1. THE FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE
How many of you teach first year students?

2. Fulfilling the Promise of Community College: Increasing First-year Student Engagement and Success
T Brown, MC King, P Stanley eds. Ntl. Resource Ctr for the First-year Experience and Students in Transition
Uses data from:
The Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) conducted by the Center for Community College Engagement (2010).
ACT’s Institutional Data Questionaire (1983 – 2009)
ACT’s What Works in Student Retention Questionnaire (2009) Data from full time students.
Clery and Topper 2088

3. When do they leave? – all the time
RETENTION OF STUDENTS FROM FIRST TO SECOND YEAR AT A 2YC
N = YCs – national study
First time, full time students
Over a 26 year period retention of students from first to the second year has varied by only 1.6%.
From 53.7% – 51.3%
When do they leave? – all the time
What does this mean?
Of 100 students who began at a 2YC in fall 2012:
25 did not return in spring 2013
will not enroll in Fall 2013
From: ACT’s What Works in Student Retention Questionnaire (2009) Data from full time students.

4. Have more students with an understanding of how the planet works
Does this matter?
If we want to:
Have more students with an understanding of how the planet works
Encourage students to become geoscience majors
Increase diversity in the geosciences
We need to pay attention to what happens to the first year students

5. An understanding of potential careers
Factors that have the greatest effect on reducing attrition rates (mean scores greater than 3.5)
Student study skills
An understanding of potential careers
Level of student commitment and motivation
Level of student prep for college work
Adequacy of student financial resources
Student family responsibilities
Level of job demand on student
Institutional Data Questionnaire
(Likert scale responses 1-5)

6. Relevancy or organization of curricula Extracurricular activities
Factors that have the least effect on reducing attrition rates
(mean scores less than 2.5)
Relevancy or organization of curricula
Extracurricular activities
Cultural activities
Residence halls
Distance from student’s personal home or commuting

7. JASON
Did well in high school and showed an interest in science but
enters the 2YC with very little idea about what he wants to do.
During his freshman orientation day a counselor suggests he takes your non-major oceanography class to fulfill the general science requirement.
He surprises himself and does well in this class and finds he likes the topic.
What are you going to do to encourage Jason to consider continuing to explore the geoscience field?
Write – pair - share

8. Despite these challenges Josie manages to enroll as a
Graduated from high school with an interest in studying something about how climate change might influence where her family lives
How do I fill out financial aid paperwork?
What courses to take?
What is an associate’s degree, a one year certificate ?
What qualifications do I need to be a…….?
How will this be different from high school?
What support services are there for me as a Native American student?
Despite these challenges Josie manages to enroll as a
student at her local 2YC

9. JOSIE
Graduated from high school with an interest in studying something about how climate change might influence where her family lives
What can we do to ensure that in her first term Josie knows that geoscience courses include studies of climate change and the places where her family lives?
Write – pair - share

10. Highly Rated Retention Interventions
Common and Highly Rated
Learning Lab
Tutoring
Test score course placement
Required developmental work
Writing, reading and math centers
Advising interventions
Uncommon but Highly Rated
Summer bridge programs
Organized student study groups
Extended first year orientation with credit
Peer mentoring
Chapter 3