SEM, Student Engagement and the Canadian Experience

1. SEM, Student Engagement and the Canadian Experience Susan Gottheil, Mount Royal UniversityClayton Smith, University of Windsor

2. Topics SEM & Student Engagement: The Link Student Engagement Research: Lessons Learned Using Survey Data The Canadian Experience: Is it Different? Resources

3. What is SEM? Strategic enrollment management (SEM) is a concept and process that enables the fulfillment of institutional mission and students’ educational goals. -Bontrager, 2004

4. SEM is Achieved by… • Establishing clear goals • Promoting student academic success by improving access, transition, retention, and graduation • Creating a data-rich environmentto inform decisions & evaluate strategies • Establishing student-centred services • Strengtheningcommunications & collaboration across the campus • -Bontrager, 2004

5. SEM • Early focus: Increase declining enrolments by focusing on top of enrolment funnel (i.e., recruitment & admissions) • Now: Retention is as important as recruitment • But … Figuring out how to impact retention is complex • Search for ways to understand student behaviour, identify gaps, set benchmarks

6. Student Engagement

7. Institutional Reputation… • At first focused on inputs: • Student characteristics (prior academic performance mostly); the more selective, the better • Institutional resources (quality of faculty, campus infrastructure, books in the library) • This formed the basis for rankings (e.g., Maclean’s, US News & World Report)

8. But … The nature and quality of first year students’ experiences in the classroom, with faculty, and with peers are better predictors of desired educational outcomes associated with college attendance than precollege characteristics. -Gerken & Volkwien, 2000

9. …The Rest of the Story i.e., what happens during the student’s campus experience is as, or more, critical than student inputs Institutions began to survey students on their satisfaction with programs & services (e.g., CUSC, Noel Levitz’s SSI) & external bodies followed (provincial governments, Maclean’s, Globe & Mail)

10. What is Student Engagement? • Research of past 20 years has led to concept of student engagement (coined by Kuh) as a way of assessing educational outcomes & quality of teaching & learning • Embraces 3 key student success processes • Active involvement: time & energy invested in learning experience inside and outside classroom • Social integration: interaction, collaboration & interpersonal relationships between students & peers, faculty, staff & administrators • Personal reflection: think deeply on learning experiences

11. Key Research Findings How an institution deploys its resources and organizes the curriculum, other learning opportunities and support services leads to positive experiences and desired outcomes such as persistence, satisfaction, learning and graduation (Kuh, 2001; Pascarella/Terenzini, 2005)

12. Key Research Findings (Cont.) • Student engagement varies more within any given school or institutional type than between schools or institutional types (Pascarella/Terenzini, 2005) • Though smaller schools generally engage students more effectively, colleges and universities of similar size can vary widely (NSSE, 2005) • Student engagement is unrelated to selectivity(Kuh/Pascarella, 2004; NSSE, 2003) • Some non-residential schools & community colleges have exemplary student engagement practices

13. Key Research Findings (Cont.) Some students – such as first generation students, males, transfer students and those who live off-campus – are generally less engaged than others Some single mission schools confer engagement advantages to their students (Kinzie et al, 2007)

14. And Key for Our Discussion … The single best predictor of student satisfaction with college is the degree to which students perceive the college environment to be supportive of their academic and social needs (Astin, 1993; Pascarella/Terenzini, 2005)

15. NSSE benchmarks • Academic Challenge • Active & Collaborative Learning • Student-Faculty Interaction • Supportive Campus Environment • Enriching Educational Experiences • Similar “best practices” outlined by Gardiner et al., Astin, Chickering/Gamson, Tinto Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice

16. SEM & Student Engagement Goals Inter-twine Students who are: better connected increasingly involved on campus deeply invested in learning & growth …are more likely to persist & graduate

17. Using NSSE (& Other) Data • Kuh notes that enough research has been done – we know what we need to do • The problem is in large-scale execution • Many campuses beginning to use data from NSSE, CUSC & other surveys to plan & improve students’ experiences • Collaborate & communicate results • Use multiple sources for triangulation • Use data to learn more about students • Use data for assessment • Enhance the first-year experience

18. Develop a Shared Vision • Involve faculty, student affairs educators, institutional researchers as well as SEM practitioners • IR responsible for administration of data • Can help make sense of data & identify important themes • Organize retreats (e.g., uWindsor) or debriefings (institution-wide or faculty-based) to discuss best course of action

19. Use Multiple Data Sources • Confirm findings are consistent across multiple surveys & assessment methods • Link results from NSSE, CUSC to other student data such as GPA, residential status, etc. • Helps determine if engagement varies across groups • Helps identify gaps in student support structures

20. Learn More About Students • Gain a broad perspective on undergraduate population • Monitor engagement of specific groups of students • Entire subpopulations of students may be retention risks (transfer students, athletes, Aboriginal students) • Learn about needs of individual students • Who is vulnerable to departure? • Who is not making transition to PSE well?

21. Set & Then Assess Goals Identify strengths & weaknesses Formobjectives (e.g., global citizenship, diversity awareness, living-learning communities, FYE programs) Assess progress towards goals

22. Enhance First-Year Experience First-year critical for persistence Examine curriculum, academic expectations, residence life, orientation Enhance faculty contact

23. Student Engagement Practices Must: Move away from an “a la carte” approach to meeting student needs Be part of an intentional institution-wide strategy Include & engage faculty Assess & scrutinize effectiveness

24. Connecting It Back to SEM What is the SEM practitioner’s role in student engagement activities? Can NSSE & other surveys be used to set SEM goals? Where & how should one begin?

25. CANADIAN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

26. Some Key Questions Is the level of student engagement different in Canada vs. the U.S.? Is there a different approach to enhancing student engagement in Canada? If so, why?

27. Differences in NSSE Results So, lets tunnel down through the data to see what we can find… FACT: Canadian universities do not generally score as high on NSSE as their U.S. peers

28. A Comparative Look at Student Engagement in the US & Canada (Kandiko, 2009) • Differ in term of the frequency with which they engage in active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction. Why? • The Canadian classroom experience involves less active participation by students and less individual contact with faculty members • The large size of most Canadian universities and higher student-faculty ratios makes collaborative learning experiences and faculty contact more challenging

29. A Comparative Look (Cont.) • Students in Canada participate less in three of the best practices in undergraduate education: active learning, peer collaboration, and student-faculty interaction. Three possible explanations: • As faculty spend more time doing research, there is less time available for students • Full-time non-tenure and part-time faculty are often overloaded with classes and unable to devote time and effort towards fully engaging students • increasing student-faculty ratios leave fewer faculty assigned to larger cohorts of students.

30. A Comparative Look (Cont.) • Student engagement in Canada and the U.S. was found to differ by academic major. • Students in professional fields, such as finance, management and pre-law had similar responses in both countries. The narrowest gaps occurred in the business and professional fields. • In contrast, there was a marked difference between Canadian and U.S. students in arts and humanities, life sciences and social sciences. Canadian students in those majors reported considerably less engagement overall compared to their U.S. peers.

31. Intra- and Inter-Institutional Differences Of course, this is common to both the US & Canadian experiences with student engagement. There are significant differences in NSSE results between institutions & within institutions

32. Are Canadian Institutions Really All That Different? Institutional character (size, location, student-faculty ratios, research focus) Academic practices (e.g., TA’s, admission policies/practices) Student attitudinal, behavioural & academic characteristics

33. Or Is It Just that Canada & the US Are Different? Perhaps. The court is till out on that one! Could it be that American models for student engagement and student learning are not as helpful in understanding the Canadian student experience?

34. A Few Student Engagement Stand-Outs in Canada

35. The University of Windsor’s Outstanding Scholars Program http://www.uwindsor.ca/outstandingscholars/

36. Overview • Purpose: • To increase high achieving student enrollment in selected low enrollment programs • To enhance quality of teaching assistants • An annual base renewable scholarship • A paid (200 hours per year) academic appointment in their home department • Strong relationships with faculty members

37. The Outstanding Scholars Award …and most other awards can be held concurrently with an Outstanding Scholars award!

38. Renew Ability Requirements • Achieve a minimum 10.0 cumulative and 10.5 major (out of 13) GPA • Attend monthly meetings with the program coordinator during the first year • Complete a 2-day pre-academic appointment training program at the beginning of the 2nd year • Hold an academic appointment during years 2-4

39. Success@Seneca Awarded 2009 Outstanding Retention Award by the Educational Policy institute http://www.senecac.on.ca/student/success/

40. Foundations for Success Project • Offers case-managed support services & financial incentives to students at 3 Ontario colleges (Seneca, Mohawk & Confederation) • Assesses students after admission but before begin, identifying those that would benefit from academic tutoring, peer mentorship & career counselling • Highest impact when matched with (small) financial bursary • Has led to 6.4% increase in student retention • Project specifically benefited low-income students, ESL students, students entering with low (under 65%) high school grades, & women

41. Lethbridge College: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Transition Program http://www.lethbridgecollege.ab.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1049&Itemid=907

42. Program: • Provides 12 students with a $12,000 scholarship to aid with finances • Provides 3 steps to aid in transition • Course on introduction to college life (August) • Additional course in 1st term on skills and attitudes needed for college success • Class on leadership skills (January) • Spiritual support from elders; help from mentors and advisors

43. And Some Other Strategies… • Aboriginal student access/retention • Academic civility • Academic programs/courses – specialized • Academic support – writing • Access – special populations • Bridging programs • Building connections between curricular and extracurricular experiences

44. And Some Other Strategies… • Career development • Coaching (case managed access to student services, coaching first-year students on probation) • Co-curricular record • Community outreach • Cross-departmental collaboration • Cultural sensitivity

45. And Some Other Strategies… • Emotional Intelligence interventions • Faculty development • Financial aid • Graduate student teaching development workshops • Integration of enrolment management & student services • Learning & information commons • Peer mentor programs • Planning (staff/faculty retreats and symposia)

46. And Some Other Strategies… • Recognition for staff & faculty • Residence (academic, bridging and transition programs) • Service learning • Supplemental instruction • Teaching (clickers, critical thinking, early feedback, hybrid courses, idea incubator, technology in large classes)

47. Discussion, Comments & Questions

48. Contact Us @Susan Gottheil sgottheil@mtroyal.caClayton Smith csmith@uwindsor.caCanadian SEM Website: www.uwindsor.ca/sem • Student Engagement Bibliography • Student Engagement Programs in Canada