1. Mandatory First Year Experience (FYE) Policy 8.25 Review
February 13, 2018

2. Committee Members
Ann Alexander, Business Brian Beecher, Library & Learning Commons Mike Light, Social Sciences Jenna Hess, Disability Support Services & Occupational Support Patrick Kamau, Academic Advising & Transfer Center Sandra Lancaster, Psychology Victoria Powers, TRiO Student Support Services Raynard Ross, Student Success & Retention Lynnae Selberg, Academic Advising & Transfer Center Jason Schueller, Enrollment Center

3. History AGC Voted to move to mandatory CLS 100 in February 2013
Implemented Mandatory CLS 100 Winter 2014
Policy….New students to GRCC are required to enroll in CLS 100 their first semester if they:
Are a degree seeking student who has completed less than 12 transfer credits from another college or university
Did not transfer credit into GRCC equivalent to PY 100 or CLS 100
Earned less than a 3.0 high school GPA
Did not place into PY 100

4. Team Discussion Points
Policy
Implementation
Mandatory for more or all
Combine PY100 and CLS 100
Providing an exception to non- traditional students with extensive life and work experience
Separate 2 credits of CLS into 1 credit college transition course and 1 credit enrichment of student choosing (i.e. Career Exploration, Study Skills, Personal Development)
Academic Pathway Sections
Special Population Sections
7, 10, 14 week sections
Adding experiences to make for a more robust FYE
FT Instructors (either specifically FYE or current Faculty/Staff)
Co-teaching model

5. Notable Observations GRCC data
Retention, GPA, Credit Accrual inconclusive
Student Feedback conclusive
National Data/Studies indicate positive impact
Melinda Mechur Karp, Julia Raufman, Chris Efthimiou & Nancy Ritze (2017), Revising a College 101 Course for Sustained Impact: Early Outcomes, Community College Journal of Research and Practice
No true FYE at GRCC
Only class/seminar for some first year students

6. Community College Journal OF Research AND Practice https://doi. org/10
Measure
Bronx Community College (CUNY)
First Year Seminar
N=1338
Matched Sample
Average 1st-semester GPA
(dev ed courses included)
2.36
1.94
Average 1st-semester GPA (college-level courses only)
2.31
1.84
Average 1st-semester credit
Accumulation
6.34
5.68
1st-semester retention rate
81.7%
72.1%
1-year retention rate
64.4%
54.1%
GPA, end of fall 2014 semester
(college-level courses only)
2.15
1.83
Credits earned, end of fall 2014 semester
21.97
17.54

7. GRCC * Verfication needed Fall 2014 Cohort All CLS N=1315
CLS Successful
N=988
All FTIAC’s
N=3125
Average first semester GPA
(no more than one dev ed)
2.18
2.69
2.39
GPA, end of fall 2015 semester
2.38
2.47
2.72
Credits earned (2 years)
23.36*
28.57*
35.58
Average first year credit accumulation
16.79
20.29
16.67
First semester retention
(fall to winter)
77%
88%
76%
First year retention
(fall to fall)
50%
61%
* Verfication needed

8. Inconclusive Comparative Retention Data
All CLS 100 Students
All FTIAC’s
F14-W15
79.5%
76.6%
F15-W16
80.8%
76.8%
F16-W17
75.2%
F14-F15
51.1%
50.2%
F15- F16
49.6%
53.2%
F16-F17
45.4%
52%
Source: GRCC Data Warehouse

9. Conclusive Student Feedback Data N=156/11
Conclusive Student Feedback Data N=156/11.3% Fall 2017 Enrollees who reported agree or Strongly agree
81%
95%
86%
80%
79%
83%
65%
79%
76%
73%
77%
87%

10. Continued Student Feedback Data
78%
79%
76%
77%
80%
75%
67%

11. Recommendations Policy related Recommendations
Implementation related Recommendations
Maintain current criteria determining who is required to enroll in a FYE course
Edit language to update PY97 to PY100
More FT Staff and Faculty
Academic Pathway Sections
Team Teach
Overload v Baseload?
10 week course duration (14 weeks still available as needed)
Increased collaboration w/orientation
Identify/Formalize other FYE opportunities

12. Current Policy Statement
Beginning Winter 2014, students new to GRCC who are enrolled in a degree seeking program and have a high school GPA of less than 3.0 are required to complete a college learning success course, CLS 100 (Introduction to College: New Student Experience). [Students placing into two or more developmental courses are required to enroll in PY097 instead of CLS 100] Students have the option of attempting a CLS 100 Challenge Exam. Passing this exam will exempt a student from the course. Students must complete the course requirement [CLS 100 or PY 097] their first semester of classes taken at GRCC. A degree-seeking student who has already successfully completed 12 or more credits of college-level courses at GRCC, another college or university or has received GRCC transfer credit for these courses will not be required to complete CLS 100.

13. Proposed Policy Language
Students new to GRCC who are enrolled in a degree seeking program and have a high school GPA of less than 3.0 are required, within the first semester of attending GRCC, to complete at least two credits of First Year Experience (FYE) that shall include CLS 100. Students with two or more developmental placements are required to enroll in PY 100 instead of CLS 100. Students without two or more developmental placements who successfully complete the CLS 100 Challenge Exam, or who transfer in 12 or more credits of successful college level courses, are exempt from mandatory enrollment into CLS 100.

14. Share Feedback By Feb. 23 with
Patrick Kamau
Raynard Ross