Retention Task Force Subcommittee on Current Efforts

Subcommittee Members Kyle Ellis Academic Support Center Sue Mossing Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning Lynne Murchison Outreach & Continuing Educ Stacey Reycraft Student Disabilities Services Marc Showalter University Counseling Center

Services that Support Retention: Lists Organized by Institutional Unit  Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Other Organized by Populations Served Current Cooperative Efforts Organized by Support Type  Support, Transition Assistance, Mentoring – duplication of services for some populations

Services that Support Retention, con’t Efforts Undertaken by Departments  Tutoring, review sessions dictated by instructor  Mentoring (aka advising) – large number  Social/academic clubs – largest number Assistance Provided to All Undergraduates  Office hours, extra help from instructors  FIN 339, Math lab, Writing Center  Social/academic clubs

Services that Support Retention, con’t Assistance Provided to Majors  Capstone project, directed study  Leadership opportunities in department  Mentoring, assistance w/ grad school & internship Policies/Procedures to Improve Success  Limit entry & progression based on grades  Monitor progression, grades, and attendance  Learn names, meet outside class, create trust  Clear syllabus: learning objectives, policies

Current Retention Efforts Coordinated, persistent programs

EDLD 105: Freshman Seminar Population: incoming freshmen (number varies) Staff and instructors  Taught by Student Affairs staff (without compensation)  Administered by Dewey Knight (previously Whitman) Goal of program  Transition to University: social and academic In operation since 1997  Changes: Grade, no grade; ACT cap, higher cap, no cap  Working with GAGS (2007), Lucky Day (2008) Retention  85% first-year retention rate vs 80% average for freshman cohort (Institutional Research Nov 2007)

Lucky Day Scholars’ Program Population: Students with Luckyday scholarship  Student attributes: Need, > 20 ACT, > 3.2 HS GPA  Many first-generation college students Staff and instructors  3 full time staff, peer mentors, work study students Goal: Continued enrollment, GPA > 2.5  Immersion program prior to start of fall semester  Continued support: meetings, study hours, social activities In operation since (Steps to Success: ) Retention 92%

LIBA 102: Freshman Seminar Population served: Freshmen (not Honors students) Staff and instructors: Professors and Instructors  Funded by Provost office Goal of program: Interaction/discussion with faculty In operation since Fall 2001 Retention  86% first-year retention rate of freshman cohort that took LIBA 102 in first year vs 73% that did not (Institutional Research Nov 2007)

EDLD 101: Academic Skills for College Population served: Freshmen on probation  Fall 2007 offered to incoming freshmen (42/100)  Fall 2008 working with FASTrack (80) Staff & instructors: ASC staff plus  Ed Leadership & Student Personnel grad students  EDLD Practicum: Training & Supervision Goal: Develop effective academic skills In operation since Spring 2003 most recently Retention – next slide

EDLD 101 Efficacy figures  Results in terms of retention 65% spring to fall retention rate for cohort (Institutional Research Nov 2007) versus 56% for students that were invited but didn’t enroll (a potential loss of 17 students at 65% rate)  Results in terms of grades Spring GPA pts higher; then begins to even out  Survival of the fittest?  Results in terms of graduation First cohort ( ): 38% vs 18% graduation rate  I suspect this is high due to not recruiting 0.0 students

Getting A Great Start (Fall 2007) In Fall students were invited to participate in GAGS or EDLD 101 based on standardized test scores. 20 enrolled in GAGS. 42 in EDLD chose not to participate. Fall 2007/Spring 2008 GPA/ Retention Rate  GAGS: 2.92/1.74/ 18 out of 20 (90%)  EDLD 101: 2.54/2.43/ 41 out of 42 (97.6%)  Other: 2.21/2.39/ 199 out of 220 (90.5%)

SPRING 2008 EDLD freshmen were invited to enroll based on their Fall 2007 GPA. 154 students enrolled. 367 did not enroll, with 141 of those not returning for the Spring. Fall 2007/Spring 2008 GPA  EDLD 101: 0.98/1.87  Did not enroll: 0.83/1.45  Did not return: 0.53/NA

FASTrack: Foundations for Academic Success Track 80 students in cohorts of 20  Eligibility based on ACT between 17 and 21 Fall: 3 classes together  EDLD 101, English 101, History 105 Spring: 3 classes together  Psychology 201, Math 115 or 121, Biology 102 Additional support  Peer mentors (ongoing PM training)  Weekly review sessions for English, History Cooperative: Liberal Arts, ASC, CETL

EDLD 202: Fundamentals of Active Lrng Population: Students returning from acad suspension & dismissal (~250/semester; fall and spring only) Staff & instructors: Sue plus GA and master students  Cooperative effort with Counselor Education COUN 693 (practicum) & 695 (internship) Focus: Self awareness, motivation, change Operation since spring 2006 (2 years; 1112 students) Results (frosh-soph retention an inappropriate measure)  Graduation figures: 15% (spring ’06), 11% (fall ’06), 7% (spring ’07) vs 8% (fall ’05; no EDLD 202) as of spring ‘08

Lessons Learned Students don’t want to be labeled “special”  Avoid SDS accommodations and FASTrack  ACT not a clear indicator (EDLD 202:12-32 ACT) Intervention for probationary students  Start early: First semester GPA (61% of all EDLD 202 students went on probation after 1 st sem)  Continued intervention necessary

It needs a leader, but takes a village Current village members  Martindale folks Academic Support Center Admissions, Orientation Financial Aid Student Disabilities Services  Ctr for Excellence in Teaching & Learning  Developmental Studies  Lucky Day Scholars  Student Housing