Academic Support for Probationary Freshmen: The PASS Program Session 17-CI

1. Academic Support for Probationary Freshmen: The PASS Program Session 17-CI 17th National Conference on Students in Transition November 13-15, 2010 Houston, TX Kay Haralson, Associate Professor & Student Success Specialist Mike Dunn, Advising Coordinator College of Arts and Letters Susan King, Administrative Assistant Title III Center for Teaching and LearningAustin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN

2. Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN is a 4-year state-supported Liberal Arts institution. • Satellite campus on the Fort Campbell Army Post • Approximate enrollment 11,000

3. Title III Grant Award • November, 2008 APSU was awarded a $2 million Title III Grant, Strengthening Institutions, from the Federal Department of Education. • Main focus of the grant is to increase success, retention, and graduation rates of at-risk students. • One initiative supported by the grant is the Promoting Academic Student Success (PASS) program.

4. Purpose of the PASS Program • To provide students the academic and personal support needed for college success • To complete an assessment of their study skills and life skills • To identify strengths and weaknesses of program participants • To provide support in areas of weaknesses

5. At-risk Students Served by PASS • Required for students placed on probation during their freshmen year • Required for students successfully appealing an academic suspension • Recommended for students returning from academic suspension after setting out a semester • Students referred to the program by faculty or advisors

6. Characteristics of Students in PASS • Poorly prepared for higher education • Lack of motivation • Some lack social skills • Some are introverted • Unrealistic grasp of time management • Lack of outside (family, friends) support or encouragement • Unrealistic job and career expectations • Unrealistic goals or lack of goals • Poor money management • Limited involvement in university activities • No established connection to the institution • Work too many hours in an outside job.

7. PASS Ambassadors • Each PASS class is assigned a “PASS Ambassador”, an upper classmen with a 3.0 GPA or higher, and demonstrated leadership skills. • PASS Ambassadors • are trained each semester by Title III staff • create a peer connection to students. • set a good academic example. • reflect good time management skills. • maintain weekly contact with students outside of class. • lead group discussions on success skills. • conduct activities with students to solidify class topics.

8. Structure of PASS 0900 Course • PASS 0900 is a 12-week, non-credit, pass/fail course • Topics addressed in the course include • Time management • Attitude • Motivation • Anxiety and stress management • Learning styles • Communicating with instructors • Concentration • Memory and selecting main ideas • Information processing • Study aids • Test strategies and self-testing

9. Assessment of Students’ Needs • Academic self-assessment • Students identify obstacles negatively impacting their college success in the areas of: • academic study skills • study habits • major or career uncertainty • personal, family, or social problems • time management and organizational skills • motivation • A post academic self-assessment is given at the end of the course.

10. Learning and Study Strategies Inventory and Instructional Modules (LASSI) • *LASSI is both diagnostic and prescriptive and provides standardized scores and national norms for ten different scales. • *The ten scale, 80-item LASSI Inventory provides an assessment of students’ awareness about and use of learning and study strategies related to skill, will, and self-regulation components of strategic learning. • LASSI Inventory Pretest • Students complete LASSI Instructional Modules • LASSI Inventory Posttest *Weinstein, Claire E., David R. Palmer, and Ann C. Shulte. (2002) Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) 2nd Ed. H & H Publishing.

11. Program Evaluations by Students • In Fall 2009 • 89% of students completing the evaluation either strongly agreed or agreed that their PASS class had helped them be more academically successful. • 85% of students completing the evaluation either strongly agreed or agreed that the LASSI Modules provided them useful information. • In Spring 2010 • 98% of students completing the evaluation either strongly agreed or agreed that their PASS class had helped them be more academically successful. • 86% of students completing the evaluation either strongly agreed or agreed that the LASSI Modules provided them useful information.

12. LASSI Modules • PASS students Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 on average showed a gain in their scores in each of the areas represented in LASSI. • For Fall 2009, the largest gains were in the areas of Study Aids (37%), Self Testing (36%), and Time Management (33%). • For Spring 2010, the largest gains were in the areas of Self Testing (27%), Study Aids (25%), and Time Management (23%)

13. Average Change in Term GPA

14. Percent of Students Eligible to Enroll for the Next Term

15. Persistence to Next Semester

16. Persistence Rates • The PASS class was required of freshmen on academic probation beginning Fall 2009. All freshmen placed on probation Spring 2009, returning Fall 2009, had a persistence rate of 55%. (This included both the students that passed the course and those that failed the course.) • A comparable group of freshmen placed on academic probation Spring 2008, returning Fall 2008 had a persistence rate of 52%. (PASS class had not been implemented at this time.)

17. Challenges • Freshmen who choose not to return after being placed on probation • Student absenteeism • Student apathy and lack of motivation • Poor study habits engrained over time • Student resistance to required or recommended tutoring • Student denial of existing problems • Student unwillingness to explore solutions • Students working too many hours in outside jobs • Lack of support from family and friends

18. Changes for Fall 2010 • Streamline course content • Concentrate on 6 LASSI Modules, discuss in greater depth • Students complete two activities, a quiz, and a discussion question on each Module • More group work and interactive class discussion • Increase the proportion of the course grade earned by class attendance • Tutoring optional, possible study groups held for students by PASS Ambassadors

19. Benefits of PASS Program to Students and to the University • Throws a lifeline to students struggling in their transition from high school to college. • Provides support for nontraditional students returning to college. • Provides support for post-suspension students. • Gives students a person on campus who is monitoring and cares about their success. • Improves persistence rates of students at risk for failure. • Goal is to ultimately improve graduation rates of at-risk students.

20. References • Weinstein, Claire E., David R. Palmer, and Ann C. Shulte. (2002). Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) 2nd Ed. Clearwater, FL: H & H Publishing. • Weinstein, Claire E. (2001). Becoming a Strategic Learner, LASSI Instructional Modules.Clearwater, FL: H & H Publishing.

21. Thank you for your time and attention! If you would like to contact us about the PASS Program you may email Kay at haralsonk@apsu.edu, Mike at dunnm@apsu.edu, or Susan at kings@apsu.edu.