Excellence in the First College Year:A Call for Action From Michigan’s Community College Faculty

Andrew K. KochCatherine F. AndersenJune 4 and 5, 2012

Copyright, Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, 2012.

Purpose of the this event The purpose of this event is . . .

To put Michigan's Community Colleges’ approach(es) to new student success in a broader national context of relevant theory, research, and best practice.

To undertake a thoughtful analysis of the effectiveness of the beginning college experience at Michigan's Community Colleges.

To develop a faculty call to action in supporting first-year student success.

Session Overview What We Learned About You

From Theory to Practice

The Context

High Impact Strategies

The Current Situation – From National Studies

We Know that Faculty Matter

What We Know (and Don’t Know) About New Student Programs

Moving from Tactical to Strategic – Considerations for Faculty

My expectations for this meeting

Please complete an index card anonymously.

Your beginning college experience (Rhodes College 1970’s)

What We Have Learned about The Michigan Center for Student Success

You have a strong vision to support Michigan’s 28 community colleges.

You have goals that stress communities of practice, professional development, use of data, research and collaboration.

You have a strategic plan that outlines specific strategies for faculty in this plan.

What We Have Learned about the Colleges and Your Students

TOTAL CREDIT ENROLLMENT (2010-2011)

Total: 294,960

Enrolled full-time: 39.02% Enrolled part-time: 60.98% 

With an estimated 35 % enrollment increase from Fall 2006:

What We Have Learned about the Colleges and Your Students

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS (Fall 2010)

Average age: 26.4     18-24 years old: 52%     25-34 years old: 21.62%     35-49 years old: 16.24%     Over 50 years old: 5.16%Women: 56.08%Men: 43.92%Minorities: 21.97%     White/Non-Hispanic: 62.60%     Black: 15.39%     Hispanic: 2.81%     Asian American: 0.77%      Native American/Pacific Islanders: 0.08%    Non-U.S. citizens: 1.27%

What We Have Learned about the Colleges and Your Students

62% placed in one or more developmental courses:

36% enrolled in one or more developmental courses

49% completed ≤ 3 terms in 4 years*

31% receive Pell Grants

73% retained fall 2010 to spring 2011

33% of CC students transfer at least once

* from 14 ATD schools from 2008-2010

From Theory to Practice in the First Year of College: Determining What Works and Why

Considering the Relevance of Theory to Your Students

Question as we begin:

Do the major theories that serve as a foundation for student success and retention apply to your students?

Which one(s) are most relevant?

Beginning with Basic Theoretical Perspectives

Institutional fit (a state of being) (Tinto)

Can the student’s needs be met at the institution?

Can institutional fit be developed?

Social and academic integration (learning the culture) (Tinto with replication)

Differences in preference by age and life stage

Basic Theoretical Perspectives Campus involvement (student behaviors) (Astin with

replication)

How important for adults or commuters?

Engagement in learning (Kuh and others)

Links affective and cognitive dimensions of learning

Is both a means to learning outcomes and an end in itself

Basic Theoretical Perspectives Commitment and motivation (Tinto and

others)

To the institution

To completion of a degree

To a career or life goal

Making the Path to Success Work

NoviceProfessionalPractitioners

ProspectiveStudents

PersonalCommunities

ProfessionalCommunities

Michigan Experience

Entry Semester 1 Semester 2 Transfer/graduate

Major

Which is most important?

In your opinion, which of these theories best explains student success and retention at your

institution?

(Or propose your own ideas)

Context

X

Context

High Impact Strategies

First-Year Seminars

Common Intellectual Experiences

Learning Communities

Writing-Intensive Courses

Collaborative Assignments and Projects

High Impact Strategies Undergraduate Research

Diversity/Global Learning

Service Learning, Community-Based Learning

Internships

Capstone Courses and Projects

Other Practices / Programs

What We Know From National StudiesThe Good, The Bad, & The Ugly . . .

High School Graduation Class Sizes

WICHE

Decline in Most States

When There is a Rebound . . .

Non-College Going

Low-Income

First-Generation

First-Year Students / Retention Research

Tinto

Braxton

Padilla

Bean & Eaton

Astin

Kuh

Transfer Students

1/3 of all students

AA/AS

Not Quite 40%

The Norm – Not the Anomaly

Faculty Role in Addressing Success

Institution (culture, policy and practice – early alert)

Department (pedagogy, expectations) Course (triggers -points where students struggle –

curriculum – add SI and modify) Instructor Reduce size or pace of assignments -- but not

expectations or standards. If there are large numbers of failing students allow greater opportunity for success. i.e. larger assignments with high percentage grades become several smaller sequential assignments. Are they available?

Best Practices in Teaching and Learning in the first-year

Adjusting Students' Expectations

Calibrating Your Expectations

Being Approachable

Getting Students to Office Hours

Enhancing Large Lectures

Improving Attendance

Engaging Students in Meaningful Learning

Helping Students Manage and Monitor their Learning

Best Practices in Teaching and Learning in the first-year

Challenging Talented Students

Assuring Quality in Teaching

Maintaining Cohesiveness Across Multi sectional Courses

Addressing Academic Integrity Issues

Helping Students Who are Experiencing Difficulty

Best Practices in Teaching and Learning in the first-year

http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/PublicationsArchives/InternalReports/BestPractices-1stYears.pdf

Best Practices in Teaching and Learning in the first-year – Learning from Deep Schools

1. Embrace undergraduates & their learning.

2. Set and maintain high expectations for student performance.

3. Clarify what students need to do to succeed.

4. Use engaging pedagogy for approaches appropriate for course objectives and students’ abilities and learning styles.

Learning from Deep Schools continued

5. Build on students’ knowledge, abilities & talents.

6. Provide meaningful feedback to students.

7. Weave diversity into the curriculum including out-of-class assignments.

8. Make time for students.

9. Hold students accountable for taking their share of the responsibility for their learning.

Summing Up

What faculty do makes a difference.

Basic theoretical models are sound but developed primarily for white, male students

Question: How well do these models apply to all of today’s students?

Research today focuses on program outcomes that can be easily counted (e.g., retention, grade point average)

How can we better understand the short-term and long-term learning that does or does not result from common first-year programs ?

In Summation High School Student Graduating Class Sizes

Decreasing

First-Year Students Mobile

Transfer Students the Norm

“Atypical” Subpopulations Become the Typical

What We Know (and Don’t Know) About New Student Programs

First-Year Seminars First-Year Seminars

Do credit hours matter?

Is there a perceived difference between required and elective courses?

Should courses be pass/fail or letter graded?

Do peer leaders have an impact?

Is it a good idea to link seminars into a block or “learning community”?

First-Year Seminars

First-year seminars, cont’d.

Does section size influence effectiveness?

Does the “type” of instructor make a difference?

Does impact relate to a particular textbook?

What’s the bottom line on first-year seminar impact on learning, academic achievement, and retention?

First-Year Seminars Summary

Seminars that

Are elective

Are graded

Use peer leaders

Carry sufficient credit hours to achieve objectives

Are linked into a learning community

Produce better student outcomes!

Learning Communities Learning communities –institution-specific

findings

Impact on retention

Impact on academic achievement

Impact on student satisfaction

Insufficient evidence about impact on student learning

Insufficient evidence about impact on faculty and student leaders

Need clarity about desired learning outcomes

Academic Advising Academic advising

Strong anecdotal evidence about the influence of advising, especially intensive/intrusive advising

Weak statistical evidence

Lack of clarity about goals for advising – Retention? Speed of declaring major? Satisfaction? Time to graduation?

The inherent research difficulties

Issues of student expectations of advisors and experiences

Supplemental Instruction and Orientation

Supplemental Instruction

Strong evidence to support link with retention

Strong evidence to support link with academic achievement

Orientation – a means of early socialization

Strong (but dated) evidence linking two-day pre-term orientation with retention

Research lacking that compares different modes of pre-term orientation

Early Warning Systems Early Warning

Many models

Some Local Examples

Labor Intensive

Grades – Not Retention

Analytics

Early Warning (Analytics)

Learner Analytics (A Form of Early Warning)

Big Market – Some Promising Data

Retention correlation is spotty a best

Grades

Financial Aid and Employment

Financial Aid

Combining Support with Aid

Lead Them to Water and Pay Them to Drink

MDRC – Performance-Based Scholarships

Employment on Campus

On-Campus Employment

10-20 Hours a Week

Service Learning / Developmental Education Service Learning

Strong impact on expected involvement in civic affairs and improved life skills

Limited-to-no direct impact on retention

Developmental Education A necessary, but challenging, service on a number of levels

Impact is mixed on student outcomes

Do developmental courses prepare students for success in regular courses?

How is developmental work best delivered? The ongoing debate.

Summing Up Basic theoretical models are sound but

developed primarily for white, male students

Question: How well do these models apply to all of today’s students?

Research today focuses on program outcomes that can be easily counted (e.g., retention, grade point average)

How can we better understand the short-term and long-term learning that does or does not result from common first-year programs ?

Thinking About Your First-Year Programs

What are their desired outcomes (apart from retention)

What do you know about the degree to which outcomes are realized?

Moving from Tactical to Strategic

Considerations

Four “Take-Aways”

Context

Scale

Coordination

A Plan

1. Context

X

2. Scale Many Single

Pockets of Excellence?

All, Most, or Some?

Critical Mass

3. Coordination The Benefits of

Coordination

Exponential Combinations

Explicit role of faculty

Downsides to Coordination?

4. A (The) Plan! “Coordinated

Coordination”

Application of Evidence to Action

Do You Have One?

Do You Need One?

Questions and Discussion

Reporting Out and Feedback

First-Year Success Strategies

Group Work What are the College’s greatest strengths

in serving beginning students?

What policies, practices, programs are “okay” but could use improvement?

What is not working well and needs to be changed?

Before the first term of enrollment

1. . Your website: how user-friendly is it for prospective students?

2. Use of social media – Facebook, and/or Twitter, etc.?3. Summer bridge programs4. Incentives for early registration5. Placement testing6. Focused outreach to high school students

   

Before the first term of enrollment

7. “College success” class for high school students

8. Collaborative networks with h.s. faculty to align competencies

9. Campus visits by prospective students and families

10. Pre-term orientation/welcome week

11. Involvement of upper-level students as orientation leaders

12. Parents’ or family programs

13. Pre-term advising

Before the first term of enrollment

14. Admissions process: setting accurate academic expectations

15. Firm admission/registration dates (late start options)

16. Encouragement of full-time enrollment

17. Enforcing course pre-requisites

18. Probationary/readmit programs

19. Attention to transfer-bound students

20. What’s missing? (College initiatives not listed)

During the first term of enrollment1. First-year seminars (ACA courses)

2. Learning communities

3. Supplemental Instruction

4. Information literacy/library skills

5. Special attention to first-year courses with high DFWI rates

6. Special focus on math 

7. Early alert programs/attendance monitoring

8. On-campus student employment

During the first term of enrollment

9. Honors programs

10. Learning/study skills centers

11. First-year advising (including for “exploratory” students)

12. Special programs for underrepresented students

13. TRIO Student Support

14. Undergraduate research 

15. Service learning

 

During the first term of enrollment

16. Developmental coursework

17. Utilizing upper-level students as mentors, peer leaders, etc.

18. Opportunities for out-of-class interaction with faculty

19. Encouraging/requiring assistance seeking

20. Creation of student study groups

21. Encouraging joining behaviors (campus activities)

22. Introductory course redesign (especially in terms of pedagogy)

23. Career counseling/planning

24. What’s missing? (College initiatives not listed)

Discussions, questions, feedback

Feedback Cards

Question #1: One thing that I enjoyed today was..

Questions #2: One thing I would like to change for tomorrow is ….

Questions #3 I would recommend the following as one key focus for a first-year action plan:

Homework

What ideas for new or improved first-year programs, practices, policies would you like to explore for your

community college?

What ideas for new or improved first-year programs, practices, policies would you like to explore for your

all community colleges in Michigan?

See you tomorrow!