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Pathways to Student Success
Vistasp Karbhari, President
The University of Texas at Arlington
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
National Conference on Trusteeship
April 20, 2015
The New Paradigm
State situated rather than state supported
Rapidly changing demographics
Changing financial profile of students with changes in the economy & support
Pipeline vs. Pathway
Digital natives vs. analog natives and/or digital immigrants
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Instinctively parallel process and multitask, prefer images over text
Are attuned to, and like, receiving high-speed bursts of information
Function best in a networked environment
Expect education to be based on information systems that work like Google
Co-location vs. Distributed
Formal Lecture vs. Studio or “Flipped” Classroom vs. “Organized” Chaos
Degrees vs. Knowledge and Competency

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The decrease of the “guild” model in favor of “individualized” knowledge?
The transition from “degrees” through “certificates” and “badges” to “knowledge on
demand” or “knowledge in packages”
A National Issue
Every year over 1.2M students drop out of
high school
 Academic challenges, missteps, wrong
turns
 Conflicts, social constructs, “life
happens” – need to support parents,
siblings, children
 Bored, no connection between classes
and “real life”
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
19.2
31.8
36.6
1.1
11.7
70.2
8.1
13.7
15.7
20.4
68
44.4
6.1
3.9
19.8
29.4
Not Enrolled
Still Enrolled
Completed at
Different Institution
Completed at
Starting Institution
Decreasing funnel
 36% drop out in the 9th grade or just
before high school
 6.6% drop out thereafter in high school
 66.2% of the remaining go on to 2-year
or 4-year College
6 Year Outcome by Enrollment
Data from National Student Clearinghouse &
US Dept of Education, NCES
A Compounding Effect
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
30.3
19.6
3.2
10.8
14.7
13
Not Enrolled
68.5
23.7
66.4
42.1
33.3
15.7
10.4
3.6
17.4
27.3
Still Enrolled
Completed at Different
Institution
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
31.8
19.2
1.1
11.7
70.2
8.1
15.7
68
44.4
36.6
13.7
20.4
6.1
3.9
19.8
29.4
Completed at Starting
Institution
6 Year Outcome by Enrollment
8 Year Outcome by Enrollment
Of every 100 students coming to the 9th grade
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64 continue in high school
40 go on to 2 year or 4 year college
22 will complete a college degree in 6 years
24 will complete a college degree in 8 years
Data from NSC & NCES
UT Arlington
Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan
area
49,000+ degree seeking students in ‘’14-’15
2nd largest campus in the UT System
184 campus based and on-line degree programs
Over 31% take at least one course online
10,000 students stay on or around campus
One of the nation’s fastest growing public research
universities
Some Key Features
60%
First-time
Freshmen,
2,710
Transfers,
4,037
New Incoming Students
2.1%1.1%
3.6%
White
Hispanic
11.6%
African-American
38.7%
16.0%
Asian
International
26.9%
Multiracial
Other
Student Ethnicity
6,736
6,344
Degrees Awarded
40%
5,781
6,000
5,109
4,002
Doctoral
4,180
4,000
3,305
2,000
1,792
113
0
2,421
128
Master's
2,975
1,865
2,500
127
Bachelor's
168
150
225
Key Initiatives
Middle-High Schools
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University Crossroads
High Schools
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Go Centers
“Bound for Success” Initiative
STEM Academy
Community Colleges
University Level
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MAVS 1000 and FIGs
University College
Advising and Registration
Alternate paths
ASSURE
University Crossroads
Dallas-based outreach and community engagement initiative that helps middle and
high school students and families navigate a path to college
Mission
 Create an awareness about college and encourage students
and families to aim for college as early as the 6th grade
 Expand access to and success in higher education for first
and second generation students from low-moderate income
households
 Further assist those for whom English is a second language
Focus
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Outreach to families
General financial literacy classes and financial aid workshops
College awareness
SAT Math preparation
A Snapshot of Impact
# of
Sessions
Unique
Participants
Contacts
2011
10
458
766
2012
10
780
1378
2013
13
1237
2764
2014
8
1297
2775
Feb ‘15
3
594
1120
Average Gain
Year
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
86 83 88
61 59 60 63
49
49
42
15
21
2
27
15 17
3
4
# of Sessions Attended
2011
2012
2013
2014
5
GO Centers
Goals
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Mentoring of students by “near peers”
Creation of a college going culture in collaboration with teachers
and high school counselors
Assistance with university applications, financial aid forms,
application for scholarships
Academic tutoring in key subjects
Workshops for families aimed at reducing the concern and
uncertainty re college, cultural differences and expectations and
developing an understanding of the key role that parents can play
Current Structure
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42 “mentors” at 16 GO Centers in 5 partner school districts with 3
additional centers in March
Mentors are often from the same high school to enable a “you can
do it too” mentality
G-Force: Designated counselor, lead UTA student mentor, 2-3 UTA
mentors from different disciplines
Impact of GO Centers
GO Center Mentors (2013-2014)
‘11-’12
Total Students
Served
(unduplicated)
Total Visits
Total Number
of Tasks
Completed at
GO Centers
Number of
parents
served at GO
Centers
‘12-’13
‘13-’14
‘14-’15
(till Jan
end)
1,249
4,267
7,865
4,647
9,354
25,865
27,215
15,331
11,413
138
24,557
602
31,166
655
19.439
1,161
UT Arlington was their first choice for college
46.15%
First person in their family to go to a four-year university
39%
Transferred to UT Arlington from a community college
24%
Consider themselves bilingual
79%
Self-identify as Latina/o
Plan to attend graduate school immediately following
graduation
Was enrolled in dual credit while in high school
Wish they could work more hours at their GO Center
Number of hours worked collectively by the mentors in
the 2013-2014 year
Believe working as a Mentor has contributed to their
success as a college student
61.54%
55.77%
50%
80%
18,131
hours
91%
Bound for Success
Early Admissions Initiative for Top 25% of Rising Juniors
Goals
 Encourage a college going culture in academically
prepared groups who historically drop out after the 10th
grade
 Provide motivation to complete high school and continue
onto college
 Provide support for students and families through high
school and in the applications process including FAFSA
 Enable a gentle transition to college
Current Status
- Monica Nagy; Star Telegram 11/25/2013
 3 ISDs and 1 high school
 UTA counselor is embedded in each high school
 10.6% increase in applications from qualified students
Transition to College
MAVS 1000
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Mandatory first year experience course (no credit, no tuition)
Focused on enabling skills, building networks, and introducing resources
Class size restricted to 25 with an instructor and a peer leader
Provides support and an efficient “early warning” and “intervention” system
Follow up mechanism in subsequent semesters with a focus on advising, registration &
progression
Freshman Interest Groups (FIGS)
 Small cohorts enrolled in classes together with specialized peer mentoring and select
residential communities
 Focused on key majors
Status
 Fall ’14: 1,724 enrolled in MAVS 1000, 549 in FIGs
 Increased retention Fall to Spring
 1 year retention rate for FIGs was 9.3% than the university average
Additional Support
Project CAR (central Advising Record)
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All records and notes for a student are available centrally at a single location and are
constantly updated
All advisors have access to the most recent notes, performance, and information for a student
Student Success Collaborative (with the EAB)
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Platform to identify key at-risk students for early intervention and assistance for on-time
progression
Assistance in selecting alternate majors based on interest and minimum number of additional
courses
Registration
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Focused registration of a minimum of 15 hours at orientation and thereafter (15 to Succeed)
Guaranteed registration and availability of courses 1 year in advance
Early alert system to ensure reach out through specially trained advisors
ASSURE
Achieving Success in Science through Undergraduate Research and Engagement
Replacement of repetitive undergraduate freshman and sophomore labs with
scalable, research experiences
 Curricular reform to enhance enquiry and discovery
 Use of research as a tool for motivation and retention
 Incorporate doctoral students as part of their learning experience
Structure
 Faculty design a guided research program (stream: e.g. Drug discovery) for the
curriculum
 Multiple students work on it simultaneously
 3 semester sequence (Research methods  Guided research experience  original
research experience within the project framework)
 Ensures team work, communications skills, link to major
Summary
 We are at the tipping point and elitism will not help us or the nation
 Changes in demographics demand that we change our approach
 The family is often as important, if not more important, than the student as related to
the decision to continue with higher education
 Processes (application, FAFSA, financial aid, selection of type of College) are
confusing and can scare qualified applicants away
 There is a need for greater integration along the PK-16 pathway
 We live in an era of pathways not pipelines and hence clarity, articulation, and
collaboration are the key
 Our job as leaders in higher education is to be understanding of our constituency
and the demands placed on them, and to be innovative and collaborative