The Institution as Learner Dr. Joyce C Romano Students In Transition Conference 2011

1. The Institution as LearnerDr. Joyce C RomanoStudents In Transition Conference 2011

2. Valencia College • 65,000 students annual headcount • 5 campuses in 2 counties in Central Florida (Orlando area) • 87% of students are degree-seeking • 58% Associate in Arts (traditional transfer to bachelors) • 42% Associate in Science (traditional workforce related) • 45% Full time enrollment • 72% age 24 or younger • 16% African-American, 28% Hispanic, 40% Caucasian • 50% students receive financial aid

3. Learning College = Improved Results • Fall to Spring persistence of new students increased to 86.2% • Fall to Fall persistence of new students increased to 67% • Developmental education completion increased 20% • #1 community college in associate degrees awarded • Leah Meyer Austin Award for Achieving the Dream (1st recipient) • Recently named in Top Ten Community Colleges by Aspen Institute based on student outcomes.

4. Valencia Learning-Centered Journey National Initiatives: Title III Osceola Foud of Exc. Title III Pew Round- tables Title III East Van- guard LC Coll Title V Osceola Title III West Title III East AtD DevEd Init. Late 1980s 1994-1999 2000 2004 2009 Present Valencia Innovations brought to Scale: Student Success Course (SLS1122) ~ Learning-Centered Focus ~ LifeMap ~ Faculty Development Models ~ Strategic Learning Plan ~ Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) ~ Action Research ~ LinCs(Learning in Community)~ TVCA ~ College Prep Task Force ~ Teaching and Learning Academy ~ Scenarios ~ Atlas ~ Portfolios ~ Learning Evidence Team ~ Supplemental Learning ~ General Education Outcomes ~ Learning Assessment

5. Focus

6. Anyone can learn anything under the right conditions. Big Idea #1

7. What are the right conditions for learning? • Learning environments • Learning spaces • Instructional variety(hybrid, online) • Flexible class schedules (Flex Start) • Academic support systems • LinC (Learning in Commmunity) • Supplemental Learning • Academic Labs • Advising and Counseling • Campus Climate • Welcoming, Safe, Supportive

8. Big Idea #2 Start Right

9. Start Right at Valencia • Strategic Goal in 2001-2004 Strategic Plan • “Ensure that students experience extraordinary learning success in their earliest encounters at the college…” • Students develop an educational plan in first term. • Provide learning experiences in a variety of methods, scheduling, approaches to address different learning styles. • Firmly establish assessment, placement, pre-requisite and progression policies to ensure students readiness to learn. • Align the college’s marketing and recruitment messages with its learning mission.

10. “Start Right” in action (Degree seeking students) • Application deadline 2 weeks before classes start (added Flex Start parts of term) • New student orientation required prior to class registration • Entry testing, placement and course enrollment required in first term • Required SLS1122 for students with course requirements in all 3 developmental education areas • Students cannot add a class once it has met (all students) • All course pre-requisites strictly enforced

11. Big Idea #3Connection and Direction

12. Connection and DirectionStudents are more likely to persist if they: • Feel safe, welcome, respected, and acknowledged • make social as well as academic connections • hold and sense from others a belief in their potential • Are both challenged and supported academically • can link new learning to prior knowledge • engage actively in their learning • have multiple opportunities to give and receive constructive feedback • Have a plan for completion

13. END-TO-END PROCESSES (Collegewide Engagement and Integration) DEVELOPMENTAL ADVISING (LIFEMAP) LEARNING OUTCOMES (TVCA) LEARNER TECHNOLOGY (ATLAS)

14. LIFEMAP: Mission StatementA system of shared responsibilities between students and the college that results in social and academic integration, education and career plans, and the acquisition of study and life skills.

15. LIFEMAPsm:Ideal Model of Student Progression College Transition Introduction to College Progression to Degree Graduation Transition Life Long Learning

16. Each LIFEMAPsm Stage Outcomes Performance Indicators Guiding Principles Interventions http://valenciacollege.edu/lifemap

17. Big Idea #4 The college is how the students experience us, not how we experience them.

18. What the students experience(conceptual model/working theory) • Students will succeed if they: • Have a career goal. • Have relationships with others on campus (peers, faculty, advisors, mentors, etc.) • Experience high engagement at the college. (Clarify definition of engagement) • Are self-sufficient.

19. Conceptual Model Goal: Student Self-Sufficiency A As AS aS S

20. Bring to Scale

21. Innovation Management System Level I Level II “Eye for Evidence”: More rigorous at each level. Climateof Innovation 100 are selected for support as Phase I Innovations. “Angel Capital Stage” Prototype 10 supported as Phase II Innovations. “Venture Capital Stage” Pilot Implementation (Limited Scale) Level III 1000’s of opportunties tried. Maintain a Research and Development Component. 1 or 2 are brought up to scale and Institutionalized. Challenge is in moving from Level II to Level III. Level II Innovations must be scalable and must show potential to bring systemic change and “business-changing results.” Standard of evidence increases at each level.

22. Systemic Change at Valencia 1995-2003 LifeMap Conceptual Model: 1995 – 1999 LifeMap system development: 1999 – 2002 (and continuing) Atlas system design and development: 2000-2002 (and continuing) Re-designed Student Services (Integrated Services Model) design and development: 2001-2003 (and continuing)

23. LifeMapsm Valencia’s Developmental Advising Model The “brand name” that: • describes to students what they should do and when. • links all of the services/program/activities that form the developmental advising system. • describes to faculty and staff how they contribute and participate with students in developmental advising • presents to students visual cues in the physical college environment as to where they can obtain different forms of assistance towards their career/educational goals. • links together written publications that are designed to assist students in achieving their career/educational goals. • Promotional marketing campaign of LIFEMap

24. LifeMap Student Handbook • Chapters follow O’Banion model (life, career, and educational goals, building a schedule, success tips, learning outcomes) • College services are listed in the chapter related to the goals they support. • Includes self-assessments and interpretations. • Calendar pages like “Day-Timer” include key college dates. • “To Do” cues are listed on each calendar page and are tied to Developmental Advising Stages with icons. • “Been There” quotes add advice from peers.

29. From a Model to a System “Gap” Analysis and Re-alignment LifeMapsm Faculty Alliances Computer-Based Planning Tools: My Education Plan, My Career Planner, My Portfolio, My Job Prospects, My Profile Faculty/Staff Development Atlas: Learning Support System Engagement Model: Re-engineer Delivery of Traditional Student Services Measure and Evaluate Results

30. Faculty Alliances • Career or Education Plans as part of Student Motivation • Inclusive classrooms • Engagement in learning strategies • Connection and Direction critical to student success • A “Competency” of Valencia Faculty • Included in Teaching and Learning Academy curriculum (tenure process) • Faculty LifeMap Groups • Faculty LifeMap Guidebook corollary to LifeMap Student Handbook

31. Atlas: Learning Support System Designed to support “Connection” and “Direction” Integrated Portal: single sign-on to numerous separate applications Enhance student planning (My LifeMap) and self-sufficiency Encourage connection through on-line learning communities.

32. LifeMap in Atlas • Meinthemaking.com • User: catlas Pin: ca1111 • My LifeMap tab • LifeMap stages and resources • LifeMap tools • My Career Planner • My Educational Plan • My Portfolio • My Financial Plan • My Job Prospects

33. Engagement and Commitment

34. Big Idea #6 Collaboration yields a dialog that drives improvement.

35. Collaborative Technologies • Governance Structure (Learning Council, Planning Council, Operations Council, Faculty Council) • Big Meetings (high bandwidth discussion of progress and ideas, next steps) • Innovation Funnel (strategic initiatives process) • Campus Plans • Strategic Plan (expressed in meaningful “short hand”) • Build Pathways • Learning Assured • Invest in Each Other • Partner with the Community

36. Re-Design of Student Service Delivery With Student LEARNING as the design principle: Emphasize level of assistance students are seeking rather than the content. Create staff positions whose primary job is working directly with students and staff positions whose primary job is processing and verifying information . Focus on students LEARNING process, not just getting answers to questions. View technology as a tool to enhance learning, not to drive our processes

37. Learning-Centered Student Services • Information Station – Directional Information • The Answer Center • General Information (End-to-End Process) • Student Services –More complex and specialized transactions • District Offices • Information processing

38. Meaningful Data and Systematic Improvement

39. Big Idea #5The purpose of assessment is to improve learning.

40. Levels of Learning • Student Learning • Program Learning Outcomes • Institutional Learning

41. Achieving the DreamData Team Insights • Composition of members • Development of Data Review Model • Term-based strategy level and overall strategy evaluation • From Snapshots to Trends • From “Data Driven” to “Data Informed” • From “Culture of Evidence” to “Culture of Inquiry”

42. From Data to Meaningful Information Identify Intended Outcomes New / Revised Assessment Activity Identify needed Changes based on reflection Data Collection Data Processing Defining the Message Information Sharing Our Data Processing Model is part of an Institutional Effectiveness process

43. Meaningful Improvement • Statistically significant improvement in target quantitative measures. • Significant improvement relative to a comparative group. • Economic efficiency in relationship to difficulty of improving the success of students. • Reflection on the human impact in terms of the goals of the initiative and the mission of the institution. • A consideration of faculty /staff perception of benefit versus cost. • A consideration of student perception of benefit.

44. Strategic Indicators Reporthttp://valenciacollege.edu/IR/pdf/Strategic%20Indicators%20Report.pdf • Build Pathways – to, through and beyond Valencia • Student Growth • Diversity & Equity • Enrollment Patterns • Targeted Initiatives • Learning Assured • College Prep Completion • Graduation Rates • Graduation Rates Cohort Comparison • Partner with Community • AA Degree Transfers • Efficient Learning Environments

45. Key Elements to Systemic Change • Focus on measurable results – what is the motivation for change? • Conceptual model for foundation (Big Ideas) • Look from the student perspective outward • Start with reality but design for ideal • The “whole” is more than the sum of the parts (system alignment) • How are we doing? (Feedback to stakeholders – Keep going deeper) • “Culture will trump strategy everytime.”

46. References • Shugart, S., Romano, J., Phelps, J., Puyana, A., & Walter, K. (in press) “Valencia’s Big Ideas: Sustaining Authentic Organizational Change through Shared Purpose and Culture.” In Focus on Learning: A Learning College Reader, League for Innovation in Community Colleges • Shugart, S. and Romano, J.(2008) Focus on the front door of the college. In Schuetz, P. and Barr, J. (editors) Are Community Colleges Underprepared for Underprepared Students? New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 144, Wiley Periodicals.