1. Entering Students Have a Lot to Tell Us: Are We Listening? NISOD Monday, May 31, 2010 11:15AM – 12:15PM Room 13A

2. Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) & Starting Right: Initiative on Student Success Listening to Entering Students Center for Community College Student Engagement

3. SENSE & Starting Right Listening to Entering Students 3rd year Represents 1.5 million students 199 colleges 35 states, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands Focus groups Center for Community College Student Engagement

4. Introducing … SENSE Benchmarks Early Connections High Expectations and Aspirations Clear Academic Plan and Pathway Effective Track to College Readiness Engaged Learning Academic and Social Support Network Center for Community College Student Engagement

5. Benchmarks help your college… Establish baselines, set goals, and measure progress toward those goals. Gauge and monitor your performance in areas central to your mission and goals. Answer the question of how your performance compares to the national average — and a reminder to ask whether that average is good enough. Benchmarking provides a basis for colleges to set priorities. Center for Community College Student Engagement

6. Welcome to College! Video Removed

7. Students don’t know what they don’t know… but we expect them to! Center for Community College Student Engagement

8. Early Connections Almost 30% of entering students didn’t really feel welcome. Fewer than half participated in on-campus orientation. Center for Community College Student Engagement

9. Do I Need Orientation? Video Removed

10. 90% …of new students responding to the SENSE say they believe they have the motivation to do what it takes to succeed in college. Center for Community College Student Engagement High Expectations and Aspirations

11. Center for Community College Student Engagement High Expectations and Aspirations Video Removed

12. High Expectations and Aspirations 80% of new students responding say their goal is to earn an Associate degree. 74% of new students responding say their goal is to transfer to a four-year college or university. Center for Community College Student Engagement

13. 85% …of new students responding to the SENSE survey say they’re academically prepared for college. Center for Community College Student Engagement High Expectations and Aspirations

14. Entering students are highly motivated, are committed to achieving their academic goals, and sincerely believe they will. Center for Community College Student Engagement

15. Yet … during the first 3 weeks 43% said they came to class unprepared. More than 25% skipped class. More than 31% turned in an assignment late.

16. Center for Community College Student Engagement …of our students leave in their first year. 50%

17. Center for Community College Student Engagement Helping students succeed through the equivalent of the first semester (12–15 credit hours) can dramatically improve subsequent success rates.

18. Center for Community College Student Engagement Clear Academic Plan and Pathway Almost 47% of entering students surveyed say they never met with an advisor!

19. Center for Community College Student Engagement Clear Academic Plan and Pathway For those who did see an advisor: “An advisor helped me to… …select courses for my first term” – 70% …choose a program or major” – fewer than 60% …set academic goals and create a plan for achieving them” – fewer than 38%

20. Center for Community College Student Engagement Please Advise Me! Video Removed

21. Center for Community College Student Engagement More than 70% of entering students say no college staff member talked with them about outside commitments to help them figure out how many classes to take.

22. Center for Community College Student Engagement Too Many Hours… Video Removed

23. Effective Track to College Readiness Based on placement tests entering students report: 75% of students surveyed placed into at least one developmental class. 15% needed remediation in all 3 areas Center for Community College Student Engagement

24. Effective Track to College Readiness More than 25% say they were not required to enroll in classes they tested into.

25. Center for Community College Student Engagement Effective Track to College Readiness Video Removed

26. Center for Community College Student Engagement Helping students complete their first developmental course can dramatically improve subsequent success rates.

27. Center for Community College Student Engagement Engaged Learning More than 30% asked questions in class or contributed to discussion ONCE or NEVER Almost half worked with other students in class ONCE or NEVER

28. Center for Community College Student Engagement Give Me a Reason to Come to Class… Video Removed

29. Center for Community College Student Engagement Engaged Learning Fewer than half the students surveyed said instructors had activities to introduce students to one another.

30. Center for Community College Student Engagement When it Works… Video Removed

31. Have you asked for help? 57% say ONCE or NEVER Gone to a tutor? 84% say NEVER Gone to a math, writing, or other skill lab? 66% say NEVER Engaged Learning Center for Community College Student Engagement

32. I Need Help, But… Center for Community College Student Engagement Video Removed

33. Students don’t do optional! Center for Community College Student Engagement

34. I’m Getting Help! Center for Community College Student Engagement Video Removed

35. Center for Community College Student Engagement Are you connected? Does anyone know your name? Do you know anyone? 3-4 weeks after classes started…a number of students in focus groups DID NOT KNOW THEIR INSTRUCTORS’ NAMES! Academic and Social Support Network

36. During their first 3 weeks… More than a third said instructors didn’t clearly explain academic and support services available at the college…or they weren’t sure if their instructors had… :-} Center for Community College Student Engagement

37. What entering students are telling us: During their first 3 weeks… Almost 30% didn’t know they could get academic advising… 47% didn’t use it. More than 25% didn’t know they could get financial aid advising... 56% didn’t use it. Center for Community College Student Engagement

38. What entering students are telling us: During their first 3 weeks… More than 50% didn’t know they could get career counseling… 82% didn’t use it. Almost 30% didn’t know they could get extra help in a writing or math lab... 65% didn’t use it. Center for Community College Student Engagement

39. What Matters Most for Entering Student Success? Center for Community College Student Engagement

40. Students Start Right When They… Make connections – Between now and their future (setting goals) With faculty, staff, and other students Between what they’re learning and what’s important to them – personally and professionally Center for Community College Student Engagement

41. Navigate successfully through college systems, processes, and procedures They understand what they’re doing and why it matters Students Start Right When They… Center for Community College Student Engagement

42. Students use the word “mandatory” and want us to use it when we know what they need. Center for Community College Student Engagement

43. Colleges committed to student success …make student engagement inescapable! Center for Community College Student Engagement

44. Most importantly… Students can’t succeed if they don’t come back! Survey of Entering Student Engagement

45. Angela Oriano-Darnall Associate Director, CCCSE Arleen Arnsparger Project Manager, Initiative on Student Success Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) Community College Leadership Program The University of Texas at Austin Websites – www.enteringstudent.org www.ccsse.org For more information: Center for Community College Student Engagement