1

IndependenceCommunityCollegehasexperiencedadecreaseinourretention.Pleaseseethefollowingchartforretentiondataforthelasttwoyears.

Chart1.IndependenceCommunityCollegeRetentionDataFall2015–Fall2016 Fall2015#ofStudents

minusGraduates#ofReturningStudentsinFall2016

Retention%

Part-timeNon-DegreeSeeking

314 127 40.45%

Part-timeFreshmen 40 9 22.5%Part-timeSophomores 31 3 9.86%Full-timeNon-DegreeSeeking

14 4 28.57%

Full-timeFreshmen 364 161 44.23%Full-timeSophomores 176 36 20.45%Total 939 340 36.31%

Chart2.IndependenceCommunityCollegeRetentionDataFall2016–Fall2017

Fall2016#ofStudentsminusGraduates

#ofReturningStudentsinFall2017

Retention%

Part-timeNon-DegreeSeeking

374 129 34.49%

Part-timeFreshmen 98 25 25.51%Part-timeSophomores 44 2 4.55%Full-timeNon-DegreeSeeking

26 6 23.08%

Full-timeFreshmen 312 119 38.14%Full-timeSophomores 181 19 10.50%Total 1035 300 28.99%

2

ThefollowingchartshowstheretentiondatafromFall2013–Fall2017.Chart3.UndergraduateRetentionHistoryforIndependenceCommunityCollege

Chart4.KansasBoardofRegentsRetentionRateforAllCommunityColleges

0

50

100

150

200

250

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

ReturningUndergraduates

PartTime FullTime

3

Chart5.KansasBoardofRegentsRetentionRateforSoutheastKansasCommunityColleges

Chart6.First-YearPersistenceandRetentionforStudentsWhoStartedCollegein2-YearPublicInstitutionsasprovidedbytheNationalStudentClearinghouseResearchCenter.(Fullreportcanbefoundatthefollowingwebsite:https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/SnapshotReport28a.pdf)

43

62

50 48

35

5853 56

44

56 55 55

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

IndependenceCC CoffeyvilleCC LabetteCC NeoshoCC

RetentionPe

rcen

tage

SoutheastKanasCommunityColleges

KansasBoardofRegentsRetentionComparisonforSoutheastKansasCommunityColleges

2013 2014 2015

4

ICC’sResponsetoReasonsTheIndicatorsTriggeredTheReportTherearethreemajorfactorsthatwehaveidentifiedasindicatorsonwhytheretentiondroppedsomuchinoneyear.

1. Therewasachangeinathleticrecruitingpractices.AnewheadfootballcoachwasbroughtinDecember2015.Overthelasttwoyearsthenewcoachhasbroughtinalargeamountofplayerstobuildtheteam.Duringtheprocessofbuildingtheteam,someofthoseplayershavebeencut,orrealizedthattheyarenotabletomakeitatthelevelofplaythatisexpectedinthenewprogram.Thishasresultedinalossofstudentseachsemester.

2. Studentsareslippingthroughthecracksandnotbeingnoticed.UpuntilthissemesterICConlyhad1.5staffdedicatedtoadvisingstudents,whilefacultywerethemainadvisorsforthecampus.AdvisingisapartoftheFacultyNegotiatedAgreement,butexpectationsforthisjobdutyarenotoutlined.Thefacultyhavemultiplerequirementsandexpectationsofthemthroughoutthesemesterthatareoutlinedintheircontract.Webelieveitisunrealisticforustoexpectfacultytointrusivelyadvisestudentsandmeettheirexpectationsasafacultymember.Thishasresultedinmultiplestudentsnotbeingcontacted.Ifnooneattheinstitutionisshowinginterestinastudentandtheirplansfornextsemester,theyareathighriskfornotreturning.Thishasresultedinlossofenrolmentfromsemestertosemester.

3. Therearemultipleholdsonstudent’saccountsthatkeepstudentsfromenrolling.ExamplesofholdsareFinancialAid(requireddocumentsnotturnedin)orHousingorBalanceduetoICC.Intheprocessofcontactingallthecurrentstudentsthatareenrolled,wehavenoticedthatalargeamountstillhaveholdsontheiraccount.Someofthestudentshavefoundthemselvesinabindbecausetheyhavenotcompletedcertaintaskstotakecareoftheholdandnowitistoolate.Holdsarearoadblockformanyofourstudentsandhasdeterredthemfromenrolling.

ICC’sPlanofActiontoAvoidIndicatorsInTheFutureIntheSpringof2017,ICCstartedinvestigatingotherintrusiveadvisingmodelsthathadbeenimplementedsuccessfullyatotherColleges(examplesincludeStateFairCommunityCollegeinSedalia,MOandUniversityofPhoenix).Inthefallwenarrowedourchoicedowntotwodifferentstrategies,anddidteleconferenceswiththoseschoolsaskingabouttheirsuccesswithretention/completionandreturnontheirinvestmentinmoreadvisingservices.Basedoffoftheseconversations,ICCchosetoheadinthedirectionofaspecificadvisingmodelthatwouldallowfocusedstafftobetheprimaryadvisorswithfacultynowassistingastheirtimeallows.WealsodidarestructuringofdepartmentstoallowacohesivemodelofstudentsstickingwiththesameNavigatorfromAdmissiontoGraduation.Belowismoredetailonwhereweareatinthatimplementation:Owner:DirectorofEnrollmentandRetentionManagement(newpositionfilledbyDirectorofAdmissions)

Strategy:Implementanewintrusiveadvisingprogramthathas“Navigators”workingwithstudentsfromAdmissiontoGraduation.

5

ThenavigatorprogramisanewprogramatIndependenceCommunityCollege.TheNavigatorswillguidestudentsthroughICCandbeyondbyprovidingahighlevelofinteractivecustomerservicetoensurestudentsuccess.Anewstudentwillbeinterceptedbythenavigatorassoonastheyhaveappliedandtheadmissionsofficehasdeterminedwhattheywillbestudyingandwhatextracurricularactivitiestheywillbeinvolvedin.Thenavigatorwillworkwiththemtocompletealloftheiradmissionsdocumentation,financialaid,andpaymentplans.Thenavigatorswillenrolltheminclassesandfollowanintrusiveadvisingapproachthroughoutthesemester.Theywillworkcloselywithstudentstomakesuretheyhavecompletedallthenecessarystepstotakecareofholdontheiraccountthatkeepthemfromenrollingthenextsemester.Thenavigator’sgoalistogetthemfromtheadmissionsprocesstograduation.Thenavigatorswillpossessastudent-centeredadvisementphilosophy.Theywillhelpstudentsadapttotheirlearningenvironmentandguidetheminmakinginformeddecisionsregardingtheireducationalandcareergoals.Thenavigatorteamwillbeworkingcloselywithfacultyandotheracademic/instructionalstaff.Westillwantthestudentstoconnectwiththeirprofessorsandusethemasresources.Thenavigatorswillalsobeconsultingwithfacultythroughouttheyearonchangesintheirprogram.Theircommitmentistocreateaninclusivelearningenvironment.Theywilladvocateforthecreation,enhancement,andstrengtheningofprogramsandservicesthatrecognizeandmeetthestudent'sacademicneeds.Theywillbeknowledgeableinthecollege’sfinancialaidandbusinessofficeprocesses.

Timeline:Thetimelineforthisprojectisasfollows—

November:PresidentialAnnouncementregardingprogramstartandthere-assigningofcurrentemployeestofillpositions.

December:DirectorofEnrollmentandRetentionManagementbeginstransitionplanwithnewstaffaswellasotherkeydepartmentspreparingfornewroles/responsibilities.

January:OfficiallaunchofNavigatorprogramwithdetailsbeingsharedwiththecampuscommunityatJanuaryIn-service.

March:TransitioncompleteandallNavigatorsaretrainedandworkingwiththeircaseloadofstudents.

ContinuousImprovement:TheNavigatorTeamwillbereviewingthefollowingdatatosetbenchmarks,goals,andtargets:

1. InstitutionalretentionratesforFall2016-Fall2019.2. Retentiondatabrokendownbyprogram/activity3. NoelLevitzSurveyData4. CCSSEESurveyData5. StudentConcernLogtickets

6

CurrentTargetsSet:OurgoalistoincreaseICC’soverallretentionrateto31%forFalltoFall(2017-2018).