1. Making Connections Dimensions of Student Engagement 2009 Findings

2. CCSSE Overview

3. CCSSE: A Tool for Improvement CCSSE helps us:  Assess quality in community college education  Identify and learn from good educational practice  Identify areas in which we can improve Center for Community College Student Engagement

4. CCSSE: A Tool for Community Colleges CCSSE data analyses include a three-year cohort of participating colleges.  The 2009 CCSSE Cohort includes more than 400,000 community college students from 663 institutions in 48 states, British Columbia, the Marshall Islands, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. Center for Community College Student Engagement

5.  Quantitative  CCSSE  CCFSSE  SENSE  Qualitative  Initiative on Student Success / Starting Right Center for Community College Student Engagement

6. CCSSE: A Tool for Accountability CCSSE:  Provides reliable data on issues that matter  Reports data publicly  Is committed to using data for improvement CCSSE opposes the ranking of colleges. ranking Center for Community College Student Engagement

7. Community College Students

8. Center for Community College Student Engagement “I’m a divorced, single mother. I can and need to do this. If I fall down, my kids are going to fall down. If I’m standing, they will be there, right beside me.” Giving Voice to Students Carolina Villamar (left) and classmate Luisa Castano. 26-year-old single mother of a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter

9. Key Demographics, Enrollment, and Attendance Most Students Are Enrolled Part-Time Many Full-Time Students Work Close to Full-Time Source: IPEDS, fall 2007. Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data. Center for Community College Student Engagement Part-time students Full-time students who work more than 30 hours per week

10. Key Demographics, Enrollment, and Attendance Many Students Take Evening Classes Many Students Take Classes Online Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data. Source: Data from American Association of Community College and Allen, I.E. & Seaman, J. Analysis by CCSSE. Center for Community College Student Engagement Students who take evening classes Students who have taken an online class

11. Community College Students’ Plans When asked when they plan to take classes at this college again, 22% of students had no plan to return or were uncertain about their future plans. Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data. Center for Community College Student Engagement

12. Barriers to Returning to College How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college? In addition, 48% of respondents say that transfer to a four-year college or university is a likely or very likely reason they would not return to this college. Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data. Percentage of students responding likely or very likely Center for Community College Student Engagement

13. Least Engaged Students* *This analysis does not include students who hold degrees. Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data. The least engaged community college students are:  Part-time students  Traditional-age students (those 24 and younger)  Students not seeking credentials  Students who have not completed 30 or more credits  Male students  Financially independent students (those using their own income or savings as the major source of tuition)  Students who work more than 30 hours per week  Students who have not taken developmental courses  Students who have not taken study skill courses  Students who have not participated in orientation  Students who have not participated in learning communities

14. CCSSE Benchmarks

15. Center for Community College Student Engagement CCSSE Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practice The five CCSSE benchmarks are:  Active and Collaborative Learning  Student Effort  Academic Challenge  Student-Faculty Interaction  Support for Learners

16. Center for Community College Student Engagement CCSSE Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practice CCSSE Example Community College 2009 Benchmark Scores

17. Center for Community College Student Engagement Benchmarking — and Reaching for Excellence The most important comparison: where you are now, compared with where you want to be.

18. Center for Community College Student Engagement Reaching for Excellence at [XX College] This is an opportunity to customize one or more slides for your college. Slide and discussion ideas include:  Show how your college is reaching for excellence by discussing how your college is using CCSSE data to better understand and improve its practices.  Compare yourself to the national average (the 50 mark).  Measure overall performance against performance by your least-engaged student groups.  Gauge your work in the areas your college strongly values (e.g., the areas identified in your strategic plan).  Contrast where you are with where you want to be.

19. Building a Culture of Evidence

20. Center for Community College Student Engagement Start with the Truth “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… We must do that which we think we cannot.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

21. Center for Community College Student Engagement Understand the Facts  21% of part-time students versus 32% of full-time students say they often or very often talk about career plans with an instructor or advisor.  36% of part-time students versus 23% of full-time students say they never have those conversations. Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data.

22. Center for Community College Student Engagement Understand the Facts Part-time students are less likely to:  Work with other students on projects during class  Make class presentations  Participate in a community-based project as part of a course

23. Center for Community College Student Engagement Share the Facts and Act on What You’ve Learned “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.” — Charles Dickens (1812–1870) Great Expectations

24. Using CCSSE Results

25. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Inarguable Fundamentals 1.The center of community college work is student learning, persistence, and success. 2.Every program, every service, every academic policy is perfectly designed to achieve the exact outcome it currently produces.

26. Center for Community College Student Engagement Using CCSSE To Assess, Inform, and Act 1.Identify key areas (e.g., the areas identified in your strategic plan). 2.Identify survey items that address these priorities.

27. Center for Community College Student Engagement Using CCSSE To Assess, Inform, and Act 3.Start with the benchmarks. 4.Look at individual survey items. 5.Disaggregate the data and identify the least engaged student groups.

28. Center for Community College Student Engagement Using CCSSE To Assess, Inform, and Act 6.Involve the college community. 7.Design strategies and set targets. 8.Share the data and plans to address them.

29. Center for Community College Student Engagement Using CCSSE To Assess, Inform, and Act 9.Track progress by measuring outcomes. 10.Scale up efforts that are working. Modify or discontinue those that are not. 11.Repeat.

30. Build Connections, Build Success

31. Center for Community College Student Engagement Build Connections, Build Success Personal Connections: The unanticipated success factor

32. Center for Community College Student Engagement Build Connections, Build Success How can institutions foster stronger and more diverse connections with—and among—students?

33. Center for Community College Student Engagement Build Connections, Build Success Distinguish between communicating information and connecting.

34. The Connected College

35. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connected College  Language and actions communicate the belief that all students can succeed.  Everyone on campus is committed to facilitating student success.

36. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connected College The commitment to building connections is:  Evident across campus groups.  Carried through all policies and procedures.  Visible in every contact with a student or potential student.

37. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connected College The commitment to building connections is:  Cognizant of and relevant to student needs.  Apparent in all communications—face-to- face, print, and electronic.

38. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connected College The connected college meets students where they are —literally, figuratively, and virtually— and helps them get to where they need to be.

39. Cultivating Connections

40. Center for Community College Student Engagement Cultivating Connections The twofold challenge:  Use data to understand the status quo— which students need to be better engaged  Find ways to use each interactive medium to create meaningful, lasting connections

41. Center for Community College Student Engagement Cultivating Connections  Connections in virtual space  Connections in the classroom  Connections on campus  Connections beyond the campus

42. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in Virtual Space FACT: Students increasingly use social media and other virtual tools to interact. FACT: Students value personal connections at their colleges.

43. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in Virtual Space Use online and social networking tools to cultivate relationships that help students feel connected and encourage them to persist in their studies.

44. Use of Social Networking Tools For any purpose Traditional-Age Students Nontraditional-Age Students Source: 2009 CCSSE data. Center for Community College Student Engagement

45. Use of Social Networking Tools To communicate about coursework Traditional-Age Students Nontraditional-Age Students Source: 2009 CCSSE data. Center for Community College Student Engagement

46. Use of Social Networking Tools  Some use of social networking tools is related to increased engagement  But there is a point of diminishing returns.

47. Center for Community College Student Engagement Online Learning: Strong Outcomes  Online enrollments are growing faster than classroom enrollments.  The highest growth rates are in two-year colleges.  Students learning online have better-than average outcomes.  Blended, or hybrid, instruction has best outcomes.

48. Center for Community College Student Engagement Online Learning and Developmental Education The devil is in the details.

49. Center for Community College Student Engagement Making the Most of Connections in Virtual Space  Sharing information using social media is not necessarily connecting with students.  The medium must be suited to the service the college is providing.

50. Center for Community College Student Engagement Making the Most of Connections in Virtual Space  Create online experiences that lead to personal—or even in-person—connections.

51. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in Virtual Space at [XX College] This is an opportunity to customize one or more slides for your college. Slide and discussion ideas include:  Provide your college’s data for survey items related to use of technology and the special-focus items about social networking and discuss the results.  Provide examples of what you plan to do with the information (for example, replacing online orientation with mandatory live tours, or expanding a successful online tutoring program).  Compare your college’s performance on these items with the performance of a group of similar colleges (without naming the colleges, of course) or to the full CCSSE population.  Give examples of initiatives that your college has developed (or plans to develop) to strengthen connections in virtual space on your campus(es).

52. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in Virtual Space at [XX College] The previous slide suggests ways you can create a student effort slide customized for your college. This slide show an example of the type of chart you can create to execute these suggestions. [XX College] Focused on Improving Connections in Virtual Space

53. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in the Classroom Students who say they often or very often work with classmates outside of class 22% Students who say they often or very often work with classmates during class 47%

54. Center for Community College Student Engagement Making the Most of Connections in the Classroom  Use engaging instructional approaches that emphasize active learning and building connections  Build additional engagement opportunities into the classroom experience

55. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in the Classroom at [XX College] This is an opportunity to customize one or more slides for your college. Slide and discussion ideas include:  Provide your college’s data for survey items related to connections in the classroom and discuss the results.  Provide examples of what you plan to do with the information (for example, providing professional development that focuses on engaging instructional approaches or building academic advising, study skills training, and other engagement opportunities in to the classroom).  Compare your college’s performance on these items with the performance of a group of similar colleges (without naming the colleges, of course) or to the full CCSSE population.  Give examples of initiatives that your college has developed (or plans to develop) to strengthen connections in the classroom on your campus(es).

56. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections on Campus Students who say they never worked with other classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments 41% Students who report that they never discussed ideas from their readings or classes with instructors outside of class 47%

57. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections on Campus: Orientation Students who attended a college orientation Have you attended an orientation program or course? Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data.

58. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections on Campus: Student Services OftenRarely/ never Academic advising/planning13%35% Career counseling5%51% Peer or other tutoring3%46% Skill labs (writing, math, etc.)15%37% Financial aid advising17%32% Student organizations5%45% How often do you use the following services? How important are the following services? VeryNot at all Academic advising/planning62%10% Career counseling50%21% Peer or other tutoring39%29% Skill labs (writing, math, etc.)44%25% Financial aid advising61%21% Student organizations24%41% Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data.

59. Center for Community College Student Engagement Making the Most of Connections on Campus  Make outside-the-classroom engagement inescapable.  Require students to participate in educational experiences that are important tot heir success.  Make student services mandatory and/or integrate them into coursework.

60. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections on Campus at [XX College] This is an opportunity to customize one or more slides for your college. Slide and discussion ideas include:  Provide your college’s data for survey items related to connections on campus and discuss the results.  Provide examples of what you plan to do with the information (for example, making study groups mandatory, requiring students to participate in projects with faculty members or other students outside the classroom, or requiring students to attend an appointment with a career counselor).  Compare your college’s performance on these items with the performance of a group of similar colleges (without naming the colleges, of course) or to the full CCSSE population.  Give examples of initiatives that your college has developed (or plans to develop) to strengthen connections on campus at your college).

61. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections Beyond the Campus In your experience at this college during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following? Often/ Very often Never Participated in a community based project as part of a regular course 7%77% Discussed ideas from your classes outside of class (with students, family members, co-workers) 50%12%

62. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections Beyond the Campus Will you have an internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment while attending this college? Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data.

63. Center for Community College Student Engagement Making the Most of Connections on Campus  Require service projects or other experiential learning opportunities.

64. Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections Beyond the Campus at [XX College] This is an opportunity to customize one or more slides for your college. Slide and discussion ideas include:  Provide your college’s data for survey items related to connections beyond the campus and discuss the results.  Provide examples of what you plan to do with the information (for example, making hands-on learning mandatory or strengthening professional development related to experiential learning).  Compare your college’s performance on these items with the performance of a group of similar colleges (without naming the colleges, of course) or to the full CCSSE population.  Give examples of initiatives that your college has developed (or plans to develop) to strengthen connections on campus at your college).

65. The Connection Gap

66. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connection Gap  60% of community college students attend college part-time.  67% of community college faculty teach part-time.

67. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connection Gap After controlling for income and other demographics, NCES found:  15% of part-time students earned a degree or certificate in six years — compared with 64% of full-time students  73% of part-time students left college without earning a degree — while 72% of full-time students persisted

68. Center for Community College Student Engagement

69. The Connection Gap Part-time faculty typically teach what percentage of all community college course sections? 50% - 66% (half to two-thirds)

70. Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connection Gap: Part-Time Faculty How many hours do you spend in a typical 7-day week doing each of the following? Percentage of CCFSSE respondents who indicate zero hours. Part-time faculty teaching 9-12 hours/week Full-time faculty teaching 9-12 hours/week Advising students40%15% Working with students on activities other than coursework82%50% Involved in other interactions with students outside the classroom47%22% Coordination and/or administrative activities71%23% Participating on college committees or task forces78%8%

71. Center for Community College Student Engagement Closing the Connection Gap  Make the most of the hours part-time students spend on campus. For example: Make support services accessible. Link student success courses to developmental courses. Require orientation, advising, and participation in study groups.  Provide professional development for part-time faculty members.

72. Center for Community College Student Engagement Closing the Connection Gap at [XX College] This is an opportunity to customize one or more slides for your college. Slide and discussion ideas include:  Provide your college’s data for survey items related to the connection gap and discuss the results.  Provide examples of what you plan to do with the information (for example, providing support services at times convenient to part-time students, integrating services into coursework, making orientation and advising mandatory, and providing professional development to part-time faculty members).  Compare your college’s performance on these items with the performance of a group of similar colleges (without naming the colleges, of course) or to the full CCSSE population.  Give examples of initiatives that your college has developed (or plans to develop) to close the connection gap at your college).