William Knight, Bowling Green State University

This presentation provides a comprehensive array of student success initiatives that reflect the efforts of many “key players” campus-wide at Bowling Green State University. On a large and complex campus such as BGSU, it is only possible to achieve desired levels of student success by focusing on multiple initiatives. Building student success requires a diversity of efforts consistent with the diverse student body that BGSU serves. The presentation highlights an array of initiatives that includes BGSU’s various learning communities, first year programs, course-based programs, and programs designed to meet the needs of students with specific attributes. The session offers background on efforts to employ institutionally funded student financial aid to attract and retain targeted student groups with increasing emphasis on student access. This work describes the University’s development of an early warning system centered on the use of feedback from the “New Student Transition Questionnaire” and mid-term progress reports. The presentation includes various initiatives supported by the Ohio Board of Regents Success Challenge Program and includes discussion of evaluation, assessment, and planning support and outcomes, particularly those provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Various organizational changes and enhancements between academic and student affairs are addressed in the context of the University’s Strategic Enrollment Management structure. Discussion includes attention to key task forces and standing groups. Finally, the presentation concludes by conceptualizing the spectrum of student success efforts in BGSU’s Falcon Compact.

Worth Pickering, Old Dominion University

Identifying and intervening with at-risk freshmen early in their academic careers is critical for their success. Researchers at Old Dominion University developed the Transition to College Inventory (TCI) to identify freshmen who, in spite of good high school GPA and SAT scores, are at-risk for academic difficulty and subsequent attrition. The goal of the TCI is to use an index to identify at-risk students before the semester begins and treat them before they encounter academic difficulty. The TCI Index is an accumulation of specific issues that researchers and assessment staff use to identify low, above average, and high risk students. Academic affairs and student affairs staff and faculty in advising and counseling use the TCI Advising Profile to treat individual students. Tracking studies comparing the high risk group to the low risk group revealed significantly higher academic difficulty rates (42% vs. 18%) and attrition rates (36% vs. 20%) for high risk students after their freshman year and significantly lower six-year graduation rates (32% vs. 50%). The presentation will review the development and use of the TCI and discuss treating at-risk students using sample TCI Advising Profiles.

Jon Young, Fayetteville State University

The CHEER Program was established at Fayetteville State University in the summer of 2002 to 1) strengthen participants’ academic readiness for the first year, 2) help students adjust to university life and expectations, and 3) foster the development of habits essential to academic success. Since 2002, the CHEER Program has undergone significant transformations based on evaluations of the previous years. The number of participants has grown from eleven in 2002 to 152 in 2007. Non-credit experiences have been replaced with credit-bearing courses, to include, in 2007 three hours of English, three hours of mathematics, and one hour in physical education. While the program was originally non-residential, in 2007 the program required all students to live on campus as a means of increasing the amount of time students would devote to academic support, supervised study, and co-curricular activities. Since the inception of the program, CHEER participants have regularly outperformed their non-CHEER counterparts in terms of retention rates, hours earned, and GPAs, even though CHEER participants typically have lower high school GPAs and SAT scores than other students. The CHEER Program provides strong evidence that highly structured programs of instruction and academic support have a profoundly positive impact on the college readiness of students who would otherwise be at risk of attrition. FSU’s CHEER Program also suggests two important limitations. First, a summer bridge program should not be seen as the single solution for improving retention. Summer bridge programs must be aligned with various support programs for first year students. Second, a summer bridge is not appropriate for all students. Campuses must strive to identify students who are not so well prepared that the bridge program is not necessary and those whose preparation is inadequate to the rigor and speed of the program.

Angela Long, Northwest Christian College

While working as a part-time employee at a rural Oregon community college during the 2001-02 academic year, I was assigned the job of collating data that pertained to the number of students who had been administered the General Educational Development Tests from the preceding 5-year period. As the numbers taken from the students’ files were being tallied, I was surprised to discover that the overwhelming bulk of this particular GED population became '"dropouts'" after having been enrolled for two terms or less. As a consequence, I wondered: Was this figure of 44 percent an anomaly, being entirely atypical of what was happening at other community colleges? Thereafter, I met with strategic employees of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the American Council on Education (ACE)—trained researchers who could offer me advice and guidance regarding the most practical methodologies for collecting GED persistence data on a nationwide basis. One year later, I was able to garner and publish significant data relating to the attrition and retention of nontraditional GED students at community colleges nationwide. This first of its kind national study has shown several significant findings relating to the attrition patterns of a cohort of GED students as compared to a similar cohort of High School Diploma Holders. Specifically, (1) GED students who persist after one year of postsecondary studies are as academically capable and successful as their counterpart equivalent, high school diploma holders, and (2) unless community college officials take proactive approaches to retaining GED students at the outset of their first term of college, it is likely that half will drop out shortly after being matriculated, thus resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in tuition revenues. The critical underlying factor shown is early intervention to allow for success within the first year. My presentation will conclude with a discussion on my chapter 5 findings entitled: '"Five Factors for Improving Student Retention,'" specifically with reference to non-traditional students at community colleges.

Mark Poisel, University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida, a metropolitan university with approximately 45,000 students, is the seventh largest university in the US. Nearly 80% of the 6,000 transfer students who enroll each year transfer from six regional community colleges. The Transfer and Transition Services office has built strong networks for transfer student success, involving collaboration across academic departments and across institutions. This presentation explores the university’s successful efforts to establish successful partnerships to ensure that transfer students are academically prepared, have a smooth transition, and make progress toward graduation. The presentation will review factors that impact the retention and graduation rates of UCF students who transfer from the regional community colleges, and will show that the extensive programming and outreach at the preparation stage positively affect retention and graduation rates of transfer students. Programs like GradTrack at Valencia Community College, Co-Advisement at Seminole Community College, and presentations to student success classes at all six community colleges promote academic preparation, the foundation for successful transfer, retention, and progress to graduation. A key factor for TTS in creating effective programming and improving retention rates lies in the strong network of collaborative relationships with the community colleges and within the university.

Lynne Tronsdal, University of Arizona

Glenda Wilkes, University of Arizona

This presentation will update the reader on the University of Arizona''s Strategic Retention Master Plan, the CSRDE Best Practices award winner for 2005. What have we learned so far? Where have we stayed the course? Where have we changed directions? How has data continued to drive the process? The presentation will show how our initial efforts informed and led to a restructuring of University College, why the restructuring was necessary, and what we hope to do differently through this restructuring that will impact students'' journey to graduation.

Steve Robbins, ACT, Inc

We address critical reasons students stay in college via research with four- and two-year schools. Our models incorporate academic performance, motivation, social constructs, and background characteristics to predict third-year enrollment status. Findings from the four-year sample suggest that (1) academic performance has large effects on likelihood of retention and transfer, (2) motivation and pre-collegiate academic preparation have indirect effects on retention and transfer, and (3) motivation and social connection have direct effects on retention, and (4) SES is predictive of transfer. Findings from the two-year sample suggest that (1) pre-collegiate academic preparation is the strongest predictor of all outcomes, (2) motivation distinguishes retained and graduating students from other outcomes, (3) social connection has effects only for those students transferring to 4-year institutions, and (4) SES has effects on all outcomes. The central role of academic preparation and success is discussed, as well as practical implications. We use a case study of a four-year university that is systematically identifying and intervening with at-risk, first-year students to highlight our recommendations.

Kevin Pollock, West Shore Community College

Utilizing a team approach, faculty and staff at West Shore Community College have created an intrusive mentoring program and increased the success of at-risk students in developmental classes. The basis for the intrusive mentoring model, based on detailed research, combined elements of supplemental instruction and intrusive advising with the needs of students and can be a model utilized by small institutions and community colleges. Tied to the College’s accreditation and strategic plan, a project was created to increase the success of at-risk students. Instead of identifying individual at-risk students, the team utilized a supplemental instruction model “D,F,W” report that identified at-risk courses. Data showed that students in the college’s developmental math and English classes had very low success rates, with nearly forty percent of the students not receiving a grade of “C” or higher. Based on research, mentors attempted to assist students learn the norms of the campus culture, find a niche, connect to the college, and most importantly, learn how and where to seek help. Data collection from such areas as student and mentor surveys, success in subsequent courses, and mentored and non-mentored student comparisons have allowed for upgrades and expansion of the program and increases in student success.

Vivia Fowler, Wesleyan College

The success of Columbia College''s First-Year Student Success Team (FYSST) hinges on the cooperation of faculty and staff from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. To ensure that every first-year student can be as successful as she wants to be, FYSST meets every other week to monitor the progress of first-year students, focusing particularly on attendance in first-year courses. The team depends on input and intervention from peer mentors such as Orientation Leaders, Resident Academic Advisors, and Student Engagement Mentors; Faculty Advisors; and selected faculty who teach typical first-year classes. Envisioned to address the needs of first-time, first-year students, the program simultaneously benefits transfer students who enroll in entry-level courses and first-year seminars. The program has been credited with increasing fall-to-spring persistence of students--especially those who struggled academically during their first semester--and increasing the fall-to-fall persistence of first-year students. The purpose of this presentation is to outline the procedures and interventions of the team''s attendance monitoring initiative and describe the results of our efforts.

Jen Beck, Texas State University-San Marcos

Susan Thompson, Texas State University-San Marcos

PAWS Preview is a one and one-half day “just-in-time” orientation experience held before the first day of classes each semester serving approximately 3,200 new freshmen and freshman-transfer students in the fall and 300 students in the spring. Students attend required sessions on diversity, college note taking, computer use, library use, and alcohol education; receive e-mail accounts and learn campus computer resources; meet their University Seminar instructors and classmates; participate in a student organizations and an on-campus job fairs; attend presentations on student services; and have opportunities to socialize, learn campus traditions, and become familiar with facilities, activities, and campus culture. This program is a collaborative effort involving several university divisions. Success of PAWS Preview is measured and demonstrated through monitoring participation rates and program evaluation. In addition, outcomes assessment based on retention and GPA data, and student self-reports on follow-up surveys are conducted throughout the second semester.

Rob Stirton, Schoolcraft College

Datatel Colleague, SunGuard SCT Banner, PeopleSoft, etc. represent a college’s ‘transactional’ database; it maintains all the data relevant to college functions and student academic records. As such, it is constantly updated with new data. Thus, it is not designed to recreate history. Frozen Files capture a ‘snapshot’ of specific data elements in select files across each and every semester. As the name implies, Frozen Files are stored outside of transactional databases. They allow institutions to study student intent (admission/prospect) to performance (end-of-semester) each and every semester. The system narrows the concept of retention from fall to fall to within a semester. This presentation will provide a complete example system including files, data elements, reports, and how it is being used to improve campus projects, processes, policies, and procedures.

Sylvia Terry, University of Virginia

“Now that I am here, where is everybody?” This question is not uncommon. When arriving on a college campus for the first time, a freshman may feel isolated, lonely and as if no one cares. This is especially true for the African-American student who may be attending a predominantly white institution. Tradition, a seeming lack of sensitivity and concern may be off-putting as the student attempts to negotiate his college environment. Without support, he may simply choose to leave. At the University of Virginia, there are several initiatives contributing to its having among the highest African-American graduation rates nation wide, over 85%. This is especially significant in light of the institution’s past history of slavery and segregation. Perhaps one of its most important retention efforts is its Office of African-American Affairs’ Peer Advisor Program. Drawing upon the principles of retention, its work is to help provide an environment which is welcoming and supportive of new students. This presentation will explain the program’s philosophy and structure (an outgrowth and extension of the admissions process), its practices and procedures (Peer Advisor outreach, programming, the director’s role, “the Raising the Bar” study initiative, and technology), the program’s effectiveness (for first-year students) and benefits (for the Peer Advisors themselves.)