1. Student Success
Aaron Thompson, PhD

2. Achieving Student Success in the Community College

3. Student Diversity in America’s Community Colleges
There are 13 million students currently enrolled in approximately 1,150 community colleges in the United States; they account for almost half of all first-year college students in America today.
More than 630,000 community college students will earn an associate degree this year, and more than 425,000 will earn a certificate.
Most first-year community college students are employed either part or full time and attend college part time.
The average age of the American community college student is 28.
Almost 42 percent of all community college students are the first in their family to attend college.
More than 37 percent of community college students are members of minority racial or ethnic groups.
Close to 6 percent of international students attend America’s community colleges
Source: American Association of Community Colleges (2012).

5. college degree or certificate learning commitment
As educators we need to inform students of the importance of the benefits of a:
college experience
college degree or certificate
learning commitment

6. Why College Is Worth It Career Benefits Economic Advantages
Advanced Intellectual Skills
Better Physical Health
Social Benefits
Emotional Benefits
Effective Citizenship
Higher Quality of Life for Their Children

8. Career Benefits Security and stability—lower rates of unemployment
Versatility and mobility—more flexibility to move out of a position and into other positions
Advancement—more opportunity to move up to higher professional positions
Interest—more likely to find their work stimulating and challenging
Autonomy—greater independence and opportunity to be their own boss
Satisfaction—more enjoyment of their work and the feel that it allows them to use their special talents
Prestige—higher-status positions (i.e., careers that more socially desirable and respected)

10. Economic Advantages Make better consumer choices and decisions
Make wiser long-term investments
Receive greater pension benefits
Earn higher income

11. Advanced Intellectual Skills
Greater knowledge
More effective problem-solving skills
Better ability to deal with complex and ambiguous (uncertain) problems
Greater openness to new ideas
More advanced levels of moral reasoning
Clearer sense of self-identity and greater awareness and knowledge of personal talents, interests, values, and needs
Greater likelihood to continue learning throughout life

13. Better Physical Health
Better health insurance—more comprehensive coverage and greater likelihood of being covered
Better dietary habits
More regular exercise
Lower rates of obesity
Longer and healthier life

15. Social Benefits Higher social self-confidence
Better understanding and more effective communication with others
Greater popularity
More effective leadership skills
Greater marital satisfaction

16. Emotional Benefits Lower levels of anxiety
Higher levels of self-esteem
Greater sense of self-efficacy and belief that they have more influence and control over their life
Higher levels of psychological well-being
Higher levels of personal happiness

18. Effective Citizenship
Greater interest in national issues, both social and political
Greater knowledge of current affairs
Higher voting participation rates
Higher rates of participation in civic affairs and community service

19. Higher Quality of Life for Their Children
Less likelihood of smoking during pregnancy
Better health care for their children
More time spent with their children
More likely to involve their children in educational activities that stimulate their mental development
More likely to save money for their children to go to college
More likely that their children will graduate from college
More likely that their children will attain high-status and higher-paying careers

20. Why Do Students Leave? Academic Reasons Personal Reasons
Financial Reasons

22. Academic Reasons Not challenged academically
Not academically prepared (underprepared students graduate about half the rate a prepared student does in 6 years)
Lack of academic focus
Desired major unavailable

23. Personal Reasons Institution isn’t a good personal fit
Medical issues (personal, parent, spouse, child)
Relationship issues (parents, significant other)
Poor social adjustment (lacking friends)
No sense of belonging
Lack of clear goals and purpose of college
Lack of discipline
Homesick

24. Financial Reasons
Unrealized expectations (thought they were getting something else, wasn’t worth the cost)
Had to go to work for family or other reasons (especially true for adult learners)
Insufficient financial aid (ran out of money)

26. Creating an Environment for Student Learning and Student Success

27. Principles of College Success
Research on human learning and student development indicates four powerful principles of college success:
Active Involvement
Use of Campus Resources
Interpersonal Interaction and Collaboration
Personal Reflection and Self-Awareness (Astin, 1993; Kuh, 2000; Light, 2001; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, 2005; Tinto, 1993).
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

29. Active Involvement
Research indicates active involvement may be the most powerful principle of human learning and college success. The principle of active involvement includes the following pair of processes:
The amount of personal time a student devotes to learning during the college experience
The degree of personal effort or energy (mental and physical) students put into the learning process
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

30. Student Success and Interpersonal Interaction
Four particular forms of interpersonal interaction have been found to be strongly associated with student learning and motivation in college:
Student-Faculty Interaction
Student-Advisor Interaction
Student-Mentor Interaction
Student-Student Interaction
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

31. Student-Faculty Interaction
Studies repeatedly show that college success is influenced heavily by the quality and quantity of student-faculty interaction outside the classroom. Such contact is positively associated with the following positive outcomes for college students:
Improved academic performance
Increased critical thinking skills
Greater satisfaction with the college experience
Increased likelihood of completing a college degree
Stronger desire to seek education beyond college (Astin, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, 2005).
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

33. Student-Faculty Interaction
Further, research studies demonstrate that students’ success is heavily influenced by the quality and quantity of their interaction with faculty members outside of the classroom. More specifically, student-faculty contact outside of class is positively associated with the following student developments:
Improved academic performance
Increased critical thinking skills
Greater satisfaction with the educational experience
Stronger desire to further education beyond high school
Involvement in own academic and personal success
How students interpret messages received from family, school, and community
Making choices that are in the best interest of their success

34. Student-Student Interaction
Studies of college students repeatedly point to the power of the peer group as a source of social and academic support (Pascarella, 2005).
Peer interaction is especially important during the first term of college. At this stage of the college experience, new students have a strong need for belongingness and social acceptance.

35. Student-Student Interaction
A study conducted by Light (2001) found that students who formed or participated in small groups was a strong determinant in their college success.
Students who participated in study groups once weekly were more engaged, showed increased class preparation, and learned significantly more than students who worked alone.

36. Interaction with an Advisor
Can be an effective referral agent who can direct students to, and connect students with, campus support services that best meet their needs
An individual students should meet with more regularly than course instructors

37. Interaction with a Mentor
Research in higher education demonstrates that a mentor can make first-year students feel significant and enable them to stay on track until they complete their college degree (Campbell & Campbell, 1997; Knox, 2008).

38. Self-Reflection Important step in achieving success in college
Involves self-assessment, self-monitoring, reflecting on feedback, and reflecting on the future
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

39. Self-Assessment
Process of evaluating personal characteristics, traits, habits, and their relative strengths and weaknesses
Include personal interests, personal values, personal abilities or aptitudes, learning habits, learning styles, personality traits, and academic self-concept (personal beliefs about what kind of student he/she is are and how they perceive him/herself as a learner)
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

41. Self-Monitoring
Maintaining an awareness of how effectively you are learning, if you are learning what you are attempting to learn, and what you are attempting to learn
Good habits mean periodically having students ask themselves the following questions:
Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development (Cuseo, Thompson, & Fecas, 2010)

42. The Future of America
Although minorities now make up approximately 1/3 of the population, they are expected to be the majority by 2042 and projected to be 54% of the population by 2050.
By 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all children.

43. The Future of America
The population of non-Hispanic whites is expected to be only slightly larger by 2050 than in 2008.
This group is projected to lose population in the 2030s and 2040s and comprise 46% of the population by 2050, down from 66% in 2008.

44. The Future of America
In contrast, the Hispanic population is expected to triple from 46.7 million to million during the time period.
The black population is expected to increase from 14% in 2008 to 15% in
The Asian population is expected to increase from 5.1% in 2008 to 9.2% in

45. Community Colleges Will be the Access and Success Venues for Many of These Students

46. Diversity Strengthens Development of Learning & Thinking Skills
Research on first-year college students shows that students who experience the highest level of exposure to different dimensions of diversity (e.g. interactions and friendships with peers of different races, or participating in multicultural courses and events on campus) report the greatest gains in:
thinking complexity – the ability to think about all parts and all sides of an issue (Gurin, 1999),
reflective thinking – the ability to think deeply (Kitchener et al., 2000), and
critical thinking – the ability to think logically (Pascarella et al., 2001).

48. Diversity Increases the Power of a Liberal Arts Education
There is no way to gain a global perspective without understanding human diversity.
Another perspective that should be developed as part of a liberal arts education is a national perspective, which involves understanding and appreciating your own nation.
Because of the increasing diversity of the U.S., “multicultural competence” – the ability to understand cultural differences and to interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds – has become an important liberal art skill that is critical for success in today's’ world (Pope et. al., 2005).

49. Diversity Promotes Creative Thinking
Experiencing diversity can enhance your ability to think creatively.
Diversity experiences supply us with different thinking styles that can help us to be aware of our own cultural framework.
These experiences also help us to be aware of our perceptual “blind spots” and avoid the dangers of group think – the tendency for tight, like-minded groups of people to think so much alike that they overlook the flaws in their own thinking – which can lead to poor choices and faulty decisions (Janis, 1982).

51. Diversity Enhances Career Preparation & Success
Whatever career you may choose to enter, you will likely find yourself working with employers, employees, co-workers, customers, and clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Successful career performance in today's’ diverse workforce requires sensitivity to human differences and the ability to relate to people from different cultural backgrounds who work in the U.S. and across different nations (National Association of Colleges & Employers, 2003; Smith, 1997).

52. Diversity Stimulates Social Development
Interacting with people from a variety of groups widens one’s social circle by expanding the pool of people with whom one can associate and develop relationships.

54. Diversity
A major goal of appreciating diversity is to promote more equitable and treatment of all people and reduce prejudice or discrimination toward particular groups of people.
Diversity is also a learning experience that strengthens the quality of an individual’s education, career preparation, citizenship, and leadership in a democracy.

55. The Role of Faculty in Student Success

56. Use: Regular and formative feedback
Getting students involved first day of class (know their names)
Peer support (tutoring, mentoring)
Content related to student’s experiences
Attendance
High expectations

58. Faculty Influences on Student Success
The relationship between students and faculty members is more important in predicting the social-emotional functioning of students than their academic performance (Decker, Dona, & Christenson, 2007).

59. Faculty Influences on Student Success
Informal interactions that take place outside of the classroom between students and faculty members have been found to have an effect on the motivation of students beyond the usual predictors of academic performance including performance in secondary school or academic aptitude (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Pascarella, Terenzini, & Hibel, 1978).

60. Faculty Influences on Student Success
The first interactions with faculty members have a significant influence on the value placed on high academic achievement and can counteract the general student culture that does not typically value such achievement (Komarraju, Musulkin, & Bhattacharya, 2007).

62. Faculty Influences on Student Success
A recent study by Komarraju, Musulkin, and Bhattacharya (2007) found that students who viewed faculty as approachable, respectful, and available to them outside of class time as being more confident in their academic skills and being motivated, both intrinsically and extrinsically.

63. Interaction with Students
Research has shown that students are more likely to interact with faculty members they consider to be:
Sociable
Intelligent
Demonstrated leaders
Supportive
Objective (Babad, Avni-Babad, & Rosenthal, 2003; Furnham & Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005).

65. Interaction with Students
Students who feel comfortable in speaking informally with faculty are more likely to:
Consider the learning process an enjoyable experience
Gain a deeper understanding of how a college education prepares them for future employment (Komarraju, Musulkin, & Bhattacharya, 2007).

66. Reflecting on Feedback
Learning and decision-making are enhanced when you reflect on, and make use of, information received from others on how to correct or improve performance.

67. Reflecting on their Future
Self-projection which involves futuristic thinking and the tasks of goal-setting and long-range planning
Focusing on the big picture
Long-term dreams and goals inspire motivation and “little details” such as deadlines and short-term commitments that require perseverance.

69. The Role of Staff in Student Success

70. Academic Advising
Intrusive advising that focuses on students’ strengths, values, and beliefs when establishing goals
There are several indications that advising can have a significant impact on retention through a number of variables strongly associated with student persistence:
Student satisfaction with the college experience;
Effective educational and career planning;
Utilization of available support services;
Student contact with faculty and staff outside of the classroom; and
Student mentoring.

71. Academic Advising
Research has concluded that undergraduates think most highly of advisors who function as mentors or counselors and who are:
Available/accessible
Knowledgeable/helpful
Personable/approachable

72. Financial Aid
More and more data are indicating that financial aid and Bursar’s offices have an influence on access and success of colleges students. In addition, need based aid received after the first year can have a large impact on student persistence.

73. The Importance of the First Year for Student Success
The first year of college is undoubtedly the most important year of the college experience because it’s a stage of transition
Students report the most change, the most learning, and the most development (Doyle, Edison, & Pascarella, 1998; Flowers, Osterlind, Pascarella, & Pierson, 2001; Light, 2001).
The academic habits students establish in their first year of college are likely to persist throughout their remaining years of college (Schilling, 2001)
When graduating seniors look back at their college experience, many of them say that the first year was the time of greatest change and the time during which they made the most significant improvements in their approach to learning.

74. The Partnership Between Postsecondary/P-12

75. Underprepared Students
August 9, 2010
Graduation Rate Gaps
Underprepared Students
System completion rates of full-time, first-time associate and baccalaureate students who entered a KY public or independent university and completed a degree at any in-state public or independent institution, by college readiness at entry. 4
Source: CPE Comprehensive Database 6 75

76. August 9, 2010
Source: March 2012 Current Population Supplement, Current Population Survey (CPS) 6
Source: CPE Comprehensive Database 6

77. Progress

78. Kentucky Leads the Nation in the Rate of Improvement Between 2000-2009#1
Adults (25-64) with a college degree (associate and higher) #1
6-year graduation rates at 4-year institutions (public and private) #1
Undergraduate credentials awarded per 1, to 44 year olds with no college degree

79. Kentucky Leads the Nation in the Rate of Improvement Between 2000-2009#2
Young adults (25-44) with a college degree (associate and higher) #3
3-year graduation rates at 2-year institutions (public and private) #5
Undergraduate credentials 1 year or more in length

80. II. Senate Bill 1 (SB1) Update Results Achieved

81. Kentucky’s College and Career Readiness Success The number of high school graduates ready for college has steadily been increasing
Source: Dodd, Karen. “Stocktake Summary for College and Career Readiness Delivery Plan.” Kentucky Department of Education. Oct 2012.