THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO BLACK STUDENT UNION FRESHMAN LEADERSHIP - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

BLACK STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO BLACK STUDENT UNION FRESHMAN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Joel T

• dd

Guidance Coordinator, UT Upward Bound Program, former BSU Student Leader

Martino Harmon

Dean of Student Dev. Rhodes State College, former Director of UT African American Student Enrichment Ohio FYE Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio October 16, 2009

BSU Freshman Leaders

Rights of Passage

BSU Freshman Leadership

Overview

 Need for Efgective Sustainable Black Student

Leadership

 Poor Retention of UT African American Students  African American Student Enrichment Initiatives and

the First Year Experience Program

 Proposal for BSU Freshman Leadership Program “FLP”  FLP Recruitment, Curriculum, Structure  FLP Activities  Outcomes (data and impact on BSU/campus

leadership)

 Past, Present, and Future Challenges  T

estimonials from Past Participants

Situational Analysis: Black Student Leadership and Success

Black Student Success at UT

 Large increases in enrollment

• f new direct-from-high

school African American students between 2000-2004

 Many students

underprepared, fjrst- generation

 Students expressed a feeling

• f disconnect from campus

resources

 First-to-second year retention

dips below 50%

 Six-year graduation rate 22%

Black Student Leadership

 Strong leadership from

early to mid-2000’s (Alcorn, Braylock, Tucker administrations)

 Concerns about Black

student leadership include:



Sustainability



Consistency



T urnover



Academic success



Efgectiveness

 Lack of Black leadership in

predominately White campus organizations

Data provided by UT Office of Institutional Research

Black Student Union FLP

The BSU FLP was created in fall semester 2005 to create servant-minded, efgective, and sustainable African American student leaders that can transform life for students enrolled at The University of T

• ledo,

and make a difgerence in the T

• ledo community. FLP

focuses in six core areas:

1.Academic Success 2.Career Exploration &

Development

3.Community

Engagement

4.Cultural-Social

Education

5.Leadership

Development

6.Mentorship

Support from: African American Student Enrichment Initiatives

Created in February 2005 to provide support services and programs that target African American students at UT in an efgort to promote success. AASEIO programs include:

 Offjce that serves as a

resource/referral center

 Weekly “Reaching African

American Potential” RAAP Sessions

 Enrichment Institute Orientation  Dr. Lancelot Thompson

Recognition Program

 Special Workshops for Freshmen  Access to leadership and

mentorship

 Diversity Scholars Meeting  Graduation Recognition with

BSU

Funding for FLP Provided by UT First Year Experience Program

The UT Division of Academic Afgairs provided competitive institutional grant funding from the Ohio Academic Success Challenge. Examples of other funded programs include:

 African American Student Enrichment

Initiatives

 Offjce of Latino Initiatives  Living-Learning Floors  Supplemental Instruction  Mentorship Programs  Service Learning

FLP Recruitment and Selection

 BSU and AASEIO

combined tables during UT Rocket Launch Orientation

 Applications

reviewed by BSU

 Students selected

for interviews in early fall semester

 Approximately 60

interviewed for 30 spots

Orientation and Fall Retreat

 New FLP Member

• rientation held

second week of fall semester

 Fall Retreat:

training session and ropes course designed to give students and foundation, and bond the new class

FLP Leadership Development

Curriculum “The Mindset of a Servant Leader” The Blueprint for Success” “Losers Retreat, Winners Regroup” “When All Else Fails..Let Your Mission Lead You” Fiscal Management Leadership Dev and Confmict Mgt Budget Management Textbooks

Developing Leadership Abilities by Arthur Bell and Dayle Smith. The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson. T ake Your Leadership to the Next Level! The Seven Secrets of Thriving Student Leaders by Jonathan Sprinkles.

Additional Leadership Development Activities

• Group Projects

focused on problem solving, program planning, budget management

• Journal entries
• Short essays
• n outcomes
• Pre and Post

Self Assessments

• Academic

Planning and Goal-Setting

Community Service & Campus Leadership Experiences

Community Service

• Mentoring kids and

cleaning at the Grace Community Center

• UT Dance Marathon
• Big Event Community

Clean-Up with UT Student Leaders Campus Leadership Experiences

• State Government

Leadership T rip with Leadership UT Class

• Meeting with Jefg Johnson,

Black Entertainment TV Political Analyst ,former UT Student Leader and

• Workshop with Cornell

McBride, pharmacist and entrepreneur

Spring Capstone Retreat

Maumee Bay State Park Trust Walk Review of Lessons Games and Icebreakers Talent Competjtjon Recreatjon Capstone Exam Evaluatjon Rights of Passage

Retreat planned with the assistance of the UT Offjce of Student Actjvitjes and Leadership

FLP Graduation

Assessment

The following tools and information have been used to assess the outcomes of students participating in the BSU Freshman Leadership Program

• Retention reports
• Grade point averages
• Journal entries
• End of course paper
• Capstone exams
• Pre and Post Self-Assessments
• Program Evaluations
• FLP Grads involved in leadership positions in BSU

and other organizations

All African-American DHS Students 482 490 78.4% 79.6% All African-American DHS Non-Participants 458 450 77.3% 78.3% ACT-Matched Non-Participants 24 22 83.3% 86.4% BSU-FLP Participants 24 22 100.0% 95.5% 2005 2006 2005 2006

Cohort Size Percent Retained

Freshman Leadership Program vs. Comparison Groups Fall-to-Spring Retention Fall 2005 and 2006 Cohorts

Freshman Leadership Program vs. Comparison Groups Fall-to-Fall Retention Fall 2005 and 2006 Cohorts

Cohort Size

Percent Retained

2005 2006 2005 2006 All African-American DHS Students 482 490 51.5% 52.0% All African-American DHS Non-Participants 458 450 49.8% 50.6% ACT-Matched Non-Participants 24 22 50.0% 50.0% BSU-FLP Participants 24 22 83.3% 86.4%

2005 2006 2005 2006 All African-American DHS Students 482 490 2.53 2.51 All African-American DHS Non-Participants 458 450 2.50 2.49 ACT-Matched Non-Participants 24 22 2.66 2.78 BSU-FLP Participants 24 22 2.99 2.89

Cohort Size High School GPA

Freshman Leadership Program vs. Comparison Groups High School GPAs Fall 2005 and 2006 Cohorts

Student T estimonials

My view on leadership has changed since the program started… Instead of trying to just run things, I’ve learned to listen and get feedback from others. I’m more open-minded.” “Now when I think of a leader it is someone who is dedicated, teachable, coachable, and doesn’t have to be in the spotlight” “I plan on leading for the rest of my life and doing as much on campus as I can.” “This program has made me more focused in school, and has raised my grades and view on school.” “Yes [this program has enhanced my fjrst semester as a freshman when compared to my freshmen peers], I am more focused as a freshman leader as opposed to my freshmen

• peers. I really try to succeed to be the best I can be.”

“I have more friends I can depend on and I know I need to work

• n my attitude and my leadership skills.”

Past, Current, and Future Challenges

 Some students experienced diffjculties

• vercoming academic and fjnancial

challenges

 Program retention (some students drop out)  Funding lost due to state budget cuts  Changing institution priorities (FYE program

restructured)

 Diffjculty in achieving high expectations of

student leadership outcomes

Desired Outcomes

• Higher fjrst-to-second year retention as

compared to their peers with similar academic credentials

• Students develop a stronger connection to the

institution

• Students assuming leadership roles in the Black

Student Union and on-campus

• Students develop a special bond as FLP

graduates (pride)

• Students develop a sense of responsibility to

give back to the campus and T

• ledo community

FLP Graduates Involvement

FLP Grads Participation in Organizations or Programs

• Resident Advisor
• UT Honors Program
• Student Government
• Campus Activities and Programming “CAP”
• Camp Adventure
• UT NAACP
• University of T
• ledo Restoration Praise Choir
• Student African American Brotherhood
• UT Student Ambassadors
• UT Gear Up Program T

utors

• UT FYE Film Festival Participants
• Fraternities and Sororities (National PanHellenic Groups)
• 4-African American Women “4AW”
• UT Service Learning Program

What Can You Do: Recommendations

1.

Consider starting a group on your campus that focuses on an underperforming group,

• r a diversity leadership group

2.

T rain an existing group of students before starting with freshmen so it will become a student-driven initiative the following year

3.

Propose a living-learning community for the students if possible

4.

Write grants to develop a variety of funding sources

5.

Plan to continue to develop the leadership skills in year two

BLACK STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO BLACK STUDENT UNION FRESHMAN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Joel T

• dd

Joel.todd@utoledo.edu 419.530.3810

Martino Harmon

Harmon.m@Rhodesstate.edu 419.995.8133