Build a Road Map for Sophomore Enrichment

& Launch a Pathway for

Academic Success

Presented by

Anne Nelson, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Student Services

Monte Ahuja College of Business, Cleveland State University

2014 KASADA Conference

• Topic – Charge

• Purpose

• Objectives

OUTLINE

• “Sophomores are virtually ignored from all sides of the institution, yet current research confirms that sophomores have some of the highest expectations and strongest needs of any groups of students on campus.” (Schreiner & Pattengale, 2000).

• Institutions use resources to help students adjust to college life with First-Year Programs

and then prepare juniors/seniors for graduate studies or the world of work.

What about sophomores?

Topic - Charge

PURPOSE

• The purpose of this forum is to examine, explore and discuss the critical needs and issues that face the sophomore college student; as well as how to support the student regarding academic success.

• This session will 1) Highlight information from the literature Helping Sophomores Succeed: Understanding and Improving the Second Year Experience; 2) Define the needs of the sophomore student; 3) Discuss programs and services that will support the needs of the sophomore student; 4) Discuss how to start a SYE program or a series of workshops regarding sophomore needs, while using current campus resources and collaborating with other campus programs.

PURPOSE

OBJECTIVES

• Explore sophomore year enrichment as a key indicator regarding academic success and improving graduation rates.

• Define the sophomore slump.

• Review academic literature regarding the needs of sophomore students.

• Identify programs, services and Sophomore Year Experience programs that support the enrichment of sophomore students.

• Share ideas, experiences and possible solutions to support the growth and retention of the sophomore student on your campus.

• Can you launch a pathway to academic success for sophomore students?

OBJECTIVES

LITERATURE REVIEW

• Sophomore Trends

• Sophomore Slump

• Sophomore Needs

• Sophomore Enrichment

Graduation Rates for Public & Private Colleges

*5 year rate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2000 2013

Public

Private

*Source: American College Testing, 2013

LITERATURE REVIEW

National Resource Center for First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina (NRC), two monographs and the recent book Helping Sophomores Succeed:

Understanding and Improving the Second-Year Experience have provided in-depth information regarding the “Sophomore Year Action” topic over the last 6-10 years.

SOPHOMORE TRENDS

First Year programs/services have stabilized attrition rates of

first year students returning for the second year; however,

graduation rates for most four-year public institutions have not

improved.

First Year to Second Year

Retention Rates

Public: 93.1 %

&

Private: 94.4%

Source: Noel-Levitz (2013) Student Retention Indicators Benchmark Report Based on 2011-12 data

SOPHOMORE TRENDS

SOPHOMORE TRENDS

Second Year to Third Year

Retention Rates

Public: 81.4 %

&

Private: 83.7%

18.6 drop

16.3 drop

Source: Noel-Levitz (2013) Student Retention Indicators Benchmark Report Based on 2011-12 data

Higher levels of attrition from sophomore year to the junior

year than from freshman to sophomore year

Most institutions do not consider second year/sophomore programs

as a part of their retention/degree completion strategic plans

SOPHOMORE TRENDS

SOPHOMORE TRENDS

Monte Ahuja College of Business – Sophomore Trends

FY09 Cohort Graduation Tracking Report

High school admitted students

Business

Program All Last Class Level Graduated

FR SO JR SR

181 56 33 9 19 41

Source: CSU Registrar Office

SOPHOMORE SLUMP

• A transitional period regarding the development of academic, major, career and personal goals

• Decision making period; dissatisfaction regarding college and major goals

• Decline institutional support and attention

• First year study habits do not support sophomore curriculum/Poor academic performance

• Major, Career and Academic reality check – Developmental confusion ; No Plan “B”

• Transferring: The runaway game

• Support in three broad categories: academic issues, developmental issues and institutional issues.

• Academic advising related to career

exploration/planning • Support for challenging second year course

work • Reality Check: Major selection & academic

skills – Plan “B”

• Help connect students’ strengths to academic success/career goals

• Institutional Support: financial aid, peer

support, programs and services

SOPHOMORE NEEDS

• Identify the needs of the institution’s sophomore student

• Develop ongoing academic advising training related to academic/major-career exploration advising

• Help students develop a personal/academic/career - Plan “B”

• Use current campus resources and repackage resources in order to better serve sophomores

• Create holistic programs regarding: academic advising, career planning and out-of-the classroom activities

SOPHOMORE ENRICHMENT

PROGRAMMING

CAMPUS PARNTERS

• Sophomore Welcome Back Letter

• Sophomore Career Shadowing • Career & Academic Reality

Check UP – Specialized Advising

• Sophomore: E-Newsletter/Blog

• Advising Office • Career Services • Student Life • First Year Office • Financial Aid Office • Alumni Services • Local Business

Comprehensive initiatives A comprehensive program with in-depth resources to support yearly retreats, conferences, specialized advising/study skills support, and focuses on personal academic issues, like major choice, study abroad, and career planning.

Residential initiatives These programs emphasize living/learning cohorts and have dorms dedicated to first and second-year students.

Major/Career initiatives These initiatives build workshops/events during the sophomores year that emphasize major/career choices.

Mentoring initiatives These programs focus on mentorship, intentional advising and personal/career development regarding academic interest.

Academic Course initiatives The centerpiece of these initiatives is a course or series of courses about leadership or skills for success in college in relationship to careers/majors.

SOPHOMORE ENRICHMENT The type of Sophomore Programs

SOPHOMORE ENRICHMENT

Direction * Choices * Programs

Azusa Pacific University Baldwin Wallace University Beloit College *Oldest program

Belmont University Colgate University Colorado College Indiana University Bloomington Iowa State University Ohio State University Columbus Pennsylvania State University Texas A&M University Stanford University University of Arizona Tucson University of Colorado at Boulder University of Maryland College Park

University of Michigan Ann Arbor University of Minnesota University of Missouri Columbia University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Oregon University of Texas at Austin University of Washington Seattle University of California Berkeley University of California Los Angeles University of Florida University of Illinois Urbana Champaign University of South Carolina University of Washington Seattle University of Wisconsin Madison

SOPHOMORE ENRICHMENT

Short list of Sophomore Programs

SOPHOMORE ENRICHMENT Outcomes

Data regarding the impact on retention and graduate rates of sophomore-specific initiatives is very limited due the infancy of most

programs and the lack of in-depth recourses.

However, two early programs have provided some insight: Beloit College and Azusa Pacific University.

AZUSA Soph. to Junior Rate Retention

2000: 80% 2005: 88%

Sophomore Program started 2000

BELOIT Graduation Rate

Participated: 87% Participated: 68%

Class 2004 – Sophomore Retreat/Programs

Source: Lipka, S. (2006, September 8)

Ahuja Business

Leadership Scholarship

SOPHOMORE ENRICHMENT

Monte Ahuja College of Business – Sophomore Support

Business Professional

Mentorship Program

SOPH: Advising

Freshman Sophomore

Business Association

Business Career

Connection Series

DESIGN A MODEL “SYE” PROGRAM

• What are your ideas?

• What is your personal experience with 2nd Year students

• Soph. cohort more difficult

cohort than the FYR & SR

• Develop an NE Ohio –

HIGHER ED - Sophomore Interest Group

SOPHOMORE ACTION

• American College Testing. (2013). College Student Retention and Graduation Rates. Iowa City: The American College Testing Program, Inc. – ACT Institutional Data Files.

• Anderson, E. & Clifton, D.O. (2002) Strengths quest. Washington D.C. Gallup, Inc.

• Anderson, E. & Schreiner, L. (2000). Advising Sophomore Success. In L. Schreiner and J. Pattengale (Eds), Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press.

• Boivin, M., Fountain, G. & Baylis, B. (2000). Meeting the Challenges of the Sophomore Year. In L. Schreiner and J. Pattengale (Eds), Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press.

• Evenbeck, S., Gardner, J., Hunter, M., Pattengale, J., Schaller, M., Schreiner, L & Tobolowsky, B. (2009). Helping Sophomores Succeed: Understanding and Improving the Second Year Experience. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Flanagan, W. (1990). Sophomore Retention: The Missing Strategy in Small College Retention Efforts. Unpublished dissertation. University of Wisconsin-Madsion.

• Gardner, J., Pattengale, J. & Schreiner, L. (2000). Sophomore Year: Summary & Recommendations. In L. Schreiner and J. Pattengale (Eds), Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press.

• Lipka, S. (2006, September 8). After the freshman bubble pops. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53, A34, retrieved October 7, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i03/03a03401.htm

• Noel-Levitz (2013). 2013 Student Retention Indicators Benchmark Report for four-year and two-year institutions. Coralville, Iowa: Noel-Levitz. Retrieved from www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports. *1

• Noel-Levitz (2011). 2011 Mid-Year Retention Indicators Report for four-year and two-year institutions. Coralville, Iowa: Noel-Levitz. Retrieved from www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports.

• Noel-Levitz (2013). 2013 Student Retention and College Completion practices report for four-year and two-year institutions. Coralville, Iowa: Noel-Levitz. Retrieved from www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports. *2

• Pattengale, J. & Schreiner, L. (2000). What is the Sophomore Slump and Why Should We Care? In L. Schreiner and J. Pattengale (Eds), Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press.

• Pattengale, J. & Schreiner, L. (2000). Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press.

• Schreiner, L. (2001). Taking Retention to the Next Level: Of Strengths and sophomores. Washington, D.C.: Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.

• Schaller, M. (2005). Wandering and wondering: Traversing the uneven terrain of the second year of college. About Campus, 10 (4), 17-24.

• Schreiner, L. (2001). Taking Retention to the Next Level: Of Strengths and sophomores. Washington, D.C.: Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.

REFERENCES

Build a Road Map for Sophomore Enrichment

& Launch a Pathway for

Academic Success

Presented by

Anne Nelson, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Student Services

Monte Ahuja College of Business, Cleveland State University

2014 KASADA Conference