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Yes We Must Coalition www.yeswemustcoalition.org. Presentation to College/Career Affinity Group January 15, 2013 Gary Bonvillian, President Thomas University gbonvillian@thomasu.edu Nancy Moody, President Tusculum College nmoody@tusculum.edu Gloria Nemerowicz, President
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Yes We Must Coalitionwww.yeswemustcoalition.org Presentation to College/Career Affinity Group January 15, 2013 Gary Bonvillian, President Thomas University gbonvillian@thomasu.edu Nancy Moody, President Tusculum College nmoody@tusculum.edu Gloria Nemerowicz, President Yes We Must Coalition glorianemerowicz@yeswemustcoalition.org
Who We Are • Established 2011 to collaborate to improve student access and success and to advocate for our students and our sector of higher education • 32 small, private, non-profit, 2- and 4-year colleges/universities; urban and rural across the country • Fewer than 5,000 undergrads, 50% or more Pell eligible per institution • Average Pell enrollment 65% • Total undergraduates 33,000
Who We Are (Cont.) • Associate and Bachelor degrees • 2 HBCUs, 5 HSIs, 6 women’s, 20 religiously affiliated • Non-traditional-aged students majority • Usually more than half enter as transfers
Values • Different roots and histories. Joined by focus on underrepresented students largely in own regions • Strong value-based missions focused on students • Commitment to a campus-wide culture of support for success and belief in possibility of success • All campus members take responsibility for supporting teaching and learning • Focus on the student
Common Practices • Intrusive, relational, holistic advising/intervention • Attention to new student transition/seminars and learning communities with success strategies and skills embedded • “Remediation” seen as developmental; most give full or institutional credit • Financial literacy education • Experiential, on-line and community-connected learning options • Creativity with structure: blocks; preset cohort classes; year round; parallel am, pm, night and weekend schedules
Common Challenges • Collecting and analyzing data to inform actions • Staying connected to graduates • Developing metrics that reflect the reality of our students • Expense of retention tracking tools • Expense of Financial Literacy tools • Helping students finance their education w/o high debt
Empowering Students at Tusculum College • Pre-College TRIO Programs • Upward Bound • Talent Search • Preparation for College – Grades 9-12 • Application Deadlines • ACT/SAT Tests • Major/Career Planning • Financing Post-Secondary Education • Deciding on a Post-Secondary Institution • Questions to Ask During Campus Visits
Empowering Students: Success • College TRIO Programs • Student Support Services (1997) • ARCHES (2010) • Campus Programs • Activities to support persistence and graduation • Living Learning Communities • Grant Aid • Cultural Awareness Programs • Academic Advising & Tutoring Services • Conditional Admissions • Materials Loan program • Staff Focusing Totally on Retention
Preparation for Success:Bridging Bridges • U. S. Department of Education • Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant • Northeast Tennessee College and Career Ready Consortium (NETCO) • Niswonger Foundation • Professionalism for Leadership Grant
Empowering Students atThomas University • Pre-college Program • 2 + 2 articulation agreements with community colleges • Academic policies: grade renewal and grade forgiveness • Early Alert process/intervention strategies
Engaging Students:Breaking Down Barriers to Success • Proactive Integrated Advising • TRIO Secondary and Post-secondary programs at a private university • Developmental Studies program linked with college classes • Performance Enhancement Center for student athletes • Unique Academic Policies that support Stop Out students
Engaging Students (Cont.) • Distance students at TU are equally engaged in courses, support services… • OWL-Older Wiser Learner student organization • Honor Societies Exclusively For Special Populations –recognize and acknowledge the academic achievement of non-traditional and student veterans • Alpha Sigma Lambda-honor society for non-trad students • SALUTE-honor society for Veterans
Transforming Students: Changing Lives from Admission to Graduation • Student Transformations—ample evidence of student transformations, both qualitative and quantitative • UniqueTU Score Card of successes with non-traditional students, stop-out and transfer students