Transcript Organizing for Success: Structures to Advance and

Middle States Accreditation Annual Meeting
Baltimore, Maryland
Fall, 2008
Introduction
Why would MSA four-year institutions join nearly 150
other U.S. colleges and universities in voluntarily
undertaking an ambitious, externally guided, self-study
of the entirety of their new students’ experiences
through a process known as Foundations of
Excellence in the First College Year®?
Improved student success and retention are only partial answers.
Fellow Middle States higher educators have joined us for
information and inspiration for using a unique form of
assessment to provide a new vision for the beginning
college experience.
What is the Foundations of Excellence Project?
Foundations of Excellence
The regional accrediting bodies continue to stress the
importance of the assessment of both programs and student
learning.
Campuses have found the FOE process extremely beneficial in
supporting student academic achievement and persistence.
Bringing together the FOE experience and accreditation has
resulted in “the whole being greater than the sum of the
parts.”
The presenters will include reports on lessons learned across
three campuses who participated in the FOE process and
how the process can be used in the accreditation process.
Role of First Year Self-Guided Improvement Process
Philosophy
Improvement
Roles and
Purpose
Organization
FOE
Guided
Self-Study
Nine
Dimensions
Diversity
Learning
Faculty
All Students
Transitions
How Do We Relate FOE and Accreditation?
 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
 Amanda Yale
 Gallaudet University
 Catherine Andersen
 SUNY, Stony Brook
 Mark Aronoff
FOE Study Participants
Policy
Center
Guides
Co-Liaisons
Steering
Committee
Leadership
Dimension Leaders
Dimension Members
Engine
Slippery Rock
University of
Pennsylvania
Student Profile:
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Mostly traditionally-aged
undergraduate students
8,458 students
6% Students of Color &
1% International Students
98% first year students live
on campus (2,800 total)
61% first generation
90% receive financial aid
assistance
Primarily from 15 counties in
Western PA
Middle States Evaluation 2000
“One of the major challenges for Slippery Rock University
is enrollment management…”
“Enrollment management is a critical function for SRU given
its steady decline over the past decade. (Enrollment
declined from 6,961 FTES in 1990-91 to 6,307 in 19992000, a loss of 654 FTES, or 9%. Undergraduate enrollment
has stabilized, with some modest growth over the past three
semesters. This growth is offset, however, by continued
decline in graduate enrollment.) The current administration
has been proactive in recognizing and addressing this
problem.”
Since the turn of the new millennium….
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Seventeen consecutive semesters of unbroken enrollment increases.
 Headcount enrollment up 24% and credit hour generation up 27% since 1999.
Quality of entering freshmen class up.
 SAT scores up 1030 in 2008 as compared to 945 in 2000.
 HSGPA up 3.39 in 2008 as compared to 2.99 in 2000.
 Top 10% at 12% in 2008 as compared to 6% in 2000.
 Top 25% at 40% in 2008 as compared to 24% in 2000.
 Top 50% at 80% in 2008 as compared to 56% in 2000.
 Selectivity improved to 59% in 2008 as compared to 83%.
Increases in first year student enrollment across each of the four colleges.
 Academic program increases ranged from 14% to 70%.
Since 2001, diversity enrollments up for African-American students by 98%.
First-to-Second Year Retention Rates have increased.
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Graduation rates have increased.
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Retention up to 79% in 2008 as compared to 68%.
African-American retention up 78% in 2008 as compared to 65%.
Hispanic retention up to 75% in 2008 as compared to 50%.
Six year graduation rates are increased to 59.2% in 2008 as compared to 51.8% in 2000.
Five year graduation rates increased to 52.8% as compared to 47.8% in 2000.
Four year graduation rates increased to 35.6% as compared to 27.7% in 2000.
Transfer students have increased to 638 from 480.
Graduate students have increased to 767 from 658.
Non-Resident Enrollment increased to 614 in 2008 as compared to less than 300 in 2003.
Mean Improvements on ALL Five NSSE Benchmarks and SRU longitudinal improvements.
Mean Improvements on 13 of 15 FYI survey factors
First Year Programs and Services Characteristics
 Working within the Culture – Developing a Culture
for Improving the First College Year
 Infusion of Intentionally and Purpose of
Programming and Services
 Integration of Efforts
 Collaborations & Partnerships Across
Departments and Divisions
 Infusion of Multiple Positive Interventions with
Students at Critical Transition
 Data Informed Decision Making & Assessment
Time Line of Student Learning and Success Strategies
FYRST Seminar/ LCC/60%
Retention Services
Early Attendance Reports
Early Alert w/ Resident
Assts.
Improve Web Applications
Orientation Programming
Changes
WOW Programming
2000
2001
National Award-Retention
FYRST Seminar/ LCC70%
Web Application- My Rock One Stop
Created waitlist admissions strategy
Retention Services Interventions
Enhanced
Online faculty development for
FYRST Seminar
2002
2003
2004
FYRST Seminar 93%/
LCC/75%
FYRST Peer Assistants/
45 Sections
Integrated Peer Assistant
Program in FYRST Seminar
Enhanced recruitment
using student learning /
success programs
2005
2006
FYRST Seminar 96%/ LCC/76%
Integrated Peer Assistant
Integrated Leadership in
FYRST Seminar
Enhancements to ECommunications
Raised Admissions Standards
Map-Works Implementation
Integration of Summer
Reading with FLSP
2007
2008
FOE
FYRST Seminar/ LCC/50%
Infusion of Student Life, Career
Services, etc in FYRST
Retention Services
Early Alert Programming
Mid-term & Final Grade
Reviews
Review of Policies - Ongoing
FYRST Seminar/ LCC/70%
Early Alert w/ FYRST
Probationary
Living Learning Communities
Student Leadership Programs
Tutoring Interventions/Expansion
of SI
National Award- MarketingRecruitment
FYRST Seminar/ LCC/80%
Pilot Peer Asst/15 Sections
E-Communications – Students &
Families
Raised Admissions Standards
Summer Reading Program
FYRST Seminar 95%/ LCC/75%
FYRST Peer Assistants/ 49 Sections
FYRST Seminar and FYRST S.
Development Enhancements
Integrated Peer Assistant Program in
FYRST Seminar
Development of FLSP
Increase Use of Tutoring/SI
Orientation Programming for August
12
FOE Dimensions Mapped to MS Standards
Philosophy
MSS 1
Organization
MS 3, 4, 5
Improvement
Roles and
Purpose
MS 1 and 2
Beyond Programmatic
Assessment/Evaluation
to
Systemic First Year
Self-Study
Diversity
MS 8, 9, 11, 12
Learning
MS 10, 11, 12
Faculty
MS 10, 11, 12
All Students
MS 8 and 9
Transitions
MS 8 and 9
SRU Recommendations Linked to Actions Mapped to MS Standards
Organization
MS 3, 4, & 5
Financial Aid &
College Costs
MS 8 & 9
Diversity
MS 8 & 11
SRU
Recommended
Actions
Common
Themes
Program &
Service
Improvement
MS 8 & 9
Faculty
MS 10, 11, & 12
14
Philosophy
MS 1
Communications
MS 4, 5, 8, & 9,
First Year
Assessment
MS 7
Use of Data and
Information for
Decision-making
MS 2, 3, 4, & 7
Resource
Allocation &
Support
MS 2
Five Focal Points for Program/Service Improvements
Use of Data for Informing Decision-Making
Pre-College Student Communications/Admissions
Processes Orientation – Spring/Summer & Fall
Student Engagement & Involvement in the First Year
FYRST Seminar/LCC Initiative
Faculty Development
Academic Advising/Early Alert/Early Student Outreach/Intervention
Efforts/Leadership Efforts/Living/Learning Communities
Recommended Actions – Charting Our Progress
Recommendation
Share online campus-wide
enrollment data on
recruitment/retention by
university, college,
department, major and
major sub-categories.
Action
Created BI portal
environment to share
campus-wide enrollment
data for informing decisions
and creating relationship
building opportunities with
students (new recruitment,
retention reporting, course
planning, & department
major information).
MS
Recommendation
Develop Web sites for
communicating first year
assessment results to
improve dissemination
and application of
assessment tools.
Action
Launched new web
presence for
institutional assessment
tools – EX. NSSE
MS
MS 8
Recommendation
Improve communications on
institutional profile of
students and assessment
results via the development
of an institutional
transparency Web site for
use by internal and external
constituencies.
Action
Developed a website for
institutional accountability for the
purpose of informing both internal
and external constituencies of
SRU’s profile of first year students,
transfer students, and graduate
students, core educational
outcomes, campus engagement,
costs, classroom environment,
and campus living.
MS
MS8
Recommendation
Improve recruitment
sites for FR and TR to
meet each of these
student group’s needs.
Action
Improved functionality,
content, and navigation
of the entire
undergraduate and
graduate recruitment
Web sites.
MS
Recommendation
Connect and communicate
information on SRU FYE
programming and services
via the marketing &
recruitment processes
through visit presentations
on and off campus
Action
Intentionally infused
information on first year
transition programming via
high school visit
presentations, weekly oncampus visit presentations,
and large program
visitations.
MS
MS
Recommendation
Initiate use of studentcentric web tools for
recruitment purposes
(I Tunes, Facebook,
Blogging, My Space)
Action
Improved use of SRU
videos, content, and
functionality on I Tunes,
Facebook, SRU blogging
site, My Space
MS 8
Recommendation
Developing late
summer orientation
programming for
students unable to
attend spring and
summer programming
orientation.
Action
Created August
programs for freshman
(99% FR participation)
and for transfers (52%
TR participation).
MS 8
Recommendation
Initiated use of electric
tool for early alert and
intervention in the third
week of the semester via
the use of Map-Works.
Dropped the use of the
paper and pencil early
alert system.
Action
Initiated the use of Map-Works for
early alert interventions in the
third week of the semester
(Mid-term checks). Created
collaborations with Residence
Life, FYRST Seminar, Retention
Services, Intercultural Programming,
Student Leadership, and Athletics.
MS 8
Recommendation:
Revise FYRST Seminar
faculty development to
meet current needs of
faculty. Infuse MapWorks
and Student Leadership
efforts into the training.
Action
Revised the FYRST
Seminar faculty
development workshop to
include new early alert
tool (89%) and student
leadership programming.
MS
Gallaudet University
Student Profile:
23 years average age
(undergraduate)
980 undergraduate full
time
373 graduate full time
26% from ethnically
diverse backgrounds
7% international
85% receive financial
assistance
52% from schools for
the deaf
48% from mainstream
programs
Gallaudet out of compliance with 8 of the 14
standards –Spring 2007
 Standard 1 (mission)
 Standard 2 (planning)
 Standard 4 (governance)
 Standard 6 (climate)
 Standard 8
(admissions and retention)
 Standard 11
(academic rigor)
 Standards 7 and 14
(assessment)
Time was of the essence -make use of
existing knowledge and data
 Work with the National Resource Center on the First-Year and Students in
Transition, and the Policy Center on the First-Year of College had already
resulted in change. First year retention rates had improved 10% in 10 years,
but did not result in increased graduation rates. In 2006, Gallaudet began
its participation in the Foundations of Excellence Project.
Foundations of Excellence resulted in a number of themes that
supported MSCHE accreditation challenges
Become
data driven
Review
admissions
and
support
program
Improve
student
retention,
learning, and
graduation
Be explicit
and
intentional in
First-year
Train,
support , and
reward most
engaging
faculty
Standard Eight – critical elements
 Recommendations
 Admissions Standards
must support the mission
of a high quality education.
 Review admissions
standards and base criteria
on a profile of a successful
student.
 Actions
 Admissions criteria raised
Standard Eight – critical elements
 Programs and services to
ensure that admitted
students who marginally
meet or do not meet the
institution's qualifications
achieve expected learning
goals and higher
education outcomes
 Recommendations
 Require programs for marginal
students
 Actions
 Summer Bridge Program
established with criteria for
participation.
 Plus (Performance Learning
Undergraduate Success)
Program established with
criteria for participation.
Standard Eight – critical elements
 Ongoing assessment of
student success, including
but not necessarily limited
to retention, that evaluates
the match between the
attributes of admitted
students and the
institution's mission and
programs, and reflects in
its findings in its
admission, remediation,
and other related policies:
 Recommendations
 Use data in all decision
making
 Actions
 Developed assessment and
action plans for support
programs
 Analyzed ACT scores with
student placement and
progress.
Standard Eight – critical elements
Drilling Down to Action Plan
 Recommendation:
 Identify courses with High DFWD rates. This is a
required part of the Foundations process.
 Action:
 Developed targets and action plans for reducing the
high DFWD rates. That resulted in higher pass rates
for developmental math classes.
October 2007 MSCHE Report
 “The team finds that Gallaudet University now meets this standard
(Eight), which states that “The institution seeks to admit students
whose interested, goals and abilities are congruent with its mission
and seeks to retain them through the pursuit of the students’
educational goals.” the team commends Gallaudet fro
establishing new and more rigorous admissions standards
based on evidence of student success. ..
 … The team also notes that the enrollment management work group
were able to cite an impressive array of evidence for recent
decisions on strategies to recruit qualified students and to improve
student retention”
 We could not have achieved this had we not participated in
Foundations in the months prior.
 All 14 standards were met in June 2008.
About SUNY – Stony Brook
Member of Association of
American Universities since
2001
Total Students: 23,354
Total Undergraduates: 15,525
Total First Time Freshmen:
2,708
Carnegie Classification: RU/VH:
Research Universities/Very High
research activity
Culture at
Research
Institutions
Complex structure: services,
personnel, budget and learning are
separated by function
Culture of research faculty
Culture of student affairs
Infrequent close interaction between
first year students and senior faculty
Weak culture of institutional
assessment
Research is rewarded more heavily
than teaching or service
Culture of isolation within
departments
Culture of
Faculty
Perception of owning curriculum and
student learning
Research faculty can go through
entire career without interacting with
first year students
Core values include generation and
dissemination of knowledge,
academic freedom and inquiry
Culture of
Student
Affairs
Culture is characterized by responding
to student's multiple needs, respecting
differences, and increasing students'
self awareness and self direction
Nature of student affairs work is
collaborative, but rarely with faculty
Tends to be removed from academic
mission of the institution
Self-perception of “second class” status
In an effort to focus on improving the
undergraduate experience, Stony Brook
adopted the Undergraduate College
model for first year students
Each incoming freshman is placed into
one of six thematic Colleges
Each College is run by a team of faculty
and staff who work to plan programs that
reflect the theme of the College and
connect students to the University and
each other
Dedicated academic advising
Connection to University and other
students early in academic career
Small Seminars
Interaction with faculty in small
groups early in college career
Outside of the classroom connection
to academic experience
Why Foundations of Excellence?
First motivation was to assess
Undergraduate Colleges
FOE
Experience
Assessment ties to the Middle States
Accreditation review
FoE Structure allowed us to be
inclusive and invite those who have
reservations about the Undergraduate
Colleges
Our Experience with
Foundations of Excellence
(The) First Year Matters
FOE
Experience
Faculty and Staff Co-Chairs for Each
Dimension: steering committee, balanced
committee membership with broad campus
representation
Created a smaller planning group: executive
committee, served as liaisons
Status Update
FOE
Experience
February 15
Fully review and discuss the
performance indicators
March 15
Record dimension committee
progress on FoEtec
March 15 - 30 Second student survey released
March 26
Committees present progress
April 9
Committees present progress
April 23
Committees present progress
April 30
Send drafts of Dimension Report
June 1
Final Dimension Reports due
Fall 08
Distribute draft widely to campus
Unexpected Outcomes
Increased discussion across constituencies
(students, faculty, staff)
Dissemination of expert knowledge
Benefits of
FOE
Experience
Creation of a climate for collaboration
Greater appreciation of different
perspectives
Dialogue across differences
Opportunities for different cultures within the
University to understand each other
FOE has sparked debates about
central academic issues:
Learning outside the classroom
Benefits of
FOE
Experience
Importance of continual quality
improvement throughout the university
These are likely discussions that would
not have happened without this
process
Continuous improvement as the goal
Discovering new islands
Nature of
Assessment
These outcomes are being seen
throughout the process, not just at the
end with a final report
Example: LIN 101
Culture Clash: co-chairs
Culture Clash: steering committee
Challenges
Gathering support from the campus
community to make this project a
priority
Time, work, effort
Looking ahead to implementation
Summary:
Lessons Learned
 The integral relationship of FOE to the accreditation
process (as preparation for accreditation or as a means
of implementing recommendations stemming from an
accreditation visit)
 The value of the evidence collected in FOE in moving
campuses to be more intentional and reflective in their
enhancement of student academic achievement and
persistence
 The necessity for moving beyond the first year in
attending to undergraduate education
 The value in collaboration (the whole being greater than
the sum of the parts)
Presenter Contact Information
John Gardner
Executive Director,
Policy Center on the First Year of
College; Senior Fellow
National Resource Center on the
First-Year Experience and Students in
Transition
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of
Library and Information Science,
University of South Carolina
Phone: 828-966-5309
[email protected]
http://www.fyfoundations.org
Amanda Yale
Associate Provost of Enrollment Services
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
1 Morrow Way
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Phone: 724-738-4868
[email protected]
http://www.sru.edu
Catherine Andersen
Associate Provost for Enrollment
Management
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave, NE, SAC 2253
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-651-5804
[email protected]
http://www.gallaudet.edu
Mark Aronoff
Associate Provost/Professor
SUNY Stony Brook
S-211 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4376
Phone: 631-632-7775
[email protected]
http://www.stonybrook.edu