8/11/2013 Supporting Continued Student Success at Elizabeth City State University Jennifer O. Farnum, Ph.D. VP for Research Teresa Farnum & Associates, Inc. Our Group Today In Which Month Were You Born? Faculty • Arts & Humanities • Business and Economics • Education and Psychology • Mathematics, Science and Technology Student Affairs & Financial Aid Directions: Turn to the person to your right. Introduce yourself. Put your name and contact information on the index card. Pass the card to your partner. Set a reminder to reach out to your partner on September 3. Ask him/her to report on TWO main “lessons learned” today and what actions have result from those lessons. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Academic Affairs Others? Materials Available At: Retention 101 “Retention is itself not the goal, but is the ‘byproduct’ or result of improved educational quality and the upgrading of the student experience.” • Noel et al., 1985 Basic Ingredients for Success • • • • • Astin's Theory of Involvement (1977, 1985) Bean and Metzner's Nontraditional Student Attrition (1985) Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure (1975, 1993) Seidman’s Formula for Student Success (1995, 2005) Swail’s Theory of Retaining Minority Students in Higher Education (1995, 2003) 1 8/11/2013 How Does Retention Work? Examples of At-Risk Pops X Recruitment & Admission Financial Aid Student Services Academic Services Curriculum & Instruction first-generation second-to-third year low-income student athletes community college transfers non-traditional non-residential academic probation underprepared Retaining Minority Students in Higher Education, Swail (1995, 2003) Low-Income, First-Generation Financial Aid Folks? Ingredients for Success at ESCU + The Perfect Storm - Admission standards increased • lowers pool of prospective students Academic standards raised • Impacts the number of students who are eligible to continue Performance-based funding implemented • formula that uses improvements in retention and graduation rates 2 8/11/2013 Has Anyone Noticed? “…Students increasingly are bringing to higher education exactly the same consumer expectations they have for every other commercial establishment with which they deal. Their focus is on convenience, quality, service, and cost.” first-generation second-to-third year low-income student athletes community college transfers non-traditional non-residential academic probation underprepared - Levine, A., & Cureton, J.S. 1998. Collegiate Life: An Obituary. Change, 30, 3, p.14. Principles of Success—Joe Cuseo 1. PERSONAL VALIDATION Student success is fostered when students feel personally significant—i.e., when they feel recognized as individuals, that they matter to the institution, and that the institution cares about them as whole persons. • Rendón, 1994, 2009; Schlossberg, Lynch, & Chickering, 1989; Terenzini et al., 1996 Faculty Staff Principles of Success Principles of Success 2. SELF-EFFICACY 3. REFLECTION Students are more likely to experience success when they Students are more likely to be successful when they believe that their personal effort matters—when they think they can exert significant influence or control over the outcomes of their educational and personal success. reflect on their college and life experiences, think deeply about them and transform them into a form that connects with what they already know or have previously experienced. • Bandura, 1997; Chemers, Hu, & Garcia, 2001; Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Dweck, 2006; Duckworth & Kern., 2011; Elias, & Loomis, 2002; Multon, Brown, & Lent, 1991; Solberg, et al., 1993 Faculty • Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000; Bruner, 1990; Ewell, 1997; Flavell, 1985; Svinicki, 2004; Vygotsky, 1978 Staff Faculty 3 Staff 8/11/2013 Principles of Success 4. SOCIAL INTEGRATION • Student success is strengthened through human interaction, collaboration, and the formation of interpersonal relationships between the student and other members of the college community—peers, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni. • Post-First Year Retention Astin, 1993; Bruffee, 1993; Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998; Slavin, 1996; Tinto, 1993, 2007 Faculty Staff Activity ECSU Rates: A Reintroduction Your Impressions of Sophomores? Financial Aid Faculty & Academics Sophomore Characteristics Sophomore Slump • Freedman, 1956; Kennedy & Upcraft, 2010 Live & Learn/Res Life Advise/Career Counsel Study Abroad Social Involvement Refers to: o o Service Learning o o o 4 Academic deficiencies Academic disengagement Dissatisfaction with collegiate experience Major and career indecision Developmental confusion 8/11/2013 Describing Sophomores Describing Sophomores Sophomore Challenges: Why are They? Sophomore Challenges: Why are They? 6. -Joe Cuseo, Personal Communication 1. 2. 3. 4. 7. 8. Special attention and support suddenly terminated “Novelty, mystery, and excitement” fades Social adjustments/challenges Residential adjustments, off-campus/within institution Faculty & Academics Why It is Important to Sophomores • Less likely to report investment in learning (Gardner, 2000) • Study/engage in academics less (Gardner, 2000) • More likely to see faculty as disengaged, unapproachable, unhelpful (Gardner, 2000) • Approachable faculty more important to sophomores (Juillerat, 2000) 9. Changes in academic advising More serious curriculum Realities of academic major/course of study First-year habits not sustainable What can I do on to support secondyear success? Faculty & Academics Why It is Important to Sophomores • Less interaction in classroom (30% “never or seldom participate,” Gardner, 2000) • Quality of instruction:1 of 4 factors that increases persistence (Schreiner, 2007) • Engaged learning most important predictor of sophomore success, satisfaction, retention (Schreiner, 2010) Faculty & Academics Particularly crucial that we: • Relate learning to careers and career competencies Faculty & Academics Interaction with students outside the “typical” classroom • Find unique study/lesson spaces • Offer undergraduate research programs • Attend events! Host events! that recruit sophomores • Offer courses taught by faculty on developmentally-appropriate topics • Teach in residence halls • Use modalities such as RemindMe 101 and Facebook • Trips to areas of cultural and historical significance 5 8/11/2013 Faculty & Academics Faculty & Academics Early Alert Particularly crucial that we: • Description of ECSU system: • Reorganize large groups into smaller ones • Engage students by active/collaborative learning methods Socrative • Focus on building peer-to-peer networks • m.socrative.com • Room number 574684 • Use innovative teaching methods, changed times require approaches Best Practices in Early Alert • 1. Identify the target audience • 2. Define a clear intervention process. • 3. Create a formal feedback system Academic Advising /Career Development Academic Advising /Career Development Tend to think dichotomously, Why It is Important to Sophomores leading to anxiety about “right” choices Certainty about major predicts academic success • Gahagan & Hunter, 2006 • Absolute, transitional, independent, contextual Anderson & Schreiner, 2000 Increasing lack of understanding of field, requirements, etc. • decision making • Barr, 2003 Boivin, et. al, 2000 Epistemological develop: Increased pressure to select major Difficulty with academic/life Difficulty balancing academic and co-curricular activities • Wilder, 1993 Baxter Magolda, 1992 Tinto, 1993 Aid structuring, focusing, sequencing • Anderson & Schreiner, 2000 34 Academic Advising /Career Development Academic Advising /Career Development Why It is Important to Sophomores Why It is Important to Sophomores Academic major must directly apply to “final” career (Hawkins, Bradley, & Whie, 1977) Lack of exposure to career fields/options More dissatisfied with advisor approachability and knowledge from first to second year; both qualities are highly important o Juillerat, 2000 Least satisfied with academic advising services Schreiner, 2010 o All three types of sophomores at-risk (decided, undecided, major changers) o Gordon 2010 “Major selection and deciding on an appropriate career was sophomores’ biggest personal problem.” -Gardner, 2000, p.72 6 8/11/2013 Academic Advising /Career Development Academic Advising /Career Development Especially Important to: Especially Important to: Establish formal advising-career development networks Employ strength-based career counseling Construct sophomore-year checklist (e.g., SLU) Adopt a “future selves” approach with students Designate “sophomore-year advisors” and train accordingly (e.g., NACADA) • e.g., Markus & Nurius, 1986 Conduct focus groups/surveys and design programs accordingly For-credit career exploration Academic Advising /Career Development Especially Important to Offer: • Alum mentoring • Career experiences and exposure to the “world of work” • Workshops (interviewing, resume building, career-self-discovery, etc.) • Strong online self-service program (MyPlan, connect majors to careers, O*NET) Financial Aid Avoid front-loading Offer sophomore-specific scholarships Actively reach out to students and parents to aid in financial literacy Proactively identify students who are at risk financially • Faculty requests and collaboration with career services Social Involvement Social Involvement Why It is Important to Sophomores • Time of identity confusion, development, and questioning: definition through peers • Schaller, 2010 • “Satisfaction with peers” strongest predictor of overall satisfaction • Schreiner, 2010 • Campus climate one of four predictors Wild child: 60% describe themselves as “fairly frequent or constant” partiers Gardner, 2000 Moral development & retrogression: shift in perception of “right” and “wrong” Kohlberg & Kramer, 1969 of retention • Schreiner, 2007 “Most students feel sense of belonging”/“I feel a sense of pride” Juillerat, 2000 7 8/11/2013 Social Involvement Social Involvement Why It is Important to Sophomores Student Development Theory (Schaller, 2005) 4 stages of student development: random, focused, tentative choices, commitment Most sophomores in “focused exploration” (Stage 2) Emphasis on relationships Uncertainty/alienation from first-year friends Friendship fit Building community Social Involvement Why it is Important to Sophomores Social relationships one of three major themes; within relationships: Solidifying friendships Developing new relationships Friendships of choice versus convenience Social relationships compete with other priorities -Gansemer-Topf, Stern, & Benjamin, 2007 Social Involvement Cohesion, bondedness, affiliation, identity, leadership Especially Important That We: Offer exposure to different types of activities, especially “substantive” ones Make use of (or create) peer mentoring and peer tutoring programs o UT Pan American, SAM program Provide leadership opportunities Living/learning & residential options Welcome back festivities (welcome week) Seasonal activities Sophomore residence halls Sophomore, junior, senior retreats Outdoor/experiential programs Best Practices This is a segue slide! 8 8/11/2013 Final Exercise Arts & Humanities Business and Economics Education and Psychology Mathematics, Science and Technology Student Affairs & Financial Aid Academic Affairs Selected Resources Thank you, Elizabeth City State University!!!! Adelman, C. (2006). The toolbox revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school through college. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved May 20, 2011, from www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/toolboxrevisit/index.html. Graunke, S.S., and Woosley, S.A. (2005). An exploration of the factors that affect the academic success of college sophomores. College Student Journal, Spring, 367–376. Farnum, J.O. (2010). Prevalence and Composition of Second-Year Programming in Higher Education. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from: http://www.teresafarnum.com/documents/PrevalenceandComposition2ndYe arProgrammingTFASite.pdf Selected Resources Selected Resources Hunter, M. S., Tobolowsky, B. F., Gardner, J. N., Evenbeck, S. E., Pattengale, J. A., Schaller, M. A., & Schreiner, L. A. (2010). Helping sophomores succeed: Understanding and improving the second-year experience. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gahagan, J. & and Hunter, M.S. (2006.) The second-year experience: Turning attention to the academy’s middle children. About Campus 11(3), 17- 22. Lipka, S. (2006). After the freshman bubble pops. The Chronicle. Accessed online May Schaller, M. (2005). Wandering and wondering: Traversing the uneven terrain of the second college year. About Campus, 10(3), 17-27. Schreiner, L. A. & Pattengale, J. (2000). Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed (Monograph 31). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina National Resource Center. 21, 2011:http://chronicle.com/article/After-the-Freshman-Bubble-Pops/4556. Karp et al. (2003, updated 2008). The sophomore year: Literature search to support a sophomore year retention and success initiative. Accessed online, May 21, 2011 at: http://clariou.edu/4431/. Tobolowsky, B. F. & Cox, B. E. (2007). Shedding Light on Sophomores: An Exploration of the Second College Year (Monograph 47). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina National Resource Center. 9 8/11/2013 Selected Resources Organizations/Documents FYE and SYE listservs, FYE-LIST@LISTSERV.SC.EDU, SOPHLIST@LISTSERV.SC.EDU Council on Undergraduate research (http://www.cur.org/) also Healey and Jenkins, 2009 http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/publications /DevelopingUndergraduate_Final.pdf) Association for Experiential Education: http://www.aee.org/ Belmont University: http://www.belmont.edu/institutional_effectiveness/pdfs/stc-qep.pdf 10