Jeff Doyle, Ph.D.

1. Jeff Doyle, Ph.D. Keeping Students in College: An Analysis of the Literature on Retention Dean for Student Learning and Engagement Baylor University

2. Our challenge… Who am I? Why me for this topic? What I don’t know.

3. Definitions • Retention • Persistence • Graduation • Success

4. Theory • Dominant paradigm began with? • 2 key components • What is rarely influenced? • Tinto (2005) • 5 institutional conditions that promote student success…

5. Structure of a preliminary model of institutional action for student success

6. Another recent important theory Reason and Terenzini (2005) Four primary factors #1 Precollege characteristics • 3 things make the most difference • Racial differences? • Digging deeper – what subject matters most?

7. #2 Organizational context and factors • Institutional integrity • Positive restlessness • High expectations • Early warning systems • Academic & student affairs partnerships • Attend to attendance

8. #2 Organizational context & factors • Students teaching students • Students sharing campus governance • One stop shops • Centralized and intrusive advising • Degree audits

9. #3 Peer environment • Selectivity of students - progressive conformity • Women’s and HBCUs but not HSIs • Sense of belonging/place • Racial and academic climate • Do people care about me here?

10. #4 Individual student experiences Classroom setting 7 principles of good practice in undergraduate education: • encourages contact between students and faculty, • develops reciprocity & cooperation among students, • encourages active learning, • gives prompt feedback, • emphasizes time on task, • communicates high expectations, and • respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

11. #4 Individual student experiences b) Co-curricular experiences • 7 principles of good practice in student affairs • Engages students in active learning. • Helps students develop coherent values and ethical standards. • Sets and communicates high expectations for student learning. • Uses systematic inquiry to improve performance. • Uses resources effectively to achieve institutional mission & goals. • Forges educational partnerships that advance student learning • Builds supportive and inclusive communities.

12. #4 Individual student experiences c) Curricular experiences • major selected and socialization to field of study • internships • study abroad • service learning • independent study • linked courses • full-time vs. adjunct faculty

14. Different terms for similar things Name Game Involvement Engagement Quality of Effort Integration Who do these go terms go with? Kuh TintoAstin Pace

15. Adelman Toolbox Some key benchmarks for persistence • Enter college immediately • Full-time • No stop outs • 20 credits by end of 1st year • 4 summer credits • Purposeful migration, not swirling

16. NSSE 5 benchmarks – EEE, LAC, SFI, SCE, ACL • Reliable and valid – used by 1,400 institutions • Lots of tools for various populations - CCSSE, LSSSE, FSSE, BCSSE, CLASSE, HSSSE

17. NSSE 10 high impact practices • First year seminars • Learning communities • Writing intensive • Common intellectual experiences • Service learning • Diversity experiences • Student-faculty research • Study abroad • Internships • Senior capstones

18. Other relevant NSSE findings • On campus vs. off campus work • Size of school impact • Expectation vs. reality • Casual vs. substantive contact

19. Under-represented students • Funds of knowledge (Bensimon, 2007) • Sense of belonging (Hurtado, 1996) • Validation (Rendon, 1994) • Stereotype threat (Steele, 1997)

20. Faculty Involvement • Break down silos • Disengagement compact • Reach beyond early enthusiasts • Data retreat • Attend professional development • Incentives and rewards

21. Housing • Faculty-in-residence • Living learning programs • Residential colleges • Assistance with early interventions • Academic support centers • Peer leaders in addition to RAs

22. Staffing • Typically begins with a committee • Who leads it? - faculty vs. student affairs vs. enrollment management ownership • Put someone in charge? • Someone in charge, but collaborative • The bus

23. On-line early warning systems • Who is using home-built (custom designed) or packaged? • 7 of the many products out there • Challenge finding their secret ingredients • SAS Enterprise Minor

24. Institutional Comparisons • Collegeresults.org • U-Can • College Portrait (VSA) • USA Today NSSE data • Complete College America • Others?

25. 15 Professional Associations Involved in Student Success Achieving the Dream (community colleges) Gates Foundation on Postsecondary Education College Insight College Results Online Complete College America Community College Research Center Education Trust

26. 15 Professional Associations Involved in Student Success Jobs for the Future Lumina Foundation Publications National Survey of Student Engagement Noel-Levitz Pathways to College Pell Institute (underrepresented groups) Time to Completion NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Ed.

27. Transfer students • Transfer tremor and shock inoculation • Transfer agents and champions • Credit transfer • Extra-mile advising • On campus housing • Financial guidance

28. MSIs • High levels of SFI and SCE (NSSE) • Not as much LAC • Early college • Familismo

29. Community colleges • In person orientation • Connections beyond the classroom • Articulation agreements • Flexible scheduling • Gathering places • Cohort-based learning • Accelerated learning • Achievement coaches

30. Overall • Where’s the silver bullet? • What kind of practice? • Unlimited possibilities, limited probabilities • Most approaches quantitative • Researching it vs. increasing it

31. A few thoughts (Raisman) The magic of a few months Are we delivering on our promises? Are we admitting students with a real chance of success? The decision to leave college is: logical or emotional

32. Contact information: • Jeff_Doyle@baylor.edu • 254.710.1406 Thank you for coming!