Break the Spell: Voodoo secrets for serving “invisible students”

1. Break the Spell: Voodoo secrets for serving “invisible students” Texas Woman’s University Annie Phillips Newton & Amy O’Keefe

2. “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” Jonathon Swift (Irish author and satirist 1667-1745)

3. Spell ingredients • Unique needs of non-traditionals and commuters • National best practice standards • Role of orientation to meet these needs • Social media, tools, applications

4. whoooooo • Commuter • Non-traditional students • Student parents • Adult learners • Veterans • Onliners • Transfer

5. Old school: College’s most important trend is the rise of the adult student Who’s a typical college students? Of the 17.6 million undergrads now enrolled in higher education: • 43% attend two-year institutions • 37% are enrolled part-time • 32% are working full-time • 25% are over the age of 30 • Only 15% attend four year colleges and live on campus (The Atlantic, 2011)

6. Unique needs • Juggle school, family and work & integration of all of these roles • Transportation, childcare, finances • Little time or patience for policies that make no sense for them • Very focused on timely completion of their degree • May need more assistance navigating the university • May feel disconnected/lack of support due to physical distance • May struggle to develop a sense of belonging

7. Astin’s Theory of Involvement • “the more students are passionate and wholehearted about their educational experience, both psychologically and physically, the more likely they are to succeed and be satisfied with their collegiate experience” (Astin, 1984).

8. Get students involved • Connect them to your institution through: • Student organizations, honor societies, traditions, more interaction with other students and faculty • Involvement yields: • Learner success • Retention

9. Tinto’s Theory of Departure • Academic and social integration are fundamental to student retention (Tinto, 1993) • “the more central one’s membership to the mainstream of institutional life the more likely, other things being equal, is one to persist” (Tinto, 1987). • “a person will tend to withdraw from college when he [or she] perceives that an alternative form of investment of time, energies, and resources will yield greater benefits” (Tinto, 1975).

10. Teaching Naked • “All of your students are already in this virtual community [facebook] and asking them to join a class group creates a virtual community where they already live; posting an announcement on Blackboard is the equivalent of asking them to come to office hours in your building. Posting on Facebook is more like showing up in the dorms for dinner.”  Bowen, 2006

11. 3 Factors Influencing Online Student Retention: • Student support & student connection with the institution • Quality of interaction between faculty & students = “eSolated” (Appana, 2008) • Student self-discipline (Heyman, 2010)

12. Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) • CAS – Orientation Programs • “Programs have evolved from simply providing individualized faculty attention to focusing on a multitude of important issues while responding to the needs of an increasingly diverse student and family population” • CAS- Adult Learner Programs • “must provide programs and services that assist in increasing the retention of adult learners…including orientation” • CAS – Commuter Programs • Provide programs that meet specific needs of commuter students and • “ensure that all students must have equitable access to all institutional services, engagement opportunities and the total educational process regardless of place of residence”

13. Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) • CAS –Distance Education Programs • “Formal higher education in which the student and faculty member are separated by time and/or space” • “Institutions must provide appropriate student services for all students enrolled in distance education programs. These services must be sufficiently comprehensive to be responsive to the special needs of all distance students” • “-must be of comparable quality to services provided to on-campus students” • “Orientation must be offered”

14. Role of orientation • Provide mechanism to address transition issues • Meet and greet avoid defeat • Utilize orientation as the beginning of the retention plan • Large numbers of commuter students may be under prepared for college (Jacoby,1993) • Opportunity to collect valuable data about the minority/majority • Opportunity to address unique needs and concerns immediately

15. Best Practice examples • 5 steps for effective commuter student orientation (Wilmes & Quade, 1986) • Accurate & timely info • Promote institutional identification • Encourage involvement with others • Interact ion with campus personnel • Integrating outside support systems & significant others • University of Houston Veteran Orientation • Financial aid, tuition fees, money management (VA benefits) • Career, Counseling & Health Services • Academics: tutoring, library, computer • Getting involved: SVA, ROTC, Vet Museum, VFW, American Legion

16. The Ohio state university commuter preview day • Commuter Preview Day is a one day, orientation-like program just for new commuter students.  Commuter Student Affairs sponsors the day and it will provide new commuters the opportunity to: • Practice parking in the West Campus or Central Campus parking lots • Practice using the CABS Bus system (which shuttles student from and to the parking lots) • Find all of your classroom buildings (even the exact rooms) • Visit the bookstore to purchase books • Take care of campus business • Meet other new commuting students • Get helpful information to help you get started at Ohio State  • Any commuter student, freshman, transfer, or regional campus change student, may attend Commuter Preview day!

17. University of North Carolina Greensboro • Welcome Session • Student Health Services Station (8 - 10am) • Taking Care of Business (Information from Parking Operations & Campus Access Management, SpartanCard, Dining, Bookstore, Printing & Postal Services) • TASL Groups (Meet your Transfer & Adult SOAR Leader - TASL) • Student Computing (Learn about UNCG's laptop requirement, checking grades and more) • Get Involved • Accelerate you Academics (Learn more about UNCG advising and registration preparation). • Cashier's & Student Accounts; Financial Aid • TASL Q&A Panel (Join our Transfer & Adult SOAR Leaders as they share their experiences at UNCG). • Taking Care of Business (Get information about Parking, SpartanCard, Printing and Postal Service). • Transition from a Community College to UNCG

18. UNC Greensboro Adult/Transfer SOar • Especially for Adult Students • Student Health Services & Counseling Center • Career Services • UNCG Traditions (Learn the history & traditions of UNCG). • TASL Groups (Meet your Transfer & Adult SOAR Leader - TASL) • Self-Guided Time • Spartan Expo (Visit a wide array of UNCG services and offices). • Transfer Articulation Station • Campus Tours • College & Schools Welcomes, Advising & Registration

19. Tools & applications

20. Pros & Cons Facebook Twitter Second Life

21. Applause Please… Questions? twucommuter.com

24. best practices • Student satisfaction • Student’s perspective • Added value • Choice • One-stop centers • Staffing by self-service (70%), generalist (20%), specialists (10%) • Empowered frontline staff • Cross-functional teams • Strategic to institution • Executive support & participation • Shift from transactions to relationships • Web portals

25. Gaps in service • Transfer student quotes • “It’s a good school that has a safe feeling to it, along with the willingness to help its’ students succeed in life as well as academia” • “Easy transition, nice campus” • “Helpful; TWU made my transferring stage very smooth” • Collaboration • Diversity of this population is a challenge