Student Success Programs Where Retention Theory and Practice Converge Mary Stuart Hunter Houghton Mifflin College Survival National Conference July 12, 2002 Atlanta, Georgia

What We Know About Student Retention There is widespread interest in student success Nationally, rates vary by institutional type 52.5% at public two-year institutions 83.6% at private universities Overall, retention rates have changed very little over the past 30 years

What We Know About Student Retention What matters most is our institution’s rate Not a goal, rather a by-product Student learning and success = student retention

Perspectives on Student Retention From the Institution’s Perspective From the Student’s Perspective Lessons from Astin’s I – E – O model

Institutional Cultures and Student Success Barriers to Student Success and Retention

Recruitment and Orientation Tendency to admit under-prepared students Inadequate new student orientation Inadequate pre-matriculation academic advising

First-Year Instruction First-Year Instruction Large first-year classes Classes taught by the least experienced instructors Infrequent testing and little feedback

Instruction / grading based on memorization and regurgitation Little opportunity for active learning strategies Lack of critical thinking in classes Research skills not required nor taught

Campus Community Little effort to create a common community Lack of student – faculty interaction outside of class

Little effort is made to connect the curriculum and the co-curriculum Little attention to connecting the curriculum and the co-curriculum to the institutional mission Lack of collaboration between student affairs and academic affairs

Student Success Courses and First-Year Seminars Ideal Settings for Addressing Institutional Challenges

Understanding and Applying Student Retention Theory

Student / Institutional Fit (Tinto) Student background and characteristics help determine their commitment education. The greater the congruence, the more likely that the student will persist.

Empathic Recall Exercise

Social and Academic Integration (Tinto, Pascarella, Terenzini) Valuable learning experiences incorporate the classroom learning with out of class learning. Students who integrate the academic and the social reap great benefits.

Sharing of Examples

Involvement / Community (Astin, Kuh, Boyer, Light) Direct link between the quality and quantity of involvement and student performance and satisfaction Positive interaction with peers brings about a sense of satisfaction and responsibility

Reflections on Powerful Group Experiences

Student Learning (Astin, Tinto, Kuh) Successful institutions create settings that educate all students Students who find support for their learning, engage in active learning, and receive frequent feedback are more likely to stay than those who don’t

Optimal Learning Reflection

Applying Theory to Student Success Courses

10 Tips for Success in Teaching First-Year Students (Strommer) Understand your students Clarify your objectives Attend to the first class

Establish a climate for learning Abandon the non-stop lecture Involve students with varied activities Provide opportunities for reflection Take risks Include upper-class students Develop a support group

10 Tips for Success in Teaching First-Year Seminar (Hunter) Embrace high expectations and demand quality work Learn names early and use them Demonstrate self disclosure

Give students ownership for some aspects of the course Involve students in teaching the course Remember that process is content Meet at least once with each student individually

Obtain feedback throughout the term Provide opportunity for synthesis and projection Know that teaching new student seminars if a continual work in progress

7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering and Gamsen) Encourages contact between students and faculty Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students Encourages active learning

Gives prompt feedback Emphasizes time on task Communicates high expectations Respects diverse talents and ways of learning

A Lesson from Recycling Think Globally Act Locally

Stuart Hunter National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition