George D. KuhGeorge D. Kuh

NACADA National NACADA National ConferenceConference

October 18, 2006October 18, 2006

Thinking DEEPly about Academic Thinking DEEPly about Academic Advising and Student EngagementAdvising and Student Engagement

We all want the same thing—an We all want the same thing—an undergraduate experience that undergraduate experience that results in high levels of learning results in high levels of learning and personal development for all and personal development for all students.students.

OverviewOverview

What matters to student success

The role of engagement What students say about

advising Lessons for advisors from

high-performing institutions

Advance OrganizersAdvance Organizers

To what extent do your students To what extent do your students engage in productive learning engage in productive learning activities, inside activities, inside andand outside the outside the classroom? classroom?

How do you know? How do you know? What mighty you do differently -- What mighty you do differently --

or better -- to foster student or better -- to foster student success? success?

Student Success in CollegeStudent Success in College

Academic achievement, Academic achievement, engagement in engagement in educationally purposeful educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and knowledge, skills and competencies, competencies, persistence, attainment persistence, attainment of educational of educational objectives, and post-objectives, and post-college performancecollege performance

Pre-college Characteristics Pre-college Characteristics Associated with Student SuccessAssociated with Student Success

Academic preparationAcademic preparationAbility and college-level skillsAbility and college-level skillsFamily education and supportFamily education and supportFinancial wherewithalFinancial wherewithal

Early College Indicators of Early College Indicators of Persistence and SuccessPersistence and Success

Goal realizationGoal realization Psycho-social fitPsycho-social fit Credit hours completedCredit hours completed Academic and social supportAcademic and social support Involvement in the “right” kinds Involvement in the “right” kinds

of activitiesof activities

What Really Matters in College: What Really Matters in College: Student EngagementStudent Engagement

Because iBecause individual effort and ndividual effort and involvement are the critical involvement are the critical determinants of impact, determinants of impact, institutions should focus on institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their the ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to extracurricular offerings to encourage encourage student student engagementengagement. .

Pascarella & Terenzini, Pascarella & Terenzini, How College How College Affects StudentsAffects Students, 2005, p. 602, 2005, p. 602

Student Engagement TrinityStudent Engagement Trinity

What students What students dodo -- time and energy -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

What institutions What institutions dodo -- using -- using effective educational practices to effective educational practices to induce students to do the right induce students to do the right thingsthings

Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward channel student energy toward the the right activitiesright activities

Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)

Student-faculty contactStudent-faculty contact Active learningActive learning Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback Time on taskTime on task High expectationsHigh expectations Respect for diverse learning stylesRespect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among studentsCooperation among students

National Survey of National Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)

Community College Community College Survey of Student Survey of Student EngagementEngagement(pronounced “cessie”)

College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

NSSE SurveyNSSE Survey

Student Behaviors

Institutional Actions & Requirements

Reactions to People & Environment

Student BackgroundInformation

Student Learning &

Development

In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following?

1

Effective Educational PracticesEffective Educational Practices

Level of Level of Academic Academic ChallengeChallenge

Active & Active & Collaborative Collaborative

LearningLearning

EnrichingEnrichingEducational Educational ExperiencesExperiences

SupportiveSupportiveCampusCampus

EnvironmentEnvironment

Student-Student-Faculty Faculty

InteractionInteraction

Grades, persistence, Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, student satisfaction, and engagement go and engagement go hand in handhand in hand

Behold the Behold the compensatorycompensatory effects of engagementeffects of engagement

Student Success QuizStudent Success Quiz

What is the best predictor of What is the best predictor of satisfaction with the campus satisfaction with the campus climate for learning? climate for learning? (a) high school rank(a) high school rank(b) college gpa(b) college gpa(c) credit hours completed(c) credit hours completed(d) quality of academic advising(d) quality of academic advising(e) none of the above(e) none of the above d. d. academic advisingacademic advising

Satisfaction with Advising: First-Year Students

Excellent27%

Good47%

Poor6%

Fair20%

Satisfaction with Advising: Seniors

Excellent27%

Good40%

Poor11%

Fair22%

Satisfaction with advising by year in school and gender

0

20

40

60

80

100

First-Year Senior

Per

cen

t 'G

oo

d' o

r 'E

xcel

len

t' Male

Female

Satisfaction with advising by year in school and race or ethnicity

0

20

40

60

80

100

First-Year Senior

Per

cen

t 'G

oo

d' o

r 'E

xcel

len

t'

Af. Amer./Black

Asian

White

Latin./Hisp.

Accurate and current information Accurate and current information from advisorsfrom advisors

13%

80%

7%

16%

81%

3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Disagree Agree Not Applicable

First-year

Seniors

48%

5%8%

27%

19%

11%8%

10% 11%

49%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Advisor Other staff Online Catalog/Web Friends/Family

First-year

Seniors

Primary source of academic advisingPrimary source of academic advising

49%46%

43%

51%

12%

35%32%34%

15%14%12%

26%

5%8%7%

11%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Academicadvising or

planning

Career advisingor planning

Financial aidadvising

Academicassistance

(tutoring, writingcenter, etc.)

Never

Sometimes

Often

Very often

First-Year Student Use of Campus Services First-Year Student Use of Campus Services

What do “engaging”What do “engaging”colleges look like?colleges look like?

And what do And what do advisors there do?!?advisors there do?!?

What We What We Learned from Learned from Project DEEPProject DEEP

Jossey-Bass Jossey-Bass 20052005

DEEP Guiding QuestionsDEEP Guiding Questions

What do strong-performing What do strong-performing institutions do to promote institutions do to promote student success?student success?

What campus features -- policies, What campus features -- policies, programs, and practices – are programs, and practices – are related to higher-than-predicted related to higher-than-predicted graduation rates and student graduation rates and student engagement?engagement?

DEEP Selection CriteriaDEEP Selection Criteria

Controlling for student and institutional Controlling for student and institutional characteristics (i.e., selectivity, diversity, characteristics (i.e., selectivity, diversity, institutional type), DEEP schools have: institutional type), DEEP schools have:

Higher-than-predicted graduation Higher-than-predicted graduation rates rates Higher-than-predicted NSSE scoresHigher-than-predicted NSSE scores

Region, institutional Region, institutional type, special missiontype, special mission

Research ApproachResearch Approach

Case study method Case study method Team of 24 researchers review Team of 24 researchers review

institutional documents and conduct institutional documents and conduct multiple-day site visitsmultiple-day site visits

Observe individuals, classes, group Observe individuals, classes, group meetings, activities, eventsmeetings, activities, events

2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events 2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events Discover and describe effective Discover and describe effective

practices and programs, campus practices and programs, campus cultureculture

Project DEEP SchoolsProject DEEP Schools

Doctoral Extensives

University of Kansas

University of Michigan

Doctoral Intensives

George Mason University

Miami University (Ohio)

University of Texas El PasoUniversity of Texas El Paso

Master’s Granting

Fayetteville State University

Gonzaga University

Longwood University

Liberal ArtsLiberal Arts California State, Monterey BayCalifornia State, Monterey Bay Macalester CollegeMacalester College Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar College The Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State College Sewanee: University of the Sewanee: University of the SouthSouth Ursinus CollegeUrsinus College Wabash College Wabash College Wheaton College (MA)Wheaton College (MA) Wofford College Wofford College

Baccalaureate GeneralBaccalaureate General Alverno College Alverno College University of Maine at University of Maine at FarmingtonFarmington Winston-Salem State UniversityWinston-Salem State University

Six Common ConditionsSix Common Conditions

““Living” Mission and “Lived” Living” Mission and “Lived” Educational PhilosophyEducational Philosophy

Unshakeable Focus on Student Unshakeable Focus on Student Learning Learning

Environments Adapted for Environments Adapted for Educational EnrichmentEducational Enrichment

Clearly Marked Pathways to Clearly Marked Pathways to Student SuccessStudent Success

Improvement-Oriented EthosImprovement-Oriented Ethos Shared Responsibility for Shared Responsibility for

Educational Quality Educational Quality

FiveFive DEEP Lessons DEEP Lessons for Academic Advisorsfor Academic Advisors

We can’t leave We can’t leave serendipity to chanceserendipity to chance

Points to PonderPoints to PonderTo what extent do these ideas To what extent do these ideas

characterize your work and your characterize your work and your institution? institution?

What are the implications for: What are the implications for: You?You?For faculty members?For faculty members?For academic administratorsFor academic administratorsFor student affairs staff?For student affairs staff?For others (e.g., librarians, info For others (e.g., librarians, info

tech personnel, etc.)?tech personnel, etc.)?

1. Adopt a talent development 1. Adopt a talent development approach to advising approach to advising

a.a. ““Know” your studentsKnow” your students Who are they?Who are they?

What are they telling us?What are they telling us?

Student Success QuizStudent Success Quiz

What percent of high school What percent of high school seniors have college-level seniors have college-level reading skills?reading skills?

(a) 51% (b) 59% (c) 68% (d) 77% (a) 51% (b) 59% (c) 68% (d) 77% (e) none of the above(e) none of the above

a. 5151%% (ACTACT, 2006)

Student Success QuizStudent Success Quiz

True or false:True or false:

25% of first-year first-time frosh 25% of first-year first-time frosh at two-year colleges are at two-year colleges are required to take one or more required to take one or more remedial courses in college.remedial courses in college.

False.False. 60% 60%

Student Success QuizStudent Success Quiz

What percent of students who What percent of students who take at least one remedial course take at least one remedial course in in readingreading do not earn a do not earn a certificate or degree within 8 certificate or degree within 8 years of first enrollment? years of first enrollment?

(a) 18% (b) 33% (c) 43% (a) 18% (b) 33% (c) 43% (d) 61% (e) 70%(d) 61% (e) 70%

e. e. 7070%%

Student Success QuizStudent Success Quiz

About what percent of About what percent of community college students community college students return for the second year?return for the second year?(a) 29% (b) 33% (c) 50% (a) 29% (b) 33% (c) 50% (d) 61% (e) 77%(d) 61% (e) 77%

c. . 5050%%

15% do not complete one academic 15% do not complete one academic termterm

Students TodayStudents Today

An entitlement An entitlement mentalitymentality

Trends in High School GradesTrends in High School Grades

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 2005

A- or better

C+ or less

Students TodayStudents Today

An entitlement An entitlement mentality mentality

Cumulative Cumulative deficit re: deficit re: attitudes, study attitudes, study habits, habits, academic skillsacademic skills

Students TodayStudents Today

More diverse More diverse than previous than previous cohortscohorts

Techno-savvy Techno-savvy “NetGens”“NetGens”

Factors That Threaten Persistence and Factors That Threaten Persistence and Graduation from College Graduation from College

academically underprepared for academically underprepared for college-level workcollege-level work

gap between high school and college gap between high school and college part-time enrollmentpart-time enrollment single parentsingle parent financially independentfinancially independent children at homechildren at home 30+ hours working per week30+ hours working per week first-generation college studentfirst-generation college student

1. Adopt a talent development 1. Adopt a talent development approach to advising approach to advising

a.a. ““Know” your studentsKnow” your studentsb.b. Meet students “where they are” – Meet students “where they are” –

academically, socially, academically, socially, psychologically.psychologically.

Fayetteville StateFayetteville StateFaculty members “teach the Faculty members “teach the

students they have, not those they students they have, not those they wish they had”wish they had”

Center for Teaching and Learning Center for Teaching and Learning sponsors development activities on sponsors development activities on diverse learning needsdiverse learning needs

Cal State Monterey BayCal State Monterey Bay““Assets” philosophy acknowledges Assets” philosophy acknowledges

students’ prior knowledgestudents’ prior knowledge

““Meet students where they are”Meet students where they are”

1. Adopt a talent development 1. Adopt a talent development approach to advising approach to advising

a.a. ““Know” your studentsKnow” your studentsb.b. Meet students “where they are” – Meet students “where they are” –

academically, socially, academically, socially, psychologically.psychologically.

c.c. Set high expectations – challenge, Set high expectations – challenge, implore, cajole and supportimplore, cajole and support

Beginning College Survey of Student Beginning College Survey of Student EngagementEngagement

Annual survey of entering first-year Annual survey of entering first-year studentsstudents

2005-2006 pilot test at 70 2005-2006 pilot test at 70 institutionsinstitutions

Administered prior to start of Administered prior to start of classesclasses

Ty M. CruceJulie M. Williams

John V. MooreIndiana University

It Takes a Whole Campus It Takes a Whole Campus to Educate a Studentto Educate a Student

2. Make advising a tag team activity 2. Make advising a tag team activity

a.a. Share responsibility for student Share responsibility for student successsuccess

b.b. Draw on multiple sources of Draw on multiple sources of expertise and perspectives on expertise and perspectives on studentsstudents

Redundant early warning systems: Redundant early warning systems: “Tag Teaming”“Tag Teaming”

Wheaton first-year student Wheaton first-year student advising team includes faculty, advising team includes faculty, student preceptors, librarians student preceptors, librarians and administrative staff. and administrative staff.

At Ursinus, Miami, and Wheaton At Ursinus, Miami, and Wheaton representatives from both representatives from both academic affairs and student academic affairs and student affairs serve as academic affairs serve as academic advisors. advisors.

3. Help students map out a path to 3. Help students map out a path to successsuccess

a.a. Draw a map for student Draw a map for student success success

3. Help students map out a path to 3. Help students map out a path to successsuccess

a.a. Draw a map for student Draw a map for student success success

b.b. Teach newcomers about the Teach newcomers about the campus culturecampus culture

Socialization to academic Socialization to academic expectationsexpectations

““Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” Winston Salem’s motto, reflects an Winston Salem’s motto, reflects an educational philosophy that educational philosophy that emphasizes that students must repay a emphasizes that students must repay a societal debt for the privileges of societal debt for the privileges of freedom and responsibility. Freshman freedom and responsibility. Freshman Seminar and Nursing Strategies Seminar and Nursing Strategies courses include service courses include service responsibilities for new students.responsibilities for new students.

3. Help students map out a path to 3. Help students map out a path to successsuccess

a.a. Draw a map for student Draw a map for student success success

b.b. Teach newcomers about the Teach newcomers about the campus culturecampus culture

c.c. Emphasize student initiative Emphasize student initiative d.d. Point students to programs, Point students to programs,

resources and activities that resources and activities that work!work!

Potential “High Impact” ActivitiesPotential “High Impact” Activities First-year seminars and experiencesFirst-year seminars and experiences Common intellectual experiencesCommon intellectual experiences Learning communitiesLearning communities Writing-intensive coursesWriting-intensive courses Collaborative assignmentsCollaborative assignments ““Science as science is done”Science as science is done” Diversity/global learningDiversity/global learning Service learning/community serviceService learning/community service InternshipsInternships Capstone experiences/projectsCapstone experiences/projects

What to Do?!?What to Do?!?

Student success requires that we Student success requires that we explain more things to today’s explain more things to today’s students that we once took for students that we once took for granted – granted –

““You must buy the book, you You must buy the book, you must read it and come to class, must read it and come to class, you must observe deadlines or you must observe deadlines or make special arrangements when make special arrangements when you miss one”you miss one”Prof. Richard Turner (1998, p.4)

Lessons from National Center for Lessons from National Center for Academic TransformationAcademic Transformation

If doing something is important, If doing something is important, require it (first-year students require it (first-year students don’t do ‘optional’)don’t do ‘optional’)

Assign course points to the Assign course points to the activityactivity

Monitor and intervene when Monitor and intervene when necessarynecessary

http://www.thencat.org/Newsletters/Apr06.htm#1http://www.thencat.org/Newsletters/Apr06.htm#1

Intrusive advisingIntrusive advisingUniversity of Kansas University of Kansas “Graduate in “Graduate in Four”Four” advising notebook: advising notebook:

Distributed at orientation Distributed at orientation Describes to students how to make Describes to students how to make

the most of undergraduate study the most of undergraduate study Students required to meet with Students required to meet with

advisor to review progress to degree advisor to review progress to degree Section for each of the four Section for each of the four

undergraduate yearsundergraduate years““Checklist” for students to weigh Checklist” for students to weigh

choices and monitor if they are choices and monitor if they are making progress. making progress.

4. Make every interaction meaningful 4. Make every interaction meaningful

a.a. Participate and connect before Participate and connect before college and during orientationcollege and during orientation

b.b. Provide accurate informationProvide accurate informationc.c. Push students to think!Push students to think!d.d. Develop peer mentoring programsDevelop peer mentoring programse.e. Imbed advising into a first-year Imbed advising into a first-year

coursecoursef.f. Encourage students to experience Encourage students to experience

diversitydiversity

Who Is Most Likely to Who Is Most Likely to Experience Diversity?Experience Diversity?

MoreMoreStudents of color Students of color

Traditional-age Traditional-age studentsstudents

WomenWomen

First-year studentsFirst-year students

LessLessWhite studentsWhite students

Older studentsOlder students

Men Men

Upper-division Upper-division studentsstudents

Something Else That Something Else That Really MattersReally Matters in College in College

The greatest impact appears The greatest impact appears to stem from students’ to stem from students’ total total levellevel of campus engagement, of campus engagement, particularly when academic, particularly when academic, interpersonal, and interpersonal, and extracurricular involvements extracurricular involvements are are mutually reinforcingmutually reinforcing……

Pascarella & Terenzini, Pascarella & Terenzini, How College How College Affects StudentsAffects Students, 2005, p. 647, 2005, p. 647

Linking campus and communityLinking campus and community

California State University, California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) requires Monterey Bay (CSUMB) requires all students to complete both a all students to complete both a lower and upper-level service lower and upper-level service learning experience as a means learning experience as a means to apply knowledge and connect to apply knowledge and connect with the local community.with the local community.

5. Focus on culture sooner than later5. Focus on culture sooner than later

Ultimately, it’s all about the Ultimately, it’s all about the culture…culture…

a.a. Identify cultural properties that Identify cultural properties that impede advisor effectiveness impede advisor effectiveness and student success and student success

b.b. Expand the number of cultural Expand the number of cultural practitioners on campuspractitioners on campus

c.c. Instill an ethic of positive Instill an ethic of positive restlessnessrestlessness

Positive restlessnessPositive restlessness

““We know who we are and what We know who we are and what we aspire to.”we aspire to.”

Confident, responsive, but Confident, responsive, but never quite satisfied… never quite satisfied…

Self-correcting orientationSelf-correcting orientation

Continually question, “are we Continually question, “are we performing as well as we can?” performing as well as we can?”

Checking the TruthChecking the Truth

How well does our advising How well does our advising system work? How do we know?system work? How do we know?

How many students do our How many students do our efforts reach in meaningful ways efforts reach in meaningful ways and how do we know? and how do we know?

To what degree are our efforts To what degree are our efforts complementary? complementary?

What are we not doing that we What are we not doing that we should?should?

Last WordLast Word

We cannot change the lineage of our We cannot change the lineage of our students. Campus cultures do not students. Campus cultures do not change easily or willingly. But we change easily or willingly. But we can do far more to shape the way can do far more to shape the way students approach college and what students approach college and what they do after they arrive. they do after they arrive.

Do we have the Do we have the willwill to more to more consistently use promising policies consistently use promising policies and practices to increase the odds and practices to increase the odds that more students “get ready,” “get that more students “get ready,” “get in,” and “get through?”in,” and “get through?”

Questions & Questions & DiscussionDiscussion