1. Impacting Student Retention & Success through Student Affairs Initiatives

2. Outline Introduction to Project Rising Tide BElieveUA Camp 1831
Dr. Adam Sterritt, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
BElieveUA
Dr. Tim Hebson, Dean of Students
Camp 1831
Matt Kerch, Executive Director, Housing & Residential Communities
Questions

3. Purpose
To improve undergraduate retention and graduation success at UA through creating shared understanding of priorities.

4. Project Rising Tide Goals Create a UA Definition of Student Success
Identify small win/pilot opportunities
Improve 1st to 2nd Year Retention
Improve on-time completion
Other Intended Results
Enhance horizontal communication and collaboration across campus constituencies
Create a greater connectedness across campus colleges, departments, and student services for student success
Increase awareness that student success is more than advising and transactional exchanges

5. Student Success at UA
To further The University of Alabama’s mission and vision, we are invested in creating an environment that ensures all students have the opportunity to be successful.
Definition of Success
Students at The University of Alabama are successful when they engage with their peers, the community, and their academic environment, while setting and attaining academic, personal, and career goals. They will exhibit strong critical thinking and analytical problem-solving skills, engage in collaboration with others, and apply knowledge in real world contexts. These students will be self-aware, resilient, responsible, and will understand and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Successful students will gain the experiences, knowledge, and skills to contribute to the state, the nation, and the world through their chosen profession and civic involvement.
Our Role
The University of Alabama commits to identifying the individual needs of our students and offering the support and programs necessary for them to achieve success. To assist students effectively, we will communicate and share consistent information about available resources and opportunities. We value all students and will provide an environment that encourages lifelong learning and demonstrates respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion. We expect students to learn and develop, while also being taught to accept responsibility for their decisions and actions.
Measuring Success
The University of Alabama will identify and utilize multiple measures to gauge student success and will use this information to make decisions about programs and services to improve student engagement as well as retention and graduation rates.

6. A 4 P’s Approach to Retention (Kalsbeek, 2013)
Profile
Who are our students and how they change as they experience our university?
Progress
Are students able to make progress toward their degree and other personal measures of success?
Process
Priority attention is given to processes and policies that help or hinder continuous enrollment. Look at barriers.
Promise
Are we meeting the expectations that we set or “sell” when recruiting and transitioning students to the University?
Do more of the right things for all students more of the time.

7. Profile Promise Process
Pathways to Success
First Year Common Book
Large Intro Courses
Barriers Pilot
Centralized Academic Support Hub
C&IS Interventions
Culverhouse Interventions
Centralized Academic Support Hub
Profile
Progress
Promise
Process

9. Reaching Potential through Mentoring
MONDAY
HCM 473 class readings
CS 466 lab work and book exercises
GBA 300 lab homework
CS 466 Class
5:30 Dinner at the house
Work out
Begin studying for HCM 473 test
HCM 473 group meeting to talk about next weeks’ presentations
TUESDAY
GBA 300 Lab
GBA 300 lab quiz
HCM 473 class
HCM 371 class
CS 466 quiz
5:30 dinner at the house
Run
Study for HCM 473 test
HCM 371 meeting to work on case 8 paper
WEDNESDAY
CS 466 class
Chapter meeting
3 pm meeting with Dr. Hebson
finish case 8 paper
THURSDAY
run
HCM 473 Test
HCM 371 case paper due
Turn in HCM 371 case paper
swap
FRIDAY
work out
Advising appointment
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
begin working on HCM 371 final paper
Academic
Never skip a class all semester, turn in every homework
3.5 GPA
Go to professor office hours 4 times this semester
Plan week out every Sunday night in Weekly Planner
Social
Join a student organization, run for a leadership position
Not going out the night before a test
Creating/updating resume, career center
Find and internship for this summer
Surround myself with friends who are positive
Physical
Run 30 miles a month, workout 4 times a week (lift or run)
Only eat fried food twice a week
Drink 4 liters of water , Gain 5 pounds
Financial
Create a two week budget, Use Mint.com
Find a part time job
Apply for two scholarships
Emotional/Spiritual
Call parents three times a week
List “top 5 stresses” and talk with mentor about them
Find a church buddy, attend Mass every Sunday
Go mountain biking twice a month to relieve stress

10. GPA Impact Spring 2013 Fall 2012 2.542 2.922 GPA Increase 0.380
2.33
2.91
GPA Increase
0.580
Spring 2014
Fall 2013
2.578
3.001
GPA Increase
0.423
Fall 2014
Spring 2014
2.406
2.956
GPA Increase
0.550
Spring 2015
Fall 2014
2.616
2.943
GPA Increase
0.327
Fall 2015
Spring 2015
2.743
3.055
GPA Increase
0.312
Looking at 16 course taught over 7 semesters from Fall of 2012-Spring 2016
Showed that for student enrolled in these courses they persisted to the next academic year at a higher rate than their cohort peers.
The overall persistence rate among this population varies based on several factors including the students classification when taking the class.
However, when compared to their cohort peers these students higher persistence is 5-25% higher
A mean of approximately 10% is observed when looking across all 16 courses and comparing them to their cohort peers.
Spring 2016
Fall 2016
2.628
3.123
GPA Increase
0.495
The first row in each table, highlighted in grey, shows the average GPA of students the semester before they enrolled in the program. The second row, in red, reflects the GPA of the students during the semester in which they were enrolled in BelieveUA Mentoring. The third row represents the average GPA increase of the students.

11. Retention Impact Longitudinal Analysis of Retention Impact:
16 courses taught over 7 semesters from Fall of Spring 2016
1038 students taking these courses demonstrated:
Higher persistence of participants to the next Academic Year
5-25% higher than their cohort peers
Mean difference of ~10%
Looking at 16 course taught over 7 semesters from Fall of 2012-Spring 2016
Showed that for student enrolled in these courses they persisted to the next academic year at a higher rate than their cohort peers.
The overall persistence rate among this population varies based on several factors including the students classification when taking the class.
However, when compared to their cohort peers these students higher persistence is 5-25% higher
A mean of approximately 10% is observed when looking across all 16 courses and comparing them to their cohort peers.

13. First Year Experience
Program Goals
build a smaller community within the first-year class to ease the transition from their previous environment to that at UA.
introduce UA history and tradition.
support academic transition to campus.
create an environment where students develop networks with faculty & staff and create lifelong friendships.
expose first-year students to ways they can serve UA and the surrounding community as a student leader.
increase student retention.

14. The A-Team
The A-Team is a group of 22 upperclassmen student leaders who play a primary role in Camp 1831, supporting incoming students and helping them feel connected to The University of Alabama.
interview process
responsibilities
returners
spring training & Day 0
volunteers

15. Faculty & Staff Involvement
Faculty & staff participate with small groups of students
Begin to develop relationships with faculty & staff and dispel perceptions of faculty/staff as intimidating
Allows faculty/staff to share advice and help answer students’ questions before classes begin
Activities include values based discussion, goal setting, etc.
Assessment results indicate that students would like to spend more time with faculty and staff

16. Assessment Results
A total of 260 survey responses were collected with a response rate of 95.5%. The results below represent the survey participants indicating they strongly agree or agree.
91.9% indicated that they agree or strongly agree that they feel confident about future interactions with UA Faculty & Staff, as a result of attending Camp 1831
88.8% indicated that they agree or strongly agree that they were made aware of social issues and how they can take a larger role in helping communities face challenges, as a result of attending Camp 1831
97.3 indicated that they agree or strongly agree that Camp 1831 left them more confident about their first year at UA.
Camp 1831 Attendees persist at a 4% higher rate then their Cohort Peers
2014: 89% persistence v 85% persistence
2015: 90% persistence v 86% persistence

17. Questions?