From College Access to College Retention: Persistence and Academic Success for

1. From College Access to College Retention: Persistence and Academic Success for Under-Represented College Student Populations

2. ACCESS College Foundation Program • Non-Profit Organization • 16 Full Time Advisors • Housed in 29 High Schools in South Hampton Roads, VA • Staff are split between 2 schools; one 2 day school & one 3 day school • School Splits are based on percentage of students receiving free reduced lunch • 3 day schools serve 9th - 12th grades • 2 day schools serve 11th - 12th grades

3. Need for ACCESS College Success Program: Retention

4. ACCESS College Success Program Overview: • Provide direct services to Access Students • Attend one of the following Universities: • Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, • Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, • Virginia Wesleyan College, • Increase the graduation rate for first-year Access scholarship recipients • Increase the re-application rate for all Access scholarship recipients • Increase awareness of existing college campus programs and services

5. TG Grant Project Participation • Identified 233 out of 261 Access Scholars eligible to participate • Students must fall under one or more under-represented groups to be considered as a participant • Low Income (Pell eligible) • Minority (African American, Latino/Latina, Native American) • First Generation • 105 of the 233 students identified agreed to participate in the study • 100 students completed all required meetings, surveys fall semester • 92 students complete all required meetings and surveys spring semester

6. TG Grant Project Participation Demographics • 81% self identified as ethnic minority • 54% self identified as coming from low income families • 44% self identified as being first generation students • 39% self identified as coming from single family homes • 68% of the freshmen were represented in more than one under-represented category • 92.5% of the sophomores were represented in more than one under-represented category

7. Student Requirements: • Attend College Success Days – 11 days • Complete two surveys each semester • Receive a $100 gift card to the bookstore!

8. College Success Days: Schedule Week 1: Introduction and Expectations Week 2: Time Management; Voting (registering/absentee) Week 3: Studying; How you learn Week 4: Stress Management Week 5: Money Management; Prepare for FAFSA Week 6: Complete FAFSA; Renew Access Scholarship Week 7: Complete FAFSA Week 8: Health and Well Being Week 9: What should I do during the summer (Internships, Resumes) Week 10: Preparing for finals Week 11: Wrap up

9. College Success Days: Resources for Curriculum • The Real Freshman Handbook: A Totally Honest Guide • To Life on Campus • Jennifer Hanson and friends • How to Study • Ron Fry • College Rules! How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College • Sherrie Nist-Olejnik, Ph.D and Jodi Patrick Holschuh, Ph.D • The Everything College Survival Book: From Social Life • to Study Skills – All you Need to Know to Fit in! • Michael Malone

10. College Success Program: Services • Consistent and constant electronic and in person communication • Facebook, email, instant message, texts, phone calls • Advocacy for students to resolve issues affecting retention • Monitor student academic achievement

11. College Success Program: Instrumentation • Student Information Worksheet (part 1) • Asked for students to identify attributes which describe themselves • High school background • Family background • College application experience • Student Information Worksheet (part 2) • Asked for students to identify attributes describing themselves in college • Activities involved in • College Goals • Goals after college • Student Check-In

12. ACCESS College Success Program Project Objectives & Outcomes • Increase retention from fall to spring term of the freshman year • Significantly higher than average for students at the 5 participating colleges • 99% retention rate • 78.4% institutional average retention rate reported for first-time, full-time freshman in 2008-09 • 71% national average for four-year colleges

13. ACCESS College Success Program Project Objectives & Outcomes • Increase retention from spring of the freshman • year to fall of sophomore year. • Significantly higher than average for students at the 5 participating colleges • 94.7% retention rate for freshmen • Typically a 37% attrition rate during the first two years of college

14. ACCESS College Success Program Project Objectives & Outcome • Determine the impact of services on college academic success • from the high school final cumulative grade point average to the • fall college cumulative grade point average. • Freshmen experienced a low cumulative grade point average decrease of -0.17 • Historically freshman have lost up to one-half of one grade point from their senior year of high school to end the of their freshman year • Sophomores experienced a decrease of -0.31 during their freshman year

15. ACCESS College Success Program Academic Persistence • Under-represented freshman are generally at a higher risk of dropping and failing courses during their first year of college. • 86.7% completed all of their fall 2008 courses • 89% completed all of their spring 2009 courses • High correlation between number of visits students had with their College Success Advisor and grade point average

16. Communication with 2007 Access Scholars

17. Communication with 2008 Access Scholars

18. ACCESS College Success Program Retention Rates

19. ACCESS College Success Program 2009-2010 • Phase out Virginia Tech • Add Virginia State University • Add four campuses of Tidewater Community College • Focus on first and second year students • TG Grant for 2nd year

20. ACCESS College Success Program Student Feedback • Improvements: • Internship information • Study abroad information • Group study/academic activity • Mentor/Buddy system • Job placement information

21. ACCESS College Success Program • Questions? • Andrea Schusler • College Success Advisor • ACCESSCollege Foundation • aschusler@accesscollege.org • (757) 613-3197