Retention programs in Higher Education Mary Tupan-Wenno TIES conference, Amsterdam, May 12, 2009

TIES Policy Brief May 2009 ”A quarter of the second generation Turks in Europe made it into higher education. This is considering the low socio economic background characteristics of the parents a huge accomplishment of both the second generation and their supportive parents. Also teachers and societies actually provided them with the corresponding opportunities.”

‘Dejando Mi Pueblo’ by Daniel Flores “I owe my education to my parents and all the sacrifices they made for me. If they would have not brought me to the United States, I would not be walking around the UCLA campus. My mother struggled to learn how to sew and save money to reunite the family, and I know that I will face struggles of a different kind as a student. I realize that being accepted to Oxford to obtain my Ph.D. will be like crossing another border, but I am mentally prepared to do it. I have done it before and I can do it again. I am ready for the challenge. My parents' life struggle serves as my motivation in anything that I do. They taught me to work hard to accomplish my dreams and not to give up.”

Academic Advancement Program (AAP) based on the Pedagogy of Excellence at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Collaboration with UCLA to implement AAP in Dutch HE  Understanding the concept and strategy of the pedagogy of excellence  Improving student success by creating a culture of exellence

Pedagogy of excellence High expectations  building on students strengths instead of deficiencies High level of support (peer mentoring, -tutoring, -counseling) Early outreach and academic preparation Creating a campus climate where students feel included and involved  create a sense of belonging Awareness on students cultural and social identity

Person Ethnic group Gender ‘Color’ Religious group Age Family Education Socio economic position All students & professionals Edwin Hoffman

Implementation in the Netherlands

Creating a culture of excellence at two intervention levels: Institutional level Student level

Institutional level (holistic approach) Collaboration with secondary education (outreach)  creating a culture of transfer & academic preparation Creating a culture of high expectations Creating a high level of support including students as peer tutors, -mentors and –counselors (backbone of the retention strategy) Being aware of the multiple responsibilities of students  including parents and their communities Professional development  influence attitude and commitment of teaching staff and faculty Creating a curriculum for students and professionals to reflect on identity development and diversity management Monitoring and accountability to improve results

Mentoring in outreach

Tutoring in retention programs

Results Increase in access of NW migrant students Increase of retention in the first two years of higher education (propedeuse) Glosing the gap in retention rates of native Dutch and migrant students Retention strategy based on the pedagogy of excellence being imbedded in institutional policy

Creating a culture of excellence on a student level ECHO Foundation

ECHO Foundation Awarding accomplishments and perseverance of the many successful migrant students  ECHO Award Awarding active civic engagement among these students Creating a process for institutions to present their most successful migrant students and to be able to be proud of them Creating a community of ECHO Ambassadors, change agents in their communities, institutions and society Connecting new leaders to present leaders in society Creating leadership development opportunities

‘Happiness exists to be shared’ by Sharo Mohamed “The ECHO-award has provided me with the unique experience and vital skill of Leadership. I have learned, by discussing with the many Somali youth and women that I have inspired, that leadership is not a one-day thing. It is a constant commitment. A commitment to excellence, a habit... a daily practice. Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people, creating a vision, articulating that vision, passionately owning the vision, and relentlessly driving it to completion. I believe it's never too late to be what you might have been.”

Thank you very much!