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W HAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN ?: A SCERTAINING REASONS FOR WITHDRAWAL AND FAILURE RATES IN MY E NGLISH 102 CLASS by Valerie Murrenus Pilmaier, PhD Assistant Professor of English University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan

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T HE MISSION S TATEMENT OF THE U NIVERSITY OF W ISCONSIN C OLLEGES The University of Wisconsin Colleges is a multi- campus institution committed to high quality educational programs, preparing students for success at the baccalaureate level of education, providing the first two years of a liberal arts general education that is accessible and affordable, providing a single baccalaureate degree that meets local and individual needs, and advancing the Wisconsin Idea by bringing the resources of the University to the people of the state and the communities that provide and support its campuses. http://www.uwc.edu/about/overview/mission

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G OALS OF ENGLISH 102, A CORE COURSE 102 is [a] rhetoric course that focuses on writing which presents information, ideas, and arguments, with attention to the essay and techniques of documentation. Emphasis will be on academic writing which is applicable across the curriculum ( UW Colleges Course Guide ). To analyze, synthesize, evaluate and interpret information and ideas To construct hypothesis and arguments To integrate knowledge, research, and experience to support hypothesis and argument To continue to develop critical thinking and reading skills To write and construct essays clearly, coherently, and in a well-organized manner To gather and use information from printed sources, electronic sources, observation and interaction

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W ITHDRAWAL / FAILURE * RATES IN MY ENGLISH 102 COMPOSITION CLASSES, F 2009- S 2012 F2009, of 24 students in S1: 0 withdrawals and 2 failures Of 24 students in S2: 5 withdrawals and 4 failures S2010, of 24 students in S1: 3 withdrawals and 4 failures Of 23 students in the S2: 3 withdrawals and 4 failures Summer 2010, of 6 students: 1 withdrawal and 0 failures F2010, of 22 students in Online: 1 withdrawal and 4 failures S2011, of 16 students in Online: 6 withdrawals and 4 failures F2011, of 22 students in S1: 1 withdrawal and 8 failures Of 22 students in S2: 1 withdrawal and 10 failures Spring 2012, of 22 students in S1: 1 withdrawal and 5 failures of 22 students in S2: 1 withdrawal and 8 failures Failure means a C- or less since you need a C to pass English 102

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A SNAPSHOT OF UW - SHEBOYGAN Student Profile for this Institution of Access Headcount Enrollment: 894 New Freshmen 287 first-generation 64% average ACT score 20.4 Part-time students: 447 (50%) Students age 22+ 295 (33%) % of students receiving financial aid { 2010-2011 }: 54% Average $ per recipient: $5,556 http://www.uwc.edu/sites/default/files/imce- uploads/about/overview/factbook/uwc_factbook_campuses.pdf

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T RANSFER R ATES In a 2011 study done by Holly Hassel and Joanne Giordano about transfer rates in the UW Colleges, they determined the following about Sheboygans students: 33.3% transfer to other UW schools 32% do not transfer: the highest non-transfer rate in the Colleges (save Online, which is 40%) 22.8% transfer to techs 12.4% transfer to Outside (other WI colleges, non-WI colleges, WI private)

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I NSPIRATION FOR M Y WISCONSIN TEACHING FELLOWS / SCHOLARS PROJECT Vincent Tinto, in Research and Practice of Student Retention: What Next? states simply, Though articulation agreements are helpful, they do not help more low-income student transfer. What we need, but do not have, is a body of research that tells of the nature of institutional practices that enable more low-income students to transfer, and, in turn, succeed in four-year colleges and universities, since [among] those beginning in a two-year college, only 8% of low-income students earn a Bachelors degree within six years while nearly 25% of high-income students do (NCES 2003, Table 2.1C). (13, 12).

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M Y WTFS PROJECT, 2012-2014 From F2009-S2012, a large proportion of students either withdrew or failed my English 102: Composition II class. As a core course, it is imperative that students pass this class in order to graduate. From F2012- S2014, I am ascertaining via student surveys and their written materials if there are additional reasons that I had not considered as to why students are withdrawing and failing at these large rates.

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K NOWN VARIABLES INHIBITING SUCCESS Incorrect placement into 102 via WEPT score or Multiple Measures Placement Personal reasons (family, work, health) Unpreparedness A lack of confidence Incompatibility with the teacher Redirection of career path

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W ITHDRAWAL / FAILURE RATES IN MY ENGLISH 102 CLASS, FALL 2013 English 102, Section 2 22 students total, 4 withdrawals by the official withdrawal date and 1 late withdrawal and 4 students receiving a C- or lower. Of the 5 withdrawals, two dropped due to conflicts with work schedules, one stopped coming after the second week of school, one dropped with a B average, and one dropped for medical reasons. Only one student spoke to me prior to withdrawing from class. Of the four failures, one had a medical condition but refused an accommodations form, one had other difficult classes that demanded more time, and two felt their skill-set levels were not adept enough for 102

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W ITHDRAWAL /F AILURE R ATES IN M Y E NGLISH 102 CLASSES, F ALL 2012 Of 18 enrolled students, 4 withdrew and 2 did not pass. Of the 4 withdrawals, 2 were late entries into class (entered two weeks into class) and stopped coming after the first paper was due, 1 only came to two classes and 1 had work scheduling conflicts with class. Of the 2 students who did not pass, 1 had work scheduling conflicts and 1 felt she was not ready for 102 (as revealed in a conference with me).

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C URRENT WITHDRAWALS, ENGLISH 102, SPRING 2013 Out of 22 students in class after 10 th day (the official final add day), 8 students withdrew by the official final withdrawal day of April 11. 1 student attended three weeks of class and never turned in an assignment. 1 student missed ten classes and failed all papers. 2 students were doing above average work before the 2 nd paper and did poorly on the 2 nd paper. They did not talk to me before dropping the class. 4 students attended all classes but failed both papers. Each student had one conference with me (on the first paper) but indicated during the conferences that they did not feel ready for 102. Of the 14 students left, 12 are passing and two have not turned in the last two papers.

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P REVIOUSLY UNRECOGNIZED VARIABLES 64% of Sheboygans students are First Generation College students, and we have few support measures on campus for that particular student population. Of that group, 15% of our students come from Non-Native Speaking households. This is another population that could use more support (Christensen). Although the English department has a list of Learning Outcomes that each instructor must use as the guide for the instruction in the class, there is no way to determine how closely, or even if, instructors are teaching the foundational material in 101 that students need to be successful in 102. I did not do a concept inventory at the beginning of the semester to ascertain just how many Learning Outcomes from 101 each student had mastered. Although retention could certainly be improved, the numbers are consistent with other institutions of access.

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P RELIMINARY C ONCLUSIONS Based upon the literature review, students thrive when they have personal contact with faculty, so I will continue to have mandatory conferences with my students during the first six weeks of school and suggest non-mandatory conferences after that (Tinto 1987, 2004; Halpin; Pascarella and Chapman; Ryan; Reichert, Cox). My original hypotheses about reasons for W/F have been confirmed by my study and by the literature review. I would like to change the direction of my study to look at success rates of and interventions for first generation college students.

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T HANKS TO Holly Hassel and Joanne Giordano The Office of Professional and Instructional Development The University of Wisconsin Colleges English Department University of Wisconsin Colleges Provosts Office University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan The Wisconsin Teaching Fellows/Scholars Program

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W ORKS C ITED Christensen, Connie. Assistant Dean of Student Services Report to UW-Sheboygan Collegium. Feb. 2013. Hassel, Holly and Joanne Giordano. Presentation on Multiple Measures Placement for UW-Sheboygan. 21 Nov. 2011. Tinto, Vincent. Research and Practice of Student Retention: What Next? Journal of College Student Retention. 8.1(2006-2007): 1-19. Ebscohost. 23 Feb. 2013. University of Wisconsin Colleges. Campus Profile: Sheboygan. Factbook 2012. 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. http://www.uwc.edu/sites/default/files/imce- uploads/about/overview/factbook/uwc_factbook_campuses.p df University of Wisconsin Colleges. Mission Statement. 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013. http://www.uwc.edu/about/overview/mission

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W ORKS C ONSULTED Alexander, Karl, Robert Bozick and Doris Entwisle. Warming Up, Cooling Out, or Holding Steady?: Persistence and Change in Educational Expectations After High School. Sociology of Education. 81.(2008): 371-396. ERIC. 2 April 2013. Act 2010. What Works in Student Retention: Fourth National Survey. Report for All Colleges and Universities. 1-20. ERIC. 22 Mar. 2013. Bahr, Peter Riley. Cooling Out in the Community College: What is the Effect of Academic Advising on Students Chances of Success? Research in Higher Education 49(2008): 704-732. ERIC. 20 Jan. 2013. Brunk-Chavez, Beth and Elaine Fredericksen. Predicting Success: Increasing Retention and Pass Rates in College Composition. Writing Program Administration. 32.1-2(2008): 76-96. ERIC. 30 Mar. 2013. Cox, Rebecca D. It Was Just That I Was Afraid: Promoting Success by Addressing Students; Fear of Failure. Community College Review. 37.1(2009): 52- 80. Ebscohost. 2 April 2013. Hagedorn, Lisa Serra. How to Define Retention: A New Look at an Old Problem. Transfer and Retention of the Urban Community College Students Project funded through he Lumina Foundation. Hassel, Holly and Joanne Giordano. Assessment of the Multiple Measures Approach to Composition and Learning Support Placement: Placement, Preparation, and Pedagogy Grant Project: Assessing the Alignment of Placement and Curriculum for the UW-Colleges. Report 1. UW Colleges. 1 Nov. 2011. Print. Kaliszeski, Michael S. Clarks Cooling Out Concept as a Factor in Student Completion of Community College Programs. Florida State Graduate Seminar Paper. ERIC. 1988. Longwell-Grice, Rob and Hope Longwell-Grice. Testing Tinto: How Do Retention Theories Work For First-Generation, Working-Class Students ? Journal of College Student Retention. 9.4(2007-2008): 407-419. ERIC. 2 Apr 2013. Penrose, Ann M. Academic Literacy Perceptions and Performance: Comparing First-Generation and Continuing-Generation College Students. Research in the Teaching of English : 36(2002): 437-461. Ebscohost. 27 Jan. 2013. Ryan, Mary Gene. Improving Retention and Academic Achievement for First-Time Students at a Two-Year College. Exchange. Ebscohost. Powell, Pegeen Reichert. Retention and Writing Instruction: Implications for Access and Pedagogy. CCC. 60.4(2009): 664-682. ERIC. 15 Jan. 2013. Tinto, Vincent. The Principles of Effective Retention. Viewpoints: Paper Presented at the Fall Conference of the Maryland College Personnel Association. 20 Nov. 1987. ERIC. 20 Feb. 2013. 1-18. --. Research and Practice of Student Retention: What Next ? Journal of College Student Retention. 8.1(2006-2007): 1-19. ERIC. 22 Feb. 2013. --. Student Retention and Graduation: Facing the Truth, Living with the Consequences. Occasional Paper. The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. July 2004: 1-15. Veenstra, Cindy P. Thoughts and Experiences of Educators Related to Quality and Change. Educators World:The Journal for Quality and Participation. Jan. 2009: 19-23. Ebscohost. 22 Feb. 2013.