Project Compass at Bridgewater State College: Implementation Year One ( )

Project Compass at BSC Institutional Overview: Bridgewater State College – Founded in 1840 The largest state college in MA Considered the comprehensive public college of Southeastern MA

Project Compass at BSC Motivation for Participation: Retention and graduation rates indicate a disparity in success between the populations of students of interest in this project and the majority students of the College. Additionally...

Project Compass at BSC Motivation for Participation: Sustaining the College’s mission to serve economically and socially disadvantaged students remains central despite growing demand for the College’s programs.

Project Compass at BSC Institutional Overview: Fall 2008 Total FTE: 8,120 Undergraduate FTE: 7,324 60% Female 10% SOC 84% Full-time (36% are residential) Graduate FTE: 796

Project Compass at BSC Project Compass Cohort: Fall 2008 Total number of first-time freshmen: 1,502

Project Compass at BSC Project Compass Cohort: Fall 2008 Among resident* freshmen (n=1,496): 23% (339) are first-generation students 20% (293) are low-income 13% (189) are SOC *Excludes non-resident aliens (n=6)

Project Compass at BSC Intervention Areas: I.Advising II.Faculty Development III.Research

Project Compass at BSC Advising Strategies Strategy 1.1: Structured study groups for high DFWI courses required in majors with high- concentrations of students in underserved groups Three sections of MATH 100 (Pre-calculus) One section of MATH 110 (Statistics) Peer Study Fellows

Project Compass at BSC Advising Strategies Strategy 1.2: Extend first-year engagement activities (structured book club participation, writing, and research support) to our target population Three sections of ENGL 102 One section: students with ESOL challenges Two sections: students who pass ENGL 101 and earn less than 2.20 GPA and 12 college credits in 1 st semester Book club, writing, and research components

Project Compass at BSC Advising Strategies Strategy 1.3: Integrated and intentional co- curricular advising: the Portfolio of Excellence Developed to create an integrated advising structure Students meet with advisor to learn about co- curricular opportunities and reflect on their experiences in them to further academic and post- college success

Project Compass at BSC Faculty Development Strategies Strategy 2.1: Programming aimed at bringing Project Compass data and culturally inclusive, engaged learning pedagogies to all faculty members Support for faculty/librarians in the enhanced use of culturally inclusive pedagogies. Hands-on workshops Book clubs Lunch discussions Speakers (External and Internal)

Project Compass at BSC Faculty Development Strategies Strategy 2.2: Institutionalize goals of Project Compass via public relations/outreach efforts and permanent institutional structures Faculty/librarian awards Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Research (CART) colloquia Mission of CART is to “foster the development of scholarship and teaching for faculty and librarians” Information distribution (e.g., Bridgewater Review) Permanent structures (e.g., DIRI, DTL)

Project Compass at BSC Faculty Development Strategies Strategy 2.3: Faculty Advising Coordinators for high-target population majors Faculty members representing three highest-use departments selected (Fall 2008) and trained (Spring 2009)

Project Compass at BSC Research Strategies Improve the College’s ability to identify students in each of the three target populations (SOC, first-generation, low-income); Through our enhanced ability to identify populations, improved tracking of academic performance, retention, satisfaction, and graduation will be made possible; Improved tracking will in turn enhance the COP’s ability to recommend intervention strategies and assess program’s achievements.

Project Compass at BSC Questions/Comments? Jeanne Aurelio: Cathy Holbrook: Joel Litvin: Wing-kai To: Marlene Clapp: