beyond retention: enhancing student success loralyn taylor, ph.d. virginia mcaleese
TRANSCRIPT
Beyond Retention:
Enhancing Student Success
Loralyn Taylor, Ph.D.Virginia McAleese
Outline
• Focus on Standards 9,8,7• About us• Our retention efforts• Strengthening our support services• Changing our focus• Results so far
Standards 9, 8, 7
Student Support Services• Provides SSS to enable each student to achieve the
institution’s goals for students.
Student Admissions and Retention• …seeks to retain students through pursuit of
student’s educational goals
Institutional Assessment• Develop and implement assessment process
evaluating overall effectiveness
Paul Smith’s College
• ~1000 FTE• 80/20% bachelors• Very diverse
– Culinary and Hospitality– Forestry, Natural Resources, Recreation– Science, Liberal Arts and Business
Paul Smith’s College
• High First Generation• High Pell• ~70% male• 85% residential• Ave HS GPA: 82-83• SAT Combined: 940-980
Retention Rate
• 59-63% – FTFT freshmen
• 52-55%– Associate
• 64-65%– Bachelors
Support Services
Retention Office -FYS -Academic Recovery Program -Transitional Student Program
Academic Support Center -SI, Tutoring, Writing Center
HEOPTRiOSafety NetCareer ServicesAccommodative ServicesStudent DevelopmentStudent LifeHealth Services
Retention Office
Accommodative Services
TRiO Advisor
ARP Advocate
Faculty Advisor
HEOP Advisor
Program Coordinators
Instructors
Academic Support
Student Life
Deans
Student
Student Development
Health Services
Retention Office
Accommodative Services TRiO Advisor
ARP Advocate
Faculty Advisor
HEOP Advisor
Program Coordinators
Instructors
Academic Support
Student Life
Deans
Student
Student Development
Health Services
Common Theme of Retention Committees, Councils, our MSA Self-Study, and Strategic Planning process
• Improve communication within and between faculty and support offices
• Information flow• Improve coordination of response• Close the reporting loop
– What was done/what happened
Strategic Plan Initiatives
Comprehensive Student Support System• Prioritize existing resources and create
comprehensive support program• Intentionally cross-collaborate• Create a student success network for all
students• Identify individual student needs
– Connect students to services
Searching for Solution• Technology
– Automation• Gather, manage and distribute information• Appropriate offices• Coordinate response• Easy to use
– No extensive training– Not intimidating
Early Warning & Student Tracking System
• Manual flags or flag surveys.• Automatic flags
– based on system data• Automatic communication
– appropriate personnel and/ or student
• Close the loop – Results of intervention to flag
raiser
Educational Support Networking System
• My Success Network– Personalized for each student
• Service catalog– Campus support resources
• Online scheduling • Appointment confirmation by
email.• Documentation of contact with
students – private and shared notes.
Information Management
Three types of Flags– Informational
• Notify about concern
– Action• Student in need of intervention
– Urgent• Critical action needed• Student in danger of suspension
Informational FlagsAcademic ProbationTransitional ProgramHigh Risk of Academic IssuesFinancial Aid holdNo FAFSAStudent Accounts holdTutoring will be cancelledTutoring cancelled
Low gradesAttendance concernsLow motivationSocial/personal concernBehavioral issues
Action Flags
• 3 Flag Warning—Support Action• 6 Flag Warning—Advisor and Support
Action• Student Development—Private• Health Concern—Private• Missed required tutoring• Missed required advocate meeting• Required tutoring will be cancelled
Urgent Flags
• Academic Recovery Program Suspension Warning
• Health Services Suspension Warning• SafetyNet Notification of a
Health/Safety or Behavioral Concern• Trespass Notice
Dear STUDENT FIRST NAME:
Your instructor in CLASS NAME has reported that they are concerned about your grades on assignments and/or tests
We are concerned about your success!
Paul Smith’s has a number of student support services designed to help you on your path to graduation. These can be accessed through your home page in Starfish in the My Success Network channel on the bottom left of the screen or through the Success Network link at the top of the page.
Please take advantage of our student support resources.
The Academic Success Center has a number of resources including individual and group tutoring, supplemental instruction, and the Writing Center. Appointments can be made with Renee Marleau, the Tutor Coordinator, through Starfish.
Sincerely,
Virginia McAleese, Associate ProfessorDirector of the Academic Success Center
Feedback to FacultyFeedback has been provided for the Low Grades flag which you raised
on STUDENT NAME.
Flag Details
Student: STUDENT NAMEFlag Name: Low GradesCategory: AcademicRaised On: 9/14/2010Cleared On: 9/20/2010
Feedback From: Monica BurielloFeedback: The student will be speaking to his professor, attending the SI, and getting tutoring. His tutoring was just assigned for Dendrology.
This email is a service of Starfish. Click here to change your notification preferences.
STARFISH
Accommodative Services
TRiO Advisor
ARP Advocate
Faculty Advisor
HEOP Advisor
Program Coordinators
Instructors
Academic Support
Student Life
Deans
Student
Student Development
Health Services
Re-framing the Conversation
• Traditional Retention– Focus on academic– Prevention of student loss– Target at risk students
• Student Success– Add non-academic– All students
Reorganization
Academic Success Center• Academic Support Center
– SI, Tutoring, Writing Center
• Targeted Population Programming– ARP, Transitional Student Program– High Risk Students
• Early Outreach Program– All Students– Opt into mentoring program
Support ServicesAcademic Success CenterAcademic Support Center -SI, Tutoring, Writing Center
Targeted Populations• Academic Recovery
Program• High Risk Students• Transitional Program• First Year Seminar
Early Outreach• All students• Opt in to mentoring
program
HEOPTRiOAccommodative ServicesStudent DevelopmentStudent LifeHealth ServicesCareer ServicesSafety NetAdmissionsResidence LifeAthletics
Assessing our Initiatives
Comprehensive Student Support System• Prioritize existing resources and create
comprehensive support program• Intentionally cross-collaborate• Create a student success network for all
students• Identify individual student needs
Critical points—Before Starfish
• Attendance– weekly
• Early Alert Program– 4th week
• MidTerm grades– 8th week
With Starfish• 4th Week Early Alert Survey• 8th Week MidTerm Grade warnings• Flag students
– Anytime– Wider safety net
• Not just instructors
With StarfishSpring 2010• 271 flags raised
– Prior to first survey– No marketing
• 49% of flags raised outside of EA or MT
Early Alert Survey• 4th week
– Automated faculty survey– Low grades, – Attendance Concern, – Low Motivation or – Social/Personal concerns
Early Alert Survey
Starfish Early Alert Survey Results
2010 Spring Fall
Sections Reporting 92% 98%
Completion Time (days) 1.8 1.4
# Flags Raised 614 789
# Students Flagged 291 380
% Students Flagged 47% 48%
Flags/Student 0.75 0.79
Attendance 24%
Lack of Motiva-tion18%
Low Grades
54%
Social Personal 4%
Spring
Early Alert Flags
Early Alert Flags
Attendance Concern
19%
Lack of Motiva-tion11%
Low Grades66%
Social Personal 4%
Fall
Assessing our Initiatives
Comprehensive Student Support System
• Intentionally cross-collaborate
1 2 3 40%
20%
40%
60%
80%% of 3 Flag Warnings Cleared
Spring Fall Weeks after EA
1 2 3 40%
20%
40%
60%
80%
% of 6 Flag Warnings Cleared
Spring Fall Weeks after EA
Feedback to FacultyFeedback has been provided for the Low Grades flag which you raised
on STUDENT NAME.
Flag Details
Student: STUDENT NAMEFlag Name: Low GradesCategory: AcademicRaised On: 9/14/2010Cleared On: 9/20/2010
Feedback From: Monica BurielloFeedback: The student will be speaking to his professor, attending the SI, and getting tutoring. His tutoring was just assigned for Dendrology.
This email is a service of Starfish. Click here to change your notification preferences.
Assessing our Initiatives
Comprehensive Student Support System
• Prioritize existing resources and create comprehensive support program
• Intentionally cross-collaborate• Identify individual student needs
– Connect students to services
Top Five: Most Concentrated Departments (by number flagged)
DepartmentFlagged
StudentsTotal
Students%
Students
MAT 80 381 20
FOR 69 297 23
ENG 60 332 18
BIO 58 283 20
CHM 50 177 28
Top Five: Most Concentrated Sections (by number flagged)
Section IDFlagged
Students Total Students% Students
BIO 101.LEC.01 52 191 27
FOR 110.LEC.01 31 84 36
CHM 141.LEC.01 18 113 15
CHM 141.LEC.02 16 69 23
FOR 110.LEC. 02 16 69 23
Top Five: Most Cleared Flags(by percent cleared)
FlagFlags
RaisedFlags
Cleared % Cleared Category
Has not completed Enrollment Check In Process 18 18 100 Financial
Academic Recovery Program Suspension Warning 14 14 100 AcademicMissed Required Advocate Meeting 6 6 100 Academic
Not Full Time 60 58 96 AcademicHealth Services--Missing State Mandated Requirement 274 252 91 Health
Assessing our Initiatives
Comprehensive Student Support System
• Identify individual student needs– Connect students to services
1514131211109876543210
50
100
150
200
250
Appointments Made by Students
FallSpring
2007 2008 2009 20100%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
% Students with MidTerm D or F
FallSpring
Unexpected Benefits
• Reinvigorated discussion– How can we help– Want to be on board
• Increased faculty participation• Improved communication• Exploring the possibilities
Questions?
Loralyn Taylor, Ph.D.Director of Institutional [email protected]
Virginia McAleeseDirector Academic Success Center Associate [email protected]