Beyond Orientation Week: Reconnecting Students at Critical Success - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Beyond Orientation Week:

Reconnecting Students at Critical Success Points

34th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience

Presentation Overview

• Institutional profile
• Purpose and goals of Reconnect Program
• Program design
• Lessons learned
• Questions and discussion

Missouri University of Science & Technology

• Founded in 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines
• Became part of the University of Missouri System in 1964
• In 2008 University of Missouri-Rolla became Missouri S&T
• Located along the I-44 corridor, 100 miles west of St. Louis

Campus Demographics

3849 4089 4120 4313 4515 4753 4912 5205 5504 5672 5843 6146 6522 1391 1370 1287 1289 1343 1414 1459 1610 1702 1850 1804 1984 2120

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Graduate Students Undergraduate Students

2002-2014 Missouri S&T Enrollment Trends

Campus Demographics

Fall Semester 2014 First Time Freshmen

Enrollment: 1291 Average ACT: 28.4 Average HS GPA: 3.85 Gender: 23% Female, 77% Male Engineering & Computing Majors: 82% of

undergraduate population

Retention Rates

1st-2nd year (FS2013): 86%

• up 3% from previous year

2nd-3rd year (FS2012): 73%

Retention Challenges

Missouri S&T surveys students not planning to return to the university after their first year. Of those students surveyed, here are the top reasons for not returning:

• Academic (challenging curriculum, low grades, lost scholarship, falling

behind, repairing GPA)

• Financial aid/price (lack of financial aid, cheaper at community college)
• Closer to home (family)
• Connection and Atmosphere (didn’t connect with people, socially awkward

campus, small town, nothing to do)

• Problems with faculty (lack of help, communication)
• Unprepared (wasn’t ready, lack of confidence)
• Lack of majors outside of engineering

University’s Strategic Plan

Achieve Sustainable Growth To Ensure Best Return On Investment

• Undergraduate student enrollment (Fall Semester 2012

Baseline: 5,843; Fall Semester 2020 Target: 6,343)

• First-to-second year undergraduate student retention

rate (2012 Baseline: 85%, 2020 Target: 88%)

Reconnection Program

• Grounded in Astin’s (1984) Theory of Involvement, Tinto’s

(1993) Integration Framework, and Pearson’s (1986) Social Support Model

• Intended to supplement existing first year programs

– Comprehensive Opening Week orientation program – Two year on-campus residency requirement – Campus lacks a common freshman curriculum – Retention data suggested a need for extended orientation programs

• Aims to “Reconnect” students with resources introduced

during Opening Week

– “Just in time” learning (Marquardt, 2011)

Reconnection Program

• Pilot program

– New Student Programs – Undergraduate Studies – Undergraduate Advising – Residential Life – Student Diversity, Outreach, and Women’s Programs

Reconnection Program

• Reconnection I

– Scheduled during the fourth week of classes

• Shortly after first exams to address academic resources
• Two hour program

– Meetings with Opening Week mentors

• Small group facilitated discussions
• Campus resources, time management, “checking in” with

students

– Students moved to a large group session featuring

• Goal setting activity
• Faculty and student success panels
• “I Commit” Pledge

Reconnection Program

• Reconnection I

Reconnection Program

• Reconnection II

– Scheduled near midterms

• Address campus involvement and connections to the S&T

community

• Key offices/departments participate in the Resource Fair

– “Conference Style” programming format

• Students select two sessions (20 minutes each)
• Career Center, stress management, faculty advice, student

involvement panels, financial assistance, information to help them move forward to the next semester

Reconnection Program

• Communication & Outreach

– Student Success Programs – Greek Life – Residential Life – Parent & Family Programs – Athletics – Faculty – Student Life

Reconnection Program

• Involvement of student mentors

– Opening Week mentors

• Support from other student mentors

– Greek Life – Residential Life – Athletics – Student Diversity, Outreach, and Women’s Programs

Outcomes

3.2 3.3 3.4 3 3.066 2.98 2.81 2.79 2.95 2.967 3.15 3.05 3.16 3.04 3.078 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Reconnection I Reconnection II Reconnection I & II Did not attend Overall Average GPA

Average GPA of students who participated in Reconnection

(First Time College)

Average GPA FS2012 Average GPA FS2013 Average GPA FS2014

Outcomes

96.4% 97.7% 98.1% 92.0% 92.9% 99.0% 97.3% 98.6% 95.5% 96.6% 98.0% 99.0% 99.0% 97.7% 94.0%

88.0% 90.0% 92.0% 94.0% 96.0% 98.0% 100.0% Reconnection 1 Reconnection 2 Both Did not attend Overall Total

FTC First Semester to Second Semester Return Rate

2012 2013 2014*

*2014 data is not confirmed until 4th week. FTC Frist Semester to Second Semester Return Rate Total FTC FS2014 N=1291; Total FTC returning SP2015 N=1216 Total FTC FS2013 N=1263; Total FTC returning SP2014 N=1221 Total FTC FS2012 N=1119; Total FTC returning SP2013 N=1040

Outcomes

67% 60% 0% 66% 92% 82% 66% 76% 68% 88% 72% 93% 91% 77% 70% 71% 89% 60% 83% 85% 66% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Learned something that will help me be more academically successful Small group activities w/ mentor were helpful I enjoyed connecting again with my mentor group Large group activities (goal setting, panels) were helpful Information was clear and easy to understand I know how to apply what I learned to my situation This event met my expectations

RECONNECTION 1 - Student Success Secrets 2012, 2013, & 2014 comparison

2012 N=242; 2013 N= 366; 2014 N=455 Most Helpful or Helpful 2012 2013 2014

Outcomes

87% 97% 97% 96% 89% 100% 98% 82% 100% 97% 95% 91% 89% 94% 95% 63% 84% 97% 89% 90% 82% 96% 94%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Academic Resource Fair (n=39/38/73) Student Financial Aid Break-out Session (n=30/12/50) Registrar Break-

• ut Session

(n=36/34/73) Career Opportunities Break-out Session (n=56/21/73) Counseling and Disability Support Break-

• ut Session

(n=27/11/30) Information Technology break-out Session (n=0/18/44) Faculty Panel Break-out Session (n= 47/35/47) Student Panel Break-out Session (n=47/20/64)

2014 RECONNECTION 2 - Tools for Moving Forward

Most Helpful or Helpful

2012 2013 2014

Where We Are Today

• Continue to reassess and evaluate the

Reconnection program for improvement

• Creation of a Student Success Center
• Targeted “At Risk” student population
• Piloted a “Sophomore Summit” in Fall

2014

Lessons Learned

• Student involvement lends credibility to the

program

• “Just in time learning” is crucial
• Embrace opportunities to normalize common

freshman transition issues

• Programming must support a culture of

student success

References

Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Marquardt, M. J. (2011). Building the learning organization: Achieving strategic advantage through a commitment to learning (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Pearson, J. E. (1986). The definition and measurement of social support. Journal of Counseling and Development, 64, 390-395. Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press. Tinto, V. (2012). Completing college: Rethinking institutional action. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Questions?

Patty Frisbee Student Success Programs pfrisbee@mst.edu Rachel Morris Office of Undergraduate Studies rachelm@mst.edu Kristi Schulte Department of Residential Life schultek@mst.edu