Rethinking Advisors in the First Year Experience: Data, Accountability and Success

1. Rethinking Advisors in the First Year Experience: Data, Accountability and Success 2012 CCCSE Workshop at NISOD A First Look: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success

2. Lone Star College-North Harris Stephen Head, President shead@lonestar.edu Marilyn Dement, Dean, Student Development Marilyn.C.Dement@ lonestar.edu

3. LSCS Overview Lone Star College System • 75,000+ credit students, total enrollment of 90,000. • Fastest-growing college system in U.S. • Largest institution of higher education in the greater Houston area. • 28 percent growth from 2009 to 2011, adding 16,000 students. • 11 school districts, 1,400 square miles, population of 2 million. • 5,200+ employees, 5.6 million square feet. • Added 1.2 million sq. ft. in new buildings in 2011 from May 2008 bond referendum.

4. Locations LSC System Office LSC-CyFair LSC-Kingwood LSC-Montgomery LSC-North Harris LSC-Tomball LSC-University Park

5. Lone Star College-North Harris Fall 2011- 18,478 students 35% Hispanic 31% Black 20% Anglo 5% Asian 3% International 80% Low income 80% First generation in college

6. How LSC-North Harris Thinks of Retention, Persistence and Success • Connection • Entry • Progress • Completion

7. Destination College • Bridge to College • Summer Bridge • Dual Credit • Shared Counselors • Early College • Accelerated College Program • Black Male Summit • Latina Summit • Hispanic Male Summit • TRIO Programs • Admissions/Advising Process • Financial Aid • Mandatory Orientation • HUMD 0330 • FTIC Advisors • Intrusive Advising • SOAR • Recruiters • Outreach Events • College Applications • Elementary/Middle School Visits • Open House • Campus Tours • Teaching and Learning Center • Referrals • Math, English, Biology Labs • Supplemental Instruction • Student Involvement • Summits LSC-North Harris College Connections Student Outreach Enrollment Management • Review and Assessment of Effectiveness • CCSSE • SENSE • FoE and FoE - Transfer • Visioning Process • AtD Internal Communication

8. The First Year Experience COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT SUCCESS MODEL P-K to High School SOAR Outreach Marketing Destination College High School Outreach Bridge Programs Dual Credit, CARE Grant, Early College, etc. First Day Of Class Enrollment Process Apps, Assessment, Financial Aid Individual/Group Orientation Advising Session Registration Link to Task Force Marketing, Community Outreach Link to Task Force Special Initiatives Completion by Design Gates State Initiatives Link to Task Force Student Success Initiatives Link to Teaching and Learning Center SEA CENTER Link to Task Force Early/ Repeaters Intervention Link to Task Force Foundation of Excellence Visioning Link to Task Force Eng., Math, Biology Policy Review After First Day Of Class Transition to Division Counselors and Transfer and Advising Center After First Term Teaching and Learning Center Student Activities Advisors - Academic Support HUMD 0330 Degree Plan Initiated Advising – Next Term Registration

9. Academic Support • Division Specific • Initiatives • Nursing Transition Remediation Plan • MENS (Math, Engineering, and Natural Science) • Repeaters • Advising • HSI - STEM • Career and Technology Division (CTD) Advisor and Tracking Database • Medical & Health Sciences Pre-Professional Program • Honors Program • Division counselors Successful First Year Experience No Late Registration Mandatory Orientation HUMD 0330 Learning Center Instructional Assessment Tutoring Services Content Area - Targets high enrollment/high attrition courses Writing Center Math Lab • Supplemental Instruction • English • History • Government • Philosophy • Sociology • Psychology • Economics • Geology • Chemistry • College Algebra Early Intervention System Early Alert Referral SEA Center - Success Encourages Achievement Success Coaches Open Computer Lab Biology Learning Center Tutoring Lab assistance Anatomy & Physiology Majors & Non-Majors • Assistive Technology Lab • Access services for students with disabilities and faculty to utilize specialized ADA approved software and hardware • Alternative formatting • Magnification • Scribes and Readers • Tutoring • Advising Center • Academic Advisor • Veterans • Foster Care • Crisis-Personal • Career Exploration • Workshop Series • Community Resources and Referrals • Student Support Services • Focus on student success • Friendly, college environment • Intrusive Advising • Student activities • Child care • Financial assistance • Listening/talking • Goal: Graduation and/or College Transfer Summer Bridge with Mentoring Workshop Series

10. First Time In College (FTIC) Advisor Job Functions • FTIC Advisor is responsible for providing academic advice to a cohort of FTIC students. (FTIC is defined as students having never taken college classes.) • Advisors are the first step in creating a campus culture of connection. Provides direction and referrals to a cohort group to meet the students’ needs. • Meets with students on a regular basis to track their success and progress. • Reports on progress and collects data of students and involves others to assist with students’ success, persistence, and completion rates.

11. FTIC Advisor Job Functions (continued) • In addition to meeting with FTIC students, the FTIC advisors also meet with students from their previous cohorts. • In November 2011, Contactline was employed by LSC-North Harris to call all FTIC Hispanic students. 24.4% of students called indicated they would like to speak to an advisor. Advisors contacted students to help resolve their issues. • For fall 2011, advisors had an average size FTIC cohort of 245:1. FTIC advisors saw an average of 793 student appointments for fall registration. This included FTIC students with a GPA below 2.0, previous cohort students, and assisting with peak registration.

12. LSC-North Harris Measurable Minimum Performers for Advisors

13. 25 FTIC Advisors • 15 advisors in Admissions/Advising Area • Advisors Assigned to Special Populations: • Students with Disabilities • Veterans • Foster Care Alumni • International Students • New Student Orientations • 1 advisor assigned to Workforce Programs • 2 advisors assigned to HUMD 0330 as class advisors • 7 advisors assigned to Satellite Campuses

14. HUMD 0330 – College Success Course: 1st Year Experience • Course serves as the freshman experience course. • Mandatory for students placing into two or more areas of developmental classes. • Topics include transitioning to college, accessing campus resources and support services, study skills, etc. • Trained advisors are assigned to HUMD 0330 classes. Advisors are available to assist instructor and student with student services’ related questions such as degree planning, schedule building, course selection, transcript requests, etc.

15. LSC-North Harris FTIC Advised StudentsFall and Spring 2009 - 2011

16. New Student Completion Fall 2008 - Fall 2011

17. FTIC Persistence Compared to Other Enrolled Students

18. Fall 2011 FTIC Special Populations(Compared to FTIC Advised and Not Advised)

19. Fall 2011 FTIC LSC-North Harris Completion, Success, and Persistence

20. Fall 2011 Completion and Success for Developmental Classes

21. Persistence Fall 2011 to Spring 2012 by Demographics(Ethnicity)

22. Persistence Fall 2011 to Spring 2012 (Less Than 25 and Over 25)

23. Persistence Fall 2011 to Spring 2012(Females and Males)

24. 2011 SENSE Survey Results – Key Findings(18 e, g, h)(First Advising Meeting)

25. 2011 and 2011 SENSE Survey Results (20.1 a, 2a, 3a)(Academic Advising Experience)

26. 2011 SENSE Cohort Survey Results (20.1a, 2a, 3a)(LSC-North Harris Cohort Compared to SENSE Cohort)

27. Student Activities and Success • Students involved in activities averaged: • 5% higher completion • 9% higher success • 13% higher persistence • Developmental students persisted by 12% more over three terms.

28. Meeting the Challenges • Coordinate campaign with LSC-North Harris Public Relations to improve awareness of academic advising services through website updates, LCD monitors, signage, and distinguish clear difference between Admissions and Advising services. • Decision making is data driven. Assigned an FTIC advisor to collect data, generate executive summary report, and lead advisors in consistency of data collection. • Generating consistent reports with the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness to be created each semester to review for areas of improvement and progress.

29. Measuring Effectiveness Advisors make a difference! Completion rates higher Persistence rates higher Student surveys positive Especially when used in combination with other initiatives Bridge programs, Early Alert System, SEA Center, Mentoring and Tutoring, Phone Calls

30. Key Elements at Lone Star College-North Harris • Advisors for all FTIC Students • Mandatory Orientation for all FTIC • Student Success Course • Teaching and Learning Center • Faculty centered • Funded • Supported • Data/results driven