Focus Up Front: Engaging Entering Students

Angela Oriano-Darnall, Ph.D.Assistant Director, Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE)Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE)Community College Leadership Program (CCLP)University of Texas at Austin Focus Up Front: Engaging Entering Students Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Why focus on entering students? Community colleges typically lose half of their students prior to the second year Achieving the Dream Round One colleges (41,008 students) 14%earned NO credits during first term Helping students succeed through the equivalent of the first semester (12–15 credit hours) can dramatically improve subsequent success rates Survey of Entering Student Engagement Survey of Entering Student Engagement

CCSSE data show students typically described as high risk report higher levels of engagement than their low-risk peers* Why? Highly-engaged students are the students who survive to the second term! *When there are differences in engagement Survey of Entering Student Engagement

SENSE: A Tool for Improvement SENSE provides data that • focus on first impressions, entering processes, classroom experiences and other special topics • are grounded in research about what works to retain and support entering students • identify and help colleges learn from practices that engage entering students, and • identify areas for improvement Survey of Entering Student Engagement

CCSSE – SENSE Comparison CCSSE SENSE Sampling Frame: All developmental courses and first college-level English and math course(s) excluding ESL & Distance Learning Drawn from Course Schedule File – Projected Enrollments Administration – 4th and 5th weeks Fall Semester Electronic reports via SENSE Website- Beginning of March • Sampling Frame: All credit courses excluding ESL & Distance Learning • Drawn from Course Registration File – Actual Enrollments • Administration – Throughout Spring Semester • Paper Reports – End of July Survey of Entering Student Engagement

SENSE Overview • Qualitative companion project – MetLife Foundation Initiative on Student Success • Special-Focus Modules (up to 2 per college) • Piloted in fall 2007 with 22 colleges • Launched Entering Student Success Institutes • Field Test fall 2008 with 89 colleges • First national administration fall 2009 – registration open through April 3rd at www.enteringstudent.org Survey of Entering Student Engagement

2008 Selected Findings Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Overview of Field Test Respondents Race/Ethnicity of 2008 Field Test Respondents Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Field Test Respondent Characteristics Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Selected Findings: Entry Processes “They do have information available, but I found that trying to navigate their Web page is like trying to figure out a calculus problem when you have no clue what calculus is.” --Female Student Survey of Entering Student Engagement

First Impressions The very first time I came to this college, I felt welcome. Entering Students’ First Impressions of Their Colleges Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Getting to Know You Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Orientation Survey of Entering Student Engagement

One College’s Response:Reorganize and Improve Orientation Although Durham Technical Community College had a pre-enrollment orientation program, its SENSE data led college to revise program. 67% of entering students indicated they were not aware of orientation and only 22% actually attended. Durham focused on two goals: increase participation and maintain quality by developing learning outcomes for orientation. Resulted in a 350% increase in new student attendees over the previous year. 92% indicated (based on end-of-program assessment) they learned the skills needed to get a good start at the college. Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Selected Findings: Financial Assistance “They say our parents make too much, but really they don’t. So, maybe we can pay the tuition, but then they want another $200-$300 for books… That’s the reason a lot of students drop out – they just can’t afford the books.” --Male Student Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Financial Assistance 17% disagree or strongly disagree they will have money to pay tuition required to meet their goals 15% disagree or strongly disagree they will have money to pay for books and supplies required to meet their goals YET…. Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Financial Assistance How often did you use Financial Aid advising? (Never) Never = 56.5% I applied for financial assistance. (No) No = 25.0% Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Special Focus Module: Financial Assistance If you did not complete the FAFSA, what was the MAIN reason you did not? Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Special Focus Module: Financial AssistanceHave you submitted the form for financial assistance known as FAFSA to pay for your expenses at this college? Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Special Focus Module: Financial Assistance Students who completed the FAFSA report: The financial assistance office staff members were available to help me complete my application. Survey of Entering Student Engagement

One College’s Response: Take Pre-enrollment Services to High School Campuses Austin Community College District’s (ACCD) College ConnectionProgram provides pre-enrollment services (including financial aid) to 15,000+ seniors on high school campuses Day & evening information sessions for parents & students to help understand process, deadlines, & materials needed for financial aid application. Provide one-on-one assistance for students and parents to complete the FAFSA FAFSA completion continues to increase: 2007-08: 1,423 seniors completed the FAFSA by April, 2008. 2008-09 (through January 2009): 2,007 seniors have file FAFSA, for an increase of 29% Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Selected Findings: Academic Advising & Planning “Students have their dreams and goals in hand, but their action plan is blank. We, as professor, educators, and staff, should be able to help them fill in the blanks.” --Faculty Member Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Please Advise Me! Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Academic Advising: Where Do Entering Students Turn? What has been your primary source of academic advising (academic advising, course recommendations, graduation requirements, etc.)? Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Academic Advising & PlanningAn Advisor helped me to select a course of study, program or major (65% Agree or Strongly Agree) Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Academic Advising & PlanningAn Advisor helped identify the courses I needed to take during my first semester/quarter (76% Agree or Strongly Agree) Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Academic Advising & PlanningAn Advisor helped me to set academic goals and to create a plan for achieving them (39% Agree or Strongly Agree) Survey of Entering Student Engagement

One College’s Response: Invest in Academic Advising North Harris College (TX)– Lone Star District SENSE data revealed few students used academic advising – and those who did were not satisfied Sent team to Entering Student Success Institute – Determined that improving academic advising experience was a top priority After ESSI conducted student focus groups - reinforced SENSE findings and what they heard at ESSI from resident faculty, speakers and colleagues Hired 11 new academic advisors Adopting case management approach – students want one person Preliminary data show increased fall-to-spring retention among new students Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Selected Findings: Student Success Courses “The class was mandatory for financial aid. They should put a class like this in high school. We’ve learned about note taking, how to handle stress – and time Management. Lots of different things. It’s very helpful and useful.” --Male Student Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Motivation and Goal Commitment 51% Strongly Agree and 37%Somewhat Agree they are prepared academically to succeed in college. 68% Strongly Agree and 24%Somewhat Agree they have the motivation to do what it takes to succeed in college. Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Based on placement tests entering students report: 25% needed developmental reading 26% needed developmental writing 51% needed developmental math 13% needed remediation in all 3 areas 84% of developmental students were required to take courses indicated by placement tests during first term Academic Preparedness Survey of Entering Student Engagement Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Academic Advising & PlanningA college staff member talked with me about my commitments outside of school to help me figure out the number of courses to take(27% Agree or Strongly Agree – 36% Disagree or Strongly Disagree) Survey of Entering Student Engagement

It’s About Time Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Student Success Courses:Integrating Support Services Students Responding to the Special-Focus Module on Student Success Courses Indicate Agree or Somewhat Agree: This course… Helped me to be a better student: 63% Helped me to feel more connected to the college: 51% Should be mandatory for new st udents: 74% Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Student Success Courses:Special-Focus Module Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Student Success Courses: Special-Focus Module Survey of Entering Student Engagement

One College’s Response: Wrap Advising and Planning into the Classroom Houston Community College’s Student Success Course requires students to explore careers, learn about HCC program offerings, work with academic advisors to declare a major, and to file a degree plan. Positive effects for student retention. Strongest gains have been among Hispanic and African American Students. HCC reports retention increases over previous year of: HispanicAfrican American Fall-to-Fall 14.4% 5.3% Fall-to-Second Spring 26% 13.1% Course is now required for all new students with fewer than 12 credits and who have not declared a major and filed a degree plan. Survey of Entering Student Engagement

SENSE: Helping Your College Focus Up Front Systematically collect data on: First Impressions, expectations and goal commitment Entry processes Orientation and student success courses Classroom experiences and academic support When combined with other institutional data – course completion rates, retention and focus groups – can help to target the areas most in need of attention and where the pay off can be the greatest Entering Student Success Institutes – Develop a strategic action plan Survey of Entering Student Engagement

SENSE: Helping Your College Focus Up Front Students don’t know what they don’t know Sometimes we don’t even know what our entering processes really are Our advising needs to become more holistic Students want us to mandate experiences we know they need Too many students are avoiding things critical to their success Students don’t do optional Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Imagine Success How many times have we hear (or said ourselves), “We can’t afford to do that…” Or, Our faculty will never go for that – it’s not in the master contract….” Or, “That would be great, but we would have to hire more counselors or advisors…” Or, “Students have a right to fail. We can’t make them..” Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Imagine Success Imagine all the extra resources that would be available at our institutions if we simply retained 5% or 10% more students semester after semester! Imagine how our communities – and our nation – might be transformed if most, or all, of our students started right and finished what they started? Survey of Entering Student Engagement

Focus Up Front: Engaging Entering Students