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First-Year Student Success: In Search of Best Practice

First-Year Student Success: In Search of Best Practice. Randy L. Swing, Ph.D. Co-Director, Policy Center on the First Year of College Fellow, National Resource Center on The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition. 7 th Pacific Rim, First Year in Higher Education Conference

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First-Year Student Success: In Search of Best Practice

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  1. First-Year Student Success:In Search of Best Practice Randy L. Swing, Ph.D. Co-Director, Policy Center on the First Year of College Fellow, National Resource Center on The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition 7th Pacific Rim, First Year in Higher Education Conference QUT Gardens Point Campus July 10, 2003 http://www.brevard.edu/fyc/randy/australia/success.ppt

  2. Overview: In Search of Best Practice Surveys of Current Practices Institutions of Excellence Hallmarks of Excellence

  3. Research on Current Practices Orientation Academic Advising First-Year Seminars Early Warning Systems Data Sources: 2000 Current Practices Survey random sample of 621 institution 55% of Chief Academic Officers responded 51% of Chief Student Affairs Officers responded 2002 Current Practices Survey 1,139 Chief Academic Officers (4-year institutions) 57% responded Full study reports are available at http://www.brevard.edu/fyc/Survey/index.htm

  4. Length of New Student Orientation CURRENT PRACTICES - Orientation Source: 2001 Current Practices Survey (4-year institutions only)

  5. Is New Student Orientation Required? Percent of Institutions CURRENT PRACTICES - Orientation Source: 2001 Current Practices Survey (4 year institutions only)

  6. Most Orientation Programs Report to the Chief Student Affairs Officer CURRENT PRACTICES - Orientation 2001 Current Practices Survey (4-year institutions only)

  7. Required Advising CURRENT PRACTICES - Advising Source: 2001 Current Practices Survey (4-year institutions)

  8. Who Advises First-Year Students? CURRENT PRACTICES - Advising Source: 2001 Current Practices Survey (4-year institutions)

  9. Structure of Academic Advising CURRENT PRACTICES - Advising Source: 2001 Current Practices Survey (4-year institutions)

  10. Proportion of Responding Campuses with at Least Some Undeclared 1st-Year Students CURRENT PRACTICES - Advising * n = 993Source: Current Practices Survey 2002- Policy Center on the First Year of College

  11. Who Advises Undeclared Students? CURRENT PRACTICES - Advising * n = 915 (2-yr & 4-yr institutions combined) Source: Current Practices Survey 2002- Policy Center on the First Year of College

  12. How campuses use undergraduates (peers) in first-year services CURRENT PRACTICES – Advising/FYS * n = 994 (FYS) 962 (tutoring) 923 (advising) Source: Current Practices Survey 2002- Policy Center on the First Year of College

  13. Proportion of Responding Campuses that Enroll Some Students in a First-Year Seminar YES94% CURRENT PRACTICES - FYS * n = 980Source: Current Practices Survey 2002- Policy Center on the First Year of College

  14. Required/ Not Required CURRENT PRACTICES - FYS Source: National Resource Center on The First-Year Experience, 2000 Survey

  15. First-Year Seminars Contact hours per week CURRENT PRACTICES - FYS Letter graded Source: National Resource Center on The First-Year Experience, 2000 Survey

  16. Linked Courses Few or no sections linked CURRENT PRACTICES - FYS Some Linked Most Linked

  17. Key Predictor of FYS Learning Outcomes Level of Engaging Pedagogy Used Course/Experience Included: A variety of teaching methods Meaningful class discussions Challenging assignments Productive use of classroom time Encouragement to speak in class Encouragement for students to work together Meaningful homework CURRENT PRACTICES - FYS

  18. Mid-term Grades Are Reported To . . .(4-year institutions*) 65% 65% CURRENT PRACTICES – Early Warning 61% 63% 11% * n = 634Source: Current Practices Survey 2002- Policy Center on the First Year of College

  19. Special Attendance Policy for First-Year Students CURRENT PRACTICES – Early Warning 7% have a special policy on class attendance for 1st-year students Source: 2001 Current Practices Survey (4-year institutions)

  20. In the past five years has your institution studied the relationship of student class attendance to persistence, academic performance, or other outcomes? CURRENT PRACTICES – Early Warning * n = 956Source: Current Practices Survey 2002- Policy Center on the First Year of College

  21. Institutions of Excellence in the First College Year Campuses submitted portfolios describing their first year initiatives National panel selected the top 13 campuses based on 5 criteria

  22. Criteria for Selection #1 Evidence of an intentional, comprehensive approach to improving the first year that is appropriate to an institution’s type and mission #2 Evidence of assessment of the various initiatives that constitute this approach #3 Evidence of broad impact on significant numbers of first-year students, including, but not limited to, special student sub-populations #4 Strong administrative support for first-year initiatives, evidence of institutionalization, and durability over time #5 Involvement of a wide range of faculty, student affairs professionals, academic administrators, and other constituent groups.

  23. Campus Visits Teams visited each campus to learn how they became “excellent” at serving first-year students • Lessons Learned: • Most “excellent” programs took 10 years or more to build. • None started out with a holistic plan – they were built incrementally • Most had direct involvement of both faculty and the chief academic officer (CAO). Long serving CAOs were found at most institutions of excellence

  24. Aspirational Model of the First College Year designed by campuses definitions of excellence measures of achievement of each hallmark externally validated

  25. 1. Approaches the first year in ways that are intentional, explicit, and based on clear philosophy/rationale for students’ first year. 2. Seeks to engage students in the collegiate experience both in and out of class. 3. Ensures that all first-year students encounter diverse ideas, viewpoints, and people. Version 1.0

  26. 4. Serves all first-year students, including various segments of the first-year student population, according to their needs. 5. Has organizational structures and policies that provide a comprehensive, coordinated approach to the first year. 6. Uses a variety of quantitative and qualitative designs and methods to examine all aspects of students’ first-year experience and to evaluate and understand the impact of institutional policies, strategies, and interventions

  27. Contact Information Randy L. Swing Policy Center on the First Year of College SWINGRL@BREVARD.EDU http:www.brevard.edu/fyc

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