Wendy Pecka, Casey Reid, and Beth Rozema(2015 Midwest First-Year Conference)

One Good Change Deserves Another:

Extending the Impact of an FYS

East Central College

Rolla, Sullivan, and Union, MO

FA14 Changes:Meta-majors10-week early out structure

SP15 Change:Inquiry Projects

SU15 Change:Final project: Goal setting and Hope theory

FYS Revisions

Meta-Majors and 10-Week FormatFA14 Changes

Origination: Missouri Completion AcademyRationaleOptions:

Critical ExplorationBusiness and TechnologyEngineering, Math, and ScienceEducationFine and Performing ArtsHealth Sciences and Health Careers Industry and ManufacturingLiberal StudiesSocial and Behavioral Sciences

Meta-Majors: FA14

Strengths and OpportunitiesWeaknesses and ChallengesOne-minute writing: Would this type of

FYS/FYE structure be feasible and useful within your institutional context? If so, who would have to be involved in implementation? What initial steps could you take to institute this change?

Meta-Majors Discussion

Course set up as 1-credit, 16-week class meeting 50 minutes twice a week

Main course content set up to run 10 weeksStudents who are earning passing grades in

all courses exit the class at 10 weeksRemaining students continue meeting for he

remainder of the semester as a retention initiative

10-Week Early Out

Strengths and OpportunitiesWeaknesses and ChallengesOne-minute writing: Would this type of

FYS/FYE structure be feasible and useful within your institutional context? If so, who would have to be involved in implementation? What initial steps could you take to institute this change?

10-week Format Discussion

Inquiry ProjectsSP15 Change

CCRC studied three CCs in one statewide system

Need to whittle down course content, move from lecture to “strategies that

emphasize application and sustained practice,” and

“[d]evelop common course assignments geared toward reflection, application, and practice” (Karp & Stacey, 2013, pg. 5)

FYS for Long-Term Impact

Help students think like an academic/problem solver: come up with questions with input from expert (instructor and Peer Coaches) and construct projects that explore the questions/issues

Many project options to fit diverse disciplinary needs and student learning methods within a framework that would meet CCRC’s suggestions

Individual and group project options

Inquiry Projects

Topic #1: Exploring the New Student College Experience

Topic #2: Understanding [and Practicing] Academic Habits

Topic #3: Managing My SelfTopic #4: Exploring and Creating My Goals

and My FutureTopic #5: Applying What I’m LearningTopic #6: Resetting and Reaching New Goals

Project Topics

Strengths and OpportunitiesWeaknesses and ChallengesOne-minute writing: Would this type of

FYS/FYE structure be feasible and useful within your institutional context? If so, who would have to be involved in implementation? What initial steps could you take to institute this change?

Inquiry Project Discussion

Final Project RevisionSU15

Goal setting focus moved from #6 to #5 for Critical Exploration sections

Infusion of hope theory-based activities and discussionsSet one goal related to each Inquiry Project

topic (4-6 goals total)Track the goals all semesterCheck in re: goals progressReflection and presentation in week 10Reset for weeks 11-16 (if needed)

Final Projects: #5 and #6

Hope Theory (see Snyder and Lopez)• Positive psychology –

Rick Snyder and Shane Lopez (Making Hope Happen)

• Goal attainment process• Set goals• Figure out pathways

and alternative pathways to meet goals

• Stay motivated to meet goals (agency thinking)

• Attain goal!

Why Hope?• Powerful: stronger

predictor of academic success than high school GPA, ACT, intelligence, personality (Grasgreen, 2012)

• Malleable: can be coached and trained

Chart credit: Grassgreen, 2012

Strengths and OpportunitiesWeaknesses and ChallengesOne-minute writing: Would this type of

FYS/FYE structure be feasible and useful within your institutional context? If so, who would have to be involved in implementation? What initial steps could you take to institute this change?

Final Project Discussion

FA 15: First online offerings + New leadership

Present and Future

Grasgreen, Allie. "Here's Hoping." Inside Higher Ed. Inside Higher Ed, 6 July 2014.

Web. 12 June. 2014.Karp, M., & Stacey, G. (2013). Student success courses for

sustained impact. (Part three). New York, NY:

Columbia University, Teachers College, Community College Research Center.

References