1. Camp Bearcat First-Year Leadership Retreat Student Activities & Leadership Development

2. Presentation Outline Introductions First-Year Theory/Historical Background What is Camp Bearcat Where are they now? Questions

3. Why focus on the FYE? Students coming to college w/ different levels of preparedness Retention Student Involvement Building sense of community Academic Integration Social Integration Hunter, M. & Murry, K. 2007. New Frontiers for Student Affairs Professionals: Teaching the First-Year Experience. Wiley InterScience.

4. Research I Institutions What are they doing? New/Expanding Programs Tied to discipline/college Learning communities Teaching/learning reexamined Academic/Student Affairs Partnerships Evaluation/Assessment Cutright, M. 2002. What are research universities doing for first-year students?

5. Why A Retreat? Accelerated Learning Fundamental to quality leadership programs Students find retreats offer more profound impact on learning Off-campus retreats “essential” to learning Ropes courses offer challenges & community building Eich, D. 2009. Accelerating Learning and Development with Student Leadership Retreats

6. Camp Bearcat History Developed in 2003 Historical co-sponsorships include: –Proctor and Gamble –MasterCard Grant –University of Cincinnati Alumni Association –Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honorary –Student Activities & Leadership Development

7. Pillars Connections Academics Traditions Service

8. Omicron Delta Kappa Interaction with Participants Recruitment of first-year students Retreat Planning Mentor Program Facilitation of Pillars –Facilitation training coordinate by SALD staff Panel Discussion Scholarship, Leadership & Character

9. Schedule

10. Budget Overview

11. Budget Concerns Growing interest of program Increasing lodging/meal/transportation costs –Value of being away from campus? –Value of overnight retreat? Speakers fees –Value of non-university affiliated speaker?

12. Evaluation Results (2008) (out of 5 possible points) Speaker: Carl Creasman, Jr: 4.85 Connections Pillar: 4.24 Academics Pillar: 4.57 Traditions Pillar: 4.58 Service Pillar: 4.25 Camp Fire: 4.80 Mentor/Mentee Program: 4.66 Reflection Letters: 4.26 Overall Camp Bearcat Experience: 4.70

13. Where are they now? 300 first-year students participated since 2003 98% matriculated to second quarter 97% matriculated to sophomore year 98% graduated in five years or less

14. Does your institution have a “Camp Bearcat”? If so, what does it look like? Similarities? Differences?

15. Final Questions/Comments? Thank you! Please fill out evaluations!

16. Works Cited Cutright, M. (2002). What are research universities doing for first-year students? About Campus, September/October 2002, 16-20. Eich, D. (2009). Accelerating learning and development with student leadership retreats. Student Affairs Leader, 37(2), 1-2. Hunter, M. & Murry, K. (2007). New frontiers for student affairs professionals: teaching and the first-year experience. New Directions for Student Services, 117, 25-34. Schrader, P. & Brown, S. (2008). Evaluating the first-year experience: Students knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Journal of Advanced Academics, 19, 310- 343. Wilcox, P., Winn, S., & Fyvie-Gauld, M. (2005). It was nothing to do with the university, it was just the people: the role of social support in the first-year experience of higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 30(6), 707-722.