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Brief overview of Commanding English (CE) program

Brief overview of Commanding English (CE) program. First year learning community for students whose native language is not English, and whose ACT and placement scores indicate a need for further English language development

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Brief overview of Commanding English (CE) program

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  1. Brief overview of Commanding English (CE) program • First year learning community for students whose native language is not English, and whose ACT and placement scores indicate a need for further English language development • Connects ESL reading courses to other typical college freshman courses (ex. biology, anatomy, sociology, etc.) • CE only sections of writing, speech, and immigration literature • Students are together for entire year • Program offers workshops, events, and opportunities for building community and University connections • Provides developmental and strength-based advising

  2. Some of our numbers • 104 out of 157 (67%) fall 2005, 2006, and 2007 freshman admits to CE program at Univ. of Minnesota indicated interest in medical career or hard science path • Shift in profile of CE students: • In 1999, 64% were SE Asian (Vietnamese) • In 2007, 67% are East African • Shift in major and career choices from engineering, computer science to medical field

  3. Admissions Profile(Data from 2002-2007) • Average composite ACT score: 14.72 • English: 11.84 • Math: 17.01 • Reading: 13.63 • Science Reading: 15.94 • Average MELAB score: 71.24 • Average TOEFL score: 183.41 • High School rank: 66.65

  4. Academic Progress(Data from 2002-2007) • Average GPA after first term: 3.1 • Average last cumulative GPA: 2.6 • Persistence: 71% • Degree attainment in 4 years: 17%

  5. Why might this be an issue? • ESL/immigrant students may not have full English language proficiency • May impact ability to take courses requiring heavy reading • May affect ability to take timed tests • May impact ability to take full course load • ESL/immigrant students may not be academically prepared for rigorous math and science courses required • Lack of adequate high school preparation • 86% of CE students need developmental math • 68% of CE students received lower than a C or withdrew from Chem 1011 • 96% of CE students received C or lower in Biol 1001, 1002, or 1009 • 68% of CE students repeat math and science courses • Time and money spent on tuition for developmental courses, repeated courses: may run out of financial aid • Frustration for student

  6. Issues continued • Career path may not be appropriate • Career path may not fit with ability, personality, interest, values • Students may lack information • ESL/immigrant students may not have same career development process as American born and raised students • ESL/immigrant students may not have the same tools available to them to assist in self-knowledge discovery • Family/community pressure • Cultural values (value community/family needs rather than individual needs)

  7. Issues Continued • Tendency to focus on student’s deficits rather than strengths • Encouraging further career exploration and realistic goals without discouraging students • Report by Abdimalik Askar, Metro Alliance Coordinator (Report on Best Practices for Recruitment and Retention, Somali Colloquium in Metro Area) • Somali students frustrated and discouraged by counselors (“you have a better chance of becoming a firefighter than you do a nurse”)

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