Student Success Seminar: The Key to Student Persistence James Mendoza Tacoma Community College, WA

1. Student Success Seminar: The Key to Student PersistenceJames MendozaTacoma Community College, WA

2. The National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience (NRCYE) (2003) reported that of 629 institutions with student success courses, 59 percent documented increased fall-to-fall retention rates.

3. Original Objective • Redevelop existing curriculum. • Incorporate a technology component. • Create learning communities. • Develop an HD 101 Task Force. • Train new HD 101 Instructors. • Offer multiple sections. • Track cohorts/Retention • Survey

4. Human Development 101 Student Success Seminar Course Description: To provide individuals with an opportunity to cultivate the skills necessary to become confident, successful students. Topics include: personal learning styles, time management, goal setting, test-taking techniques, academic planning, degree audit, self care, money management, relationships, communication, exploring careers, memory techniques, college and community resources, and respecting diversity.

5. CampusToolKit • www.campustoolkit.com • An online program that assesses student’s learning styles, personality, study skills and stress level. • A platform for student’s to network with students as well as instructors.

6. WOIS (Washington Occupational Information System) • www.wois.org • An online career research tool that assesses students’ interests as they relate to careers.

7. Degree Audit • Navigate campus resources. • Students are taught how to access and evaluate their audit for educational planning purposes.

8. Coordinated Studies & Link Courses • JumpStart (Pre-Fall) -15 day, intensive, link between HD 101/Read 93 and HD 101/English 91. • HD 101/Read 92/English 90 • HD 101/Health Technology 198/Service Learning 295 • HD 101 Bridge (Evergreen State U. Tacoma)

9. HD 101 Task Force • Composed of instructor’s that teach HD 101. • Meet 1-2 times a quarter to discuss how the class is progressing, possible improvements, and to share teaching techniques and strategies.

10. Training • Universal curriculum training for all HD 101 instructors. • Refresher training provided as needed.

11. Offerings • Fall 2006 Quarter • 21 Sections • Some sections tailored to student-athlete’s, diversity and inclusion, international student’s, integrated basic education skills training, and worker retraining.

12. Cohort Tracking/Retention • HD 101 Students vs. Non-HD 101 Students • Fall 2005 to Winter 2006 HD 101 Students N=295 75% retained Non-HD 101 Students N= 2063 50% • Fall 2005 to Spring 2006 HD 101 Students 62% retained Non-HD 101 Students 41% • Fall 2005 to Fall 2006 HD 101 Students 54.9% retained Non-HD 101 Students 32.4%

13. Surveys • Pre- and Post-Program Survey • In-house survey measuring students’ abilities in time management, test-taking, Internet research, and confidence/comfort in using student support services and handling college stress.

14. Strengths • Retention rates. • Pre- and Post-Program Survey results from Fall 2005 to Spring 2006 for HD 101 students show positive results in time management, handling college stress, test-taking, comfort in using student support services, Internet research, CampustoolKit, TCC student planner, and Technology Procedures Manual.

15. Limitations • CampustoolKit’s data collection system. • The Pre- and Post-Program Survey results are not reliable or valid because the CampustoolKit can’t identify whether the same tester has done both Pre- and Post-Program Survey’s. Also, only provides raw data.

16. Questions/Comments

17. References National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. (2002). Summary of results from the 2003 National Survey on First-Year Seminars. Available at http://www.sc.edu/fye/research/surveyfindings/surveys/survey03.html.