Dr. Theodore W. Elling Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs twelling@uncc

1. Evaluating Academic Success Effectively with “EASE”:A New Survey of Academic EngagementThe University of North Carolina at Charlotte 4th Annual Retention-Graduation Conference UNC General Administration October 24, 2007 Dr. Theodore W. Elling Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs twelling@uncc.edu Dr. Cynthia Wolf Johnson Associate Provost for Academic Services cwolfjo@uncc.edu Dr. John Smail Dean of University College jsmail@uncc.edu

2. Overview • Introductions • Setting the Context: UNC Charlotte and Institutional Climate • Related Research & UNC Charlotte Modified Retention Model • EASE: Evaluating Academic Success Effectively • Next Steps & Applicability to Your Institution

3. Setting the Context: UNC Charlotte • Fall 2007 Enrollment: 22,407 (4.1% increase) • New Freshmen: 2,950 • New Transfers: 2,040 • Graduate Students: 4,781 (21.3% total enrollment) • Residing on Campus: 4,739 • Retention Rate/Goal: 77.4% (by 2012: 83.0%) • Graduation Rate/Goal: 24.2% (by 2012: 28.8%) – 4 yr 49.8% (by 2012: 51.6%) – 6 yr

4. Institutional Climate: Spring 2005 UNC Charlotte • AASCU – Graduation Rate Outcomes Study • Internal Review of Support Services • Loosely connected islands & data silos • Support often arrives too late for maximum benefit • Need for better coordination of services • Need to develop a process for early-alert/early intervention with at-risk students • Need to enable coordinated longitudinal research • Need to begin studying new transfer students ~ Continued Concern: Retention & Graduation ~

5. Related Research • Theoretical origins of survey development • Tinto’s model of student departure (1975; 1987; 1993) • Attrition occurs when students are not successfully integrated into the college environment. • Academic • Social • Astin’s theory of student involvement (1984; 1996) • Involvement leads to a variety of outcomes, including increased satisfaction and retention

6. UNC Charlotte Modified Retention Model EASE Survey with Data Integration

7. EASE – A Survey & Data Integration Process Target: New Freshmen and New Transfers, end of their first 6-8 weeks Pilot: Fall 2005 Full “Program”: 2006, 2007 Goals: 1) Identify and contact students who identify that they need help during their first term 2) Combine survey information with first semester academic performance and retention information to develop a detailed comparison of students who perform at different levels academically 3) Enable longitudinal research addressing issues of new student retention, academic performance and time to degree studies

8. EASE - Who is using it? • What offices can benefit from EASE? - New Student Programs/Orientation - Student Success Offices - First-year Programs - Learning Centers - Tutoring/Supplemental Instruction - Counseling/Health/Wellness - Residence Life - Judicial Affairs - Student Activities/Student Involvement Offices - Academic Departments - And many more….

9. EASE Elements • Pre-Survey Demographics • Student demographics • College and major • Predicted grade point average • Financial aid data • First year structured programs • The EASE Survey • Administered during weeks 6-8 of first semester • All new Freshmen and Transfer students • Post-Survey Performance Data (added as available) • Unsatisfactory grades at mid-semester • Grade point average • Academic standing (probation status) • Withdrawal codes • Subsequent semester enrollment/attrition

10. EASE - Question Architecture – 54 items • Academic preparedness • Place of initial residence • Peer group interactions • Interactions with faculty • Interactions with staff • Involvement in structured first year programs • Academic goals • Academic performance self-appraisal • Academic advising • Academic effort • Academic integration • Social integration • Student employment • Family support • Financial resources

11. EASE Outcomes – Immediate Early AlertsNew Feature for Fall 2007 • At the end of the survey experience • Customized online “Tips Sheet” displayed to at-risk populations • Response to final question authorizes contact about programs and services • Referred to Academic Advising Resources Page via URL link: www.advising.uncc.edu/resources.htm • URL links to appropriate University support service displayed for self-help use • Six Early Alert Triggers: • Do not know who their academic advisor is • Experiencing difficulty in one or more courses • Do not have a career goal or related major • Is not involved in a student club or organization • Report inadequate high school preparation in mathematics • Report they are working

12. EASE Outcomes – Intervention Example #1 University Center for Academic Excellence • At-risk populations: • Experiencing difficulty in one or more courses • Have not received feedback in one or more courses • Low study hours per week (ten or less) • Do not prepare adequately for class • Do not study with other students • Inadequate HS preparation (math, chemistry, biology, writing papers) • Miss classes • Have not met with faculty or staff about academic difficulties • Custom emails sent to students alerting them to • Coping Strategies • Services • Upcoming workshops

13. EASE Outcomes – Intervention Example #2 Housing and Residence Life • On Campus At-risk populations: • Being lonely • Not establishing friends • Feeling they don’t belong • Anticipate not returning for next term • Poor academic fit • Low end of term grade estimate • Personal Contact by Residence Coordinator or Resident Advisor • Stop Light notification system – multiple data sources & connection points • Green Light – all is well – normal RA follow-up contact • Yellow Light – RA contact – more direct conversation and assistance • Red Light – RA & RC contact – higher level conversations and assistance

14. EASE Outcomes – Actionable Evidence Example #1:Simple Messages • Relationship between behavior (attendance) and outcome (grades) • Go To Class !!! Note: Scale changed in Fall 2007 survey

15. EASE Outcomes – Actionable EvidenceExample #2:Extrapolation • What would be a good question for an academic advisor to ask?

16. EASE Outcomes – Actionable EvidenceExample #3:Academic Advising • 2005, 2006: Too many students did not know who their advisor was • Institutional change: new University Advising Center for undeclared and transitional students; emphasis on identifying advisor during summer orientation • 2007: Significant increase in student awareness • Satisfaction still needs improvement

17. EASE Outcomes – Actionable EvidenceExample #4:Mid-term grade feedback • 2005: Too many students not getting early feedback. • Emphasis by Provost and Academic Deans on the importance of mid-term unsatisfactory progress reports, focus on courses with high freshman/sophomore enrollments. • 2006: Improvement in students’ perceptions, improvement in mid-term deficiency grade reporting.

18. EASE Outcomes – Next StepsUsing Data to Develop Retention Plans

19. EASE Outcomes – Next StepsUsing Data to Develop Retention Plans The Top Six Factors Associated withFirst Semester GPA for Freshmen • Predicted Grade Point Index Score • How Often Classes Are Missed Each Week *** • # Unsatisfactory Grade Notices Received *** • Enrollment in Freshman Seminar • Grade Point Average Self-Estimate • # Hours Worked Per Week *** Factors that can be monitored by faculty These factors account for 49% of the variance in first semester GPA scores Green – Increase GPARed – Decrease GPA Factors Listed in Decreasing Order of Importance

20. EASE Outcomes – Next StepsUsing Data to Develop Retention Plans Undeclared vs. Declared Students and Academic Fit Undeclared Freshmen vs. Declared Freshmen

21. EASE Outcomes – Next StepsUsing Data to Develop Retention Plans Mid-term grades • Continue efforts to get faculty to report mid-term grades • Actively distribute mid-term grade information to advisors Attending class • Develop ‘watch list’ of students from institutional and Ease data; request faculty to report issues to advisors during the first 5 weeks of class

22. EASE Outcomes – Next StepsUsing Data to Develop Retention Plans University College • Created to provide a home for undeclared students and those in transition; a home for General Education; and to increasefaculty involvementin retention efforts Possible Initiatives: • Freshman Seminars: Increase the scale of the freshman seminar program (and develop parallel transfer seminars) • Course Clusters: Develop more meaningful and coherent first year curriculum to boost students’ feelings about their “academic fit” with UNC Charlotte

23. EASE OnlineUsing the Online Dataset Locally StudentVoice Reporting • Simple Login and Navigation • Ability to Filter Multiple Levels • Drilling down into your data • Multiple Result Displays • Frequency analysis • Graphs • Crosstabs • Multiple Report Export Formats • Word • Excel • PDF • Ability to Save Custom Views • Three Click Download of Data from Report to Desktop

24. References • Astin, A. W. (1996). Involvement in learning revisited: Lessons we have learned. Journal of College Student Development, 37(2), 123-133. • Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-307. • Barefoot, B. O., & Fidler, P. P. (1996). The 1994 national survey of freshman seminar programs: Continuing innovations in the collegiate curriculum. the freshman year experience monograph series no. 20. U.S.; South Carolina: October 11, 2005, from ERIC database. • Barefoot, B. O., & Fidler, P. P. (1992). National survey of freshman seminar programming, 1991. helping first year college students climb the academic ladder. the freshman year experience: Monograph series number 10. U.S.; South Carolina: National Resource Center for the Freshman Year Experience. October 11, 2005, from ERIC database. • Schnell, C. A., & Doetkott, C. D. (2003). First year seminars produce long-term impact. Journal of College Student Retention, 4(4), 377-391. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from ERIC database. • Soldner, L., Lee, Y., & Duby, P. (1999). Welcome to the block: Developing freshman learning communities that work. Journal of College Student Retention, 1(2), 115-129. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from ERIC database. • Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and curses of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

25. Questions and Discussion For more information about the UNC Charlotte Implementation: Dr. Theodore W. Elling • twelling@uncc.edu Dr. Cynthia Wolf Johnson • cwolfjo@uncc.edu Dr. John Smail • jsmail@uncc.edu For more information about the EASE Survey & Survey Engine: StudentVoice • http://www.studentvoice.com/ease.htm