1. Stargazing 2019: What Will Matter to Student Success George D. Kuh TACUSPA October 5, 2009

2. Context  Global Competitiveness in Degree Attainment  The New Majority and Demographic Gaps  Questionable Levels of Student Performance

3. Context  Global Competitiveness in Degree Attainment  The New Majority and Demographic Gaps  Questionable Levels of Student Performance  In a Most Challenging Fiscal Environment …  We Need Higher Levels of Student Achievement

4. Overview Overview  Predictions  Why engagement matters to student success  Lessons from high- performing institutions  Implications

5. Advance Organizers  To what extent do your students engage in productive learning activities, inside and outside the classroom?  How do you know?  What could we do differently or better, now and in the future, to enhance student success?

6. Student Success in College Academic achievement, engagement in educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and competencies, persistence, attainment of educational objectives, and post- college performance

7. The Past is Prologue “If all you ever do is all you’ve ever done, then all you’ll ever get is all you ever got” Texan quoted in T. Friedman, Hot, Flat and Crowded p. 6) Texan quoted in T. Friedman, Hot, Flat and Crowded (2008, p. 6)

8. Predictions: By 2019… Hispanics will outnumber Whites among entering traditional-age college students Two thirds of all students will begin postsecondary studies at two-year colleges Most students will take courses in blended delivery systems Annual tuition and fees at the most expensive institutions will top $100K The proportion of full-time students who live on campus will dip below 10% Employment will be more closely integrated with college learning experiences

9. Predictions: By 2019… The conditional and compensatory effects of engagement will be better understood and regularly assessed Rubrics and electronic portfolios will be widely used in student affairs to document essential outcomes in personal and social development as well as integrated learning Public institutions in most states will require students demonstrate through outcomes measures they have acquired essential skills and competencies to receive a degree or certificate

10. Pre-college Characteristics Associated with Student Success Academic preparation Academic preparation Ability and college-level skills Ability and college-level skills Financial wherewithal Financial wherewithal Family education and support Family education and support

11. Early College Indicators of Persistence and Success Goal realization Goal realization Psycho-social fit Psycho-social fit Credit hours completed Credit hours completed Academic and social support Academic and social support Involvement in the “right” kinds of activities Involvement in the “right” kinds of activities

12. Student Engagement What Really Matters in College: Student Engagement Because individual effort and involvement are the critical determinants of college impact, institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to encourage student engagement. Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602

13. Student Engagement Trifecta  What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities  What institutions do -- using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things  Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward the right activities

14. Good Practices in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) Student-faculty contact Student-faculty contact Active learning Active learning Prompt feedback Prompt feedback Time on task Time on task High expectations High expectations Respect for diverse learning styles Respect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among students Cooperation among students

15. Principles for Good Practice in Student Affairs Principles for Good Practice in Student Affairs (Blimling & Whitt, 1999) Engage students in active learning Help students build coherent values and ethical standards Set high expectations for learning Use systematic inquiry to improve student and institutional performance Use resources effectively Forge partnerships to advance learning Build supportive, inclusive communities

16. National Survey of Student Engagement Community College Survey of Student Engagement National Survey of Student Engagement (pronounced “nessie”) Community College Survey of Student Engagement (pronounced “cessie”) College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

17. NSSE Project Scope Since 2000: 2,000,000+ students from 1,334 different schools 2,000,000+ students from 1,334 different schools 80+% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate FTE 80+% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate FTE 50 states, Puerto Rico 50 states, Puerto Rico 59 Canadian IHEs 59 Canadian IHEs 100+ consortia 100+ consortia

18. CCSSE Project Scope Since 2003: Almost 1,000,000 students from 717 different schools Almost 1,000,000 students from 717 different schools 67% of credit students 67% of credit students 49 states, Marshall Islands, CN 49 states, Marshall Islands, CN

19. NSSE & CCSSE Questionnaires Student Behaviors Institutional Actions & Requirements Reactions to College Student Background Information Student Learning & Development

20. Effective Educational Practices Level of Academic Challenge Active & Collaborative Learning Enriching Educational Experiences SupportiveCampusEnvironment Student- Faculty Interaction

21. Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, gains across a range of desired outcomes, and engagement go hand in hand

22. It’s more complicated than this…   Many of the effects of college are “conditional”  Some are compensatory

23. NSSE: Who’s more engaged?  Women  Full-time students  Students who live on campus  Students with diversity experiences  Students who start and stay at the same school  Students in learning communities

24. Community College Survey of Student Engagement CCSSE: Who Is More Engaged? More Engaged Less Engaged Full-time studentsPart-time students Nontraditional-age students (those over age 24)Traditional-age students (those 24 and younger) Students seeking credentialsStudents not seeking credentials Students who have completed 30 or more credits Students who have not completed 30 or more credits Female studentsMale students Black studentsStudents who are not black International studentsU.S. students Students who work fewer than 30 hours per week Students who work more than 30 hours per week Students who have taken developmental courses Students who have not taken developmental courses Students who have taken study skill coursesStudents who have not taken study skill courses Students who have participated in orientationStudents who have not participated in orientation Students who have participated in learning communities Students who have not participated in learning communities

28. What does an educationally effective college look like?

29. Project DEEP Project DEEP To discover, document, and describe what high performing institutions do to achieve their notable level of effectiveness.

30. DEEP Schools DEEP Schools* Doctoral Extensives University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Michigan University of Michigan Doctoral Intensives George Mason University Miami University (Ohio) University of Texas El Paso Master’s Granting Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University Gonzaga University Gonzaga University Longwood University Longwood University Liberal Arts California State, Monterey Bay California State, Monterey Bay Macalester College Macalester College Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College The Evergreen State College The Evergreen State College Sewanee: University of the South Sewanee: University of the South Ursinus College Ursinus College Wabash College Wabash College Wheaton College (MA) Wheaton College (MA) Wofford College Wofford College Baccalaureate General Alverno College Alverno College University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Farmington Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem State University *Higher-than predicted NSSE scores and graduation rates

31. Research Approach Case study method Team of 24 researchers review institutional documents and conduct multiple-day site visits Team of 24 researchers review institutional documents and conduct multiple-day site visits Observe individuals, classes, group meetings, activities, events Observe individuals, classes, group meetings, activities, events 2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events 2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events Discover and describe effective practices and programs, campus culture Discover and describe effective practices and programs, campus culture

32. Worth Noting Many roads to an engaging institution No one best model No one best model Different combinations of complementary, interactive, synergistic conditions Different combinations of complementary, interactive, synergistic conditions Anything worth doing is worth doing well at scale Anything worth doing is worth doing well at scale

33. Six Shared Conditions  “Living” Mission and “Lived” Educational Philosophy  Unshakeable Focus on Student Learning  Environments Adapted for Educational Enrichment  Clearly Marked Pathways to Student Success  Improvement-Oriented Ethos  Shared Responsibility for Educational Quality

34. Ponder This 1. Which of these areas needs attention right now at your institution? 2. What might you do about it?

35. Creating Conditions That Matter to Student Success DEEP Lessons We can’t leave serendipity to chance

36. 1. Lay out the path to student success a. Intentionality matters b. Engagement early is critical c. Front load resources to smooth transitions d. Teach newcomers about academic culture & expectations d. Focus on underengaged students e. If something works, maybe require it?

37. Targets of Opportunity Require advising and orientation Require advising and orientation Use valid placement tests Use valid placement tests Reduce D/W/F rates Reduce D/W/F rates Enhanced early warning systems Enhanced early warning systems Communicate with at-risk student family members Communicate with at-risk student family members

38. Fayetteville State  Faculty members “teach the students they have, not those they wish they had”  Center for Teaching and Learning sponsors development activities on diverse learning needs Cal State Monterey Bay Cal State Monterey Bay  “Assets” philosophy acknowledges students’ prior knowledge “Meet students where they are”

39. It Takes a Whole Campus to Educate a Student

40. Something Else That Really Matters in College The greatest impact appears to stem from students ’ total level of campus engagement, particularly when academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular involvements are mutually reinforcing … Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 647

41. 2. Recruit, socialize and reward competent people a.Relationships matter b.Recruit staff committed to student learning c.Emphasize a relentless focus on student learning in staff orientation d.Reward and support competence

42. Mentoring U of Michigan Mentorship Program matches groups of four first-year students with an older student and a faculty or staff member who share similar academic interests. The goal is to provide students with mentoring relationships, networking opportunities, yearlong guidance and support, and in general to help ease the transition to college.

43. “Difference Makers” Student success is the product of thousands of small gestures extended on a daily basis by caring, supportive educators sprinkled throughout the institution who enact a talent development philosophy. “Miss Rita” “Miss Rita”

44. 3. Promote and reward collaboration a.Tighten the philosophical and operational linkages between academic and student affairs b.Potential collaborations:  Peer tutoring and mentoring  First year seminars  Learning communities

45. 4. Put money where it will make a difference to student success “…in professional baseball it still matters less how much you have than how well you spend it”

46. 4. Put money where it will make a difference to student success a. Align resources and reward system with institutional mission, values, and priorities b. Sunset redundant and ineffective programs c. Invest in “high-impact” activities that contribute to student success

47. High Impact Activities  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual Experiences  Learning Communities  Writing-Intensive Courses  Collaborative Assignments and Projects  “Science as Science Is Done”; Undergraduate Research  Diversity/Global Learning  Service Learning, Community-Based Learning  Internships  Capstone Courses and Projects

48. Effects of Participating in High-Impact Activities on Student Engagement

49. High Impact Activities Increase Odds Students Will: Invest time and effort Invest time and effort Interact with faculty and peers about substantive matters Interact with faculty and peers about substantive matters Experience diversity Experience diversity Get more frequent feedback Get more frequent feedback Reflect & integrate learning Reflect & integrate learning Discover relevance of learning through real-world applications Discover relevance of learning through real-world applications

50. High-Impact Practices and the Disparities Within… Frosh: Service Learning and LCs Parity among racial/ethnic groups Parity among racial/ethnic groups Fewer 1 st gen students Fewer 1 st gen students Fewer part-time students Fewer part-time students Fewer transfer students Fewer transfer students Fewer older students Fewer older students

51. High-Impact Practices and the Disparities Within… Seniors in All HIPs Fewer 1 st gen students Fewer 1 st gen students Fewer students of color Fewer students of color Fewer transfer students Fewer transfer students Fewer part-time students Fewer part-time students Fewer older students Fewer older students

52. Assessing Student Engagement in Assessing Student Engagement in High-Impact Practices High-Impact Practices To what extent does your institution provide these experiences? [√ = have on campus; √ = required; estimate the % of various student populations in these activities]

53. 4. Put money where it will make a difference to student success a. Align reward system with institutional mission, values, and priorities b. Sunset redundant and ineffective programs c. Invest in activities that contribute to student success d. Make on-campus work a high impact activity

54. If We Could Do One Big Thing… Make it possible for every student to do at least one “high-impact” experience in the first year and another later linked to the major Make it possible for every student to do at least one “high-impact” experience in the first year and another later linked to the major

55. We Need to Do One More Thing… Ensure programs and interventions are of high quality. Ensure programs and interventions are of high quality. What is your evidence for effectiveness?

56. Last Word  We must embrace the lineage of our students.  Campus cultures do not change easily or willingly.  To foster more student success we must use promising policies and practices more consistently throughout the institution.  Do we have the will to do so?

57. Questions&Discussion