Student Success 101

1. Welcome to: StudentSuccess101 StudentSuccess101

2. Student Success 101 Concepts, Trends and Challenges of First-Year Students

3. Presenters Keith Ratliff, Linda Dunham, Elvira Johnson Student Success Instructors Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, North Carolina

4. Purpose of the presentation The lesson plan Elvira – Emerging Trends of First Year Students Linda – A Proven Strategy for Success Keith – Choices of Successful Students Other interest of the audience? College Student Success

5. Emerging Trends of first year students

6. Demographics

7. 62% of first year students drop out 24% go on to earn AAS degree 14% transfer to 4-year college Community College Retention

8. 15% - Involuntary Low grades, policy violation 85% - Voluntary departure finances Family Obligations Immaturity Ineffective Study Skills work demands poor academic progress career indecision low school support Reasons for dropping out

9. Solutions Emerging Trends

10. Peer mentoring Tutorial and emotional support Institutional level – School sponsored mentoring program matching first year student with upperclassman Class level – Promoted by teachers within the classroom Faculty mentoring (not advising) Small groups (10-20) students closely monitored Mentoring

11. Social integration Activities and organizations Peer support Peers and upperclassmen Faculty/administration support Formally (Learning communities) Informally (attending events and club advisors) Stronger faculty/admin involvement = stronger student involvement Promoting Student Involvement

12. Institutional support (fund & promote course) Admin support (promote and present) Faculty (mentoring) Student involvement (attending and mentoring) All of these aspects can best come together in a First Year Orientation Course

13. Combine to give a strong introduction to college and one’s individual career goals A strong start prepares one for A strong finish

14. Challenges Facing First Year Students andA Proven Strategy for Success Linda Dunham

15. Lack of knowledge regarding academic planning Uncertainty about major/career Lack of technology experience Lack of knowledge regarding college resources Academic Challenges

16. Feeling of disconnect Unable to engage Stress Feeling isolated and without friends Lack of confidence Fear of failure High school mentality Social and Emotional Challenges

17. Connect with campus resources. Attend Orientation. Set academic and personal goals. Manage time and money. Improve study habits. Discover Learning Style. Meet with advisors and counselors: Academic planning. Attend career counseling and planning sessions. Join a Learning Community. Communicate with faculty. Get involved with campus activities. Strategies for Success

18. An eight-week Orientation Course for first-year students Purpose: to orient students to college life to engage students in the learning process to improve student retention A Proven Strategy for Success:ACA 111 College Student Success

19. The Student: Learning and Personality Styles Academic and Personal Goal Setting Academic and Career Planning The College: Campus Resources Technology Focus of the course:

20. Email (communication with faculty, students) Online classroom management systems (Bb, WebCT) Word processing: creating/attaching/sending documents electronically Access to college resources online How does technology fit in?

21. Data collection: Using the Pre/Post test Retention statistics: How do we know this is working?Measuring Outcomes

22. More time Classroom and computer lab settings Opportunity for engagement Active learning strategies Use of learning styles Hands-on technology Student-professor interaction Student-student interaction (sense of value) Opportunity to “get feet wet” with technology and resources Opportunity for success Opportunity for ownership (grades) Benefits of Orientation Course vs. Orientation Session

23. Choices of Successful Students Keith Ratliff

24. College Student Success “Whether I fail or succeed shall be no person’s doing but my own. I am the force: I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my own destiny.” Elaine Maxwell

25. Forks (choices)in the Road of Life

26. Victim Response Blaming Complaining Excusing Repeating Behavior Result: Seldom achieves goals Creator Response Seeking solutions Taking actions Trying something new Result: Often achieves goals Responsibility ModelStimulus Choice

27. Successful Students.. 1. Accept PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, seeing themselves as the primary cause of their outcomes and experiences. Struggling Students.. See themselves as VICTIMS, believing that what happens to them is determined primarily by external forces such as fate, luck, and powerful others. Choices of Successful Students

28. Successful Students 2. Discover SELF-MOTIVATION, finding purpose and their lives by discovering personally meaningful goals and dreams. Struggling Students 2. Have difficulty in sustaining motivation, often feeling depressed, frustrated, and/or resentful about a lack of direction in their lives. Choices of Successful Students

29. Successful Students 3. Master SELF-MANAGEMENT, consistently planning and taking purposeful actions in pursuit of their goals and dreams. Struggling Students 3. Seldom identify specific actions needed to accomplish a desired outcome. And when they do, they tend to procrastinate. Choices of Successful Students

30. Successful Students 4. Employ INTERPENDENCE, building mutually supportive relationships that help them achieve their goals and dreams (while helping others to do the same). Struggling Students 4. Are solitary, seldom requesting, even rejecting offers of assistance from those who could help. Choices of Successful Students

31. Successful Students 5. Gain SELF-AWARNESS, consciously employing behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes that keep them on course. Struggling Students 5. Make important choices unconsciously, being directed by self-sabotaging habits and outdated life scripts. Choices of Successful Students

32. Successful Students 6. Adopt LIFE-LONG LEARNING, finding valuable lessons and wisdom in nearly every experience they have. Struggling Students 6. Resist learning new ideas and skills, viewing learning as fearful or boring rather than as mental play. Choices of Successful Students

33. Successful Students 7. Develop EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, effectively managing their emotions in support of their goals and dreams. Struggling Students 7. Live at the mercy of strong emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, or a need for instant gratification. Choices of Successful Students

34. Successful Students 8. BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, seeing themselves as capable, lovable, and unconditionally worthy human beings. Struggling Students 8. Doubt their competence and personal value, feeling inadequate to create their desired outcomes and experiences. Choices of Successful Students

35. Embrace the concept of instructor as a guide and helper to inspire students to assume the responsibility for their own learning. Sow the seed. There is a season for everything. Be a seed sower. “Speak the truth in love.” What Can You Do To Help Students Succeed?

36. Final Comments What are your challenges? Ways to apply what has been presented? Summary

37. Where to get more information? www.oncourseworkshop.com National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience http://sc.edu/fye/ National Student Success Conference Contacts Keith.Ratliff@cpcc.edu Linda.Dunham@cpcc.edu Elvira.Johnson@cpcc.edu Summary (cont.)

38. Thanks!