate the retention and graduation of students, particularly those of "high risk" backgrounds. Outcomes Assessment for Peer Assistance Programs Sally Lipsky Professor Indiana University of Pennsylvania 724-733-5439 sal@iup.edu Student outcomes assessment is a growing topic in higher education. Professionals overseeing FYE programs are experiencing increasing pressure to provide evidence of program effectiveness. This poster session presents methods to assess the effectiveness of one component of FYE programs— peer assistance. The presenter’s institution is a 4-year, public university with 12,000 undergraduate students. Peer assistance consists of Supplemental Instruction and Walk-In Tutoring, both of which target ‘high- risk’ freshman-level courses. Effectiveness of these academic support models are measured according to: I. Outcomes for undergraduate students participating in the peer-led sessions. Outcomes are reported for students’ participation rates, final course grades, success rates as measured by % of
D/F/W’s, persistence rates, as well as annual satisfaction surveys sent via e-mail. II. Outcomes for the trained undergraduate peer educators who lead the sessions. Student learning for the peer educator population is measured by objectives set forth in the 1-credit training course, which all students must successfully complete before starting their paid positions. In addition, outcomes are reported for end-of-term surveys and focus groups which produce qualitative reports of the academic, personal/social, and career effect of peer educators’ work experiences. III. Outcomes for the institution. These outcomes are reported according to the revenue saved by the peer assistance programs. Since students’ participation results in an approximate 10% higher persistence rate, peer assistance becomes very cost-effective for the institution. References: Arendale, D. (2004). Pathways to persistence: A review of postsecondary peer cooperative learning programs. In I.M. Duranczyk, J.L. Higbee & D.B. Lundell (Eds.). Best practices for access and retention in higher education (pp. 27-40). Minneapolis, MN: Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy, General College, University of Minnesota. Boylan, H. 2002. What works: Research-based best practices in developmental education. Center for Research in Developmental Education, Appalachian State University, p. 49. Casazza, M., & Silverman, S. (1996). Learning assistance and developmental education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Congos, Dennis (2001). How SI Retains Revenue for Colleges & Universities. University of Central Florida. Proving and Improving: Purposeful Themed Learning Communities Assessment Lauren Chism Associate Director, Center on Integrated Learning Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis 317.278.4604 lchism@iupui.edu Michele Hansen Director of Assessment Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis 317.278.2618 mjhansen@iupui.edu IUPUI’s Themed Learning Communities (TLCs) involve two or more discipline-based courses paired with an integrative seminar in which cohorts of 25 incoming freshman students enroll. TLCs engage students, student mentors, faculty, librarians, advisors and others in a community of learners that explore interdisciplinary connections both in and out of the classroom. Through the use of thematically linked curricula, service learning and co-curricular experiences, TLCs provide enriching learning experiences that foster interdisciplinary understanding. In order to measure the impact of the program and strive toward continual improvement, comprehensive assessment methods are employed. The process of assessing TLCs begins with the goals and objectives of the program, for students,
faculty and IUPUI. Institutional goals include increasing students’ academic performance in terms of engagement, grades and retention. Goals identified for students range from specific learning objectives to increasing student satisfaction. To measure the TLCs progression toward these goals, analysis is completed annually on participants’ first semester grades and first year retention rate. A quasi-experimental method is employed, comparing students in the TLC program to students who participated in a first year seminar program. Statistical controls account for covariates including: high school SAT scores, percentile, and units of math, course load, age, gender, ethnicity, and first generation status. In 2005 the adjusted one year retention rate for TLC students was 76%, while first year seminar peers were retained at a rate of 67%. Similarly, TLC participants’ adjusted first semester GPA was 2.70 in comparison to 2.42 for their peers. A comparative analysis of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) also displayed positive results. Finally, Student Feedback Questionnaires including qualitative and quantitative items provided information regarding self-reported learning gains and student satisfaction. The findings of TLC assessment are disseminated campus-wide, discussed annually at a faculty development retreat and used as a guide for programmatic adjustments. Examining the impact of a First-Year Seminar on a Commuter Campus Donna Dahlgren Director of the First Year Seminar Program Indiana University Southeast 812-941-2682 ddahlgre@ius.edu To understand how to enhance commuter student success, the current research describes the first year seminar program (FYS) at a commuter university and reports the results of various outcome measures. The objectives of the FYS program are to enhance social, academic and campus integration. The first year seminar course is required of all freshmen and is designed to work for commuter students. Essential components of the program include a personalized text that for the campus and a focus on skills that research indicates is critical for success in college (goal setting, time management, and study skills). The text provides information about campus life, and all the services provided while also emphasizing how to balance family work and scholastic work. Small class size (20) ensures a greater chance of enhanced peer-to-peer interaction and professor to student interaction. In addition, faculty are given training on how to implement various active learning techniques (e.g., debates, pair share, collaborative learning). The entire course is four credit hours, with one credit representing FYS information being integrated with the three credit hour content course that is typically taken by freshmen. Faculty who are known to be effective with this population are selected to be instructors for these courses. Common across all courses are specific assignments and activities that ensure continuity across classrooms while allowing each faculty member freedom to choose the best techniques to achieve these goals. All FYS students complete a Seminar Questionnaire at the beginning and end of the semester. Demographic and Retention information is also collected. Students who took the FYS class are compared with the data of students who were not enrolled in the FYS class. The impact of the course on retention,
campus knowledge, student opinions, and some targeted cognitive and behavioral skills indicate that this program is increasing the students’ chances of success. Librarian Involvement in First-Year Initiatives William Orme Association Librarian Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis 317-274-0485 orme@iupui.edu This roundtable will begin with a brief overview of how librarians at IUPUI have been integrated into the campus's first-year experience initiatives. Attendees will be invited to share their experiences and ask questions about alternative approaches to librarian involvement in first-year programs. The First-Year Experience and the African American Male Student Wanda Fernandopulle Director for Freshman Services John Jay College (718) 360-3276 wfernandopulle@yahoo.com Current literature will be provided about the educational status of African American male students in higher education. The presenter will lead a discussion and participants will be allowed to provide comments and suggestions to the literature provided. Diverse interventional approaches to retaining African American male students will be shared with the participants. Discussions about ways to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions (KSD’s) needed for these students to survive and thrive in a competitive economy will be held. Core competencies relative to each college will be examined in an effort to see if there is a cross-sectional alignment. This assignment will allow all participants to examine what core competencies have been developed and to see how African American male students are progressing towards these stated learning outcomes. What is needed to survive the first-year in college and beyond will be discussed from African American males’ point of view or perspective. How does the success of the first year in college equate to success after college? Is there a correlation between the two? Questions will be provided as a thought-provoking activity to determine if a successful first-year experience parallels with graduation and job placement rates. National unemployment rates will be reviewed and discussed with the participants. Census data will be reviewed and analyzed. Books from various authors about educating the African American male student will be provided and a brief overview about the main points of these book selections will be shared with the participants. Books about the importance of the first-year experience will be available for review and discussion. The discussion will close with the following statement, “What can I do to make the first year experience for African American male students a success in an effort to help them graduate and obtain full-time employment?”
Are Non-First-Generation Students Successful? : A Case of Japanese College Students Yoshiko Kato Lecturer Kansai University of International Studies +81-794-84-3607 yoshikok@kuins.ac.jp Keiko Yoshihara Professor Hyogo University +81-79-427-9503 keiko.yoshihara@mac.com This presentation is to interpret and put the data in the social, historical and academic context of higher education in Japan, focusing on first-generation and non-first-generation students, in order of designing effective first year programs for the Japanese students. We will approach the Japanese first/not-first generation problems from two aspects: 1) historical change of social position of higher education, and 2) change in composition of the first and non-first-generation students that Japanese colleges have been accepting. Keys to the student success in Japanese college have been academic success in high-school (not in college) and social networking in college. Japanese colleges and universities would accept first- generation students more than non-first-generation students for its entire history; however, it merely caused difficulties for the faculty to teach them. First-generation students have been successful in college due to selective entrance exams, which proves their academic success in high- school is more influential to their success in college than being familiar with college culture. However, recent population change forced Japanese colleges to accept more students who are not ready to meet the academic expectations, regardless first or non-first generation students. In order to identify the difficulties that the Japanese colleges confront, a new variable has to be added: their academic achievement in high-school, in addition to a generational variable. Our survey reveals that both first and non-first generation students have difficulties to expand their interests and skills, and that they tend to hold on to the skills that they used before college. Only the non-first-generation students that were successful in high-school are successful throughout college, and follow the first generation students with high score in high-school. Non-first-generation students who were not academically successful in high-school have difficulties, and the counterpart of the first-generation students does as well. WARNING - This Material Is Intended for Mature Audiences: Managing Difficult Dialogues in the First-Year College Classroom Mick Charney
Associate Professor Kansas State University 785.317.1035 charney@ksu.edu Although accustomed themselves to the intensity of scholarly discourse, instructors are not always mindful of the discomfort some students feel when first experiencing the college educational setting. Some students’ personal belief systems have the potential to marginalize them within more cosmopolitan populations. Notions of multiculturalism and diversity virtually insist that they embrace unfamiliar traditions and threatening alternative cultural patterns. Increasingly, the large introductory college course is populated by students without shared backgrounds and adequate coping skills. This workshop will address difficult dialogues in the first-year college classroom in three component parts: (i) why challenging materials create difficult moments in the classroom – the nature of strong stimuli, disrupted code deciphering skills, unrefined analytical tools, non- monolithic student bodies; (ii) when any of the general strategies deal more effectively than others with these classroom challenges – avoidance, bandages, managed confrontation, and (iii) how particularized strategies can manage confrontational classroom moments – issuing warnings and disclaimers, anticipating the types of negative reactions, embedding touchstone concepts or recurrent themes, using language precisely, establishing clear but honest objectives, delimiting acceptable course content, opening up clear lines of communication with administrators. After having been introduced – through a series of handouts – to the topic by using the prism of the more viscerally blatant polarizing material occasionally found within the larger course content of visual arts classes, workshop participants will be asked – through a series of short individual and group exercises – to search their memories for parallel experiences, to report on their own most difficult classroom moment, to explicate their response to it, and then to critique and refine that response. A series of hypothetical situations will be posed to which small break-out groups will be asked to fashion a particular management approach. Classroom tactics – sample handouts, quizzes, classroom instructions, active learning exercises – will be solicited from and shared among participants. “Comm” and Stay: Creating and Sustaining the First-Year Experience at a Community College Paige K. Wilmeth First Year Experience Coordinator Kapi`olani Community College 808-734-9581 paigekw@hawaii.edu Colette Higgins Professor, History Kapi`olani Community College 808-734-9742
chiggins@hawaii.edu Keith Kashiwada Professor, Speech Kapi`olani Community College 808-734-9181 kashiwad@hawaii.edu Enrollment is nearly 2000 students higher than the campus is designed to accommodate, and it feels like we’re bursting at the seams. With an open admissions policy, students enter at varying levels of preparedness with an array of academic and personal goals. Nearly as many students are in our vocational and technical programs as are in liberal arts. Each year, the traditional first-year student comprises only 16% of our population. Over 60% of our students enroll only part-time, and most have substantial obligations beyond the classroom. The latest national research on student characteristics seems marginally related to the students on our campus. What is a first-year experience program to do?! Practitioners know that challenges like these are hardly unusual. While they are admittedly frustrating and can make one feel akin to Sisyphus trying to roll a larger-than-life boulder up an enormous mountain, faculty and staff at Kapi`olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii will offer insights on key issues: • The community college philosophy and structure and FYE • Challenges of working with a commuter population • Finding common ground among campus constituents to further an FYE vision • Fostering effective communication between and with administration, faculty, staff, and students to promote the FYE mission • Engendering ongoing, passionate commitment from those involved, and finding ways of bringing new people on board An in-depth presentation will an overview of the evolution of FYE at KCC, including practical strategies for getting faculty involvement, and meaningful administrative support. It will cover unique approaches to making FYE a campuswide effort while maximizing the use of limited and valuable resources. We will also showcase current practices and future plans. Ample time for discussion and questions will be provided. Assessing Interdisciplinary Learning in First-Semester Communities Keisha Hoerrner Chair, First-Year Programs Department Kennesaw State University 770-499-3222 khoerrne@kennesaw.edu Amy Buddie Assistant Professor of Psychology Kennesaw State University 770-423-6255
abuddie@kennesaw.edu Emily Holler Instructor of Communication Kennesaw State University 770-423-6926 eholler@kennesaw.edu Charlotte Collins Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Kennesaw State University 770-423-6139 ccollins@kennesaw.edu Nancy Prochaska Associate Professor of Management Kennesaw State University 770-499-3513 nprochas@kennesaw.edu Each institution in the "Assessing Learning in Learning Communities" project was asked to determine its own specific research questions to investigate. KSU's project team, composed of faculty who teach numerous disciplines within our learning communities, chose to explore the transfer of interdisciplinary knowledge from one discipline to another. The goal was to assess the interdisciplinary learning taking place in learning communities using student work as the evidence. Thus, we were less interested in faculty assessment of learning and more interested in what student work explicitly illustrated. Meeting every other week for months, the faculty team randomly chose student work from their learning communities courses and reviewed it using a protocol designed by Harvard. The compilation of those results is promising. Student work shows a transfer of knowledge from one discipline to another. It is, of course, more explicit when the assignment specifically asks for an interdisciplinary perspective. That sounds like a simplistic finding, but as faculty we are learning that we make assumptions about students' willingness to draw from other courses within their community that are erroneous. We must design assignments tailored to interdisciplinary transfer to truly assess whether it occurred. This year-long, qualitative research project will inform the continued development and design of learning communities at KSU and will be equally useful to other institutions genuinely interested in the learning that takes place within learning communities. Using the FYE as a Vehicle for Institutional Transformation: An African-American Perspective Betty Siegel President Kennesaw State University (770)423-6033 bsiegel@kennesaw.edu
Ludolph Botha Senior Director, Academic Support Stellenbosch University (27)21-8084585 hlb@sun.ac.za Universities can easily focus exclusively on the immediate goals of a typical FYE initiative, for example, integrating first-year students better into university life, attempting to retain more of them and striving to get more to complete their studies successfully. In this presentation it is argued that, especially in the present democratic South Africa, context specific moral and ethical goals should be used as the driving force and inspiration in the planning and implementation of a FYE. Not only is visionary leadership required for such an initiative, but it is essential for institutional leadership to wholeheartedly support it and to identify fully with the moral and ethical rationale underlying it. The approach towards such a FYE should be systemic, which presupposes full institutional ownership. The notion of leadership should also include the students; therefore FYE initiatives can be regarded as the first step towards cultivating and developing future leaders of a country. A transformational model that has been used for change at Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Georgia, the USA, as well as at Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa in the establishment of their FYE, could be described as an alignment of the institution’s people with programmes, processes, places and policies. The ultimate aim is to produce well-equipped citizens who can make a difference to their community, to the country and even globally. In order to achieve that, an “old” South African University such as SU has to become a “new” University for a new South Africa. Similarly a relatively new institution such as KSU can move from success to significance for the common good. This requires courage on many levels in order to inspire a whole University to participate and to believe in a shared vision for the future. The goals for a young democracy like South Africa, as well as an older democracy such as the USA, include, among others: the need to build strong nations consisting of diverse people with a shared vision of social responsibility, citizenship, peace and prosperity, and also focused on the millennium goals, viz. to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, to promote gender equality and empower women, to reduce child mortality, to improve maternal health, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to develop a global partnership for development (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/). Folio Thinking for First-Year College Success & Career Maturation: Partnering the KSU Online Career Portfolios with the First-Year Seminar Joan Leichter Dominick Director of Portfolios for Student Success Programs Kennesaw State University
770-423-6356 jdominic@kennesaw.edu Karen Andrews Director of Career Services Kennesaw State University 770-423-6555 kandrews@kennesaw.edu Research and reports are plentiful on the importance of “career maturation” to the retention of college students. The partnering of the Kennesaw State University First-Year Experience Program with the Kennesaw State University Career Services Center is addressing the importance of career maturation on our campus through the student use of the KSU Online Career Portfolio. The KSU Online Career Portfolio features the ability to record academic experience, international experience, technology experience, employment experience, community service while utilizing a grid which features the transferable skills needed by college graduates – leadership, communication, technology, problem solving, creativity, team building, which we triangulate with the learning outcomes of the First-Year Seminar. We call the process of creating the KSU Online Career Portfolio – Folio Thinking. The folio thinking process prepares students for life-long continued career development which demands an entrepreneurial approach of managing ones own progress as a knowledge worker in the 21st century. In our presentation we will share the academic approaches to creating e-portfolios as passports to student success, career maturation, and global citizenship. We will feature the ways we have partnered the Kennesaw State University First-Year Success Program and Kennesaw State University Career Services for supporting student success, through career maturation with the strengthening of retention of college students. As of fall 2006, all KSU 1101: First-Year Seminars have used the Kennesaw State University Career Services Online Career Portfolio in their coursework. In fall 2006, 75 sections of KSU 1101 were offered and in spring 2007, 24 sections of KSU 1101 were offered. Every KSU 1101 class works closely with Career Services to ensure every first-year student meets a professional from the Center, either by classroom visits by a CSC professional or tours of the actual Center. Every KSU 1101 faculty member has been trained to use the Online Career Portfolio. Changes, Challenges, Choices: Using the MBTI With Your Millennial Students Heather Doyle Coordinator Lakehead University 807-346-7916
hdoyle@lakeheadu.ca The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most widely used personality indicators. The MBTI personality inventory uses the theory of psychological type developed by Carl Jung to help people understand different aspects of their personality. Many career counselors, universities and colleges utilize the MBTI in working with students to help with career guidance and planning. This presentation will look at the theory and background of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, as well as the definition of the various types and the description of each. Next, information on how the MBTI can be implemented to help with the social, academic and developmental needs of first year millennial students will be examined. Subsequently, looking at career development through the use of the MBTI will be explored. Outline: I. Introduce topic II. Activity on type preference III. Background on the development and use of the MBTI IV. 16 Personality preferences V. Description of the Millennial Student VI. Using the MBTI with Millennials Learning Outcomes: Participants will have the opportunity to: - Gain some understanding of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator - The importance of taking into account each student’s individual preferences in academic and career planning for millennial students - How the MBTI can be beneficial while working with first year millennial students The objectives will be met through presentation and participant discussion. Making Sense of the LD Alphabet in the 21st Century MacLean Gander VP for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Landmark College 802-387-6709 mgander@landmark.edu At least 10 percent of all students who attend college have some form of learning difference as we presently define it. Failure rates for these students are much higher than those for students who fall inside typical norms. If students without formal diagnosis but with learning challenges, or those with primary psychiatric issues and secondary learning challenges, are included, the number of students at risk is even higher. There are also a significant percentage of students, at any level, who do not meet criteria for diagnosis of a specific learning disability but who are challenged to succeed despite average or above average intelligence.
A study of the past century of theory and practice in the field of LD displays a great deal of well- meant intentions and deep disarray in theory and practice. Contemporary research is converging on new ways to conceptualize learning disorders and learning differences, but few practitioners in the FYE field have time to keep up with the changes. This presentation will summarize the current state of the LD field as it relates to the entire range of learning differences that are conceptualized within this rubric, including dyslexia, specific learning disabilities, AD/HD, non-verbal learning disability, and disorders on the autism spectrum. It will then review current theory and research regarding best educational practices regarding these various learning differences. The goal of this session will be to provide practitioners with current knowledge regarding the ways in which LDs are conceptualized and current approaches to practice. New Student Service Centers: Initiatives for the First-Year Community College Student Sonia Abrego College Advisor Malcolm X College, City Colleges of Chicago 312-850-7084 sabrego@ccc.edu Audrey L. Phillips Assistant Dean Malcolm X College 312-850-7150 aphillips@ccc.edu Adriana Gonzales College Advisor Malcolm X College 312-850-7149 agonzales3@ccc.edu The New Student Service Center (NSSC) was created at Malcolm X College in an effort to respond to the needs of an economically and racially diverse, urban first year community college student population. The Center provides services to credit, adult education, English as a second language (ESL) and continuing education students through academic advising, new student orientation, financial aid application assistance, and new student retention initiatives. The NSSC provides all first year students with a holistic advising process. Many of the college’s student retention initiatives are created and executed from the New Student Service Center. Those initiatives include a 1-1/2 day new student orientation including placement testing and assessment; comprehensive advising; course placement/registration and a ‘transition program’ for adult education and ESL students. The proposed early alert system and college success course initiatives, scheduled to launch Fall term, 2007 include collaboration with faculty,
staff and academic support units to identify students in need of additional academic support. Identified students will be encouraged to participate in the college success course which teaches students basic academic and life skills. Additional initiatives include transitioning adult education graduates into college credit as well as a College to College partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago. The session will provide attendees an opportunity to share first year student initiatives. The round table discussion will begin with a brief explanation of the Malcolm X College New Student Service Center and challenges to traditional two-year college perceptions. Facilitators will divide participants into small groups and ask them to share first year student initiatives, obstacles/ triumphs, lessons learned, and goals for the future. Each group will then be given an opportunity to share with the larger group. This activity will allow participants to gain insight from their colleagues about other two and four year new student initiatives. Taking the First-Year Experience to the High School Carol Perry Associate Dean Marshall Community and Technical College 304-696-3018 perry@marshall.edu Billie Brooks Associate Dean of Student Services Marshall Community and Technical College 304-696-3004 hendersb@marshall.edu This model was to establish a career pathway for the “neglected majority” of high school students to participate in a college transition program that could culminate in an associate degree one year after high school. The College is piloting the program in two high schools each involving 20 students. The two cohorts career technical education students were identified to participate. A parental/student orientation was held for the participants where they were asked to sign a memorandum of understanding to attend MCTC upon graduation from high school. For participation in the program students must be a first generation college-going student and receive a teacher/counselor recommendation. In the 10th grade a three credit-hour college success/orientation course is offered to the cohorts at each high school. The college course was developed at the state level and is taught by MCTC faculty. A standardized syllabus is used in the course. The high school course contains the same content of the college course with two exceptions. College preparatory math and English content is also provided. These students have a college advisor to work with the high school counselor to assist the student in the college transition process. The College Transition program has the following outcomes: 1. An increase in the number of students matriculating to postsecondary education. 2. Successful student matriculation to postsecondary without developmental coursework. 3. An increase in the number of students obtaining an associate degree.
4. A time shortened/cost saving model for college students. 5. An increase in the number of students who have the opportunity to obtain college credit while still in high school. 6. An increase in the number of high school students who make informed decisions about career goals. 7. An increase in curriculum discussions between high school and college faculty. 8. Improved GPA of students at the high school level. Synthesizing Best Practices for First-Year Programs Phyllis Curtis-Tweed Associate Provost Medgar Evers College 718-270-5026 ptweed@mec.cuny.edu Janice Zummo Director, S.E.E.K. Medgar Evers College 718-270-4973 jzummo@mec.cuny.edu Jane Alexander Assistant Professor Medgar Evers College 718-270-4963 jane@mec.cuny.edu Earlean Smiley Assistant Director, Women's Center Medgar Evers College 718-270-5141 esmiley@mec.cuny.edu Edna Moshette Counselor Coordinator, S.E.E.K. Medgar Evers College 718-270-4961 moshette@mec.cuny.edu At the first year experience conferences, participants attend sessions that highlight best practices in first year programming without having many opportunities to exchange ideas with the representatives of various institutions. This roundtable session will provide an opportunity for broad conversations among a variety of institutions on the first year experience on their specific campuses. The presenters will lead discussions on adapting ideas, programs, and initiatives to fit individual campus needs. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences in trying out
new initiatives, such as learning communities, freshman seminars, and mentoring programs. Additional topics will include identifying the needs of first year students and integrating programming through collaborative relationships between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. Special emphasis will be given to the role of assessment in implementing new strategies or programs and ways to determine program effectiveness. The presenters, from Medgar Evers College, have implemented new interventions and programs on the basis of external (conference and other projects) input. For example, our experiences in the Foundations of Excellence project and the self-study process have equipped us to adapt new ideas to meet the needs of our campus and to assess programmatic effectiveness. Colleges often grapple with the same problems and use similar strategies to address student needs. Conference participants often convey that they are searching for a forum to explore new ideas and discuss their own experiences in implementing new initiatives. This roundtable discussion will provide opportunities for the sharing of campus initiatives and the discussion of ideas, problems and solutions. Participants can expect to be actively engaged in the discussion. Using Networked Learning Communities as Part of the First-Year Experience Clark Germann Faculty Coordinator of Transfer Student Services Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-556-3453 germannc@mscd.edu Jacqueline McLeod Associate Professor of History Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-352-4485 jmcleod2@mscd.edu Dalinda Solis Director, Transition Services Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-352-4144 msolis4@mscd.edu Ramon Del Castillo Professor Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-352-4142 delcastr@mscd.edu Networked learning communities (NLC), virtual extensions of traditional learning communities, are being implemented at Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD) to assist in student retention and success. A pilot program involving transfer students is now underway and will be extended to
first year students in Fall, 2007. Jonassen, Peck, and Wilson (1998) describe networked learning communities as a “model of thinking about instruction, based on the dual platform of technology and constructivist theory”. The NLC emphasizes the entire group, or “cohort”, with students working with and supporting each other. Funded by the Denver mayor’s office, the MSCD NLC consists of 14 students seeking bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education. Most are adults currently working full time at Head Start centers in Denver. The demographic profile is diverse—with one exception: all the students are women. Support services are available for all the students, particularly in the area of networked computer technology. Research is currently being conducted using several assessment tools and measures (Hargittai, 2006). Anecdotal evidence suggests student deficiencies are notable in areas such as downloading files and participating in newsgroups. The problem of access is being addressed by providing each student with a Macintosh laptop computer with wireless connectivity. Students are offered individual and group training sessions structured around specific needs—use of hardware, logging onto the network, creation of email accounts, participation in discussion groups, use of applications, and online research. “MetroConnect”, a student/faculty web portal, provides a rich environment for communication, posting of links and files, forming of groups, and posting to message boards (www.metroconnect.edu, 2007). Although the issues of computer access and competency go beyond the scope of higher education, the networked learning community pilot project is attempting to provide a pragmatic model that could be applied to other groups. A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Addressing the Needs of First-Year Students Dalinda Solis Director of Transition Services & Professor Metropolitan State College of Denver (956)369-9588 msolis4@mscd.edu Cynthia Baron Assistant Director Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-556-2772 baron@mscd.edu Clark Germann Coordinator of Services for Transfer Students Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-422-3588 germannc@mscd.edu
Ramon Del Castillo Coordinator for Learning Communities Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-352-4142 delcastr@mscd.edu Jacqueline McLeod Associate Professor of History Metropolitan State College of Denver 303-352-4485 jmcleod2@mscd.edu The presentation will discuss a multi-dimensional approach for retention of first year students. The three approaches are the result of a joint effort between academic affairs and student services. The approaches involve: (1) a program for provisionally-admitted freshmen; (2) a program for all incoming freshmen; and (3) a program for transfer students enrolled in their first year at the institution. The first program has been specifically created for provisionally-admitted freshmen, who in this case, are traditional, college-aged students. Since the students have been provisionally-admitted, additional academic support is crucial. In this program, students are part of a learning community which includes integrated curriculum and assignments. Students are provided with support via supplemental instructors, tutors, and a freshmen success course. The transition to higher education is addressed during monthly gatherings to discuss academic, social and/or personal issues. Individuals representing academic affairs and student services provide support during the gatherings. A second program addresses the needs of all incoming freshmen. The initiative involves extensive faculty development and requires the formation of integrated learning communities. Incorporation of participatory-type instruction is another key feature of this particular program. During the session, the processes for the creation of such learning communities and the types of faculty development will be shared with participants. The third program is designed for students who have transferred and are in their first year of attendance at the institution. One of the programs' unique features is the incorporation of electronic learning communities. The program also involves the provision of many opportunities for students to interact with faculty and staff. Assessment regarding the retention initiative will be discussed. Quantitative and qualitative data will also be discussed relative to implications for academic affairs’ and students services’ policies and approaches. Participants will be encouraged to be part of a dialogue with the presenters. Meeting the Needs of Underprepared First-Year Students in College-Level Courses: A Pilot Study
Jack Thomas Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Middle Tennessee State University 615-898-2881 jthomas@mtsu.edu William Badley Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Middle Tennessee State University 615-494-8829 wbadley@mtsu.edu Sheila Otto Associate Professor of English Middle Tennessee State University 615-898-5586 sotto@mtsu.edu Marva Lucas Interim Director of Academic Enrichment Middle Tennessee State University 615-898-2568 mlucas@mtsu.edu Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), a doctoral intensive university with over 22,000 students, has completed the pilot year of a multi-year process to redesign its developmental education courses, transforming them into college-credit courses. A team from MTSU presented a description of the transformed courses at last year’s First Year Experience 2006 Conference in Toronto, Canada. This presentation provides a statistical analysis of results from the various courses for the pilot first year. Under Tennessee Board of Regents prescriptions to facilitate access, to maximize retention, and to minimize costs for students, the effort to redesign existing courses and create new college-credit courses was a monumental task of transformation at MTSU. This process necessitated broad campus input and cooperation from faculty, staff, and administration. The new structure has provided a more comprehensive approach that has resulted in enhanced academic quality, flexible delivery options, greater uses of technology, a reduction in the number of required courses, greater retention, and improved student attitudes. Included in this transformation are developmental mathematics courses, redesigned as special sections of existing college-level math courses; developmental writing, redesigned as a two- semester “stretch” version of college-level composition; developmental reading, revised as a college-level course in reading skill enrichment; and developmental learning strategies, replaced by sections of a university freshmen seminar emphasizing academic skills. The success of the pilot project is encouraging, and the program could serve as a model for other institutions to replicate as they attempt to address the needs of underprepared students. While
allowing ample time for audience questions and discussion, the presenters will provide a summary of data from two semesters, including student success rates in achieving learning outcomes, pass rates for redesigned and new courses, retention in courses, and student pass rates in subsequent college courses. Helicopter Parents: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Ralph Anttonen Director of the Exploratory Program Millersville University of Pennsylvania 717-872-3483 ralph.anttonen@millersville.edu Judy Anttonen Retired Special Educator Conestoga Valley School District 717-872-8810 rjantt@earthlink.net With the recent emergence of “helicopter parents”, first year program administrators and staff are faced with a new set of challenges that often conflict with the mission of the institution that encourages critical thinking and development of problem solving skills in first year students. This session will highlight the increasing interactions the Director of the First Year Exploratory Program at Millersville University has had with parents of first year a student which has led to the categorization of these into three categories: “good”, “bad” and “ugly”. Examples of each of these categorizations will be provided and explained. In addition, the co-presenter is a recently retired public school special educator who will explain what has happened with parents, teachers, lawyers, and school administrators that may be contributing to the parents seeing such “entitlements” as part of their “rights” when their son or daughter goes into higher education. Accessing grades and test scores are the norm in elementary and secondary schools. Also approaches taken by some institutions of higher education will be explored as a way of stimulating discussion of what could be done to preserve the integrity of the institutions mission to develop critical thinking skills and problem solving skills in its first year students. Roundtable participants will be encouraged to add examples to the “good’, the “bad” and the “ugly” categorization and perhaps even change this approach. Also, participants will be asked to contribute their knowledge as to how their institution or other institutions are dealing with “Helicopter Parents” and what policies or practices are in place. Hopefully, each participant will leave the session with a better understanding of the whys and ways to deal with these hovering parents and take back to their school some approaches that will allow the preservation of their institutional mission. CCSSE Data Reveal the Benefits of Learning Communities for First-Year Students Annaliese Hausler-Akpovi
Professor and Learning Community Program Coordinator Modesto Junior College 209-575-6799 hauslera@mjc.edu My presentation entitled, “CCSSE Data Reveals the Benefits of Learning Communities for First Year Students” compares the results of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) data for two Modesto Junior College (MJC) student cohorts. The first cohort includes students in all of the Spring 2006 learning community courses and the second cohort is comprised of non-learning community students in a wide range of courses. The CCSSE data is organized into five benchmark categories that relate to student behaviors and institutional practices. The presentation graphs and charts indicate the responses of these two cohorts to the benchmark category questions about (1) Active & Collaborative Learning, (2) Student Effort, (3) Academic Challenge, (4) Student-Faculty Interaction, and (5) Support for Learners, and to other CCSSE questions related to “Educational and Personal Growth” and “Student Services.” Using PowerPoint slides (copied onto overhead transparencies), my presentation will give a general introduction to the CCSSE, provide the participants with a brief overview of the college’s learning community program, and then delve into a systematic analysis of the CCSSE benchmark categories, comparing the results for both MJC student groups. Through the lens of the college’s learning community program, which target first year students, conclusions will be offered about the impact of the learning community model on student engagement. MJC’s data from the Spring 2006 CCSSE reveals that the learning community cohort perceives their college experiences to be significantly more satisfying in nearly all of the five benchmark categories. "A Joy and A Shock": What Faculty Learn From Teaching First-Year Seminars Adele Pittendrigh Associate Dean Montana State University 406-994-4288 adele@montana.edu How does teaching a first-year seminar affect faculty instructors? What does faculty learn from teaching the first-year seminar? There is a great deal of research focused on the effects of first-year seminars on student learning, but there has been little assessment of faculty experience teaching first-year seminars. This paper reports the experiences of tenured and tenure-track faculty teaching a cross-disciplinary seminar for beginning students. Data collected through surveys, focus groups, and interviews suggests that for some faculty teaching first-year students in a small class setting influences their perception of students’ abilities, increases their empathy for beginning students, and affects how they teach in other classes. This study documents faculty perceptions of student learning as students examine their own biases and confront stereotypes. For some faculty, teaching the seminar leads to surprising discoveries about students and greater understanding of colleagues
from different disciplines. For some teaching a small seminar through discussion revolutionizes their teaching in other classes, inspiring more discussion and active learning, and more support for beginning students who are often invisible in large lecture classes. The format for this session will include a report and discussion of data gathered from the study described above and an interactive workshop focused on participants’ insights about the first-year experience at their institutions. The research presented suggests that faculty experience deserves greater attention than it has received and that the influence of first-year seminars may extend to instruction in other courses and settings. Honors Programs and the First-Year Experience Gregory Waters Professor of English Montclair State University 973-655-7570 watersg@mail.montclair.edu At many institutions Honors Programs offer a parallel universe to the First Year Experience. Often organized with their own orientation and advising schemes, Honors Programs usually require a fixed number of credits distributed through a variety of disciplines and satisfy university wide general education requirements with writing intensive seminars taught by faculty passionate about the subject. Students often live in intentional residential communities with special academic and extracurricular cultural programming, intensive advising and special opportunities for independent study or other forms of enrichment. Unlike many first year classes, faculty are often eager to participate, perhaps because teaching in honors classes are perceived as providing a great deal of intrinsic satisfaction because the students are often well prepared academically. Yet in many ways they resemble the average students of this generation: articulate and perhaps willing to speak up in class, their writing skills are not always as strong as professors expect, and the sometimes overly confident intellectual posturing can be as challenging for the instructor as classrooms that remain silent. As a result of the over-cultivated hothouse effect of advanced placement courses or of overprivileged family life styles, honors students sometimes have trouble mixing with fellow students in other general education classes at public universities, and their underdeveloped interpersonal skills can remain undernourished despite an abundance of special interventions. Should institutions permit honors programs to isolate their students in special residence hall? Are we doing a disservice to other general education classes by removing academically superior students for special classes? Should orientation programs be for everyone? Should a fixed number of freshman seminars be reserved for honors students? Should honors programs offer opportunities for civic engagement as a means of developing stronger interpersonal skills? This discussion is intended to be wide ranging and inclusive, to foster reflection on the nature of honors programs as a vital part of the first year experience for many students.
Challenges and Opportunities: First-Year Experience (FYE) Programs at Community and Technical Colleges Marcus Peanort Asst. Professor, Counselor, & FYE Co-Coordinator Montgomery College-Rockville Campus (301) 279-5055 -> (240) 567-5055 as of 5/21/07 marcus.peanort@montgomerycollege.edu Tyra Goodgain Assoc. Professor, Counselor, & FYE Coor. Montgomery College-Germantown Campus (301) 353-7715 -> (240) 567-7715 as of 5/21/07 tyra.goodgain@montgomerycollege.edu Laurie White Asst. Professor, Counselor, & FYE Co-Coordinator Montgomery College-Rockville Campus 301-251-7497 as of 5/21/2007 240-567-7497 laurie.white@montgomerycollege.edu The Program Chair will begin by introducing himself, welcoming the session attendees, and thanking them for attending. Then the other presenter will introduce herself and provide a little information about Montgomery College and their First-Year Experience (FYE) program. At this point handouts about Montgomery College’s FYE program will be distributed to session attendees. Afterwards the goals and objectives of the roundtable discussion will be provided: 1) Establish a forum where FYE professionals at community, technical, and other similar colleges can share experiences and best practices, 2) Network with a community of professionals from across the world, and 3) Get some practical information and suggestions that may be used at their institutions. The audience will be placed into groups to discuss issues related to FYE programs that include, but are not limited to: 1) FYE seminars/courses, 2) infusing technology, 3) special student populations, 4) faculty and administrative buy-in, and 5) inter-institutional collaboration. In each group the session attendees will decide on a spokesperson and note taker. The goal for each of the groups is to discuss the challenges that they face with their FYE Programs, but also talk about opportunities/strategies to overcome those challenges. With at least 15-20 minutes left in the session, each group will share at least 2 challenges and opportunities with the larger group for more discussion. In closing, the Program Chair will summarize the discussion, wrap-up the session, and thank the session attendees again for attending the session. Disability Services: Transitioning Special Needs Students from High School to the First College Year Sandy Calvert Assistant Dean, Getty College of Arts & Sciences Ohio Northern University
419-772-2131 s-calvert@onu.edu The discussion will begin with a quick overview of fast facts concerning students with disabilities (i.e. LD fastest growing category of reported disability between 1988-2000, two in five freshmen (40%) cited a LD in 2000 compared to only 16% in 1988, etc.). Henderson, 2001 This will lead into a discussion broken into three areas that will include Identifying Students, Providing Services, and Retaining/Transitioning/Graduating Students with Special Needs. Each discussion area will include opportunities to share concerns, ideas, and successes. Session attendees will also be introduced to the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) Program Standards for Disability Services. Developing Servant Leaders and Improving Campus Life Through a Leadership Enhancement Program Kim Keffer Director of Enrollment Services Ohio University Southern Campus 740.533.4612 keffer@ohio.edu Engaging students in campus life is important both in developing the student and in increasing retention, but this can be a challenge in a small commuter campus. How can a commuter campus maximize opportunities for involvement and develop student leaders on a shoestring budget and with limited staff? This session will provide details of the development, delivery and results of “L.E.A.D.”, a leadership enhancement program at Ohio University Southern. Dr. Kim Keffer, the program developer and director, will discuss the challenges and assets that lead to the program development, the content and activities included in the program, and the results – from the student, faculty, and institutional perspective. Documentation on assessment will be provided and includes results of surveys of student participants and campus faculty. Participants will be provided a summary of the results of a survey of all former student participants, including current involvement in leadership activities both on and off campus, self-perception of leadership abilities, and leadership skills enhancement. An overview of faculty response to the program and its impact both in and out of the classroom will be provided. In addition, participants will hear general tips for developing a leadership enhancement program. The last ten minutes of the session will be reserved for questions from participants. First-Year Matters: American and Japanese Perspectives Randy Swing Co-Director Policy Center on the First Year of College 828-966-5312 swing@fyfoundations.org Atsushi Hamana
President Kansai University of International Studies hamanaa@kuins.ac.jp Tatsuo Kawashima Professor of Higher Education Kobe University tatsuo@kobe-u.ac.jp Reiko Yamada Director of Faculty Development Doshisha University ryamada@mail.doshisha.ac.jp This presentation is comprised of four components. The first is a summary of a comparative survey of Chief Academic Officers in America and Japan. The survey instruments allow a direct comparison of how CAOs in the two countries think about first-year issues and thus serve as a predictor of future institutional actions. The second part is based on a survey of students in Japan that provides insights into the student experience in Japan. A key finding from this research is that many of the first-year concerns of students "settle down" by the start of the second year while new issues arise that need to be addressed in the sophomore year. The third component is build from data on the Foundations of Excellence faculty/staff and student surveys which focus on the perceptions of institutional efforts in the first college year. While these are far-reaching surveys, the focus in this presentation will be how students experience instruction in the first year of college. The fourth component will pull these three different views of the first college year into a composite look at the new student experience from an international perspective. The University College Movement: An Integrated Approach to Supporting First-Year Students Julie Alexander Program Associate Policy Center on the First Year of College 828-877-6009 alexander@fyfoundations.org Scott Evenbeck Dean, University College IUPUI 317.274.5032 evenbeck@iupui.edu
Maggy Smith Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Dean, University College The University of Texas at El Paso 915.747.5151 msmith@utep.edu A brief history of University Colleges will introduce the concept to the international audience. Data from a new survey developed to inform the upcoming monograph, University Colleges: Creating a Portal for Student Success (2008), will be used to identify common characteristics and the range of programs and structures of University Colleges in America. Using the University College models at IUPUI and the University of Texas at El Paso, the presenters will overview the organization, curricular practices, and resource implications for the institutions. 15-20 minutes will be allocated at the end of the session for audience questions and interaction. Running the Gauntlet: First-Year Gateway Courses Randy L. Swing Co-Director and Senior Scholar Policy Center on the First Year of College 828-966-5401 swing@fyfoundations.org Summary: None Interventions for Under-Prepared First-Year Students at a Four-Year University Liane Gough Coordinator, Academic Support Program Portland State University 503-725-9549 goughl@pdx.edu Jennifer Cardenas Director, New Student Programs Portland State University 503-725-5504 jcardenas@pdx.edu This presentation will first provide a historical and demographical picture of Portland State University as a framework for why this initiative was so critical, including how the partnership between Admissions, Registration and Records and the Undergraduate Advising & Support Center was created. Next we will detail the admissions process for conditionally admitted freshman through the Faculty Special Admissions Review Committee and explain how these decisions are made.
The collaboration between the two offices and the creation of the Academic Support Program will be outlined from a student’s first contact with the institution, to matriculation, throughout the first- year experience. We will outline the program using the theoretical framework with which we created the intervention. Detailed information will be provided on the counseling, mentoring, resource referral, College Success course, registration workshops, etc that are required of students in the program and how offices across campus can be involved in supporting these students. Finally, we will discuss what we have learned over the last three years, including assessment and outcomes and discuss the implications for change. Build It, And They Will Come. But How Do We Keep Them There?: Discussions on Successful Retention Strategies Bridgett McGowen-Hawkins Lead Reading Resource Specialist Prairie View A&M University 936-261-3681 blmcgowenhawkins@pvamu.edu Cheryle Snead-Greene Associate Director of University College Prairie View A&M University 936-261-3695 csgreene@pvamu.edu In response to growing concerns about retention, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and its division of University College (UC) began reviewing the institution's current practices and strategizing to improve retention rates. As a starting point, UC focused on freshmen's admission statuses, identifying that currently 35% of PVAMU's freshmen are conditional enrollees -- students who do not meet the university's SAT/ACT requirements. Furthermore, such students are conditionally admitted but are not required to satisfy any conditions. Some take advantage of academic support services while others resort to their own devices for achieving academic success. It was resolved that if existed a more systematic approach in providing students, especially provisionally admitted freshmen, with the tools necessary to succeed, then PVAMU would consequently see an improvement in retention rates. Effective October 1999, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) authorized formula funding for "Learning Framework" courses that are designed "to improve students' understanding of the learning process and their ability to succeed in college." UC launched an initiative, developing a proposal entitled Panther Pride Initiative (PPI) with its Learning Framework course, CURR 1013 Principles of Effective Learning, at the core of it. Pilot sections of CURR 1013 are being offered during the 2006-07 academic year with freshmen as the primary enrollees. At the close of the spring 2007 semester, UC will assess the effectiveness of CURR 1013, paying particular attention to retention rates -- what was successful and what failed -- and consider subsequently developing learning communities.
The overall goal and focus of the roundtable is to foster an open dialogue on retention initiative types, pedagogies, implementation strategies, unanticipated negative and positive consequences, and assessment strategies at other institutions. We want attendees to gain guidance on what some institutions have found to be successful in driving their retention numbers in the right direction. Improving First-Year Students’ Learning Through Writing Dipu Sebastian Associate Lecturer Norther Campus Business Program Queensland University of Technology +61-7-38472178 d.sebastian@qut.edu.au Zimitat Craig Deputy Director, Griffith Institute of Higher Education Griffith University +61-7-3735 6876 c.zimitat@griffith.edu.au Firstly, the presentation will introduce the nature of the First Year Experience program and the cohort characteristics of the Bachelor of Business program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. The presenters will then outline the purpose and the importance of this research. The aim of this study was to improve the learning outcome of the FYE students and recommending future curriculum changes. The methodology will discuss in detail the qualitative and quantitative techniques that were used to collect the data to achieve the desired outcome. Key discussions include, changes to assessments, use of teaching and learning techniques such as Concept Maps and SOLO Taxonomy, peer-evaluations and the use of learning inventories such as the R-SPQ-2F questionnaire. Finally, the results of the study will be presented. The results were extremely encouraging and have provided impetus in changing the curriculum within the course. An Assessment-Based Approach to First-Year Programming John Liptak Associate Director, Experiential Learning & Career Development Radford University 540-831-5091 jjliptak@radford.edu The issue of student retention has persisted and perplexed administrators in colleges and universities for many years. Although colleges have made significant investments in faculty and resources to improve the first-year experience of college students, first-year program directors continue to search for better ways to prepare students to be successful in college. In this new assessment-based approach, 543 students were administered the College Survival and Success Scale (CSSS) prior to participating in the Radford University first-year program (UNIV 100). The
CSSS has five scales that measure Commitment to Education, Self-&-Resource Management, Interpersonal and Social Skills, Academic Success Skills, and Career Planning Skills. The results for individual students and group means were given to program instructors during the first week of instruction. Program instructors then used the CSSS assessment results to meet and work individually with students to help them over come weaknesses and to tailor their classroom instruction to meet the needs of their students as a whole. In this poster presentation, the presenter will examine the theory and research about the preparedness of first-year college students; explore the assessment-based model being pilot-tested at Radford University; introduce the College Survival and Success Scale (CSSS) as a way of gathering data about first-year students’ strengths and weaknesses; provide strategies for success based on CSSS test scores; demonstrate ways the assessment results are being used by program administrators to enhance the quality of the first-year experience; and demonstrate ways that the assessment results were used by program instructors to enhance student learning during their participation in the UNIV 100 program. This research will serve as the basis for a longitudinal follow-up study of the 543 students that will be conducted to determine their retention rates and develop a profile of university dropouts. Accusations of "Acting White" Placed on High-Achieving African American and Latino Students Rhonda Simmons Title V Coordinator Rio Hondo College 562-692-0921x3703 rsimmons@riohondo.edu Gloria Arevalo Dual Enrollment Counselor Rio Hondo College 562-692-0921 gaarevalo@riohondo.edu Derrick Ramon Baylor 2007 Graduate Texas Southern University RSim6100@aol.com Racial differences in the relationship between popularity and achievement are robust across many alternative specifications and the ‘acting white’ effect differs slightly as we age.—(Fryer, Torelli— The Empirical Analysis of Acting White). music—“To be Young, Gifted and Black” by Nina Simone will set the mood for this concurrent session. The session chair, Rhonda Henderson Simmons, M.Ed./MPA, Dean Cathie Peterson, Ph.D., and Gloria Arevalo, M.Ed. will introduce their backgrounds, the workshop objectives and the agenda. The session will concentrate on the conclusion that certain ethnic minority students do not live up
to their potential because of the fear of being accused of ‘acting white’. The session will also address circumstances where such high-achievement is not met with negativity. The panel will address the role and influence of family on such accusations, methods to integrate these students into the larger student body and the fear, intimidation, alienation of the larger student body who is making the accusations. Handouts on websites and articles will be distributed and participant introductions using the handout (1930s-1970s) will be introduced. There will be an introduction to the father of the controversial ‘Acting White’ Theory: Dr. Ogbu of Nigeria. Session participants will be introduced to the California Educational Pipeline Chart (1998) that chronicles the educational achievement of blacks, Latinos, Asians and Anglos in the state. Other topic areas will focus on: 1. Relationship of Popularity and Grades by Race and Gender 2. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Interest and Style motivations) 3. Ethnic Minority subculture 4. Strategies to bridge the gap between high-achieving Black and Latino students and their same- race, less achieving peers 5. Blame (fears); Self-sabotage; Peer Culture 6. GPA and ethnic isolation Participants will view: “Akeelah and the Bee” DVD excerpt Closing music Changing the First-Year Experience Through Academic Advising Karen Hater Director, Academic Support Services Rollins College 407-646-2354 klhater@rollins.edu Doug Little Director, Rollins Explorations Rollins College 407-646-2599 dlittle@rollins.edu Although Rollins College has a faculty advising model, supplemental academic advisors at TJ’s have been instrumental in designing and implementing innovations to the Rollins Explorations program. Working collaboratively with faculty and student affairs staff, the academic advisors began by instituting changes in the registration process for incoming students. Our program will highlight the web-based process that utilizes faculty advisors to craft schedules for incoming
students that couple the faculty’s knowledge of the curriculum with the student’s interests and abilities. Redesigning Orientation Week to reflect a greater emphasis on academics allowed the academic advisors to become increasingly involved in faculty advisor training (training the first year student advisors who also teach the first year seminar classes), coordinating a “student advising day” at orientation, as well as participating in the parent orientation with a “parent as advisor” session. As students began classes, the quantity and quality of the work expected of them in contrast to what was expected of them in high school seemed to be their greatest challenge. In order to give students much needed feedback about their academic performance as well as provide early intervention, the TJ’s academic advisors developed and implemented an online academic warning system. We will discuss the evolution of this current electronic version and the added benefits to students, faculty and staff. Each year, TJ’s hosts the Major-Minor Fair targeted at first year students. Designed to be a festive atmosphere that highlights academics, the fair offers students and faculty an opportunity to interact in an informal, educational setting. The fair has become a highlight of fall semester for the academic departments, and faculty participation has been phenomenal. We will also discuss effective strategies for engaging faculty in a campus-wide initiative. Building a Learning Community with First-Year Biology Majors Maria Tahamont Professor Rowan University 856-256-4500 ext 3584 tahamont@rowan.edu Michael Grove Associate Professor, Biological Sciences Rowan University 856-256-4500 ext 3579 grove@rowan.edu Luke Holbrook Associate Professor, Biological Sciences Rowan University 856-256-4500 ext 3585 holbrook@rowan.edu With the introduction of a new core curriculum for our Biology majors, we developed a learning community that included group housing for our resident students, co-curricular events for all the freshmen majors and an active learning model in the introductory Biology course. Our resident majors were housed in the same residence hall on the same floor. This facilitated out of class group work. We had multiple events during the semester for all the learning community students both academically oriented (Meet your Advisor) as well as social (Homecoming Tailgate Cookout). In the classroom the students did group work regularly. Problem solving was one of our major avenues for presenting material and challenging the students. Small group work on problems
was followed by whole class discussions. The students responded positively to the experience. Exit surveys indicated overall a high level of satisfaction with the course both for content and the way it was presented. Many students formed strong bonds with each other that appear to be carrying over to their second semester. Tying co-curricular activities with academic course work has been beneficial. We are following this cohort to determine the overall success of this major change in approach to success in the major. Use of Multiple Interventions to Increase Retention in the First Year Peggy Kennedy Vice President of Academic and Student Development Saint Paul College 651.846.1363 peggy.kennedy@saintpaul.edu Margie Tomsic Associate Dean Saint Paul College 651.846.1316 margie.tomsic@saintpaul.edu Thomas Matos Dean to Student Services Saint Paul College 651.846.1362 thomas.matos@saintpaul.edu Saint Paul College’s Quest for Excellence began with a re-engineering of its student development and services departments with the goal of becoming a more learner-centered organization. With a growing population of students at-risk, the re-engineering allowed enrollment, transfer and retention specialists to be hired on twelve-month contracts so they could meet with students year round and enable students to register for classes on their first visit. Nine-month counseling staff was then used for crisis counseling and behavioral interventions. Using this strategy, by 2007 a reallocation of $500,000 was realized in salary savings, and student wait time to register was reduced from two hours to two minutes. A tuition-free program to encourage underserved high school graduates from the community to enroll in College directly from high school, known as the “Power of YOU”, led to the innovative use of technology to introduce retention interventions. In Fall 2006, an electronic Early Alert Reporting System (EARS) was introduced, which incorporated an intrusive advising process championed by retention specialists who monitored students’ academic progress. In addition, tutoring services were spread throughout campus to increase their access to students struggling in courses. Students enrolled in the “Power of YOU” were given additional guidance and career counseling.
An Enable Learning Student Retention Grant from Noel-Levitz led to the administration of a College Student Inventory to identify students at-risk and to tailor intervention sessions to students during Student Success Days. The incorporation of a web-based Enable Learning system allowed faculty to electronically monitor students’ homework performance. To date, grade comparisons, fall to spring retention rates and program progress rates differ significantly for students assigned to Enable Learning sections and to those assigned to sections which do not incorporate this software. The Fall to Spring retention rate for students enrolled in the “Power of YOU” program is 85%. Promoting Student SUCCESS Through Student Engagement: The Sequel Lisa Decandia SUCCESS@Seneca Program Co-ordinator Seneca College 416-491-5050 ext.2923 lisa.decandia@senecac.on.ca Steve Fishman SUCCESS@Seneca Program Leader Seneca College 416-491-5050 ext.2923 steve.fishman@senecac.on.ca Participants will learn, discuss and explore a transferable comprehensive model that promotes significant benefits to both students and employees. SUCCESS@Seneca is based on an integrated, service-delivery model that provides the essential connections between academics and college resources. The program focuses on the promotion and support of academic services, personal growth, and career development-working co-operatively to address the needs on the “whole” student. This successful collaboration has resulted in a multi-dimensional approach to improving student success and institutional retention efforts. Participants who attend this session will discover an initiative that engages a diverse and sizeable employee population. They will gain further understanding in program based statistical information (impact on student success). Participants will also benefit by learning a strategy that encourages and supports employee leadership in a college culture that reflects a sense of connection and pride. The SUCCESS@Seneca Program contributes to student success and college retention with a minimal employee time commitment. It produces a significant impact within the college community while engaging first year student’s right from their first step into college.
Minding their i's and e's: The use of iPods and ePortfolios to Engage First-Year Students with Emerging Technologies Agnes Gottlieb Dean of Freshman Studies and Special Academic Programs Seton Hall University 973-761-9786 gottlitr@shu.edu This presentation will describe the institutional commitment to equip our first-year students with the tools and skills needed to handle the demands of learning in an advanced technological environment. The purpose of the project was to bring the freshman class up to skill on cutting-edge technology that was being required in other advanced levels of the curriculum. As part of a university-funded Curriculum Development Initiative with our Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (TLTC), Freshman Studies redesigned our University Life course to include an ePortfolio requirement. The colleges of Nursing and Education were mandating ePortfolio as an assessment tool, while the Department of English was considering ways to introduce an ePortfolio component to freshman English. How could large numbers of students be exposed to the technology? Freshman Studies, responsible for the academic well-being of the entire freshman class (about 1100 students), teamed with TLTC to transform the way students were introduced to technology. Instead of waiting until the Fall semester began, students were given their university-issued laptop computers during Pirate Adventure orientation in June. This allowed students to gain a comfort level prior to the Fall semester. As one facet of this project, informational podcasts were made available to the students during the summer. This presentation will describe the university laptop initiative, explain the Freshman Studies/Information Technology Curriculum Development Initiative that trained students in the creation of the ePortfolio and provide snapshots of some of the student projects. In addition, the presentation will describe the outcome of student and instructor assessments of the projects. The presentation will include a description of the podcast summer project as part of the university commitment to acclimate students to the university and the technology prior to the start of the fall semester. A sample of the podcasts will be played if time allows. The Impact of Attendance on Blackboard Use and Book Borrowing from the Learning Centre Ann Walker Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Psychology Course Sheffiled Hallam University, England 01142254349 ann.walker@shu.ac.uk Background In England, Higher Education incorporates a wide ability range and a diverse mix of students of different ages and socio-economic backgrounds (Blythman & Orr, 2001-2002) who increasingly
are expected to pay for their own education and subsistence. Not surprisingly, many of these students have to cope simultaneously with academic work and paid work (Curtis & Shani, 2002). Students who fail to attend timetabled sessions are considered to be at risk of dropping out (Richie & Hargrove 2004/05). However, physical attendance at university is not the only way in which students can develop their knowledge and skills. Increasingly students have 24 hour electronic access to the lecture notes and slides, are able to contact their tutors and peers through discussion boards at times that are convenient to themselves, and are able to use the university learning centres and libraries during the evenings and night time when traditionally the university would have been shut. The study examined whether poorer attending students were compensating for their lack of physical attendance by making greater use of the university's electronic Blackboard sites and book borrowing schemes. Method Participants were 150 first year Psychology undergraduate students. Measures were attendance at lectures and seminars, usage of related electronic Blackboard sites, book withdrawals and marks. Results Better attending students made greater use of the Blackboard sites, withdrew a greater number of books and received higher marks. Discussion Results are discussed in relation to what can be done to encourage student engagement with the course as it is engagement rather than attendance which is considered to be the underlying problem. References Blythman,M. & Orr, S. (2001-2002). Joined-up policy: A strategic approach to improving retention in the UK context. Journal of College Student Retention. 3(3). 231-242/ Curtis, S. & Shani, N. (2002). The effect of taking paid employment during term time on students’ academic studies. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 26(2), 129-139. Richie, S.D. & Hargrove, D.S. (2004/05). An analysis of the effectiveness of telephone intervention in reducing absences and improving grades in college freshmen. Journal of College Student Retention. 6(4), 395-412. College Connections: Retaining First-Year, At-Risk Students Patrick Clarke Director, Student Success Center Southern Utah University (435)586-5419 clarke@suu.edu Jill Wilks Coordinator for First Year Programs Southern Utah University (435)586-5419 wilks@suu.edu
Nancy DeLaet Student Progress Coordinator Southern Utah University (435)586-5419 delaetn@suu.edu This presentation provides a history of the College Connections program, including the rationale for implementation. Presenters share the evolving concept for the program and how our current design reflects the understanding of student-centered learning. The main body of the presentation focuses on the 2006-07 curriculum of the program. We discovered, before students could effectively engage with developmental subject matter, they first had to address their own resistance to learning. Presenters will initially detail “brain-based learning”, the science that students can grow dendrites for any subject matter if they first train their mind to accept the notion they can learn anything. This involves orienting students to concepts related to points-of-view, active learning, multiple learning styles, and taking responsibility for one’s own education. Presenters introduce curriculum examples such as the use of Latin and Greek root words as foundations for understanding language, Cornell Notes as an effective organization strategy for academic subject matter, assertive communication as a tool to help students find their voice, and the TCDR strategy for developing critical thinking skills (Walter, Knudsvig & Smith, 2003). Presenters then discuss how staples of first year success courses, such as time management and understanding a student’s responsibilities and roles within the university, are better integrated into the curriculum. When students engage with the idea they can master their own learning and break down resistance to certain concepts, learning improves. In conclusion, presenters will share data showing students who have completed the program are more likely to persist than previous cohorts of students who were admitted under the same circumstances, but without the benefit of the College Connections curriculum. We will then answer attendees' questions. From Grassroots Movement to Institutionalization: A 20-Year Journey to First-Year Seminar Jill Wilks Associate Director of Learning and FYS Southern Utah University 435.586.7847 wilks@suu.edu Nancy DeLaet Progress Coordinator Southern Utah University 435.586.5419 delaetn@suu.edu This session will begin with an overview of the twenty-five year journey of Southern Utah University’s First Year Experience program and demonstrate the challenges and successes of
institutionalizing the comprehensive present-day program. After viewing a brief timeline of the program’s evolution, participants will examine the present one semester credit course skeleton and learn how the various constituents from across campus are offered "points of contact" The framework is used by faculty, staff and administrators to offer students early engagement, intervention and support services or to recruit undeclared students to majors or interested students to opportunities like undergraduate research, honors, events or clubs and organizations. The course skeleton will demonstrate effective methods for including the diverse and numerous best practices suggested by national assessment including summer reading; peer mentors; learning communities; seminar skills; civic engagement; developmental advisement; library/research orientation; connection to university support services; and information about expanding intelligences, brain-based learning, accelerated learning and the metaphysics of critical thinking. Participants will then have time to imagine changes or additions to their own FYE designs. The session will end with time for questions, comments and discussions. Collaboration Across the University Equals Student Success and Retention Molly Minus Dean of Academic Services St. Edward’s University 512.448.8598 mollym@stedwards.edu Greg MacConnell Dir., Academic Support & Retention Programs St. Edward’s University 512.448.8468 gregm@stedwards.edu Barbara Henderson Director, Career Planning St. Edward’s University 512.448.8532 barbarah@stedwards.edu The successful first year experience at St. Edward’s University, a private liberal arts university in Austin, Texas, is the result of an initiative from faculty in 1998 that led to a united effort and collaboration among staff and faculty across the university. This initiative came from our mission to “promote excellence in teaching and learning in an environment which encompasses the campus classroom, student life programs, and the broader community. A caring faculty, recognizing that learning is a lifelong process, teaches the skills needed to be independent and productive.” In 2003 we were one of 25 campuses who participated in the inaugural use of the Foundational Dimensions for four-year institutions. These two initiatives have led to enhanced partnerships between student and academic affairs that have resulted in increased retention and a vibrant curricular and co-
curricular environment. Retention from spring to spring has been over 95% with fall-to-fall over 84% for the past three years. Presenters will describe several successful initiatives that resulted from this collaboration and their impact on retention as well as assessment results including retention and student evaluation data. Some of the collaborative initiatives that will be described are the following: • summer orientation, • on line early attendance and midterm progress reports, • first year seminars co-taught by academic counselors and faculty, • first year initiatives for undecided students, • effective and supportive transfer of first year students from a first year advising center to faculty advisors prior to sophomore year, • effective initiatives for first year students on probation in their second semester, •effective referral system between student and academic affairs departments, and • tutoring and supplemental instruction. Learning Community Student Affairs Liaisons: Helping Students and Faculty Succeed Scott Johnson Assistant Dean for First Year and Academic Support Programs State University of New York College at Buffalo (716) 878-5906 johnsosl@buffalostate.edu Timothy Ecklund Associate Vice President for Campus Life State University of New York College at Buffalo (716) 878-3506 eckluntr@buffalostate.edu Buffalo State implemented the student affairs liaison to improve student satisfaction and retention in learning communities by having professionals with expertise in student development serve as integral members of a learning community team. The purpose of this session is to share the outcomes of an assessment of one positive contribution to the learning community program at one institution. This session will provide an introductory overview of learning communities at Buffalo State, including the structure, philosophy, goals and history of program. We will explain the lessons of the program that led to the creation of this position. The presentation will then explain the duties of the student affairs liaison. These include assisting faculty in developing and implementing co- curricular/curricular programs, planning budgets, arranging logistics, and act as a resource to faculty and students in college transition issues. Next, the session will analyze some of the challenges of implementing this role in our program. Achieving faculty buy-in was most critical and most difficult. Student affairs staff buy-in, addressing human resources concerns, defining the role of the liaison, getting students to use the available service were also issues in executing this program. The presenters will then discuss an assessment of the impact of the liaisons. We will
present the outcomes of interviews with liaisons, faculty, and students. Preliminary assessment shows that the program has had the desired effect on the program. The session will conclude with a discussion of the implications of such a program for other learning community programs and institutions. Establishing a First-Year Academy at Stellenbosch University (SU), South Africa: A Comprehensive and Strategic Institutional Project Ludolph Botha Senior Director, Academic Support Stellenbosch University (27)21-8084585 hlb@sun.ac.za Antoinette van der Merwe Deputy Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning Stellenbosch University (27)21-8083074 advdm@sun.ac.za One of the greatest challenges in the South African Higher Education context is the improvement of first-year students’ success rates. In view of this, SU embarked on a highly consultative journey in 2006 to address this challenge by means of a First-year Academy. This was done with full support from top management who appointed a task team consisting of academic support staff, lecturers and students. The task team had one semester to complete the work and the final report was handed to management on 30 June 2006. The brief of the task team was threefold: immediate interventions (including business as usual), improved and creative new interventions, and finally a report with proposals how the University should take this forward in terms of interventions, structures and responsibilities. The task team took cognisance of the multitude of variables playing a role in first-year students’ academic success and the interdependence of these variables, with a special focus on the role of teaching and learning. Throughout this phase emphasis was placed on ensuring (a) ownership by the academic and relevant academic support staff, (b) a scientifically based approach, and (c) that the right people will take responsibility for implementation. Top management approved the task team’s report in July 2006 and full implementation started at the beginning of SU’s academic year in February 2007. This includes new initiatives such as the establishment of faculty-specific structures (Teaching and Learning Coordinating Points) where lecturers and academic support staff can collaborate on first-year student teaching and learning concerns and an early warning and feedback system. This paper will therefore provide: (a) a perspective on first-year student success in South Africa and Stellenbosch University specifically, (b) a description of the conceptualization, as well as the establishment of a First-year Academy, and (c) important conclusions, recommendations and lessons learnt on both conceptual and implementation levels.
Negotiating Entry Into Communities of Practice: Extended Degree Programme Students' Perceptions of Their FYE Susan van Schalkwyk Senior Advisor: Coordinator: First-year Academy Stellenbosch University +27 +21 808 3751 scvs@sun.ac.za Understanding the first-year experience remains the endeavour of researchers world-wide as each year new cohorts enter higher education - on the one hand displaying the characteristics of their predecessors, while on the other presenting a new set of challenges. In 2005 the desire to facilitate academic success for these students served as catalyst for the establishment at Stellenbosch University of the First-Year Academy, which seeks to coordinate all activities involving newcomer students and is based on an innovative model of collaboration between faculties and the various student support units across campus. One of the interventions that falls within the Academy’s ambit is the Extended Degree Programme (EDP). In South Africa, a particularly vulnerable sector of the first-year group remains those students who, as a result of an inequitable schooling system, enter higher education at a disadvantage, often under-prepared for their studies. In an attempt to increase the chance of success for these students, the National Department of Education has provided targeted funding to resource Extended Degree or Foundational Programmes to address their academic needs. This paper, which is based on research conducted during 2006, describes the particular realities experienced by 54 EDP students as they sought to negotiate entry into and participate within the various communities of practice that exist in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. The paper tracks the students from arrival through their first year, analyzing their pre-entry data, responses in the Alpha Baseline Questionnaire (see footnote below) and their first-year results. This data is given substance by means of a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with nine of the students and two academics. The data reveals the dissonance between the student perceptions of their own abilities, their stories, and their success. The summary points to lessons that can be learned for future application. [1.The development of the Alpha-Baseline Questionnaire (ABQ) was based on six major studies on student change including Astin's Input-Environment-Outcomes (IEO) approach, Kuh's model of student engagement, Tinto's model of student departure, Pascarella and Terenzini's research on student change, the Freshman Integration and Tracking System (FIT) as introduced by Dietsche and the South African Wellness model. The survey has been implemented at Stellenbosch University since 2002.] Lifestyle of Japanese College Students Douglas Trelfa Associate Professor Tamagawa University
080-5699-1854 dtrelfa@aol.com College is a time when students gain more freedom to make choices while having to take greater responsibility for self-care and well being. As Japanese universities matriculate greater numbers of under-prepared students who must study even harder to achieve standards, increasing attention will need to be directed toward lifestyle choices that support academic growth and achievement. In this presentation, I present data on the lifestyle of Japanese college students based on national samples and a survey I conducted of Japanese university students. I look at tobacco and alcohol consumption, part-time work, sleep, diet, nutrition, and exercise. Research has shown that these lifestyle choices have an impact on academic achievement. The normative Japanese student lifestyle will be contrasted with the lifestyle of U.S. students. As in the United States, college is a time when many students begin tobacco and alcohol use. Many students in Japan work part-time jobs for spending money or to contribute to college education. Poor nutritional habits may also be established as students struggle to maintain busy schedules on small budgets. The data indicate that Japanese students struggle with making choices that contribute to short-term and long-term well being. Gender differences are evident, as well. Distinguishing features of Japanese colleges and the impact on lifestyle choices will be examined. The societal context of these lifestyle choices and a consideration of the proper role of Japanese universities will also be addressed. Student-Involved Pre-Admission Program Atsuo Aoki Associate Professor, College of Business Administration Tamagawa University +81-42-739-8869 a-aoki@bus.tamagawa.ac.jp Shigeo Sato Associate Professor Tamagawa University +81-42-739-8143 shisa@bus.tamagawa.ac.jp Masahiko Gotoh Professor Tamagawa University +81-42-739-8016 mgotoh@eng.tamagawa.ac.jp This presentation describes a pre-admission program developed by the Tamagawa University College of Business Administration. For the past three years, we have offered high school students an opportunity to become acquainted with Tamagawa University before they officially begin university classes and in the process, to become more aware of what college is about. We were concerned about students quitting or not coming to classes in the first two weeks of
school, and students thinking about transferring to another university within a month after their first class. In interviews with these students, we found that they had come to us without much knowledge of Tamagawa University and, therefore, without much expectation and motivation to study at the university level. We decided to develop a bridge program to help remedy this unfortunate situation. In the first two years of our bridge program, we hoped to raise student motivation to study at our university by exposing the high school students to university-level academic work. We prepared a reading and a writing assignment for students to work on at home. Students were asked to submit their assignments through our online classroom management system and were provided feedback from faculty via the same system. Although the program provided some interaction between the students and faculty, it was a very narrow communication channel. In the third year, we upgraded our program and offered the students a face-to-face opportunity to become familiar with university-level study. During the spring break, the students and their parents were invited to our campus for a one-day event. Students and parents participated in a variety of classes and an orientation session with second-year students and faculty. In this presentation we will report on our three-year pre-admission program offering a statistical and qualitative analysis. Cast a Wide Net: Creative First-Year Retention Initiatives Carrie Zimmerman Director, First Year Experience and Asst. Dean Texas Christian University 817-257-7855 c.zimmerman2@tcu.edu The Successful Graduation program has a two-fold aim: 1. Raise retention 5 points in 5 years 2. Improve student success and satisfaction Under the Chancellor’s guidance faculty, staff and administrators have joined forces to create a seamless curricular and co-curricular experience for First Year students that will serve as the foundation for their entire collegiate career. This program will break down the decade worth of research on retention and outline the creative initiatives that the university has begun to keep students enrolled and engaged. Retention data studies and focus groups underscore the point that retention is never single source problem, and therefore requires a multi-faceted approach to improve. A wide net needs to be cast in order meet the diverse needs of our students. Presenter will outline the multi-faceted strategic and tactical programs, as well as retention and data analysis from their implementation.
First Year Experience 3 Step Program: Academic Orientation – a 2 day mandatory on-campus event for students and families during the summer that teaches the academic basics. Frog Camp – a 3 to 5 day retreat program that helps students prepare for everything outside the classroom – diversity, community, time- management and overcoming fears. Connections – a semester long class that connects students to upperclassman mentors, faculty guides and campus resources throughout their transition. Recruit-Back Program – a pro-active approach to finding first year students contemplating transferring. Includes visits to residence halls, phone calls, and mid-semester progress reports. College 101 – students who fall below a 2.0 GPA their first semester, attend this mandatory program: workshops, 1:1 mentoring, and an academic boot camp. High-Achievers – this initiative works to provide opportunities for students with high GPAs and academic promise. Once programs have been outlined, ways to adapt programs for other campuses will be presented. 15 minutes will be left for Q & A from the participants FYEgypt ... An Experience of Challenge and Success Hoda Grant Nashed Core Curriculum Associate Director The American University in Cairo (202) 797-6927/ 797-6845 grant@aucegypt.edu Marsil Kalliney First Year Experience Officer The American University in Cairo (202) 797-6927/ 797-6845 marsil@aucegypt.edu This presentation aims to report on the biggest program the American University in Cairo (AUC) has ever initiated since its inception in 1919. The first-year experience (FYE) was launched fall 2006 to introduce new students to the academic, personal and social competencies expected for first-year success, enable them to appreciate the values upheld by the university, make a smooth transition from school to university life, and finally make new friends. The program is mandatory and fee-based offered once in summer and once in winter for the fall and spring incoming students. The four-day program is a thematically based experiential learning project where each day covers a theme that highlights a key value or an area of knowledge prioritized in the university mission statement. The class of 2010 attended all plenary sessions and then got divided up into smaller classes to put theory into practice through interactive sessions conducted by a faculty mentor who was assisted by a student leader. Before the program started, the faculty and student leaders were trained to use experiential learning techniques and reflection strategies in their classes. So the
learners got immersed in an experience, and then were encouraged to reflect about that experience in an attempt to develop new skills, attitudes or ways of thinking. To add fun to the program, the student leaders organized a variety of social events to entertain the new students after classes with the convocation as the final highlight of the program. Although the evaluations of the fall semester showed favorable results, many changes were implemented in the spring semester to furbish it. You are invited to learn more about the intricate details that made this program a success and the experience of developing, implementing, assessing and polishing it both rewarding and enriching. The Effect of a First-Year Seminar on Students’ Perceptions and on Sophomore Return Rates Wonseok Suh Graduate Student The Pennsylvania State University 965-9410 wxs178@psu.edu Augustus Colangelo Assistant Professor Pennsylvania State University 865-9310 axc31@psu.edu Many researches found that the freshman year has been the time when the greatest attrition occurs (Noel et at., 1985; Tinto, 1987; Consortium for Students Retention Data Exchange, 1999) because the first academic year in college is the very critical period which affects students’ decision to continue the study, and college students who have difficulty in continuing study usually left school within the first academic year (Lau, 2003; Wetzel, O’Toole and Peterson, 1999). For the past four years beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year, the first-year seminar in the SMEAL College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University has been undergoing revisions in order to help new students learn about the university community and reduce college drop out rates. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the First-Year Seminar and identify which student perceptions are influential in the student retention. Students’ perceptions variables including social integration, learning climate, faculty contact, peer feedback and collaborative learning were selected as potential factors and investigated with 590 students (2003 cohort) and 604 students (2004 cohort) for the retention data analysis. From the logistic regression result, among the six perception variables, classroom climate and academic experience for 2003 cohort, and collaborative learning experience for 2004 cohort were shown as influential factors on student retention rate. Also, the perception of drop-out students was less integrated in social integration, academic experience, faculty & peer feedback and collaborative learning ability. This result emphasize the importance of good quality of peer and faculty interaction and the experience of working with other students because the first year experience is strongly connected to
the successful transition to new school life and potential for graduation in the long run. These findings also indicate the necessity of diversified evaluation for the first year seminar and students’ experience. A National Approach to Quality Enhancement of the First-Year Experience: Scotland as a Case Study Ronald Piper Chair of Steering Committee The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 44-(0)1334-462543 vpteach@st-andrews.ac.uk George Gordon Research Professor University of Strathclyde g.gordon@strath.ac.uk This session is distinctive by adopting not simply an institutional approach to the first year but a national approach. Scottish higher education has developed a sector-wide Quality Enhancement Framework that supports higher education institutions (HEIs) to improve the student learning experience. Perhaps unusually, all Scottish HEIs work in partnership with the Quality Assurance Agency of Scotland in promoting one part of this framework, the Quality Enhancement Themes. A current theme is the First Year, which will run at least from 2005-2008. Whilst for many Scottish HEIs a driver for interest in the first year is retention of students in danger of dropping out of university, the First Year theme has decided not to focus upon “at risk” students. Instead, it seeks improvement of the first year for all students. In doing so, it identified two major sub-themes for its approach. Rather than emphasis upon “support”, it gives attention to stimulating student engagement and student empowerment. It commissioned nine projects to provide case studies, workshops and other resources related to aspects of the first year that will highlight student engagement and empowerment. These include: first-year curriculum design, student peer support, formative and diagnostic feedback, information literacy, transition & induction, personal development planning, and first-year “personalization”. These projects build upon recent surveys and literature reviews by the UK Higher Education Academy. In addition to the seven listed above, one further project is devoted to directly capturing the student experience and expectations of the first year across all Scottish HEIs. This helps to inform the ninth project, overseen by Professor George Gordon, which supports individual institutions in their development of strategies and priorities for the first year. As these emerge, a sector-wide discussion of the nature and purposes of the first year is enabled. Back to Basics: What Does It Really Feel Like to be a First-Year Student? Marcia Ody Students as Partners Senior Adviser
The University of Manchester +44(0) 161 275 3254 marcia.ody@manchester.ac.uk Supporting the first year experience and the transition into higher education and their academic journey is an essential factor in ensuring student motivation, enabling students to achieve their potential and in widening access and retaining students. The increasingly diverse student body of institutions is ever changing, understanding the millennium student experience and today’s needs of our first years are key to ensuring effective support. The session will encourage participants to re-evaluate the first year experience and through experiential learning and exploratory discussion to understand how students may feel. The presenter will share experiences of evaluating and researching the student experience and successfully creating partnerships with academic, service and support staff as well higher year students across the University of Manchester, United Kingdom to develop a fertile learning community. As well as sharing the current process reviews of student support and subsequent outcomes at the University of Manchester, participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and good practice with each other, equipping them to explore opportunities to enhance practice at their own institutions and identify ways of implementing integrated approaches to support the first year experience. Narrowing the Skills Gap: A Model for a Discipline-Specific ESL Tutorial Program for First- Year Students Chi Baik Lecturer in Higher Education The University of Melbourne (03) 83443501 cbaik@unimelb.edu.au Joan Greig Language and Academic Skills Advisor The University of Melbourne (03)83449263 jgreig@unimelb.edu.au International and ESL students make up a significant proportion of the students at tertiary institutions in Australia. The findings of a recent study conducted at the University of Melbourne (Ransom, Larcombe & Baik, 2005) indicate a significant gap between international ESL students’ expectations and current university support services for students, and this can contribute to the difficulties faced by new students. To support the first-year ESL students in their transition to University, this paper reports on an initiative developed in the University’s Language and Learning Skills Unit (LLSU) to deliver a content-based ESL tutorial program for students in a core first-year
subject in a faculty with a large ESL student cohort. The objectives of the ESL tutorial program were to help first-year students develop their discipline- specific skills in academic writing, oral presentations and learning strategies. It was hoped that the newly acquired skills would be ‘transferred’ or applied to other subjects in their course. Students were selected for the program based on the results of a diagnostic written task completed by all students in the first lecture of the subject. The tasks were assessed by ESL-specialist academic skills advisers in the LLSU. Approximately 20% of the students who completed the writing task were assessed as “needing substantial improvement” and subsequently allocated to ESL tutorials based. This meant that these students would attend both a weekly ESL tutorial as well as their content tutorials. This paper will describe the structure of the ESL academic skills program including details of the task-based syllabus, methodologies employed and ways that the academic skills advisers collaborated with the subject lecturers to deliver the program. It will also explore the issues faced by the advisers in developing a content-based program in an unfamiliar discipline and outline the methods used to assess the success of the program. The Community College Longitudinal Retention (CCLR) Study: Phase One Claire Ellen Weinstein Professor The University of Texas at Austin 512-471-1375 ce.weinstein@mail.utexas.edu The preponderance of the literature examining factors affecting academic access and success tends to focus on predictive individual, familial, sociological and prior educational achievement variables, such as first-generation and low SES status. While it is crucial to identify correlational and predictive background factors that place first-year college students at-risk, it is also crucial to use diagnostic/prescriptive measures which assess student cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and affective variables which are causative in nature and can be enhanced through educational interventions, such as students’ use of learning strategies and their ability to generate academic achievement motivation. By investigating student variables that contribute to and protect against the negative achievement and retention outcomes experienced by many college students, and which are potentially susceptible to change by educational interventions, we could help generate a database of assessments and potential interventions that could be used in college transition programs to help many at-risk students survive and thrive in higher education. The purpose of this first phase of the study was to identify cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, affective and individual context variables contributing to students’ academic success and retention. Specific instruments included: the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI; college and high school versions), the Perceptions, Expectations, Emotions and Knowledge about College (PEEK) assessment, a measure of self-determination related to college derived from the work of
Deci and Ryan, a measure of general achievement goal orientation for college derived from the work of Midgely and Elliot, an adaptation of Husman’s measure of academic future time orientation (a motivational variable), a measure of academic help-seeking derived from the work of Karabenick, a measure of leveraging academic peer relationships, and Bett’s measure of career decision-making self-efficacy for college students. The design of the study and some initial pilot test results will be discussed. The Icing on the Cake: Adding Peer Leaders to Your FYE Program Cynthia Jenkins Director of Undergraduate Advising The University of Texas at Dallas 972-883-2244 cynthia.jenkins@utdallas.edu To begin our session, we will present a brief overview of the fundamental benefits of establishing a connection between new, first year students and older, experienced peers. Motivated by an outdated peer program which recognized this potential, but which lacked a definite structure, student and instructor buy-in, and clear definition of student roles, we began work on an entirely new initiative for a peer leader program at UTD. Participants will get a look into our brainstorming process and the specific questions we asked in order to establish the foundations of our program. These prompts will help participants apply the remainder of the information in the session to the particulars of their own institutions and programs. We will demonstrate how our programs objectives took shape with regards to the role(s) and responsibilities of peer leaders, and the qualifications required for students to be eligible for considerations. Establishing these elements drives the application and selection process. We will present a workable timeline for this process as we introduce our specific methods and materials for recruiting and selecting students. We will then present ideas for pairing students with instructors and encouraging the teams to begin communicating and establishing their working relationship. Garnering instructor buy-in to the program and their understanding of the students' roles will be discussed as well. Our training methods include a peer leader-only retreat to promote bonding and establish an understanding of the program and their roles. Peer leaders then are required to attend the two mandatory instructor training days as well. An overview of each will be presented. The session will conclude with ideas for encouraging student contributions to the program, program assessment, and the program's place in the larger campus community. The Impact of AVID on Mexican-American Students Enrolled in a Four-Year University
Karen Watt Associate Professor The University of Texas Pan American 956-316-7071 watt@utpa.edu Mendiola Doris Doctoral Student The University of Texas Pan American 956-316-7071 idmendiola@utpa.edu Ersan Alkan Graduate Student The University of Texas Pan American 956-316-7071 ealkan@utpa.edu The purpose of this study was to investigate the postsecondary educational progress of Mexican American students who participated in AVID. Three high schools and one university in south Texas (STBU) were selected to participate in this study. The researcher sought to explain how specific components of the AVID program identified by AVID graduates enrolled in college have influenced their college experiences, as well as to explore what measures can be identified that indicate that AVID graduates are on track for college graduation. Findings indicate that students are better prepared for college because they participated in the AVID program thus exposing them to the rigorous curriculum. The students formed relationships and bonds with others which positively influenced their educational experiences in high school and college. Seventy-nine percent of the AVID students in the sample were on track to graduate from college in six years, compared to 34% nationally and 25% at STBU. Strategies and components of the AVID program identified by AVID high school graduates that influenced their college experiences include rigorous curriculum, Cornell notes, time management, binder organization, tutoring and small group collaboration, oral presentation skills, and individual determination. First-Year Initiative: Bridging the Academic Gap Between High School and College O. W. Johnson Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Tougaloo College (601) 977-7889 ojohnson@tougaloo.edu Alfredlene Armstrong Dean of Comprehensive Academic Resources Tougaloo College 601-977-7751 aarmstrong@tougaloo.edu
Linda Anderson Reading Professor Tougaloo College 601-977-7948 landerson2@tougaloo.edu Demetria Howard-White Professor of Mathematics Tougaloo College (601) 977-7774 dhoward@tougaloo.edu College level requires skilled performances in the use of reading, studying and critical/analytical thinking. Given the number of students entering college with deficits, and the need for strengthening/maintaining skills possessed, it became apparent, intervention strategies were imperative. Each area, Reading, English or Math connects learners with acquired skills, its learning value, its usefulness, and its transference across the curriculum. The Reading Model provides an opportunity for success in developing critical/analytical thinking skills across the curriculum, as well as satisfying graduation requirements. Placement is based on two nationally standardized assessments. Thus, Develop – Reflect – Engage – Assess – Model (DREAM) allows students to Develop skills through systematic practice; Reflect by using meta- cognitive strategies; Engage in thoughtful and methodical practice, revisit skills, note strengths, and weaknesses; and Assess learned skills. The Writing Model engages students in mechanics, reading vocabulary and writing. Mechanics involves group and individual practices. The Reading Area encourages students to read critically and analytically. The Vocabulary Area challenges students to use new words in their writings and conversations, while the Writing Area engages students in meaningful practice: basic paragraph components and a five-paragraph essay. The Mathematical Model uses an action approach. The essential aspects of understanding mathematical principles are introduced: Algebraic, Graphical, and Numerical Problem-Solving. Classroom instruction engages students in problem- solving groups and individual activities. The model encourages the use of critical/analytical skills to connect conceptual understanding to daily application. The Center for Student Advising and Retention/One Stop Services (CSAR/OSS) is an academic service center which addresses the needs of all students. Some of the services are academic advising, tutorial services, tests taking skills and monitoring academic progress. It is centrally located with a staff that assists students from admission through graduation. Its programs provide seamless service across disciplines. It has built-in accountability and measurable expected student outcomes. Integrating First-Generation and Low-Income Students
Sheryl Tynes Associate V.P. for Academic Affairs Trinity University (210) 999-8201 stynes@trinity.edu Roundtables are designed for brainstorming, but Trinity is currently working on a McNair grant and an "Allies" program to help our first-generation and/or low-income students. Some of the major points of discussion: Academic issues--fewer AP, IB, Dual Credits which can mean later registration times than same- semester peers or longer times to graduation; less parental involvement within the institution (e.g., communicating with advisors, administrators, financial aid, etc.); student uncertainty regarding self-advocacy within the system and more of a “pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps” attitude, as opposed to asking for help from professors, tutors; quality of academic preparation in high school. Financial issues--costs of books and other “unknowns” that may not be anticipated; stresses of dealing with Financial Aid and Business Office (personnel there may be incredibly caring, but financial issues are inherently anxiety-laden). Other issues--sense of belonging; sense of being an imposter; social class—-unlike race or sex—-is less transparent, so social connections with similar others take more time and energy. Special programs for these students and their parents are essential to their success. Participants will discuss best practices at their institutions, as well as what more can be done. Developing a Service-Based Leadership Institute for First-Year Students: Strategies for Retaining the Under-Challenged Student John Zavodny Chair of Instruction and Advising Unity College 207.948.3131 ext 259 jzavodny@unity.edu Alisa Gray Special Projects Coordinator Unity College 207.948.3131 x315 agray@unity.edu The Unity IDEaL: Institute for Developing Leaders is part of a six year retention effort at Unity College that is funded by the Melmac Education Foundation. The first year leadership institute is designed as an optional follow up to The Unity Experience, the college’s orientation course and the subject of a presentation at the 19th International Conference in Toronto.
The institute’s goals are 1) Increase persistence of students with identifiable leadership potential, 2) Help new students acknowledge and develop their leadership skills, and 3) Place participating students in leadership opportunities. Program faculty receives administrative support for program assessment and participates in a leadership advisory group of interdisciplinary faculty and staff. Careful selection is essential to programmatic success. In early fall new students showing signs of leadership are nominated for participation. After due consideration, the top twenty-five to thirty percent are invited to register for spring institute courses with the expectation of enrolling twenty percent of students in need of extra challenge. Parents are notified of their child’s early distinction and are encouraged to support participation in the institute. The semester long leadership institute begins in January with a three day retreat. Retreat activities include an address by the college president, leadership training, and initial preparation for local service-learning projects. Then, each week of spring semester the group meets for a two hour evening session involving workshops, guest speakers and service-learning project planning with community partners. A spring break trip offers participants the option of engaging in a service oriented travel course that presents opportunities for leadership and reflection. Students who successfully participate in all components earn four academic credits. Evaluating Transition at UCL Marco Angelini Project Officer University College London 44 2076790489 m.angelini@ucl.ac.uk In this paper I present the results of an evaluation exercise relating to the experience of new first- years in the academic session 2006-07, whilst placing it in the context of the implementation and roll-out of UCL’s Transition Program from its inception and piloting in 2005. The purpose is to trace the development of this institutional innovation, including a set of comments about how it should develop, and to invite discussion concerning how delivery may be improved. Transition is now embedded in 12 departments and teaching programs across 6 faculties, potentially affecting 634 students. Feedback about the program was collected from around 200 first-years in the form of questionnaires, and group feedback sessions were conducted with mentors. This data has been contextualized firstly through some comments on the institutional background of the implementation of the program, and secondly with a set of statistics on retention and achievement at UCL showing the possible impact of transition practices. This data, collected from the Management Information Services department, allows for initial conclusions to be drawn regarding the effectiveness of the programme by comparing teaching programs that do not run Transition support activities against those that do. To summarize, this paper will: (1) outline the overall aims of the program and offer some
commentary on the pilot period, (2) evaluate the current effectiveness of Transition using data from the current first-years and mentors involved, (3) analyze MIS statistics regarding comparative retention and achievement performance, (4) outline the future shape of the programme at UCL, with possible directions for development. Learning Communities and Model Citizenship Initiatives at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Lila Miranda Graves Associate Professor of English University of Alabama at Birmingham (205)934-9968 lgraves@uab.edu Peggy Jolly Professor of English University of Alabama at Birmingham (205)934-4230 jolly@uab.edu Our presentation will describe a three-way initiative that is entering its third year at our institution. This initiative, which prioritizes ethics and civic responsibility, has brought together students and faculty from the Department of English, our ten-year old interdisciplinary Freshman Year Experience program, and our new university-wide Learning Community program. The impetus for this three-way initiative was our most recent SACS re-accreditation review. The Quality Enhancement Plan that we developed during the review period targets the growth of ethics and civic responsibility as one of its three main goals. Broadly stated, our institutional aim was to develop an academic program that would encourage incoming freshmen to make responsible ethical decisions and to work productively within diverse social units. Our presentation will describe how we integrated our goals and objectives the various components of this program. Our presentation will also describe how faculty and administrators from the program’s three interlocking components worked together systematically and cooperatively to insure the program’s success. Presentation materials will include course syllabi and handouts from (1) our Freshman English program, (2) our Freshman Year Experience Civic Responsibility Group Project, and (3) our Exploring Birmingham Learning Community. We will also describe three assessment models that we have used to assess the effectiveness of this program: focus groups, student/faculty evaluations, and quantitative exit exam results for composition classes. Challenges and Opportunities of Curriculum Revision Kathy Nomme
Instructor University of British Columbia 604-822-4788 nomme@zoology.ubc.ca Gulnur Birol Research Assistant-Curriculum Revision Coordinator University of British Columbia 604-827-3414 birol@science.ubc.ca Carol Pollock Senior Instructor University of British Columbia 604-822-4984 pollock@zoology.ubc.ca The Biology Program at the University of British Columbia is offered jointly by Departments of Botany, Microbiology & Immunology and Zoology. For the last four years, the teaching and research faculty from all three departments and the Science Center for Teaching and Learning (Skylight) have been working together as a cross-disciplinary team on the curriculum review and revision of the Biology Program. The curriculum review at the program level has been an extremely useful process bringing faculty with diverse expertise and experience to work towards a common goal of enhancing teaching and learning by finding ways to both reflect the current structure and the operation of the discipline and embrace current views of effective pedagogy and resulted in a series of recommendations. The proposed curriculum changes emerged from two extensive rounds of discussion and consultation in our community: The first round (2002-2003) dealt broadly with education goals and philosophy, and the second (2005-2006) focused on developing and organizing the conceptual content of the first two years in the Life Sciences curriculum. The proposals integrated critical curriculum elements such as identification of the learning outcomes (based on learning objectives), content areas, modes of inquiry & pedagogy, learning environments and implementation issues. The interrelations of these elements were examined carefully in proposing the new set of biology courses (or course revisions thereof) which are based on effective pedagogy; reflect modern biology; and provide acceptable program interface for Botany, Microbiology and Immunology and Zoology programs at UBC. Many faculty members who volunteered to participate in the curriculum committees are now working to implement the proposed changes. In this session, the presenter(s) will describe a model for the curriculum revision process; highlight the challenges and opportunities that are inherent to the process at this scale. We will share the lessons learned from the process along the way and provide an example from a first year biology course that is undergoing curriculum revision. First-Year Experiences in the Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences: Results From a National Study Sylvia Hurtado Professor
University of California-Los Angeles 310-825-1925 sylvia.hurtado@gmail.com Mitchell Chang Associate Professor University of California-Los Angeles 310-825-0504 mjchang@gseis.ucla.edu June Han Postdoctoral Scholar University of California-Los Angeles 310-825-1925 junec@ucla.edu Victor Saenz Visiting Assistant Professor University of California-Los Angeles 310-825-1025 vsaenz@ucla.edu First, we will present information on students’ first year of college, comparing underrepresented students with White/Asian science counterparts. We examined students’ aspirations, access to resources, engagement during their first college year, and preparation for health-science research careers. The results provide both a national profile of different student populations and also serve to identify key student aspirations, competencies, activities and interests that can inform efforts aimed at improving the chances of realizing the early career goals of aspiring scientists. Although many first-year students report a variety of obstacles towards realizing their academic and career goals, URM science students report unique challenges and concerns that differentiates them from their White and Asian peers. These challenges and concerns are related to perceptions of academic ability and performance, financial funding, and the racial climate on campus. Next, we will present findings from a longitudinal assessment of students’ first year experiences to further examine these issues. The purpose was to explore key factors that impact the college transition of aspiring underrepresented minority students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. We examined successful management of the academic environment and sense of belonging during the first college year, using longitudinal data from the 2004 CIRP Freshman Survey and the 2005 Your First College Year (YFCY) Survey. Using a reformulation of the integration model (Nora, Barlow, & Crisp, 2005), we find concerns about college financing, negotiating family support and responsibility, and campus racial dynamics (perceived and behavioral) affect student adjustment and sense of integration in the first year. Perceptions of a competitive environment affect groups differentially, and satisfaction with the relevance of coursework and change in their ability to conduct research are key to transition. Programmatic efforts to improve retention in the sciences in the first year will be discussed with the audience.
A Longitudinal Look at Alcohol Consumption and Prevention Activities John Pryor Director, Cooperative Institutional Research Program University of California, Los Angeles 310.825.1925 john.pryor@ucla.edu Although alcohol consumption by high-school seniors in the United States has dropped over the last two decades, college student use has seen no subsequent decline. Despite a long history of alcohol prevention and education, when compared to other countries, college student alcohol use in the United States continues to remain a problem. This presentation will examine international trends in college student alcohol consumption and prevention, focusing in particular on alcohol use during the first-year of college in the United States. Longitudinal data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey and the Your First College Year (YFCY) survey examines the changes from incoming student to the end of the first-year of college. New YFCY questions examine in greater detail the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption as well as exposure to various types of prevention programs during the first year. Although the longitudinal CIRP data is unique, the presentation will provide relevant data from other countries when possible. One difficulty in comparing such data internationally is the lack of a standard of measure for alcohol consumption. Longitudinal data from over 22,000 incoming students in the fall of 2005 with their subsequent responses after a year of college in 2006 will be used. Approximately 44% had engaged in heavy episodic drinking, consistent with trends seen in other surveys of United States college students. The most prevalent type of prevention activity was a discussion with parents, although this was only reported by 39% of first-year students. And, despite a federal mandate to provide written material to all students concerning alcohol on an annual basis, only 28% reported receiving such material. The presentation will examine the relative impact of the types of prevention activities encountered by these United States students and comparisons made with international activities. Teaching Intercultural Understanding and Skills During the First Year Ruth Robison Director, International Student Services University of Hawai'i at Hilo 808.974.7313 rrobison@hawaii.edu In our increasingly diverse society, inter-cultural awareness and skills are critical attributes for college students to attain. Given that UH Hilo is one of the most diverse campuses in the U.S., our first-year program includes a focus on helping students adjust and flourish in this unique environment. For our international and U.S. continental students, this often requires learning about and respecting their host culture. Over the years, we have developed a variety of programs and
activities to help structure interactions between these various groups. These interactions help local students as well as mainland and international students see the benefits of connecting with students from places other than their own. For example, Hawaiian and other local students and elders have shared and taught about the history, traditions and customs of the many peoples that populate Hawai’i. In many cases, these connections become the most significant educational experience of the student’s college career. They develop a deep appreciation for being “citizens of the world.” Utilizing a panel of students and colleagues, we will discuss programs and activities for enhancing inter-cultural understanding and skill development for students in transition. A Twenty-Year Program: The Highs and Lows, and Now Learning Outcomes Gerry Strumpf Director of Orientation University of Maryland College Park 301-314-8213 gstrumpf@umd.edu The freshman seminar course became a reality at the University of Maryland in 1986 when 80 students were given permission to enroll in the course. The course was also studied experimentally with a group that controlled for the volunteer effect, and it was found that the course made a significant difference in the retention and GPA of the students enrolled in the course. The course has grown over the years and is currently an institutional enterprise. There are a number of colleges that have made the course mandatory, and there is a structured Teaching Assistant Program as part of the course that consists of an upper level 4 credit course. The goal of this session will be to provide an historical perspective on the program, and talk candidly about the strengths and weaknesses. The last part of the session will focus on the learning outcomes that have been developed for the program. Supplemental Instruction (SI): Global Expansion and International Adaptations Glen Jacobs Executive Director, International Center SI University of Missouri - Kansas City 816-235-6326 jacobsg@umkc.edu Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a cost-effective and proven academic support model that was developed over thirty years ago at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Academic Development. Faculty, staff, and students from more than 1,500 institutions in 29 countries have been trained in the utilization of the SI model. The program’s strategy is to reduce the number of unsuccessful course completions (D’s, F’s and Withdrawals) by focusing on high-risk courses, rather than on high-risk students, in an effort to reduce attrition. The SI model offers regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer-facilitated review sessions to all students enrolled in a targeted course. SI sessions are facilitated by “SI Leaders,” students who have previously and successfully
completed the target course. The sessions are informal and emphasize the development of organizational skills, questioning techniques, and test preparation strategies in an effort to engage students in critical thinking and promote both their short- and long-term academic success. The SI model has proven to be very versatile and this is a primary reason why SI has been able to expand globally. The SI model has been adapted and innovative strategies have been employed to meet the distinct needs of various cultures and educational systems that differ in philosophy, culture, financial resources, and student population. For example, during South Africa’s post- Apartheid transformation period, SI was an extremely effective tool for helping marginalized students coming from disadvantaged institutions and backgrounds. To demonstrate possible variations of the model and to illustrate innovative program ideas, the following five institutions from five different countries will be highlighted: University of Manchester, United Kingdom; University of Wollongong, Australia; St. George’s University, School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies; Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa; and Lund University, Sweden. Problem Sets as Opportunities for Growth in Students and Institutions: College Success 101 Fred Wey Faculty University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus 505-863-7500 fwey@gallup.unm.edu James Sayers Assessment Coordinator, Associate Professor University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus 505-863-7582 jsayers@unm.edu Christine Marlow Dean of Instruction University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus 505-863-7500 cmarlow@gallup.unm.edu Our Concurrent Session Presentation will consist of three general parts. It will follow a basic outline handout. First, Mr. Jim Sayers, Assessment Coordinator, will take 5 minutes to introduce the context of the College Success 101 course in the college and the community, alluding to planning and assessment activities stemming from our institution’s participation in the Achieving the Dream initiative and Title III grant that provided the impetus for critical revision of our former freshman orientation course. This included the development of an entirely new Transitional Studies Department in 2005.
Mr. Fred Wey, designer of the College Success 101 course, will then describe the current syllabus and how it addresses needs identified through analysis of CCSSE and other instruments. He will then elaborate on the affective support provided by the course, and refer to spring semester assessments. This narrative will be framed within the context of selected challenges to data- informed change encountered during the first semester of implementation process. Challenges others may face with coordination and involvement of course material with Student Services or other units, or other boundary, licensure, and ethical along with discussion of creative solutions will lead into the general discussion part of the presentation. Mr. Wey’s total presentation should take around 40 minutes, and Mr. Sayers and Dr. Marlow will support the presentation as needed with data references, insights, and commentary on the larger context. The third part of the presentation will be discussion with audience, focusing on students’ reflective assessments and other audience-selected topics from the presentation. “We Go Together”: Discipline-Based Learning Community Leads to Positive Developments for Students Dawn McKinney Senior Instructor University of South Alabama (251) 460-6390 dmckinney@usouthal.edu Karen Peterson Instructor University of South Alabama (251) 460-6146 kpeterson@usouthal.edu Leo Denton Assistant Professor University of Mobile (251) 442-2573 ldenton@mail.umobile.edu Retention rates for students in the computing disciplines are problematic. To address this, a partnership was formed between the English department and the School of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of South Alabama. Freshman computing majors were invited to enroll in a learning community consisting of an English 101 composition class and a Freshman Seminar class for the computing majors. In the learning community composition class, the students were given technology-based writing assignments. This strategy was based on (a) enhancing belonging as a component of retention (Tinto’s model), (b) the need for writing skills for career advancement (Paula Jacobs), and (c) increased performance due to relevance (Keller’s ARCS model).
The Freshman Seminar class had 32 students. Of this total, 15 students were enrolled in the learning community English 101 class, the learning community group. The remaining 17 students, the non-learning community group, were not enrolled in the English 101 due to scheduling conflicts, non-interest, or because they were not required to take English 101. At the beginning of the semester, the learning community as compared to the non-learning community had (a) fewer student relationships within their major, (b) lower levels of belonging as measured by Pascarella’s Institutional Integration Scale, (c) lower scores on the writing skills pretest, and (d) had significantly lower ACT scores (20.5 versus 24.2 in the non-learning community group). By the end of the semester, the learning community students as compared to the non-learning community students had developed (a) more and higher quality student relationships within their major, (b) higher levels of belonging, (c) higher overall scores on three writing assignments graded by independent graders using a rubric, and (d) received higher grades in English 101 and the Freshman Seminar class. The presentation will cover course activities, methodologies, assessment tools, results, and future plans. First-Year Experience, Cultural Awareness, Summer Study Abroad: A Tour of Ireland Ed Madden Associate Professor of English University of South Carolina 803.777.2171 maddene@gwm.sc.edu A two-week tour of Ireland with 14 first-year students provides a case study for the risks and rewards of study abroad and first year students. The presentation will focus on strategies that worked (and those that didn't), as well as on ways that study abroad may amplify elements of the first-year experience, particularly issues of transition, cultural awareness, and community building. The presentation will include an overview of the specific program I directed in Ireland, then move to a discussion of study abroad in relation to first-year experience. Drawing on music, film, and other cultural resources-- from the EuroVision song contest to an assignment sending students into bars to develop a dictionary of slang-- I hope to demonstrate the importance of cultural awareness, varied educational strategies, and a willingness to take risks as essential elements of study abroad. Is it Possible to Sustain Individual Spirituality, Authenticity, Wholeness, and Self-Renewal in the Academy Today? Mary Stuart Hunter Asst. Vice Provost and Exec. Dir., NRC/Univ. 101 Programs University of South Carolina 803-777-4761 stuarth@gwm.sc.edu
Summary: None Publishing on the College Student Experience Barbara Tobolowsky Associate Director, National Resource Center University of South Carolina 803-777-5193 barbarat@gwm.sc.edu Summary: None From Retention to Academic Success: Using First-Year Seminars as a Catalyst for Success in the First Year of College Stephanie Foote Director, Academic Success Center and First-Year Experience University of South Carolina Aiken (803) 641-3321 stephanief@usca.edu Efforts to measure the impact of First-Year Experience initiatives have often focused on the relationship of these programs to student retention and persistence. In the article, “Fostering Student Learning and Success Through First-Year Programs” (2006), Stuart Hunter writes of the shift from measuring retention related to first-year programming to a “…simple, comprehensive, and fundamental concept of student learning: students who learn are students who succeed” (p. 5). This concept of success has become an alternative, and perhaps more comprehensive measure of the effects of first-year programming. As institutions move toward defining and evaluating first-year student success, the role of the First- Year Seminar will become even more significant. The seminar, a fixture in the undergraduate experience of first-year students at many colleges and universities, provides an opportunity to explore first-year student learning. This session will draw on studies about First-Year Seminars and emerging literature on student success to examine the relationship between learning in First-Year Seminars and the academic success of first-year students. Through case studies, participants will learn more about how to measure learning and academic success related to First-Year Seminars. Specific examples of definitions of academic success, learning outcomes, methods of measuring learning outcomes, and examples of collected data will also be shared. Participants will leave the session with practical strategies to help them begin to examine the relationship between First-Year Seminar on their campus and the academic success of their first-year students. Reference
Hunter, M. S. (Summer 2006). Fostering student learning and success through first-year programs. Peer Review, 8(3), 4-7. Themes from Homer's Odyssey: Framework for a First-Year Experience Sheila Waggoner Director, Quality Enhancement Program University of St. Thomas 713-525-3818 sheilaw@stthom.edu Sara Laidlaw Director, Academic Advising University of St. Thomas 713-942-3494 laidlas@stthom.edu Ravi Srinivas Director, Master in Liberal Arts University of St. Thomas 713-525-3804 srinivas@stthom.edu The Odyssey course (UNIV 1101) at the University of St. Thomas is the academic component of the first-year experience program and is required for all first-semester freshmen. Originally offered in the Fall of 2005, Odyssey provides the structure for the first-year experience. It was developed by a team of faculty members, administrators and student affairs personnel as a component of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan. Odyssey uses The Odyssey of Homer, particularly the coming-of-age theme of Telemachus, as a framework for the freshman experience and provides new students an orientation to the life of the university and the skills necessary to succeed as an undergraduate at the University of St. Thomas. Incoming freshman are provided a copy of Robert Fagle’s translation of The Odyssey as assigned summer reading. The course begins during Campus Life Orientation and includes weekly meetings during the regular semester. Each session is presented by a different faculty member, or panel of faculty members, from a variety of disciplines. Learning objectives are anchored in relevant passages from The Odyssey for each session. Throughout the semester, students record their reflections, notes and insights in a workbook designed to look like a passport. Passport entries are graded by freshman advisors. Students who submitted the “best passports” were awarded prizes and two students were awarded scholarships at the end of the course. Course-embedded assessments were used to measure student learning in the course. Focus groups were also used to obtain assessment data. Institutional measures such as retention statistics were used as additional means to assess the program. Program success can be attributed to the level of institutional commitment and support, perceived importance of the course in the minds of students and the university community at large, the quality of student learning experiences, and the level of
student engagement. Looking at Retention ‘From Both Sides Now’: Working With Students and Faculty to Address Student Retention Diane Nutt Head of the Student Retention Team University of Teesside 01642 342541 diane.nutt@tees.ac.uk This presentation will explore the development of an institutional strategy which brings together central support for staff and local support for students with the specific aim of reducing student drop-out. Examples of local and central practices will be provided during the session. The University of Teesside has, for a number of years, been successful in taking an institutional approach to enhancing the first year experience. We have also introduced strategies to support specific groups of students, e.g. mature students. To build on the good work we have already done, we moved into a more explicit focus on reaching students in a faculty context. This change of focus involves a combination of central support for staff and local support for students. The central unit provides faculty development for curriculum and cultural change. It also leads on the University’s retention action plan. This unit therefore provides a coherent strategy and framework, a resource base, and consultancy and research support for the ongoing retention work. Local support for students is provided by Retention Support Officers, one per faculty. This post has two key responsibilities: firstly it provides face-to-face pastoral support for students in the field; and enables retention work to be done with faculty on a day to day basis. The primary focus of this role is the student. This is not a one off strategy, but rather represents joined up thinking – we combine on the spot add on support with curriculum development and institutional change. This approach is adaptable, flexible, and suited to each context. In evaluating this approach we have identified: improved retention figures year on year; have received positive feedback from evaluations with staff and students; and national and government audits positively evaluate both the strategy and practice. The First-Year Film Festival at the University of Toledo uncUT Jennifer Rockwood Director FYE University of Toledo 419-530-2330 Jennifer.rockwood@utoledo.edu
Cheryl Thomas Administrative Secretary, Office of First Year Experience University of Toledo 419-530-8549 Cheryl.thomas@utoledo.edu I propose to present a poster session which will detail the development of uncUT, a first year film festival designed to bolster out of classroom experiences for frosh students. The festival is designed as part of FYE’S in-and-out of the classroom learning objectives and to support a memorable and successful first year. The festival has proven to increase first-year engagement and motivation as well as fostered student intellectual and social development. In this age of MT, You Tube, pod casting and video availability students our “digital natives” are extremely media savvy. They are increasingly aware of the semiotics of film and are conscious of media manipulation. Their natural ability to understand the nuances of imagery and their familiarity with video technology makes this contest a unique and exciting opportunity for collaboration. We have found that students make life long friends while working “hands on” in a group and learn to effectively communicate to their peers the experiences of a first year student. This Festival celebrates the diversity of varied experiences as well as encouraging student self-awareness. As a bonus our campus and community become aware of the challenges facing students in their first transitional year. This poster session will include (on my own PC) videos winners, budget requirements and outline of rules and regulations. The Challenges of Learning Communities in Large Research Universities Corey Goldman Associate Chair (Undergraduate), Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto 416-978-7163 corey.goldman@utoronto.ca Cassandre Giguere Alvarado Assistant Dean, Learning Communities The University of Texas at Austin (512) 232-3997 cgiguere@mail.utexas.edu The objectives of this roundtable discussion are to: - define learning community models in use at large research universities - share best practices in learning communities at large research universities - discuss challenges in staffing, programming and assessment of learning communities at large research universities - provide a forum for educators from large research universities to network and share ideas
The session will begin with an opportunity as a group to define/clarify what is meant by learning communities – helping students make meaningful connections with fellow students, faculty, staff and to the Institution. Each presenter will briefly explain the structure of their learning communities program. The learning community model used at both institutions is where groups of 25 students meet regularly at a schedule time throughout the term in non-credit sessions which are facilitated by a peer mentor and one or more advisor(s); students within each group take between two and four courses in common. The roundtable discussion will focus on the following areas of discussion: - Staffing: What are the challenges faced by large research institutions when staffing learning communities? What role do staff, faculty and student mentors play in the delivery of LC content? What remuneration/recognition/training is offered? In large institutions, especially those with strong colleges/faculties, what role does/should a central LC office play? - Programming: What unique challenges do large institutions present when formatting thoughtful and engaging academic, developmental and social activities for students? - Assessment: In large programs, what type of assessment is most appropriate? What does the research-oriented university demand of assessment? Infusing Effective Advising Into a First-Year Learning Community Martina Stewart Associate Director of University College University of Utah (801) 585-3238 mstewart@uc.utah.edu Carolyn Bliss LEAP Program Director University of Utah (801) 581-3283 bliss-c@ugs.utah.edu Carolan Ownby Director of LEAP Peer Advisors University of Utah (801) 581-3447 ownby-c@ugs.utah.edu At the University of Utah, we have developed two programs with similar goals of promoting the success and retention of first year students: LEAP and the Freshman Advising Program. In this session we will discuss how faculty and staff of a first year seminar program and undergraduate advising office have collaborated to better serve first year students. Our objective is to describe successful advising initiatives that may be adaptable to other institutions.
We will begin by providing background on the development of the LEAP and Freshman Advising Programs. LEAP is a two-semester learning community for beginning students at the University of Utah. Since its inception in 1994 with 100 students, the LEAP Program (Diversity Award Winner) has grown to serve 600 students per year. The Freshman Advising Program (NACADA Award Winner) was implemented in 1999, and uses early spring semester registration to encourage new students to meet with an academic advisor during their first semester. To strengthen the connection between students in LEAP and academic advisors, in 2002 we developed and implemented an advising module to prepare students for early registration. We will discuss this program, as well as the involvement of LEAP Peer Advisors in the advising process, and other ideas to strengthen the connection with advising. Finally, we will show how the collaboration between advisors and the LEAP program led to the development of a course on major exploration for LEAP students, and the benefits of having advisors in the classroom during the first year. The presenters: Dr. Bliss is Director of the LEAP Program and faculty; Dr. Ownby is faculty in LEAP and directs the Peer Advisor Program; Martina Stewart, MS is a professional advisor responsible for coordinating the Freshman Advising Program, and developed the course on major exploration for LEAP students. A Comprehensive Careers Education Program: Preparing U.A.E. National Women for Work and Careers Paul Gore Associate Professor and Student Success Special Projects Coordinator University of Utah 801-581-7233 paul.gore@ed.utah.edu The Careers Education Program at Zayed University is comprehensive program designed both to contextualize the educational experience and to encourage students to consider possible occupational alternatives as they matriculate through their academic requirements. The comprehensive nature of the program is, in part, a function of the social context in which the program is embedded. Such a comprehensive and concentrated focus on careers education might be considered excessive in another culture (e.g., Western Europe or the U.S.) because college bound youth in those cultures have more extensive exposure to the concept of work and career during adolescence. Given the background of the typical (current) Zayed University student, however, the depth and breadth of the program described in this presentation seems not only warranted but well conceived and appropriately administered. This presentation will briefly highlight the main components of the Zayed University Careers Education Program and will evaluate elements of their model to determine how they have implemented critical ingredients in career intervention that have been previously established in the research literature.
Elitism and Entitlement: Challenges and Strategies in Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Students in an Honors Residential First-Year Experience Matt Bradley Associate Instructor, Honors Program University of Utah 801-581-7383 mnb1@utah.edu Gretchen Wilson Program Manager, Honors Program University of Utah 801-581-8907 g.wilson@honors.utah.edu The Honors first-year residential program at the University of Utah is now in its second year. Already we have learned a considerable amount and have made significant changes to better the program. As we seek to build and improve the program we are also devoted to increasing the diversity of students who apply and are accepted to this distinctive program. At the University of Utah admission to the Honors Program is based on an admissions index; this index is a ratio of the student's high school GPA and standardized test score (ACT or SAT). Students who perform well in these areas also tend to be middle to upper class and white. As they are often told by others, these are the “brightest and the best” at the university. They are often also privileged and entitled. Successfully including students from diverse socio-economic and racial groups into such an environment presents a number of challenges. The Honors Program has implemented and will continue to implement programs and practices to increase diversity in its programs. We also have begun conducting qualitative research to assess these efforts. Interviews are conducted with students to learn from them about their experiences and their recommendations. Staff and instructors also meet regularly to evaluate curriculum and student experience based on their observations of and interactions with students. This session will begin with a brief introduction to the Honors first-year program and some of the initial challenges we faced and changes we made to accommodate them. Basic demographic information gathered from the first two years of the program will be presented, which will be followed by a presentation of the results of the qualitative research. The session will conclude with initiatives the Honors Program is making to meet its goals of increasing socio-economic and racial diversity in the program. UW FIG Program: The Benefits of Peer Instruction Steven Oliver Assistant Director for Learning Communities University of Washington 206-616-7260
soliver@u.washington.edu Grant Kollet Director, First Year Programs University of Washington 206-543-9022 grantk3@u.washington.edu Becky Francouer Freshman Interest Group Coordinator University of Washington 206-616-7232 bfran3@u.washington.edu The University of Washington’s Freshman Interest Group (FIG) program is one of the largest and longest consecutively running programs of its kind in the country. UW is often cited as a leader in providing “learning communities” for students (Tinto 1999, Pascarella and Terenzini 1988). Learning communities have many configurations across institutions but the core similarity can be found in the ways in which they provide psycho social support that serves as a strong foundation for student engagement and academic achievement. A FIG is pre-packaged cluster of freshman classes that are offered during the autumn quarter. The success of the UW FIG program is largely due to our innovative use of undergraduates as “FIG Leaders” who are responsible for teaching “The University Community”, a two-credit course that is part of the cluster. We understand that placing undergraduates in classroom as instructors is controversial and that the majority of institutions with similar transition programs use faculty or staff in these roles. We believe that undergraduate students can be trained as effective instructors and that their experiences and perspectives are important for incoming students to have access to. Building on this idea UW has successfully turned what some might argue is a liability into a unique strength that allows us to provide psycho-social support to a larger percentage of our incoming class at significantly lower costs than our peer institutions. Our presentation will explore the theoretical underpinnings of our program model. Additionally we will provide an in-depth review of the content of our FIG Leader Training Course. We will share the findings of our evaluation efforts and will frankly discuss the pros and cons of using undergraduate students as instructors so that other institutions will be able to decide for themselves whether this model would be appropriate to help them expand their current programs. Retention Matters and Academic Performance: From an Upper-Division Campus to a Four- Year University Beth Kalikoff Director of the Core Curriculum University of Washington, Tacoma 253-692-4739 kalikoff@u.washington.edu
Beckie Etheridge Director of the Teaching and Learning Center University of Washington, Tacoma 253-692-5615 beckie@u.washington.edu Rachel May Associate Professor of Global Studies and Human Rights University of Washington, Tacoma 253-692-4469 rmay@u.washington.edu The University of Washington, Tacoma’s pioneer class of first-year students has brought change as dramatic as any in the seventeen-year history of the campus. Our upper-division transfer students— -our only students until this past fall-—are often first-generation college students, in their thirties or forties, attending college part-time, employed part-time or full-time; the vast majority of these students describe themselves as Caucasian. But over 90% of our first-year students are eighteen or nineteen; about 60% describe themselves as of Asian, Pacific Islander, African American, Native American, or Hispanic descent; most are full-time students; 50% are first-generation college students; and most work between ten and forty hours a week. As these data suggest, the first-year retention issues we face have familiar outlines but unfamiliar features. The institution and its employees—faculty, staff, administration—have ethical obligations to this new group of students. But do these obligations differ than those we have to our older, transfer students? Do questions of student motivation and persistence resonate differently for first- year students than they do for upper-division students? The shifting mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar in our new life as a four-year university challenge us to consider and reconsider questions of retention. This session approaches this re-seeing from three perspectives. Beth Kalikoff addresses the way questions of equity and curriculum speak to retention while nevertheless eliding questions of student agency. Beckie Etheridge considers the role of academic support in retention, as well as the data the Teaching and Learning Center collected on persistence and motivation. Rachel May suggests that motivational problems are not easily addressed by faculty: there may be advantages— to students, faculty, and institutional resources—in losing some students sooner rather than later. The discussion following this forty-minute panel may focus on student motivation as a retention issue. To What Extent Do We Change the Student to Fit the Institution or the Institution to Fit the Student? Paula Hixenbaugh Principal Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2002
hixenbp@wmin.ac.uk Alan Porter Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2077 portera@wmin.ac.uk Carol Pearson Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2006 pearsoc@wmin.ac.uk Hazel Dewart Professor of Psychology Education University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2008 dewarth@wmin.ac.uk Corriene Reed Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2101 reedc@wmin.ac.uk An emphasis on student success is at the heart of higher education (HE) internationally. But how far should institutions go to ensure this success? Different HE systems may have a different balance in the extent to which they cater for the needs of students or expect students to conform to their existing structures. Many of us in HE have been involved in initiatives to help 1st year students to adjust to the demands of the educational context of their institution. There are a number of possible initiatives and a wide variety of techniques used around the world. The English HE sector performs well against a range of industrialized countries on student completion, with only Japanese students more likely to obtain their degree. Like many universities around the world, we have found that the more traditional student (under 21) is most likely to succeed. Students who withdraw tend to have lower prior academic qualifications. Like in many other parts of the world, UK HE Institutions have been instructed by the government to provide different and more resource intensive support for those students who may find it more difficult to achieve their qualifications. This has been met with mixed reactions from the academic community. At the University of Westminster, we have developed a number of schemes aimed at changing the student and improving the student experience, leading to higher retention rates. These include: a new personal tutoring system, a student e-mentoring system, additional support for disability, and an emphasis on study skills. There have also been changes to the University to accommodate non- traditional students, including new coursework approaches, flexibility in timetables and modes of study, more virtual learning environments, and enhanced curriculum diversity. To what extent
should universities explore the needs and experiences of their students in order to accommodate them? To what extent can/should institutions change to enable students to progress? Peer Mentoring for First Year Students via E-mail: Implementing and Evaluating E- Mentoring Hazel Dewart Professor of Psychology Education University of Westminster 44+ (0)207 911 5000 x 2008 dewarth@westminster.ac.uk First year students may be able to benefit from the experience and advice that can be provided by students who are at a more advanced stage of the same course. This poster describes an approach to providing additional support for first year students through linking them with a more experienced mentor who has been trained and with whom they communicate by e-mail. This approach was developed in the Department of Psychology at University of Westminster, London, UK and is now being more widely adopted. Particularly in a large metropolitan University, the student body is often widely dispersed and diverse in ethnic background, age and educational background. Promoting social and academic integration can be a particular challenge. Like other forms of mentoring, e-mentoring can offer a one-to-one relationship between a novice first year student and a more experienced learner who has been trained to provide support and guidance that is additional to personal tutoring and other forms of support. There are a number of reasons why electronic communication is particularly well suited to this type of mentoring: including its accessibility, and relevance to the lifestyles of many students. It has additional benefits where students differ widely in age, ethnicity and culture. It is also known to facilitate disclosure of concerns and anxieties in a way that face-to-face contact may not. After five years of running such a scheme we have considerable empirical evidence of the impact of e-mentoring. This evidence comes from a controlled study of a range of evaluative and psychological measures. Overall, students in cohorts which were offered e-mentoring report feeling more socially integrated into the university and higher satisfaction with the university. Feedback questionnaire responses demonstrate that mentors, as well as mentees, gain from taking part in e-mentoring. The Successful First-Year Student: Enhancing Academic and Social Integration in a Supportive Learning Environment Corriene Reed Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster
020 7911 5000 ext 2101 reedc@wmin.ac.uk Carol Pearson Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2006 pearsoc@wmin.ac.uk Alan Porter Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Westminster 0207 911 5000 ext 2077 portera@wmin.ac.uk Tinto (2002), in his research on learning communities, has proposed that high academic and social integration are associated with high rates of retention. At the University of Westminster, the Teaching and Learning Research Group have made a number of innovations to facilitate this. The Psychology Quiz Project focused on encouraging social integration (and indirectly enhancing academic integration) by having teams of students competing for prizes in an informal climate, using a virtual learning environment, Blackboard. In addition, the Study Group Project aimed to enhance academic and social integration in three ways. First, to explicitly encourage mutual peer support and learning, second to provide a cost effective means of providing face to face staff contact and third to extend, via ICT, contact between students and between staff and students, beyond the boundaries of the institution. Overall, both staff and students who participated in the projects felt that these were interesting initiatives that had enhanced the first year student experience. Evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative data, using focus groups supported this. Issues raised in the implementation of these projects, such as staff resources and knock on effects from the success of these projects are explored. Unintended consequences, such as changing student expectations and the “safety net” issue are discussed, as are broader issues such as the perception of ICT as replacement rather than supplement to face-to-face interaction. The successful first year student has a clear sense of belonging and community, which a supportive learning environment can help foster. This needs to be balanced with challenges to educationalists in terms of time, enthusiasm and evaluation. Early Undergraduate Involvement in Research and Retention Svetlana T. Karpe Assistant Dean, URS Director University of Wisconsin-Madison 608-262 5884 stkarpe@wisc.edu
Undergraduate Research Scholars Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is an academic program where students earn credit through connecting with faculty, staff and researchers during their first and second year on campus. The program was founded in 1999 with a particular focus on reaching out to under-represented groups of students – low income and first generation college students, women in science and engineering, and minority students, with a particular focus on advancing minority student participation in STEM fields. Every year the program enrolls between 100-150 first and second year students for two semesters of inquiry-based learning or creative expression projects under the supervision of UW faculty and researchers and participation in a weekly research seminar facilitated by older students (Undergraduate Research Fellows). The data gathered suggests that fostering community and appreciating diversity while engaging in inquiry-based learning under a direct guidance of a faculty mentor is particularly beneficial for improved academic performance in students who are academically under-prepared when they enroll at UW-Madison. Enrollment of minority students in URS program hovers consistently at about fifty percent and academic performance of URS targeted minority students is significantly better over their majority peers. Our data suggests that early involvement in research promotes academic competency resulting in improved academic and institutional integration. Through direct involvement with faculty students acclimate to the scholarly research culture necessary for their success. Surveys administered to students at the end of each semester and academic year indicate that students benefit from the less formal structure of the seminar facilitated by their older peers. Are You Going to PASS? (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) Sally Rogan Manager, First Year & Transition Programs University of Wollongong 61 2 4221 5588 sally@uow.edu.au Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) is based on Supplemental Instruction (SI) as developed by the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC).The presenter will cover the implementation and expansion of PASS at the University of Wollongong (UOW) over a 6 year period. From 1 partner faculty in 2002, the Program now supports students in all nine faculties. The presenter will detail how challenges to this expansion were overcome and innovations made to support the expansion and make the program the primary FYE initiative at UOW. Nearly 40 leaders now support over 1,000 participants per semester. Innovations have included the use of on-line enrolment and extensive email marketing. UOW PASS has received national and international recognition and commendations. The presenter will detail how UOW has led the second wave of implementation of PASS in Australia since becoming the National Centre in 2005. SI / PASS was introduced originally in Australia in the early nineties. The program initially flourished in a number of universities along the Pacific coastline before encountering political difficulties and the retirement of the then National Trainer. Without appropriate leadership, the PASS Program’s profile then languished for a number of years.
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