Restructuring New Student Programs

1. Restructuring New Student Programs Marian A. Ford EDHE 6740 Dr. Baier Summer Two

2. Texas Wesleyan University • Private university with three campuses • Founded in 1890 by Methodist Episcopal Church • Established downtown campus in 1997 for School of Law • Enrollment • Fall 2008 – 3202 • Spring 2009 – 2886 • Programs • Dual enrollment high school • Eight graduate programs • Law school • Goal : To improve student success through restructuring new student programs with academic success center, new student orientation and mentorship program • New doctorate of nurse anesthesia • Education programs

3. Purpose of Planning Effort Academic Success Center established • To provide services targeted towards new students • Needed additional staff and resources New Student Orientation restructured • To provide information for students and parents and provide new students familiarity with campus and offices • Provide positive first time experience for new students on campus Mentorship Program • Introduce new students to mentors around campus • Create peer groups with similar interests and learning groups

4. Strategies for Improving Student Success • Create a home for new students to feel connected to the university • Provide means for new students to succeed socially and academically through tenure at University • Share correct/current information from multiple departments around campus with students and staff • Help promote the advancement of use of technology to communicate and inform students • Help with retention and student services efforts

5. Logistics • New director and staff needed to head up center, mentorship programs and orientation • Orientation: • Scheduling coordination for multiple departments participating in orientation • Initial meetings needed for representatives and expectations and goals planned • Facilities must be scheduled for all sessions of orientation • Students reservations needed for orientation to ensure space is filled • Times and dates must be chosen that work best with student, staff and faculty timeline

6. Logistics • Mentorship Program • Marketing of program to new students and faculty and staff and current students • Coordination of matching new students with mentors • Activities and scheduled events need to be planned throughout the semester • Assessment of program and recruitment of students for program

7. Participants/Resources Needed Academic Success Center • Director and staff • Student volunteers • Advisors/Faculty • Support from Provost and Academics • Budget for staff and tools to provide services

8. Participants/Resources Needed • Orientation • Director of Center and staff • Student volunteers • All relevant departments on campus • Admissions, Registrar, Business Office, IT, Security, Housing, Student Services and Student Life • Parent panel with parents of past Wesleyan students ( often staff) • Senior staff ( President or Provost)

9. Leadership • Share purpose of programs and orientation with departments on campus • Dependent on team collaboration and shared knowledge with departments • Must share vision and encourage participation • Director of Center oversees orientation, schedules advising and registration for new students • Staff for mentorship program and matching students • Must supervise and coordinate multiple departments and schedule students

10. Leadership • Stakeholders include: • Students • More informed • Less miscommunication • Connection to university • Positive first experience • Create relationships • Departments/Staff participating • Shared knowledge of areas • Connection with students • Disseminate correct, current information for ease of student entrance • Give incentives to staff for participation and support of program • Provide feedback to departments • Provide surveys to students for summative evaluations of programs

11. Outcome of New Programs Restructure • Orientation: 4 scheduled sessions of 30 freshman students and 3 sessions of 30 transfer students • Lower registration payment and housing applications on orientation day than in 09 • Fall 09 registration 6 percent higher as of 7-1-09 compared to previous year (Fall 08) • Orientation: 5 scheduled sessions of 60 freshman and 3 sessions of 60 transfer students • Increased speakers from multiple departments, including involvement by senior staff • Positive feedback from surveys conducted thus far 2008 2009

12. Value of New Student Programs Restructure • Positive feedback, experience from students and parents • Involvement with departments around campus • Better perception and knowledge of student services offered by Texas Wesleyan • Increase of cost effectively “marketing” the university • Creation of orientation for transfer students, increased participation and involvement • Increased level of communication and clarification of information • Created a home for new students to feel connected to university and to help with preparation academically and socially • More satisfaction from students leads to greater retention rates, positive word of mouth and increased enrollment

13. PRO CON Critique of Planning Effort Centralized and designated location for new students Orientation with relevant campus departments represented Mentorship program provides social and academic support for new students Orientation and mentorship programs are not mandatory Lack of communication university wide about orientation and new programs, could departments be missing out? Departments not involved in planning orientation

14. Critique of Logistics Process PRO CON Orientations conducted in summer so it’s the best time for students and obtaining unoccupied classrooms and facilities Unsure if all key players from relevant departments involved Attention and commitment by all parties involved in effort Meeting reminders not sent out with schedules, resulted in departments not showing up to orientation dates Coordination meetings not scheduled early enough to recognize departments missing Summer is the hardest time to have staff on hand to participate

15. Critique of Participants and Resources Involved PRO CON Orientation involves more relevant departments than ever before (i.e. housing and student life) Center is staffed and specialized to assist level and demand of students Mentorship program involves current students, chance at leadership and social involvement, campus loyalty and connection • More marketing needed for mentorship program and orientation • Collaboration with admissions office to insure prospects know about programs.. include in admission packets to applicants • More communication to ensure director lets all departments know dates/times/schedules for full staffing

16. Critique of Leadership PRO CON Orientation is the responsibility of center so more centralized and organized than in the past Excitement and desire, willingness to work together and include departments on campus Not afraid of change and adaptation depending on evaluations and feedback Spirit of community created Change in staffing provided misinformation and old info not being updated and distributed Schedule was not consulted with departments to ensure full participation Full resources not used to best of center’s ability

17. Critique of Outcome of Restructure PRO CON Summative evaluations used to see if goals and expectations for students are met Increased orientation dates due to demand Increased fall registration compared to previous year Strong interest in mentorship program at initial meeting • Lack of communication between director and departments involved • Internal communication to university about programs not done • Turnover in new department already a signal of perhaps poor planning • Assessment plan needs to be in place to monitor success of center, orientation and mentorship program

18. Critique of Value of Restructuring PRO CON Academic Success Center Providing services targeted towards new students Providing “home” for new students New Student Orientation Providing information for students and parents Academic Success Center • Additional costs for new staff and resources • Qualified staff New Student Orientation • Input not given by departments • Planning meetings conducted without department consultation Not mandatory for new students

19. Critique of Value of Restructuring PRO CON Providing new students familiarity with campus and offices Providing positive first time experience for new students Mentorship Program Introducing new students to mentors around campus Creates peer groups with similar interests and learning groups Mentorship Program • Marketing efforts not as strong as need to be • Not mandatory for new students

20. Suggestions for measuring the Goal • Goal : To improve student success through restructuring new student programs with academic success center, new student orientation and mentorship program • Benchmarks will be needed along the way to determine whether restructuring and new resources and programs accomplish the goal of improving student success • How to measure? • Higher participation in student orientation • More first semester students joining clubs/involvement on campus • More new students returning second semester • Higher GPA of new students