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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Pathways to Student Success: An integrated, technology-enhanced approach
to improving student retention and graduation rates
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (CDP)…………………………………………2
Key Strengths
Key Weaknesses and Significant Problems
Key Overall Goals for the Institution
Measurable Objectives for the Institution
Institutionalizing Practices and Improvements
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………………………..22
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY……………………………………………………….…...26
Component One (pg. 28)
Component Two (pg. 31)
Component Three (pg. 35)
KEY PERSONNEL……………………………………….…………………………….……..38
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN………………………….……………………….………42
EVALUATION PLAN……………………………………….……………….…………....….43
BUDGET……………………………………………………….…………………….………..48
COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITY (narrative uploaded separately)
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (CDP)
Institutional Narrative
Viterbo University, a private, non-profit institution, is the only independent university in
western Wisconsin. Founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Viterbo
serves undergraduate students from primarily rural areas in west central Wisconsin, northeast
Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. Undergraduate enrollment has increased during the past 20
years, from 707 in 1989 to 2,012 today. Under the
leadership of Dr. Rick Artman, the university has added
bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and a Doctor of
Nurse Practice degree beginning fall 2013.
The city of La Crosse (population of 51,522) has
a high level of poverty, as indicated by the 49.81% of K–12 students qualifying for free or
reduced meals in 2013–2014 (http://fns.dpi.wi.gov/fns_progstat). Roughly 70% of the counties
within a 100-mile radius of the city are considered rural, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rural schools serve 40% of our nation’s students, but only receive 22% of federal education
funding (www.leagueofruralvoters.org/issues/education.html). As a result, underfunded rural
high schools offer fewer opportunities for advanced classes and less access to guidance
counselors. Even honor-roll graduates can be at-risk because they are unaware of deficiencies in
their educational background, and unfamiliar with college expectations and the skills necessary
for success.
Viterbo University’s mission and legacy is to serve the underserved: 44% of all
undergraduate students are first-generation, 40% are Pell recipients, and 27% of students who
filed the FAFSA are classified as low-income. As well, approximately 40% are designated as
Institutional Profile (Fall 2014)
2,812 total headcount
2,012 undergraduate headcount
1,692 FTE undergraduate students
120 full-time faculty
176 full-time admin/staff
73 undergraduate programs
6 graduate programs
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
underprepared because of low student ACT scores and/or high school rank. While Viterbo has
provided access to education for many without opportunities, it has not created adequate support
systems that ensure consistent progress toward graduation. Limited academic advising,
fragmented services, and inefficient intervention strategies often result in insufficient support for
many students. As a result, an average of only 60% of students return for their third year. The
institution’s four-year graduation rate averages 30%, the six-year graduation rate averages
49%—trends that have been stable over the last five years.
Through its current strategic plan, Values and Value 2015–2020, the university has
committed to serve at-risk students through an identified priority of “achieving retention and
student success goals by 2020” and a stated objective to “implement retention strategies proven
by national research and informed by longitudinal research of Viterbo students.” The university
has launched several small pilot programs to improve retention, and initial results are promising.
However, Viterbo lacks the financial and personnel resources required to launch the initiatives
on a larger, systematic scale that significantly impact the retention and graduation rates.
Programs
Viterbo University enjoys an excellent reputation regionally for producing graduates who
enter the workforce fully equipped with skills they need to succeed. The university is accredited
by 10 agencies, including the Higher Learning Commission, and holds memberships in 51
educational organizations. In the past several years, placement studies consistently demonstrate
that 83% of graduates were employed within a year of graduation, and 97% placed overall
(2014). Viterbo offers a broad range of undergraduate programs, with a focus on professional
preparation grounded in a liberal arts tradition. The institution’s portfolio spans two associate
degree programs including a 1+1 agreement with Western Technical College, 71 baccalaureate
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
degree programs, five master’s programs, and one doctoral program in nursing. Viterbo
graduates the largest number of baccalaureate trained nurses of any private university in the
state, and in 2011, constructed a nursing facility to support continued growth and excellence in
this area of distinction. The core curriculum “LIVE: Liberal-arts, Integrated, Values-based
Education” is five years old, and was designed with input by 70% of the full-time faculty, and
was unanimously approved by the Faculty Council—reflecting participatory and shared
governance processes characteristic of the Viterbo faculty. The key features of the core, which is
integrated across all majors, are small, interdisciplinary seminars required each year and a strong
assessment foundation for continuous improvement. In 2015–2016, the LIVE curriculum will be
reviewed as part of an ongoing program review process. Complementing academics are many
co-curricular activities, including the Honors Program, athletics, intercollegiate recreational
sports, global studies, fine arts, undergraduate internships, and service learning research.
Faculty Characteristics
Students from rural areas are frequently drawn to Viterbo’s small class sizes, low
student-to-faculty ratio (12:1), and the individual attention provided by faculty and staff. The
120 full-time faculty members at Viterbo are teacher scholars who have embraced a student-
centered model. In addition to a full-time teaching load of 24 credit hours per year, all faculty
serve as academic advisors and participate in university governance and service. For example,
faculty willingly mentor summer undergraduate research projects funded through benefactor
gifts, with over 70% of faculty engaged in this initiative in the last three years. Thirty-four
percent of the faculty have been hired within the last seven years, mainly due to retirements of
long-serving faculty.
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Planning Processes and Inclusive Leadership
Every Viterbo employee is a member of one of three assemblies that meet monthly,
including subcommittees and task forces created to address specific issues and challenges.
Through the assemblies, concerns and suggestions are brought to the president’s cabinet, and
minutes from all meetings are shared with the campus community. This model of shared
governance creates a strong sense of inclusiveness and collegiality, since community members
work collaboratively to discuss pressing university problems and implement action plans. This
planning process prioritized retention and improved graduation rates as critical university issues.
A retention study was first completed in 2009 and reviewed by diverse groups. The same year, a
small Student Success Program (SSP) was created to help a cohort of underprepared students
succeed in their first semester, and in 2011, a limited home-grown early alert system was
launched. In 2014, the goal of raising improved retention and graduation rates was identified as
Viterbo’s Quality Improvement Project for 2015–2017, as part of the Higher Learning
Commission Open Pathways accreditation process.
Institutional Strengths/Weaknesses and Significant Problems
The table below provides a summary of Viterbo’s strengths, weaknesses, and significant
problems in the areas of academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal stability.
Strengths in Academics and Student Support
Teaching
Excellence The 2011 Student Satisfaction Inventory shows faculty received student satisfaction scores
above national comparison groups on “The instruction in my major field is excellent,” “The
quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent,” “Faculty care about me as
an individual,” and “Faculty provide timely feedback about student progress in a course.”
Promotion and tenure decisions are based on teaching, service, and scholarship.
The deep commitment of Viterbo faculty to serving underserved students is clear by the
length of tenure, willingness to earn a lower salary, and maintaining high accessibility for
students.
High
Placement
Rates
The 2014 placement study showed that 83% of graduates were employed within six months
of graduation.
The overall placement rate for the class of 2014, including employment outside of graduate
study field, was 97%.
For nursing, the university’s largest major, the placement rate in the field was 95%.
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Improved
General
Education
Program
The new core curriculum includes small, discussion-based seminars that promote
interdisciplinary teaching and learning.
The program includes an integrated service learning component for juniors.
Faculty members from every department teach the seminars, bringing unique perspectives.
Diverse
Delivery
Models
The university has developed degree completion programs for non-traditional learners that
focus on accessibility for working adults and account for over 20% of the undergraduate
enrollment.
Courses are offered in the evenings, and on weekends, off-site or online.
Liberal Arts
Focus Founded and sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Viterbo is a
Catholic, Franciscan university grounded in the liberal arts tradition. Through the mission of
“The Viterbo University community prepares students for faithful service and ethical
leadership,” faculty and staff strive to produce graduates who enter the workforce fully
equipped with skills they need to succeed.
Weaknesses in Academics and Student Support
Graduation
Rates are
Too Low
Viterbo’s graduation rates are below our peer groups and national norms:
o The six-year average graduation rate is 49%.
o The four-year average graduation rate is 30%.
Overall
Retention
Rates are
Low
Retention rates are too low and are well below our peer groups:
o The average third semester retention rate is 71%.
o The average fifth semester retention rate is 60%.
Uncertainty about major/career path is the top reason students leave Viterbo, suggesting
academic advising and career services are not meeting needs.
The vast majority of students did not seek support before making the decision to not return.
No
Infrastruct
ure for
Early Alert
Response
In 2013, Viterbo implemented Starfish early alert system after a home grown system,
launched in 2011, failed to meet our needs.
Faculty submit alerts in week 5 and week 10.
Over 1,300 alerts are generated, and a committee attempts to contact students with the highest
number of alerts—but very few students are reached.
Faculty advisors have a low level of engagement with following up on alerts with their
advisees.
Data from the alerts are not used to improve student support services or course instruction.
Advising is
Limited The majority of students only meet with their faculty advisor once a semester for registration;
they do not seek out their advisor for academic support on a regular basis.
Student surveys identify a desire to have more assistance from a faculty advisor on career
planning.
Students report difficulty in meeting with their advisors on short notice.
Academic advising is still a paper-based system – not accessible to others who may wish to
help students who are struggling.
Little training on advising occurs, beyond initial orientation when hired.
There are no centralized reports generated on advising or student meetings.
Limited
Academic
Support
There is only one full-time academic support employee focused on retention.
Student information (advising notes, etc.) is not available to academic support offices.
No structure exists for centralized services or case tracking.
There is limited career services programming available in the freshman and sophomore year.
Few academic support or career planning resources are available online when students are not
on campus, or when key offices are closed.
Too Few
Academic
Integration
Strategies
in the First
Two Years
to Promote
There is little or no training for faculty to integrate high impact practices into courses or
programs to promote retention.
Most high-impact practices currently offered are focused on juniors and seniors (service
learning, undergraduate research, internships, etc.).
“Gateway courses” in the freshmen and sophomore years (where less than 80% of students
get the required grade to continue to the next course) are least likely to have high impact
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Retention
and Success
practices integrated. 59% of students who do not succeed in 2 or more gateway courses do
not persist beyond the 3rd semester.
No resources or coordinated support strategies exist to promote high impact practices.
Access to
Information
is Limited
Advisors do not have information to identify which advisees are at risk of attrition.
Generating retention studies is very cumbersome and done manually, so information is
received too late to adequately intervene in a helpful way.
Departments do not have access to retention information at the program level.
The institution experiences significant delays in getting overall retention data to make
changes.
Strengths in Institutional Management
Commitment
to Access
Viterbo provides access to high-quality education for many first-generation students with
high financial need. There is a commitment to keeping cost as low as possible.
Tuition is in the lowest quartile of all private non-profit colleges in Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Illinois, and Iowa, which are primary recruiting areas for Viterbo.
Viterbo has the second-lowest tuition among private colleges in Wisconsin.
While the comprehensive cost of attending and living on campus is $31,730, the average cost
per student is $8,635 after scholarships and federal aid (including work study and loans).
Since 2008, 46 endowed scholarships and 67 annual scholarships have been added.
Strong
Leadership The president is a dynamic leader who has served successfully since 2006.
The Vice President for Academic Affairs has over 13 years of experience at Viterbo,
returning recently to serve as Vice President for Academic Affairs after a significant
leadership role in the UW colleges. She has previous experience in retention and high impact
practices.
Weaknesses in Institutional Management
Enrollment
Pathway
During the past decade, enrollment increased from 2,206 undergraduate and graduate students
in 2004 to a high in 2009 of 3,287, before declining to 2,812 currently.
Undergraduate enrollment has been decreasing for the last four years and is expected to
remain at lower levels for the 2015–2016 academic year—matching demographic trends in
the region for the next four years. This demonstrates the importance of retention activities.
Decision-
Making
and
Planning is
Plagued by
Incomplete
and
Inaccessible
Data
Limited or improper coding systems limit access to retention information. For example, a
code for transfer status was added only in 2006, so data on transfer students is limited.
Existence of multiple home-grown spreadsheets without the ability to integrate data, and
limited understanding of best practices. Higher chance of error in manual spreadsheets.
Data extraction and analysis is a manual process, requiring enormous time investments.
Many offices lack access to data and/or reports, and cannot query data sets.
Time-sensitive data is labor intensive and takes priority over much-needed longitudinal
analyses.
Only one dedicated institutional researcher, who also coordinates assessment, is not able to
meet demands with these labor intensive, inefficient reporting/analysis systems.
Under-
resourced
Student
Support
Services
Insufficient staffing to serve the needs of at-risk student population compared to other
schools.
Online career and planning resources are not available for students who commute, who work
many hours, or who need services during the summer.
Students and faculty complain about the lack of online resources for student support
services—online tools that do exist are fragmented across many sites, and online log-ins are
unique for different services (student record, library, Moodle, course evaluation system).
Limited technology is available to provide the infrastructure needed for coordinated student
services.
Training on best practices in retention or the use of technology has been very limited.
Manual
and
Inefficient
Processes
The technology infrastructure is not sufficient to automate and standardize many processes.
Many offices function are in silos, and inefficiencies exist due to the lack of strong work flow
systems.
Lack of understanding/training about data reporting and storage.
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Problem Analysis
Status of Graduation Rates: Recent data reported from the US Department of Education
indicates that Viterbo’s current six-year graduation rate of 49% falls short of the 65% graduation
rate for private not-for-profit degree-granting institutions (Kena, 2015). The Austen Group study
revealed, in comparison to peer institutions (same region, enrollment size, and Carnegie
classification), graduation rates for Viterbo’s five most recent entering cohorts have consistently
fallen short in every category by eight or more percent. Four-year graduation rates are also low:
Viterbo’s average rate is 30%, which has remained consistent for the last five years. The
additional financial burden placed on students who enroll beyond four years compounds the low
six-year rate. Over the last five years, over one-third of students in Viterbo’s most recent full-
time, first-time cohorts are eligible for Federal Pell Grants. As well, the new legislation (Public
Strengths in Fiscal Stability
Fiscal
Stability The ten-year budget forecasts and conservative budgeting models resulted in balanced
budgets for the last 38 years.
Measures instituted to strengthen financial stability include:
o Contingency equivalent to approximately 2% of budgeted revenues
o Physical plant improvement reserve is approx. 1% of net replacement value of fixed assets
Improved
Campus
Facilities
In the last ten years, Viterbo has invested a total of $46,679,930 in buildings and facilities:
o A state-of-the art nursing center, a new student housing complex, and a performing arts
center
o Significant building renovations have taken place in the School of Business and residence
halls
Weaknesses in Fiscal Stability
Tuition-
Dependent
Institution
83% of core revenue in FY2013 was derived from tuition and fees.
Lost revenue from high attrition:
o With only 72% of the freshmen cohort retained on average, the university loses $962,268
in each of the next three years that these students would otherwise have been in
attendance.
o It costs approximately $1,864 to recruit a new student to replace a student lost to attrition.
Low
Endowment Compared to a peer group of Wisconsin Association of Colleges and Universities (WAICU),
the endowment per total full-time equivalency (FTE) is low:
o WAICU peer group average endowment per total FTE (2013): $15,690
o Viterbo endowment per total FTE (2013): $12,103
Problem Statement
Overall
Problem
Graduation and retention rates are too low.
Problem
Statement
Fragmented student support in advising and career planning, limited integration and
engagement efforts, and limited access to data and information in a timely manner leads to
significant student attrition and low graduation rates.
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Law 112–74) reduces students’ ability to receive Pell Grants from 18 to 12 semesters, creating an
urgent need to address low graduation rates.
Retention Issues: As a result of low graduation rates, retention rates are also a concern.
In fact, Viterbo’s freshmen leave the university at higher rates than the state, regional and
national averages for freshmen at four-year colleges. The average third-semester retention rate
of 72% is lower than the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities' national median of
75% for the 2012 cohort. According to Aud et al., (2011), “Retention rates for first-time students
at private, nonprofit 4-year institutions followed a similar pattern: the overall retention rate was
81 percent, ranging from 64 percent at the least selective institutions to 97 percent at the most
selective.”
Retention and Grad Rates Using the Most Recent Averages
each cohort group returns for the junior year. The top reasons
students give for leaving Viterbo are shown in the adjacent table
(data from exit interviews 2011–2014). In each of these
circumstances, the vast majority of students did not seek support
from any campus office before making the decision not to
return, and they did not discuss the decision with their faculty
advisor. This demonstrates a lack of integration to the campus, an important indicator of
retention described in the literature (Allen, 2008), that is often achieved through student-faculty
0
20
40
60
80
100
3rd Sem
Ret
5th Sem
Ret
7th Sem
Ret
Retention Rates
0
20
40
60
80
100
4 Yr.
Grad
5 Yr.
Grad
6 Yr.
Grad
Graduation Rates
Top reasons given for
leaving Viterbo
Change of or
uncertainty about major
Financial issues
Personal/health reasons
Fit at Viterbo
Moving closer to
home/homesick
Through Viterbo’s in-depth
retention analysis, the fifth
semester retention rate has
been identified as a critical
issue: on average, only 60% of
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
interactions and high-impact practices (HIPs), due to their positive correlation to student learning
and retention. However, in the 2014 National Survey of Student Engagement, only 10% of first-
year students at Viterbo reported participation in two or more HIPs which is below our
comparison group of Catholic colleges and universities.
Impact of Low Retention Rates: In addition to the negative repercussions for students
who fail to persist, low retention rates also have a severe financial impact on the university. In
fact, the institution loses close to $1M per year in revenue from the average freshmen not
retained to the third semester. Significant costs are also incurred for new student recruitment,
averaging $1,864 per student lost to attrition.
Risk Factors for Failure to Persist: The analyses of 2009–2014 by the Viterbo
University Taskforce on Retention identified four student entry attributes as risk factors for
higher levels of attrition: low income, low ACT composite, low high school rank, and
undeclared major. The definition and the retention rate for each area is shown in the table below,
with corresponding figures demonstrating that the cumulative effect impact these risk factors.
For students with no risk factors, the 5th semester retention rate is 71%. However, the majority
(54%) of students passes at least one risk factor, with a 5th semester retention rate of 48%. The
percent of the cohort with two or more risk factors is 18%.
Analysis of Targeted Rick Factors
Top Four Risk Factors with Definitions
Factor Definition 5th sem.
retention rate
% in
category
Low-income Family income of $35,000 or below as reported on
FAFSA, which is Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). 60% 24%
Low academic
preparation (ACT)
ACT composite score of 20 and below 52% 28%
Low academic
preparation (HS rank)
Students in the bottom 50th percentile of high school
rank 36% 20%
Undeclared major No major defined on application or in admission
process 45% 10%
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Undeclared students: Only 45% of students who enter the university with an undeclared
major are retained to the junior year. Low retention among undeclared majors is consistent with
higher education research, which indicates unclear career goals are linked to an increased risk of
attrition, and suggests student commitment to educational
and career goals is one of the strongest factors associated
with persistence to degree completion (Gohn, 2001;
Wyckoff, 1999). Undeclared students take a variety of
liberal arts courses until they choose a major, but many
begin to question why they are in college when they fail to
see connections between their courses and their future world
of work. In an effort to help these students explore
career opportunities, the university offers a one-credit
career development course with demonstrated success in helping students choose a major. But it
serves only a small number of students, and the career exploration opportunities within the
course are limited. In addition, although career planning is a priority for today’s students
(Walker, 2002), the university’s Career Services office is not integrated into the advising
process, and faculty are not trained to provide assistance to students in evaluating career interests
or developing career plans. The Career Services staff is smaller than comparable WAICU
schools (two full-time employees) and cannot independently meet all the career counseling needs
of our students, thus limiting the services that can be provided. According to the director,
Viterbo students not only need more targeted services in their first and second years, but career
counseling and tools for students and faculty need to be integrated into the advising process and
available online.
5th Semester Retention Rate
(Fall 2010 cohort)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Low Risk High Risk
Entire 0 1–4 2–4
cohort Risk Facotrs
0 risk 1 2 3 4 risk
factors factors
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Research also indicates students are more likely to persist to graduation if supported by
advisors who engage them in educational planning and decision-making linked to career
preparation (Cuseo, 2010). Little emphasis has been placed on career planning in the advising
process at Viterbo. This is particularly important for students interested in nursing who struggle
academically in the first year and are at risk of not meeting the minimum criteria for admission
to the professional phase. Without improvements in both advising and academic support, the
majority of undeclared students and students who “become” undeclared because they are not
admitted to the professional phase of a program (i.e. nursing) will continue to leave. These
students comprise almost one-third of entering students and represent a large part of the retention
problem.
Academically Underprepared Students: University retention studies demonstrate a
direct correlation between low retention and low high-school percentile rank, as shown in the 5th
semester retention table on the previous page. The data also reflect findings of an extensive
national retention study that compared high school performance with ACT scores and retention,
and identified a moderate correlation (Lotkowski, Robbins, & Noeth, 2004). As well, the report
identifies three factors with a significant correlation to retention: 1) academic performance,
2) academic self-confidence, and 3) academic goals. This suggests focusing retention efforts on
students with low high school performance is most effective when both non-academic and
academic support systems are included.
Evidence from a Viterbo pilot study suggests the strategies proposed in this grant will
positively impact retention rates of underprepared students. The Student Success Program at
Viterbo was implemented in fall 2009 for students with a composite ACT below 18 and a low
high school GPA. As a condition of admission, the approximately 20 students in this program
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
each year were required to meet with an advisor frequently during the first semester, take a
limited number of credits, participate in engagement activities and peer mentoring, and receive
tutoring—an intrusive advising model. This program has proven to be successful in retaining
87% of students from the first to second semesters. However, the program only operates in the
first semester for 20 students. The subsequent retention study found the retention rate for this
group dropped rapidly in subsequent semesters when services were not provided. In fact, only
38% have been retained to the fifth semester. In summary, Viterbo lacks the resources to
implement the program on a larger scale or to continue the intrusive advising model beyond the
first semester.
Low-income Students: Low-income students not only experience significant economic
barriers to enrolling in college (Engberg & Allen, 2011) but have only a 6% likelihood of
graduating within five years (Duffy, 2007). Twenty-four percent of Viterbo’s first-time, first-
year students are from low-income households, defined as a family income below $35,000 AGI
on the FASFA. This low income definition of 150% poverty is from the Health and Human
Services poverty guidelines for a family of four and is congruent with the literature on low
income (e.g. Engberg & Allen, 2011). Viterbo offers no programs geared toward low income
students that have proven to be successful at other institutions (e.g., financial literacy, financial
aid nudges).
Too Few Freshmen Succeed in Gateway Courses: As is the case at most colleges,
entry-level, or “gateway” courses have highest enrollments and the lowest success rates. With
approximately half of Viterbo’s freshmen majoring in nursing and the sciences, introductory
courses in biology, chemistry, and math are often a major barrier to success. An in-depth study
in 2009–2013 identified on average, 49% of Viterbo students who withdrew or did not earn a
14
Viterbo University Pathways Project
grade of C or higher in a gateway course were not retained to the sophomore year. As well,
fifty-nine percent of those who did not pass this threshold in two or more gateway courses were
also not retained. The Director of Financial Aid reports a growing number of students not
meeting satisfactory academic progress guidelines for the continuation of their financial aid,
which usually results in withdrawal from the university. In addition, new legislation designating
federal financial aid can only be used to repeat a course students have passed with a D or better
will cause more withdrawals, regardless of institutional policy or program requirements. The
absence of interactive approaches and students’ lack of knowledge of academic support
resources were also identified as factors limiting student success in gateway courses. In fact, the
Director of Student Success and the Retention Leadership Group report that insufficient progress
in gateway courses in the first two years is the most significant contributor to students not
graduating in four years. Students who struggle either drop or repeat courses causing them to get
a year behind. Advisors report that very few students facing difficulties in gateway courses seek
assistance from them. In addition, early alerts from gateway courses do not receive unique
attention in interventions, given the high volume of alerts and the lack of personnel dedicated to
addressing them.
Fragmented Student Support Systems
Advising is Not Meeting Student Needs: A primary factor affecting retention is the
quality of interaction a student has with a supportive person on campus (Habley, 2004;
Lotkowski, Robbins, & Noeth, 2004). Academic advising is one such opportunity to develop a
formal student–mentor relationship. Although many Viterbo faculty members strive to make
themselves available to students, despite their heavy teaching loads, the university fails to fully
take advantage of this opportunity for increased interaction. Results from Viterbo’s most recent
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
Academic Advising Perception Inventory indicate few students meet with their advisor for more
than registration. When asked to complete the sentence “I wish my advisor would…,” the most
common responses were: “meet more often,” “keep in touch with me more,” and “check how
I’m doing.”
A growing number of students are failing within the existing advising system because
both enrollments and faculty advising loads have increased over time so there is no systematic
way to identify problems. Without a central location where students can seek help at the time an
issue arises, they cannot quickly access advising support, or they lack basic information about
where to seek help. Advising records are still kept on paper in faculty offices, making it difficult
for other staff to assist the student when the advisor is not immediately available, causing student
frustration. In addition, while faculty are committed to students, they receive little advisor
training and are not familiar with best practices for either advising at-risk students or improving
student retention. Faculty also have limited knowledge of support processes outside of
academics, including financial aid or career services. In addition, in some majors, such as
nursing, students take few classes in their major until their sophomore or junior year and
therefore lack an ongoing connection with the program or their advisor. The result is
inconsistent advising that stifles attempts to implement advising methods supported by retention
research.
A major factor in increasing student retention is creating advising systems that take into
account both the academic and developmental needs of students (Clark, 1989). In such a model,
advisors initiate discussions that help students make academic decisions within the context of
understanding themselves and their life and career goals. Students are encouraged to participate
in a variety of co-curricular activities and support services to achieve their goals. At Viterbo,
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
advising is primarily a registration process whereby faculty discuss courses that meet graduation
requirements. This is reflected in the lowest ranked items on the Academic Advising Perception
Inventory: 1) “My advisor has made me aware of other sources on campus as they relate to my
specific needs (e.g., counseling, career services, tutoring),” 2) “My advisor helps me clarify
relationships between my academic preparation and the world of work,” and 3) “My advisor
engages me in realistic self-assessment and encourages me to develop decision-making skills.”
Under the current system, advising outside registration is mostly reactive and assumes students
will self-identify their support needs and seek assistance. However, many Viterbo students have
not established the behavioral patterns or self-efficacy needed to find help, so advising often
occurs when a student is already in danger of dropping out. In response to student needs for
drop-in advising help, a Student Help Office opened in the spring of 2013, but for limited hours
and has little functionality to access advising files or training.
Early Alert System and Early Intervention Are Limited: In 2011, Viterbo launched a
home-grown early alert system that allowed all employees to submit concerns about
students. This system had very low response rates from faculty. In 2013, Viterbo implemented
Starfish Early Alert software and successfully increased the participation of faculty in the early
alert process to over 90%. In 2014, over 1,300 alerts were generated per semester; however,
Viterbo lacks the infrastructure to reach out to students. Close to three-quarters of alerts are for
students in their first two years. A committee of five individuals from different offices review
the alerts in several meetings per semester. However, due to the overwhelming number of alerts
generated, only students with a high number of alerts, or who are on academic probation and at
risk of being dismissed are contacted by the Director of Student Success. As a result, less than
10% of students with alerts are contacted by the Director or committee members, and it can take
17
Viterbo University Pathways Project
several weeks for the communication to occur. In addition, alerts are not linked to the paper-
based advising files, and intervention plans and follow ups are tracked separately in spreadsheets
and via email. The faculty retention survey demonstrated that faculty do not feel equipped to
assist their advisees who are struggling in courses outside their discipline. In general, we have
experienced low engagement with faculty advisors in helping students with early alerts. A
limited number of faculty may reach out to their advisees via email; however, very few have
meetings to discuss strategies or refer the students to additional academic services. The lack of a
centralized infrastructure to handle early alerts negatively impacts our retention efforts. In
addition, the lack of an integrated software system to track intervention plans is inefficient and
pulls the academic support staff away from working with students and can duplicate efforts.
Decision-Making is Plagued by Incomplete and Inaccessible Data and Inefficiencies:
Another factor that impedes the university’s ability to improve retention is a lack of access to
data and the existence of multiple home-grown spreadsheets. Currently, data extraction and
analysis requires enormous time investments from personnel in the Registrar’s office, IT, and
Institutional Research. For example, it took six weeks of work for one programmer to
manipulate data, write queries, and generate the extensive data sets for the recent retention study.
Even though the retention study was a priority, the analyst had to reach across institutional
offices for missing data. When data is needed to inform decisions about planning and budgeting,
it is often unavailable, or in a form difficult to interpret, because of outdated information
management systems that require manual transfer of data across non-integrated systems.
Accessing data often requires computer programmer intervention to generate reports and conduct
transactions, which regularly create problems and cause delays. The creation of data snapshots
at a time point is a manual and time-intensive process that affects the ongoing longitudinal
18
Viterbo University Pathways Project
analysis of data needed to pinpoint and address student success issues. The university has taken
steps to improve the tracking of student data to inform retention initiatives, with priorities that
include consolidating data and simplifying reporting; however, budget constraints, available
technology, and staffing limitations have hindered these efforts.
Conclusion
The high attrition rates indicate Viterbo is failing to meet many of its students’ basic
academic and support needs. Because the university is committed to higher education access for
underserved students, these needs are often substantial. Without better tracking systems to
identify needs and strategies to meet these needs, Viterbo’s commitment to access will continue
to fall short of enabling underserved students to obtain a college degree. Moreover, a continued
focus on access without addressing retention would be a disservice to students who must repay
student loans without an academic credential to increase their earning power.
Analysis Process by Major Constituencies: The analysis for this Comprehensive
Development Plan began when a presidential retention task force began meeting in 2009 to
investigate retention and graduation rates. In 2010, data was available for the community to
review, and in 2011 several pilot programs were initiated to address retention. All assembly
members reviewed the data in 2012 and provided feedback on the retention issue. Since 2013, a
retention leadership group has met to review data and priorities. This proposed Pathways
Project objectives were reviewed by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees
(2015), the faculty (2015), Retention Leadership Group (2015) and the Cabinet/Deans’
Leadership group (2015), and confirmed to be the highest priority for this proposal. Additional
planning data was collected via institutional research studies, task force findings, feedback from
local employers, and student opinions collected through numerous surveys and forums. Specific
19
Viterbo University Pathways Project
studies, surveys, and meetings that supported planning are detailed in the following table:
Group or Data Source Date
Faculty, Staff, and Administrative Assemblies 2012
Viterbo Retention Study 2009–2015
Key Indicators Tool Kit by the Austen Group 2009–2014
Academic Advising Perception Inventory of Viterbo Students 2009, 2011, 2013
National Survey of Student Engagement Spring 2010, Spring 2014
Viterbo University Image Survey 2008–2011, 2013–14
Admitted Student Survey 2008–2014
Social work, education and nursing alumni and employer surveys 2007–2014
Advisory board meetings for School of Nursing, Business and Education 2007–2014
Post-college Placement Report, Class of 2011–2014 2011–2014
Student Success Program Retention Study Fall 2011–Fall 2014
Faculty survey on retention Spring 2013
Student survey on academic support services Spring 2013
Key Goals and Objectives Related to the Activity
The university developed the following key goals to address the weaknesses and problems:
CDP Five-Year Goals and Measurable Objectives (2015–2020)
Goal 1: Establish the Center for Student Success where unified, data-driven interventions improve
student success, retention, and graduation rates.
Measurable Objectives Specific Tasks and Methods Tangible Results by
2020
1.1 Increase four-year
graduation rates for
first-time full-time
freshmen from 30% to
36%
1.2 Increase the overall
fifth-semester retention
from 60% to 70%
1.3 Increase fifth-
semester retention of at-
risk students
(undeclared freshmen,
low income, low HS
preparation) from 48%
to 58%
Establish the Center for Student Success for
centralized, coordinated support, and immediate help—
including virtual assistance.
Fully utilize an effective integrated early alert system
for retention.
Develop and implement intrusive support services for
at-risk students.
Offer peer mentoring program for at-risk students
based on best practices.
Offer career planning retreats and workshops for
freshmen and sophomores.
Offer panels for first generation students based on
proven practices.
Offer financial literacy workshops and initiate a nudge
system for financial aid steps based on best practices.
Launch improved online assistance for all students
(resources, portal, career assessment, and virtual help).
6% increase in 4 year
graduate
10% increase in the
fifth-semester retention
rate
10% increase in fifth-
semester retention rate
of at-risk students
Goal 2: Implement a technology enhanced advising model to support retention and improve productivity
Measurable Objectives Specific Tasks and Methods Tangible Results
2.1 Increase the percent
of freshmen and
sophomores who are
supported by the
Viterbo developmental
advising model to 80%
Train all faculty and academic staff in a deliberate
cohort model in the development of advising model.
Provide ongoing best practices training.
Implement imaging system to enhance advising and
record keeping.
90% of advisors will
utilize the new
advising model and
technology
20
Viterbo University Pathways Project
2.2 Increase the
percent of freshmen and
transfer students who
have a graduation plan
that has been reviewed
by their Pathways
advisor and program by
the end of the first year
to 90%
Initiate developmental advising procedures by
Pathways advisors for all freshmen and sophomores
and students on probation.
Use Student Portal to target communications based on
risk criteria for students.
All first-year students will generate 4-year graduation
plans with a Pathways advisor.
Integrate career-planning resources into 4-year plan
development.
40% of all freshmen
will participate in a
career planning
workshop or retreat
80% of freshmen and
sophomores will
complete multiple
“key advising check
points” in the new
Viterbo advising
model
90% of freshmen will
have a four year
graduation plan
mapped
Goal 3: Implement program–level retention plans and academic integration strategies to increase
student engagement, success, retention and graduation rates
Measurable Objectives Specific Tasks and Methods Tangible Results
3.1 Increase the percent
of programs with action
plans for improved
retention and academic
integration to 90%
3.2 Increase the
percent of freshmen and
sophomore engaged in
new academic
integration strategies to
promote retention and
success to 60%
Train all faculty on academic integration strategies and
implement practices.
Prioritize expansion of high impact practices at the
institution level to freshmen and sophomores with
proven success through mini grant proposal.
Expand high-impact practices in student life through a
mini-grant program for clubs, activities, resident life,
veteran’s affairs, and campus ministry.
Develop program-specific plans for academic
integration on program specific retention and success
data, and risk factors for students.
School level dashboards will be produced for student
success measures.
Use Student Portal to target at-risk populations for
engagement in high impact practices.
Develop program specific 5-year retention goals and
post results yearly in the online assessment teaching
system (TracDat).
90% of programs will
implement and
measure the impact of
a high impact practice
20 new high impact
practices aimed at
gateway freshmen and
sophomores courses
40% of at-risk
freshmen and
sophomores will
participate in a high
impact practice
90% of faculty and
student support staff
are trained on high
impact engagement
strategies
Institutionalizing Practices and Improvements
The likelihood of successful project institutionalization is increased by involving those
who will implement the project in the planning process and empowering them to influence the
outcomes, resulting in a sense of ownership that mobilizes interest, consensus, and support
among key stakeholders (Adelman & Taylor, 2003). A retention leadership group is currently
meeting, and many offices have been involved in small pilot activities and plan to improve
retention. The highly-inclusive planning process for this project has resulted in widespread
21
Viterbo University Pathways Project
support for the activity among faculty and administrators. Training and resources have been
included in the budget to provide the support needed for successful implementation and
continuation of the initiatives after the grant. Faculty participation is expected and will be part of
the evaluation processes for reappointment, tenure, and promotion. These steps will ensure the
leadership, knowledge, and accountability needed to maintain the activities firmly in place.
Another effective institutionalization strategy is to assume substantial project costs
progressively during the grant period. The university will incrementally assume salary and
benefits so it is paying 75% of personnel costs by 2020, a contribution of more than $375,000
during the grant period. Annual licensing
costs for the imaging software purchased
through the grant will also be assumed by
the university incrementally, with the
university paying 75% by year five. These
costs will be incorporated into the IT
budget, primarily through the increase in
technology fees generated and through the
additional students retained. The institution
will also provide workspace and computers for new employees and create the infrastructure
necessary for the Center for Student Success. The Center for Student Success will be adjacent to
the Career Services office and the Academic Resource Center to promote collaboration making
the area a one-stop model for student success and promoting collaboration.
Ongoing costs for personnel and technology will be supported by revenue from increases
in retention and enrollment realized through this project. When fully operationalized, the model
Cost of institutionalizing ongoing expenses for full
integration of grant activities in 2020
Item Approx.
Cost Funding Source
Advisor – At Risk $ 60,000 Acad. Affairs
Advisor - Career $ 60,000 Acad. Affairs
Faculty/ Acad. Integration
Coordinator $ 90,000 Acad. Affairs
Systems Integration
Specialist $ 85,000
IT
Software $ 56,500 IT
Career Programming –
Freshman/Sophomore
$ 10,000 Acad. Affairs
Faculty Stipends $ 8,600 Acad. Affairs
Career Service Tools $ 5,000 IT
Peer Mentor Program $ 8,000 Acad. Affairs
Mini-grants $ 20,000 Acad. Affairs
SSC Events $ 5,000 Acad. Affairs
Total Yearly Cost $408,100
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
predicts at least 140 additional students enrolled in 2020–2021 from the retention to generate
$1,513,680 per year (at an average net revenue from tuition, room/board, fees of $10,812 per
student/year). This will easily offset the cost of operationalizing the activities as shown in the
above table, at a cost of $408,100 in 2020–2021. Title III objectives were approved by the
Cabinet in May 2015, and will be reviewed regularly by senior administrators at Title III Task
Force and cabinet meetings. The Task Force, in addition to guiding project implementation, will
be charged with ensuring the funds receive ongoing budgeting support (see Project
Management). President Artman places a high priority on the Title III project and has widely
communicated his belief these initiatives are critical to Viterbo’s future self-sufficiency and the
university’s Strategic Plan. He will ensure the Title III initiatives become permanently
embedded in the university’s infrastructure, identity and budget.
Summary of Funding Source for Key Positions
Position (% time dedicated) Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Post
Viterbo Funding for the Following Positions
VPAA/Activity Coordinator (15%) 100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
Director of Retention/Activity Director
(90%)
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
Assistant Director of Retention (90%) 100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
100%
VU
Title III Funding for the Following Positions
Two Student Advisors (100%)
At risk Focus (1)
Career Focus (1)
100%
T3
100%
T3
75% T3
/25% VU
50% T3/
50% VU
25% T3
/70% VU
100%
VU
Project Assistant (100%) 100%
T3
100%
T3
100%
T3
100%
T3
100%
T3 N/A
Faculty/Academic Integration
Coordinator (50%) N/A
100%
T3
75% T3
/25% VU
50% T3/
50% VU
25% T3/
70% VU
100%
VU
Systems Integration Specialist
(100%)
100%
T3
100%
T3
75% T3
/25% VU
50% T3/
50% VU
25% T3/
70% VU
100%
VU
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES
The Pathways Project is a single activity with three inter-related components to improve
retention and graduation rates. First, a Center for Student Success (CSS) will be launched to
provide centralized and immediate support services enhanced through technology. Centralized
23
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Student Support Services will provide one-stop help for students and additional programming
and resources. Secondly, a coordinated, technology enhanced advising model will be launched,
with additional targeted intrusive mentoring and coordinated retention plans for at-risk students
who are at an elevated risk of attrition. Third, all faculty and staff will receive ongoing training
on advising, retention, and academic integration strategies with practices known to be high-
impact. In addition, the programs will design retention plans to impact students in their majors.
Finally, the new infrastructure for implementing analytics and technology-based approaches to
retention and improved graduation rates will impact all initiatives.
With a Title III budget of $1,999,814, Pathways to Student Success will impact all
Viterbo students by enhancing services, increasing fifth-semester retention by 10%, and
increasing the four-year graduation rate by 6%. This activity responds to the Competitive
Preference Priority (CPP) identified in the “Strengthening Institutions Program” as supporting
strategies for which there is moderate evidence of effectiveness. Descriptions and
implementation plans are outlined in the separate CPP upload.
The following table delineates how achieving the activity objectives addresses the defined
problems and contributes to the goals of the Comprehensive Development Plan.
Competitive Preference Priorities Studies
Studies Results
1. Closing the Social Class Achievement Gap: A
Difference-Education Intervention Improves First
Generation Students’ Academic Performance and
All Students’ College Transition by Stephens,
Hamedani and Destin (2014)
Difference education intervention using college
seniors real-life stories about how their diverse
backgrounds can shape what they experience in
college. The intervention eliminated the social-
class achievement gap – increasing use of
resources and improving GPA
2. Style Over Substance in Interventions for At-Risk
Students: The Impact of Intrusiveness by Molina,
Anthony, and Abelman (2000)
Intrusive interventions resulted in higher
cumulative GPAs and retention rates. Students at
the highest risk of academic dismissal were the
most responsive.
Relationship of Objectives to Problems Addressed
Objective Performance Indicators
(baseline data on page 46-47)
Yearly
Benchmarks
Problem(s)
Addressed
24
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Goal 1: Establish the Center for Student Success where unified, data-driven interventions improve
student success, retention, and graduation rates.
1.1 Increase four-year
graduation rates for
first-time full-time
freshmen from 30% to
36%
Yr 4: 33%
Yr 5: 36%
1.1a Increase % of seniors on track to
graduate in four years
Yr 5: 6% Graduation and
retention rates are
too low
1.1b Increase % of juniors on track to
graduate in four years
Yr 4: 6%
Yr 5: 8%
Graduation and
retention rates are
too low
1.1c Increase % of sophomores on track to
graduate in four years
Yr 3: 6%
Yr 4: 8%
Yr 5: 10%
Graduation and
retention rates are
too low
1.2 Increase the
overall fifth-semester
retention from 60% to
70%
Yr 2: 62%
Yr 3: 64%
Yr 4: 67%
Yr 5: 70%
1.2a Increase the percent of intervention
strategies implemented for freshman and
sophomore students with early alert
warnings in two or more classes
Yr 2: 40%
Yr 3: 60%
Yr 4–5: 75%
Fifth-semester
retention of all
students is below
state and CIC
average
1.2b Increase the number of virtual services
launched that are targeted at student success
and retention (virtual student help, virtual
advising help, student portal for one stop
help, virtual tutoring, online career
explorations)
Yr 1: 1 service
Yr 2: 3 services
Yr 3: 5 services
Yr 4–5: 6 services
Student support
services are not
meeting students’
needs
1.2c Increase the career programming
opportunities targeted to freshmen and
sophomores (workshops, retreats, courses,
etc.)
Yr 1: 2 activities
Yr 2: 4 activities
Yr 3: 6 activities
Yr 4: 8 activities
Yr 5:10 activities
Student support
services are not
meeting students’
needs
1.3 Increase fifth-
semester retention of at-
risk students
(undeclared freshmen,
low income, low HS
preparation) from 48%
to 58%
Yr 2: 50%
Yr 3: 52%
Yr 4: 54%
Yr 5: 58%
1.3a Increase the percentage of members
of at-risk student population that work
with a Pathways advisor trained in
supporting at-risk students in a variety of
areas to 90%
Yr 2: 45%
Yr 3–5: 90%
Fifth-semester
retention of high-
need students is
too low
1.3b Increase the number of at-risk
students who participate in programming
targeted to at-risk freshmen and
sophomores (first generation panel,
financial literacy training, college survival
skills, etc)
Yr 1: 10%
Yr 2: 25%
Yr 3–5: 60%
Fifth-semester
retention of high-
need students is
too low
1.3c Increase the percent of at-risk students
who participate in peer mentoring
programming in the freshmen year
Yr 1: 10%
Yr 2: 25%
Yr 3–5: 50%
Fragmented
support systems
do not provide the
services needed to
at-risk students
Goal 2: Develop faculty and staff to effectively utilize technology in support of student success, retention,
and graduation
2.1 Increase the percent
of freshmen and
sophomores who are
supported by the VU
developmental advising
model to 80%
2.1a 95% of full time advisors will
complete training on developmental
advising model as part of a coordinated
cohort model
Yr 1: 25%
Yr 2: 60%
Yr 3–5: 95%
Advising systems
are inefficient,
lacking
information and
paper based
25
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Pathways to Student Success addresses the key problem of low retention and graduation
rates through integrated, complementary components. The impact of these initiatives will be
measured annually. While the objectives are very ambitious, the project will be transformative in
Yr 1: 20%
Yr 2: 40%
Yr 3: 60%
Yr 4–5: 80%
2.1b 90% of full time advisors and student
support staff will complete training on
software to support advising as part of a
coordinated cohort model
Yr 1: 20%
Yr 2: 50%
Yr 3–5: 90%
Four year
graduation rate is
too low
2.1c Increase the percentage of new
students who have completed “key
advising checkpoints” in the first two years
at Viterbo in the new advising system to
80%
Yr 2: 20%
Yr 3: 40%
Yr 4: 60%
Yr 5: 80%
Advising is not
meeting student
needs
2.2 Increase the percent
of freshmen and transfer
students who have a
graduation plan that has
been reviewed by their
Pathways advisor and
program by the end of
the first year to 90%
Yr 1: 25%
Yr 2: 50%
Yr 3–5: 90%
2.2a Increase the percentage of second
semester freshmen who have developed a
four year degree plan as part of the new
VU developmental advising model to 90%
Yr 1: 25%
Yr 2: 50%
Yr 3–5: 90%
Four year
graduation rate is
too low
2.2b Increase the percentage of first
semester transfer students who have a
graduation plan developed as part of the
new VU developmental advising model to
90%
Yr 1: 25%
Yr 2: 50%
Yr 3–5: 90%
Four year
graduation rate is
too lo
2.2c Increase the percentage of freshmen
who seek career planning resources as part
of their four-year graduation plan as part of
the new VU developmental advising model
to 40%
Yr 2: 20%
Yr 3: 30%
Yr 4–5: 40%
Fifth semester
retention rate is
too low
Goal 3: Implement program–level retention plans and academic integration strategies to increase
student engagement, success, retention and graduation rates
3.1 Increase the percent
of programs with action
plans for improved
retention and academic
integration to 90%
Yr 2: 20%
Yr 3: 50%
Yr 4–5: 90%
3.1a Increase the percent of full-time
faculty and student support staff who
complete training in retention and
academic integration from 0 to 90%
Yr 1: 25%
Yr 2: 50%
Yr 3–5: 90%
Limited training
on academic
integration
strategies
3.1b Increase in the percent of programs
with five-year retention plans on file to
90%
Yr 2: 10%
Yr 3: 50%
Yr 4–5: 90%
No program level
retention
strategies
3.1c Increase the percent of schools with
retention dashboards through analytics
integrated in the year-end reports from 0 to
100%
Yr 3: 20%
Yr 4: 50%
Yr 5: 100%
Programs do not
have access to
current data on
retention
3.2 Increase the percent
of freshmen and
sophomore engaged in
new academic
integration strategies to
promote retention and
success to 60%
Yr 2: 10%
Yr 3: 30%
Yr 4: 50%
Yr 5: 60%
3.2a Increase the number of new high
impact practices aimed at freshmen and
sophomores launched to 25
Yr 2: 6
Yr 3: 15
Yr 4: 20
Yr 5: 25
Too few academic
integration
strategies in the
first two years
3.2b Increase in the percent of schools with
five-year academic integration plans for
freshmen and sophomores on file to 100%
Yr 2: 10%
Yr 3: 50%
Yr 4–5: 100%
Too few academic
integration
strategies in the
first two years
26
Viterbo University Pathways Project
multiple ways: 1) Viterbo systems become more efficient, 2) institutional financial stability is
enhanced; 3) enhanced support systems are available to at-risk students, and 4) the students who
are able to persist and graduate will have better lives.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
The research referenced in the Competitive Preference Priority section aligns with the
findings of the Comprehensive Development Plan and informs the Activity Objectives and the
Implementation Strategy. Viterbo University’s proposed Pathways to Student Success project is
built upon a strong institutional commitment to access and is designed to strengthen student
persistence and completion, while increasing institutional efficiencies. Pathways to Student
Success is a formal, comprehensive retention program with three integrated components that
promote student success. The key to the success of this program is the ability to launch these
initiatives in an integrated manner. For example, the impact of early alert interventions will only
be fully realized if the advising model is modified to focus on more than registration. In
addition, without retention data and analysis capabilities at the department level, faculty “buy-in”
will be more limited, compared to having greater ownership of the problems and solutions. The
Pathways to Student Success will be supported by data-management software and an analytics
approach to retention, which will integrate data and provide faculty and administrators ready
access to data. This use of technology and integrated data sets will increase productivity and
efficiency, and support ongoing, real-time assessment of efforts. The project will be led by the
Vice President for Academic Affairs, with the day to day management provided by the Director
of Retention and cooperating offices. Together the team will empower students as they progress
on the path through college to graduation and career placement.
All three components described below depend on the use of technologies to improve
27
Viterbo University Pathways Project
data-driven interventions and programming. To support the overall goals of the Pathways
Project with ongoing assessment of its impact and effectiveness, the university’s existing
Ellucian information management system will be augmented with Ellucian’s Reporting and
Operating Analytics (ROA) module. This module will facilitate evidence-based decision-
making by breaking down current information silos and by streamlining the flow of information
from coding to reporting. Access to integrated and graphical reports will optimize the use of
current databases, and real-time dashboards will ensure decision-makers have ready access to
information for the adjustments necessary to support student success. ROA will streamline the
longitudinal assessment of key performance indicators throughout the institution. It will also
simplify reporting and facilitate interactive queries and analysis, which is not currently possible
with a one-person office and insufficient technology. The document imaging solution will
complement Ellucian’s ROA; integrating with existing data infrastructure to automate student
service processes by supporting file sharing, storage, and access for key, authorized personnel.
The Systems Integration Specialist will have previous experience with data sets and reporting, to
assist the launch of this initiative. The specialist will ensure the timely use of dashboards to
track the effectiveness of the Pathways to Student Success Program interventions. This position
will continue after the duration of the grant to ensure continued use of data to strengthen student
success and retention. Institutional capacity for report generation will increase significantly with
every office having access to real-time reporting, positively impacting productivity with the
addition of just one staff. With this technology in place, the university will be able to efficiently
and cost-effectively increase student persistence and completion rates based on the outcomes of
all three components. In addition to the software and implementation costs, new servers will be
needed to store the data from the various systems and allow the Ellucian ROA system to generate
28
Viterbo University Pathways Project
the dashboards.
All activities and resources will be designed or implemented intentionally to be
accessible to all students. Our accessibility commitment and nondiscrimination policy will be
provided to participants and in promotional materials. Please see attached plan for more details.
Component One: Establishment of the Center for Student Success (CSS) where unified,
targeted, data-driven interventions will promote student success
Currently, the majority of academic student support offices are located on the third floor
of the main administrative building on campus, and each office operates as a separate entity with
limited collaboration. Creating a single, integrated space will provide a welcoming place where
students know they will get support. Currently, students may have to wait a week or two to get
an appointment with a particular academic support staff member. The current wait time causes
students frustration, and they often conclude their problem is not solvable. In addition, a
significant number of our students work high numbers of hours outside the university (common
with first generation students) or commute over 30 miles to campus. The CSS will provide
virtual services and extended hours to assist these students. Students will have a single location
where they receive immediate assistance, and staff will schedule a follow-up appointment for
more in-depth support. The university will assume all necessary costs for the physical creation
of the CSS. Additional services are outlined in the following table.
Proposed services of the Center for Student Success
Drop in advising and academic support help (9–7 Monday–Thursday, 9–4 Friday);
Virtual advising and academic support help through a secure chat feature
Academic and career planning with electronic tools
Four year graduation plan development for all students and stored electronically
Mentoring program for at-risk students
Follow-up services in: counseling services, financial aid, academic resource center, health service, career
planning, global education, and volunteer/internship office
Coordinate and advertise workshops and informal sessions on career planning, academic planning, success
strategies, and financial aid
Retreats and formal career planning programming aimed at freshmen and sophomores (with Career
Services)
29
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Campus and community engagement activities through peer leaders program
Panels organized for first generation college students on transition to college
Implement “nudges” related to financial aid deadlines and on-campus resources for targeted populations
based on risk factors
Monitoring and ongoing intervention through electronic early alert system
Communication with the identified relevant individuals for early alert situations (may include faculty,
advisors, coaches, etc., depending on the situation following FERPA guidelines)
Development of resources linked to the student portal for 24/7 access to information
Expand available resources and student services
As described in the chart above, a significant number of new services will be provided by
the Center for Student Success. A few of these services are explained below.
First generation student panel: As described in detail in the uploaded Competitive
Preference Priority, panels will be held by senior college students on how their diverse
backgrounds can shape their experience in college. The study by Stephens et al. (2014)
demonstrated that this intervention lowered the social-class achievement gap by increasing the
tendency of first-generation students to seek out college resources and improve GPAs, but open
to all first-year students. Implementation will closely follow the design of this study, with minor
changes based on our environment. Details can be found in the uploaded CPP. This will be
organized by the academic advisors with a focus on at-risk students.
Enhanced career planning resources for freshmen and sophomores: Currently very
few freshmen and sophomore students take advantage of career planning services at Viterbo.
Less than 30 students enroll in career planning courses, and very few visit the career services
office in their first two years. Student perception is that Career Services is for the placement of
students into jobs or for resume work. The academic advisor focused on career counseling will
work collaboratively with the Director of Career Services to expand the number of workshops,
majors fairs, job shadowing, and retreats offered for freshmen and sophomores. In addition,
online tools will be added to promote access to students when the office is closed.
30
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Peer mentoring program: The Center for Student Success will offer a peer mentoring
program for at-risk students. This mentoring program will build upon our current pilot program,
in which two peer mentors work with 20 at-risk students in the Student Success Program
(outlined on page 12). The Pathways Project will expand this program to provide up to eight
new peer mentors per year. At-risk students will be offered the opportunity to be part of a peer
mentoring in their freshmen year to promote social and academic enrichment and development.
The mentors will help students become better acquainted with each other and the university
through team building exercises and attendance at athletic or fine arts events. Peer mentors will
also lead regular sessions that discuss study strategies, transition challenges, and focus on
building relationships. This process will increase the likelihood of student success and
persistence.
Implement Virtual Resources: To enable the seamless integration and delivery of the
information to students, a new student portal will be added, Ellucian Portal/ILP. The systems
will greatly streamline the data infrastructure and allow key personnel to maximize time spent
with students and minimize time devoted to accessing and sharing information.
Ellucian Student Portal functionality will allow for ease of access to support structures
and university success and communication tools. The portal will also allow for personalized
student support based on student codes, and the ability to “push” key information to students on
the login page. A “single pane of glass” can give users access to their courses in the LMS, email,
focused announcements, access to their university account and degree planning, and success
resources. For faculty and staff, it increases confidence that students will see content from the
various university systems. Additionally, there will have the added benefit the tool can be used
for departmental communication with students. Student and faculty surveys (2013) document
31
Viterbo University Pathways Project
frustration with the difficulty of finding information through the various sites/resources on
campus. This system will provide a one-stop coordinated location for student services.
Development for Effective Technology Implementation: A Systems Integration
Specialist will be hired through the grant (and institutionalized after the grant) to provide
leadership and ongoing development for all employees on the technology-enhanced systems
utilized to improve productivity and student success. Trainings, informal sessions, and one-on-
one assistance on how to use the technology will be offered. Workshops and training will be
added to the faculty development yearly calendar, with one external speaker with expertise in
retention and academic integration featured per year. The appropriate Title III and IT staff will
receive advanced training on how to use/implement the new imaging software, the Ellucian
Analytics Module, and Ellucian Student Portal as part of the service agreement included when
the software modules are purchased (part of the implementation costs). An intensive Ellucian
best practices workshop will be offered in Year 4 to promote productivity, systems
improvements, and efficiencies.
Component Two: Development of technology enhanced coordinated advising model and
intrusive advising for high-risk students
Technology-enhanced developmental advising model: All students at Viterbo are
assigned a faculty advisor that assists students in selecting courses and discussing career options
related to their major. Through this Pathways Project, students will also be assigned a Pathways
advisor will work collaboratively with the faculty advisor. Advising for all students will be
enhanced by increasing the number of advising checkpoints and integrating the development of
an electronic four year plan by the end of the freshmen year. This will also promote integration
of career planning resources in the development of the four-year plan if the career/major goals is
32
Viterbo University Pathways Project
uncertain. Developmental advising is a term for academic advising approached from a student
development theory, in which the advisor encourages students to develop, evaluate and assume
responsibility for their educational and career goals. It also encourages students to identify and
recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and take steps to develop the former and address the
later. It differs significantly from the more common prescriptive approach to advising currently
used at Viterbo.
King and Kerr (2005) recommend
a dual advising model, with trained
academic support advisors/mentors and
faculty advisors working together. In this
project, the priority of the faculty advisors
will be to discuss with their advisees issues related to their majors and concerns in courses—
particularly within the discipline. Generally, as the student progresses through their program, the
need for faculty advising increases while the need for academic success advising decreases. The
enhanced academic advising and mentoring for high need students complement each other
(Ableman & Molina, 2001; Jeschke, Johnson, & Williamson, 2001). Mercy College (AAC&U,
2011), a private liberal arts college serving a large portion of first-generation students, found a
20% higher retention rate from the freshman to sophomore year for students who participate in a
similar optional program (PACT), compared to students who did not. Workshops, retreats,
computer-based career and strengths assessment tools, and informal learning sessions will also
be offered by the center staff, in cooperation with other offices.
Electronic advising files accessible by both the faculty advisor and he Pathways advisor
will be critical to the success of this initiative. Advising files will be pre-populated with
0
25
50
75
100
1 2 3 4
VU developmental advising: A collaborative
effort between pathways and faculty advisors
An
tici
pat
ed %
of
Inte
ract
ion
Years
33
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Automated Personalized Pathway for Student Success
“personalized pathways for academic success”
based on the major and risk factors outlined as
earlier (see page 19 for a description). These plans
will provide all advisors with a list of strategies for
the advisee that can be the basis of conversations
with the students about their success. Whereas
advisees are currently required to meet with their advisor only once per semester, the new system
incorporates multiple “key advising checkpoints” with a Pathways advisor at specific times
during a student’s first three semesters. Pathways advisors will discuss any early alerts
generated at checkpoint meetings, and contact the student if an alert requires intervention. While
faculty will be trained on the developmental advising model, the majority of the visits in the first
three semesters will be handled by the Pathways advisor. The imaging system will allow notes,
documents, advising files, four year plans, and other pertinent information to be shared by the
Pathways advisor, the faculty advisor and anyone else who has a need to have access, based on
FERPA guidelines. This tool integrates with Ellucian to automate student service processes by
supporting file sharing, storage, and access for key, authorized personnel and will significantly
impact efficiency for offices that currently use paper files.
Semester Checkpoint and Purpose of Pathways Advising Meeting
Sem. 1 Prior to classes
Week 2–3
Week 7–8
Week 11–12
Welcome: Overview advising process, discuss short- and long-term goals.
Academic Integration: Discuss personalized plan and possible support services. Encourage
participation in integration activities and any early alerts.
Mid-Semester: Discuss mid-term grades, any early alerts, improvement strategies, revisit
plan and encourage participation in integration activities.
End-of-Semester: Discuss major or possible majors if undeclared, short-term and long-term
goals, and career possibilities. Assist with registration.
Sem. 2 Week 2–3
Week 7–8
Welcome Back: Review and encourage student’s use of academic services and involvement
in integration activities.
Mid-Semester: Discuss mid-term grades, any early alerts, short- and long-term goals,
internship, undergraduate research and career opportunities. Develop four-year degree plan.
High Risk Medium risk
– entry
attributes
Lo
w
Hig
h
En
try
att
rib
ute
s
(AC
T,
fin
anci
al n
eed
,
HS
ran
k,
un
dec
lare
d)
Medium
risk -
integration
Low risk
High Low
Planned integration (fine arts
ensembles, sports, live in
dorms, sports teams, etc.)
34
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Week 11–12 End-of-Semester: Discuss internship and career opportunities and complete four-year degree
plan. Assist with registration for following semester.
Sem. 3 Week 2–3
Week 7–8
Week 11–12
Welcome Back: Review four-year degree plan. Review and encourage student’s use of
academic services and involvement in integration activities.
Mid-Semester: Discuss mid-term grades, any early alerts, short- and long-term goals,
internship and career opportunities.
End-of-Semester: Review four-year degree plan and make adjustments as necessary. Assist
with registration for following semester.
The Assistant Director of Retention will lead the implementation of Component Two
focused on intrusive advising. This position at VU is currently a 2/3 time assignment (teaching
1/3) to coordinate the paper based advising system. The institution commits to transitioning this
position to at least 90% associated with the goals of the grant. In addition to the extra hours per
week gained through this new priority, productivity will increase by shifting processes away
from paper to an electronic advising system. Currently, paper files are generated for each
student, and a tracking system for registration and advising is created independently from our
Students Records Management system.
Intrusive Advising for High-Risk Students: Viterbo’s retention studies of the last four
years suggest low academic preparation (low ACT composition or low HS rank—two distinct
criteria), high financial need (low family income—below $35,000), or an undeclared major
status are indicators students are at a high-risk of attrition from Viterbo in the first two years.
For these reasons, students with these attributes will be referred to as “high-risk” for the purpose
of this grant. These risk factors appear to have an “additive” effect. Students with two or more
risk factors (70–80 students of a typical entering cohort), have a 48% fifth-semester retention
rate compared to 71% for students with no risk factors (see page 11). The objective (1.3) is to
raise the retention rate for this targeted group and mediate the effect of multiple risk factors. A
plan will be developed individually, based on the risk factors, entry survey results, and additional
factors that are determined. High-risk students will have more frequent meetings with CSS staff,
35
Viterbo University Pathways Project
following the successful intrusive advising models in the literature. In addition, students who
receive two or more mid-term grade D/F warnings, students placed on academic probation,
students who are not admitted into the professional phase of a major (“becoming” undeclared as
a result), and students who receive a significant number of early alert warnings by faculty and
staff will be considered high-risk and added to the intrusive advising program.
Preliminary data from a pilot project and best practices in the literature suggest these
efforts will be successful. Results of this pilot study are discussed beginning on page 12. This
intrusive mentoring program is designed to complement, not replace our traditional faculty
advising model. Implementation details are part of the CPP, closely following documented
successful practices.
Component Three: Engaging faculty and student support staff in retention plans and
student success strategies at the program level
Component three will engage academic departments and student support offices to
develop retention plans to improve student integration and engagement in their interest areas.
The chart below shows how all units will be trained on the various components of the grant. The
student support staff will be trained first. Subsequently, two “units” from the academic areas
will be trained at a time in a cohort model. This model has proven successful at Viterbo in the
past, through working with smaller groups and refining the materials for each cohort.
Description of Steps in the Cohort Training and Implementation Model
Group Trained Jan
2016
May
2016
Aug.
2016
Jan.
2017
May
2017
Aug.
2017
Jan.
2018
May
2018
Aug.
2018
Jan.
2019
May
2019
Student Support Staff A B C D E F G
CONHHB
undeclared A B C D E F G
COESM / COBAL A B C D E F G
COAL New Hires A B C D E F G
36
Viterbo University Pathways Project
A Study student success data, retention data, student characteristics (for Colleges – data for their
specific programs) (Training led by Director of Retention)
B Training on Pathways Advising Model and Student Success Strategies (Training led by Asst. Director
of Retention and Director of Career Services).
C Training on new technology – analytics and documentation of advising and student records (Training
led by Systems Integration Specialist)
D Training on high impact practices for student success (led by Faculty/Academic Integration Coord)
E Retention plans for specific programs developed (led by Dean/Director/Chair)
F Document progress, discuss next steps and refinements (led by Dean/Director/Chair)
G Discuss and launch refined programs/activities/strategies (led by Dean/Director/chair)
Ongoing Progress towards goals will be built into year-end reports, a minimum of one department meeting per
year focused on retention, a minimum of one training per year during inservice
Colleges
CONHHB = Nursing, social sciences, and dietetics; COESM = Education, Natural Sciences,
Mathematics; COBAL = Business and leadership; COAL= Fine arts and humanities, New Hires =
individuals hired after their cohort was trained
Development of Program-Specific Retention Plans: All academic programs and student
support areas will complete training on retention, high-risk students, and best practices for
retention. Through the lens and experiences of their offices or academic programs, specific
retention data will be reviewed using the Ellucian ROA dashboards. The programs will design a
retention plan through 2020 and create yearly reports on activities and progress through TracDat,
our assessment software tool. While training will be provided by the grant staff and external
experts; Deans and Directors will lead the development of the plans.
Academic Integration Activities: Research suggests that high levels of student
engagement in academic activities increases both student performance and retention (Lundberg
& Schreinder, 2004, Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). Higher levels of student-faculty interactions
also correlate to the number of students who are more satisfied with their college experience
(Woodside et al., 1999). Multiple practices have been designated as “high impact” by the higher
education community due to their positive associations with student learning and retention
(NSSE, 2007). AAC&U identified 10 promising “high impact” activities, including first year
seminars, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, service learning, writing-
intensive courses, collaborative assignments/projects, undergraduate research, student abroad
37
Viterbo University Pathways Project
and other experiences with diversity, internships, and capstone projects. High-impact practices
(HIPs) are positively associated with persistence and GPA, higher student engagement, higher
rates of faculty-student interactions and increases in student learning. Learning communities and
service learning have demonstrated significant gains in the first and second year in the areas of
deep learning, personal gains, level of academic challenge, and supportive campus environment
(Kuh & O’Donnell, 2013).
To increase the quality, frequency and assessment of the integration of HIPs, the
university will establish a faculty development and mini-grant program. The program will design
and implement high impact practices to impact retention and student success through increased
engagement and faculty-student interactions. There is strong evidence of models that have
successfully impacted retention through engagement (Siedman, 2012; Tinto, 2012). The priority
will be placed on implementing strategies for freshmen and sophomores. The HIPs initiative
will be led by a new faculty member hired through the grant (academic integration coordinator).
This position will be institutionalized at the conclusion of the grant. Two current faculty leaders
from different faculty disciplines will be selected through an application process to help train
faculty, review mini-grant proposals, and provide ongoing development.
The three components described above are designed to work cohesively to bring about
increased persistence, completion, and student success. They will be supported by new state-of-
the-art data analysis capabilities to facilitate institutional research, enable longitudinal
assessment of key performance indicators, and maximize the time spent with students. In
addition, data on the effectiveness of intervention strategies will be collected following IRB-
approved protocols. That will allow the dissemination of best practices to the educational
community after the completion of the grant. The implementation strategy and methods outlined
38
Viterbo University Pathways Project
below allows for all components to be tested and refined by the end of the grant. The methods in
the table below are staggered, adding new capacities over time.
KEY PERSONNEL
Title III Coordinator (15% time on project; 100% institutionally funded)
This position is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the proposed project,
and will lead all project initiatives, budgets, and staff. This position reports directly to the
President.
Position Responsibilities – Title III Coordinator
Serve as the liaison to the Department of Education Title III officials
Provide overall leadership for the project and activities
Report progress to the President and the Cabinet
Monitor project progress and ongoing collection of data for formative and summative evaluation
Facilitate institutionalization of activities and ongoing budget
Manage the budget, ensuring expenditures are in compliance with federal regulations and project objectives
Lead grant steering committee meetings to provide oversight and suggestions to meet grant objectives
Approve and disseminate progress reports college-wide
Lead ongoing review of data collection and reporting systems for grant activities
Dr. Glena Temple, Vice President for Academic Affairs, will serve as the Title III
Coordinator. The priorities in this project closely align with Dr. Temple’s responsibilities at
Viterbo University, as increased retention and graduations rates are a strategic priority for the
institution. Dr. Temple currently provides leadership for all Colleges and academic programs,
academic advising, student retention, academic support services, and institutional research. Dr.
Temple has 14 years of experience at Viterbo (as faculty, dean, and associate VP), and during the
last academic year returned to serve as Vice President for Academic Affairs. Previously, Dr.
Temple was Dean and chief operating officer for University of Wisconsin Colleges Online and
Distance Education, provided oversight for a unit serving over 6,000 students including
recruitment, advising, academics, business office, marketing and instructional design. Dr.
Temple has a Ph.D. from the University of California Riverside in Botany and Plant Sciences,
39
Viterbo University Pathways Project
and a M.A. in Education Policy and Administration with a higher education focus from the
University of Minnesota.
Activity Director (90% time on project, 100% institutionally funded, 12 month)
The Activity Director will assume day-to-day management of the project. This position
reports directly to the Title III Coordinator/VPAA.
Position Responsibilities—Title III Activity Director/Director of Retention
Coordinate advertising, screening, hiring and training of grant personnel
Supervise grant personnel
Communicate effectively with a variety of campus offices to achieve grant objectives
Monitor the budget
Coordinate quarterly, yearly and end-of-project evaluation report generation
Provide day-to-day supervision of grant activities to achieve objectives
Meet regularly with IT Director to ensure effective integration of technology
Assist the coordinator with the DOE reporting and steering committee reports
Oversee grant timelines and objectives
Build faculty and staff support for the grant activities
Tina Johns, M.B.A, will serve as the Activity Director with a new title of Director of
Retention. Her current responsibilities as the Director of Student Success at Viterbo make her
uniquely qualified to launch this activity quickly and effectively. She coordinates the Student
Success Program for high-risk students, and supervises academic advising. She currently
manages the early alert system, student probation processes, and the pilot retention efforts.
Currently, many paper-based processes and the lack of real-time data result in inefficiencies.
Tina has experience supervising personnel, leading task forces, launching initiatives, and
managing budgets. Tina has served in this position for five years, and previously served as an
academic counselor for nursing students. She was recently selected as “Employee of the Year”
demonstrating the community respects her work. The majority of her current job duties are
congruent with the grant. The VPAA will reassign Tina’s current responsibilities that are not
directly related to the project to non-grant personnel at Viterbo.
Assistant Director of Retention (90% time on project, 100% institutionally funded)
40
Viterbo University Pathways Project
The Assistant Director of Retention will assist in all grant activities, but with a focus on
leading the improved advising system and conversion to an electronic advising platform. This
position reports directly the Activity Director.
Position Responsibilities—Assistant Director of Retention (12-month)
Coordinate implementation and training of the developmental advising model and electronic advising system
Assist the Director of Retention on grant activities, as needed
Coordinate weekly early alert reports
Work with students in the Center for Student Success
Staff “drop in and virtual” hours each week
Lead the four-year plan initiative (for all freshmen to have a four year plan developed)
Participate in cohort training and assist faculty with advising issues
Build faculty and staff support for the grant activities
Lisa Konkel, Ph.D., will serve as the Assistant Director of Retention. Lisa currently
coordinates academic advising (66% of her job) and teaches (33%). Once the grant begins, she
will no longer teach in order to assist in broader grant activities.
Key Personnel Hired for the Title III Grant
Title Responsibilities Qualifications
Advisor-
At Risk Focus
(12 month)
Provide ongoing advising and mentoring for students
Hold drop in hours at virtual advising in addition to
scheduled appointments with students
Coordinate the peer leader program, first generation
panel and other activities focused on at-risk students
Offer workshops/activities for at-risk students
Assist the Director and Assistant Director as needed
Collaborate with Title III staff, faculty and other staff
Master’s degree in higher
education, counseling or
related field
Experience in mentoring or
advising
Outstanding communication
and organizational skills
Prior experience working with
at-risk student populations
Advisor-
Career Focus
(12 month)
Provide ongoing advising and mentoring for students
Hold drop-in hours for virtual advising in addition to
scheduled appointments with students
Coordinate career workshops, retreats, and other
resources focused on career counseling/planning
Collaborate with the Director of Career Services
Assist the Director and Assistant Director as needed
Collaborate with Title III staff, faculty and other staff
Master’s degree in higher
education, counseling or
related field
Experience in mentoring
Outstanding communication
and organizational skills
Prior web experience preferred
Project
Assistant (12
month)
Prepare quarterly reports on grant objectives
Coordinate data for formative and summative evaluation
Create and manages dashboards for the grant projects
Assist the grant staff on data analysis and reporting
Archive data, reports/ minutes/documents for the grant
Maintain the grant website
Lead communication efforts through the student portal
Schedule trainings, external evaluator visits, grant
meetings, cohort rotations, etc.
Bachelor’s degree in
communications or related
field
Strong technology skills
Demonstrated professional
writing skills
Analytical skills and ability to
build and manage spreadsheets
Strong organizational and
interpersonal skills required.
41
Viterbo University Pathways Project
The At-Risk Student Advisor would be hired to start January 1, 2016, so she/he can assist
with mentoring students on probation from fall semester, staffing the student success center, and
planning for the summer outreach efforts. The Career Focus Advisor would be hired to begin
August 1, 2016, with the significant work load of advising and mentoring students beginning in
the fall. The start date in August will allow for a month of training prior to the start of classes.
Over the summer, the advisors will contact all students by phone/email/chat and provide advising
Monitor resources are accessible to all populations and
disability statements are on grant material
Assist the Director and Assistant Director as needed
Collaborate with multiple offices on campus
Ability to learn and use new
software and online tools
Systems
Integration
Specialist (12
month)
Work as part of the grant team in support of data use for
decision making at all levels of the Institution.
Review, analyze and evaluate business systems and user
needs to determine opportunities that can improve
efficiency of business processes and decision making.
Support systems integration to aide in end user
utilizations as well as maintain security/integrity of data.
Provide oversight, planning, implementation and support
of the Document Imaging/Management Solution, the
Portal and Data Reporting & Dashboarding systems.
Work with Director & Assistant Director of Retention to
provide data analysis reporting structures that will aide
in meaningful/targeted retention efforts.
Work with various campus departments on process
mapping to determine opportunities for document
workflow automation.
Write technical procedures and documentation for the
applications including operations, user guide, etc.
Work with IT to provide training and resources for end
users of the new systems.
BA/BS Degree, preferably in
information systems or
information technology
Strong project management
skills with effective results
focus within an information
systems environment.
Experience with
Dashboarding/Reporting from
a variety of data sources
required
Experience with Document
imaging system
implementation a plus
Strong Understanding of data
relationships, data integrity,
reporting and SAAS security
Experience with the
extraction/transformation of
data from various type of
databases
Experience in management of
Server
hardware/storage/software
Faculty/Acade
mic
Integration
Coordinator
(10 month)
Teaches ½ time to freshmen and sophomores modeling
best practices in use of early alerts and high impact
practices
Coordinate high-impact practices components, including
mini-grant process, training, evaluation of projects
Coordinate the selection of two high impact faculty
appointed to assist the component
Provide workshops, training, and one-on-one assistance
to faculty and student support offices
Advise students
Assist in the school-specific retention initiative
Appropriate disciplinary
expertise for faculty position
Experience with high-impact
practices
Experience with faculty
development and training
Prior college-level teaching at
the freshmen and sophomore
level
42
Viterbo University Pathways Project
and mentoring at a distance. In addition, planning for fall workshops/retreats, peer mentoring
will occur based on data and outcomes from the previous year.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
As a Vice President with university-wide authority who reports directly to President
Artman, Dr. Temple has sufficient authority to conduct the project and ensure that the Activity
Director has the necessary authority to carry out the activity. The Activity Director, Tina Johns,
will report to Dr. Temple on all aspects of implementation, and she will work closely to ensure
each activity is implemented according to federal guidelines. Dr. Temple will also work with the
External Evaluator to document progress in achieving activity objectives.
Responsibilities of Title III Coordinator, Dr. Glena Temple
Task Description
Monitor the T3
personnel to
ensure objectives
are met
Meet weekly with the Activity Director to ensure implementation timetables are followed
and assist with implementation as necessary.
Require Quarterly Reports from the Activity Director, due in January, April, July, and
October, which will document implemented tasks and difficulties encountered.
Reports will describe objectives expected in the next quarter and outlined changes
needed.
Oversee budget Authorize Title III expenditures and ensure that grant funds are used for the intended
purposes.
Approve any modifications following Title III guidelines.
Ensure effective
evaluation Ensure effective internal evaluation by regularly reviewing reports on key performance
indicators generated by the Project Assistant using Ellucian Analytics program.
Review external evaluator reports and incorporate findings.
Conduct
reporting Review end-of-year reports generated by the Activity Director and share with the task
force prior to submission to U.S. Department of Education.
Oversee task
force Chair task force that meets monthly to discuss progress, obstacles, and strategies for
changes.
Title III Task Force: The Pathways Task Force will be comprised of key administrators
and faculty who meet monthly to facilitate project coordination and integrate project initiatives
with related, ongoing institutional activities. To ensure effective institutionalization, the group
will regularly evaluate barriers to institutionalization and develop strategies to address them.
Members of the team will include Dr. Temple (Chair), the Activity Director (Director of
Retention), all Academic Deans, the Director of Career Development, the Vice President for
43
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Finance and Administration, the Director of Institutional Research, the Assistant Director of
Retention, the Gateway Course Coordinator, the Director of IT and representative faculty.
Lines of Authority: The Title III structure reflects Viterbo’s existing organizational
structure and ensures that the Project Coordinator and Activity Director have sufficient authority
to implement the project effectively, including directly reporting to the President.
EVALUATION PLAN
Organizational Chart of Institutional Decision Makers
The purpose of the evaluation plan is to provide senior leadership at Viterbo with reliable
information on the progress of the grant objectives and its impact on the institution. The
evaluation will also serve to inform the project team and be submitted to the Department of
Education to document progress on the objectives. The information will also help test the
effectiveness of various aspects of the project, which will allow modification to project
implementation if necessary.
The Project Assistant, under the direction of the Activity Director and Director of
Institutional Research, will collect and analyze data through several longitudinal studies to assess
various aspects of project effectiveness. In addition, the university will retain an experienced
External Evaluator, who will provide an impartial, objective assessment of progress made toward
meeting activity objectives and institutionalizing project initiatives, make recommendations for
Activity Director/Director of
Retention Title III
Grant Team
External
Evaluator
Advisor (At-risk
focus)
Advisor (Career
counseling focus)
President Rick Artman
Title III Project Coordinator, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Glena Temple
Project
Assistant
Director
of IR
Systems Integration
Specialist
Director
of IT
44
Viterbo University Pathways Project
collecting evaluative data, and assess the degree to which the project is addressing institutional
problems. An experienced evaluator will also be able to anticipate future problems and suggest
ways to strengthen activity effectiveness. The evaluator will be a member of the American
Evaluation Association and possess: 1) experience in evaluating Title III projects, 2) expertise in
evaluation processes and procedures, 3) an understanding of the current Federal Title III
regulations, and 4) knowledge of advising and academic initiatives that support student retention.
Formative evaluation will emphasize continuous improvement, identify potential problems or
inefficiencies, and propose solutions. The evaluation will enable appropriate adjustments to
tasks, timelines, and allocation of resources. The external evaluator will also conduct a
summative evaluation to measure if targets are met, provide a yearly report of project outcomes,
and assess the entire project.
Examples of Formative and Summative Evaluation Questions
Formative Summative
To what extent are the goals/objectives of the project achieved?
To what extent have the implementation strategies been met?
Is there other evidence that indicates project effectiveness in
meeting the stated goals/objectives?
What barriers to implementation exist, and how are they being
addressed?
To what extent is the project being institutionalized?
How can the project be strengthened or modified?
How have grant funds supported the
documented impact?
How have grant activities been
institutionalized?
How has the activity impacted the
problems addressed in the proposal?
What evidence supports the impact of
the activity on the institution and the
problems addressed?
The External Evaluator will assist in establishing the evaluation system and assess
progress towards achieving the implementation timetable tasks and activity objectives each year.
The Evaluator will visit the campus at least twice annually and provide a mid-year and end-of-
year report. The mid-year report will be formative, while the end-of-year report will be both a
formative and a summative assessment of the grant progress. Results will be shared with the
educational community through peer-reviewed publications after the grant is complete.
External Evaluator Tasks Anticipated Date
Meet with the Task Force to review evaluation plan and establish baseline data Fall 2015
45
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Visit campus to monitor project; evaluation focuses on formative data Spring each year
Prepare and submit mid-year report, which focuses on formative data used to
improve project implementation
Within one month after
spring visit each year
Visits campus to monitor project; includes formative and summative data Fall each year
Prepare and submit year-end report of formative and summative data, on progress
of grant objectives
Within one month after
fall visit each year
Prepare and submit end-of-grant period report of summative data and overall
institutional impact.
Fall of final grant year
(2020)
Data Elements and Analysis: Activity personnel and the Director of IR at Viterbo will
work collaboratively to collect, organize, and analyze data that documents progress of the
Pathways Project and its impact on the institution, students, faculty, and stakeholders. Standard
descriptive and inferential techniques will be used for data analysis. Statistics will be presented
objectively and quantitatively, where possible. Where appropriate, data will be analyzed using
statistical software. Qualitative and descriptive approaches to data analysis will enable the
identification of relationships among stakeholder perspectives and the attainment of project
objectives. Students in the intrusive mentoring program will be surveyed once a year for
feedback. Faculty will be surveyed after each training session for continuous improvement of
the grant implementation plan. Participants in workshops and trainings (faculty, staff, students)
will be asked to complete a short survey for feedback. Creation of activity dashboards will allow
the team to quickly and frequently determine progress. The following table depicts all data
elements, baselines, data collection methods, and expected outcomes for each activity objective
and performance indicator. The Project Assistant will ensure baseline data are collected in the
first six months of the grant and that end-of-year data collection procedures measuring objectives
and performance indicators are established.
46
Viterbo University Pathways Project
Data collection methods for each outcome
Objective/Performance Indicators Baseline Data
elements
Data
Collection
Expected Outcome by Year
1 2 3 4 5
1.1 Increase four-year graduation
rates for first-time full-time freshmen
from 30% to 36%
30% 4-yr grad
rate
IR report - - - 33% 36%
1.1a Increase % of seniors on track to
graduate in four years
TBC Degree audit
and 4-yr plan
AD
Report
- -
- - 6%
1.1b Increase % of juniors on track to
graduate in four years
TBC Degree audit
and 4-yr plan
AD
Report
- - 6% 8%
1.1c Increase % of sophomores on track
to graduate in four years
TBC Degree audit
and 4-yr plan
AD report - 6% 8% 10%
1.2 Increase the overall fifth-semester
retention from 60% to 70%
58% 5th sem.
Retention
IR report - 62% 64% 67% 70%
1.2a Increase the percent of intervention
plans implemented for freshman and
sophomore students with early alert
warnings in two or more classes
Less
than
5%
Starfish
reports;
advising
records
AD
Report
- 40% 60% 75% 75%
1.2b Increase the number of virtual
services launched that are targeted at
student success and retention (virtual
student help, virtual advising help,
student portal for one stop help, virtual
tutoring, online career explorations)
0 Services
offered
AD
Report
1 3 5 6 6
1.2c Increase the career programming
opportunities targeted to freshmen and
sophomores (workshops, retreats, etc.)
0 Services
offered
AD
Report
2 4 6 8 10
1.3 Increase fifth-semester retention of
at-risk students (undeclared freshmen,
low income, low HS preparation) from
48% to 58%
48% 5th sem.
retention
IR Report - 50%
52% 54% 58%
1.3a Increase the percentage of members
of at-risk student population that work
with a Pathways advisor trained in
supporting at-risk students in a variety of
areas to 90%
Less
than
5%
Mentor
records
AD report - 45% 90% 90% 90%
1.3b Increase the number of at-risk
students who participate in programming
targeted to at-risk freshmen and
sophomores (first generation panel,
financial literacy training, college
survival skills, etc)
Less
than
5%
Program
records
AD report 10% 25% 50% 50% 50%
1.3c Increase the percent of at-risk
students who participate in peer
mentoring in the freshmen year
Less
than
5%
Program
records
AD report - 10% 25% 50% 50%
2.1 Increase the percent of freshmen
and sophomores who are supported by
the VU developmental advising model
to 80%
0 Advising
system
reports
ADR
report
20% 40% 60% 80% 80%
2.1a 95% of full time advisors will
complete training on developmental
advising model as part of a coordinated
cohort model
0 Training
records
SIS report 25% 60% 95% 95% 95%
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
2.1b 90% of full time advisors and
student support staff will complete
training on software to support advising
as part of a coordinated cohort model
0 E-Planner
report
ADR report 20% 50% 90% 90% 90%
2.1c Increase the percentage of new
students who have completed “key
advising checkpoints” in the first two
years at Viterbo in the new advising
system to 80%
0 Advising
records
ADR report 20% 40% 60% 80%
2.2 Increase the percent of freshmen
and transfer students who have a
graduation plan that has been reviewed
by their Pathways advisor and program
by the end of year one to 90%
0 Electronic
advising file
ADR report 25% 50% 90% 90% 90%
2.2a Increase the percentage of second
semester freshmen who have developed
a four year degree plan as part of the
new VU developmental advising model
to 90%
0 Electronic
advising file
ADR report 25% 50% 90% 90% 90%
2.2b Increase the percentage of first
semester transfer students who have a
graduation plan developed as part of the
new VU developmental advising model
to 90%
0 Electronic
advising file
ADR report 25% 50% 90% 90% 90%
2.2c Increase the percentage of
freshmen who seek career planning
resources as part of their four-year
graduation plan as part of the new VU
developmental advising model to 40%
0 Course
records
AD report - 20% 30% 40% 40%
3.1 Increase the percent of programs
with action plans for improved
retention and academic integration to
90%
0 TracDat ret.
Assess. Plans
IR report - 20% 50% 90% 90%
3.1a Increase the percent of full-time
faculty and student support staff who
complete training in retention and
academic integration from 0 to 90%
0 Training
records
SIS 25% 50% 90% 90% 90%
3.1b Increase in the percent of programs
with five-year retention plans on file to
90%
0 TracDat
assess.
IR report - 10% 50% 90% 90%
3.1c Increase the percent of schools
with retention dashboards through
analytics with comments integrated in
the year-end reports from 0 to 100%
0 VPAA files AD report - - 20% 50% 100%
3.2 Increase the percent of freshmen
and sophomore engaged in new
academic integration strategies to
promote retention and success to 60%
0 Participation
records
AD report - 10% 30% 50% 60%
3.2a Increase the number of new high
impact practices aimed at freshmen and
sophomores launched to 25
0 Summary of
plans
ADR report - 6 15 20 25
3.2b Increase in the percent of schools
with five-year academic integration
plans for freshmen and sophomores on
file to 100%
0 TracDat
Asses
IR report - 10% 50% 100% 100%
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Viterbo University Pathways Project
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