Our Students, their challenges, and what the data tells us?

1. Our Students, their challenges, and what the data tells us? Jamie Caudill, Christine Reilly, and DeAnna Jackson

2. Student Information GGC Fall 2012 • 1 in 4 students decided to go to college relatively late ( during senior year 15% last month 8% (23%) • 77% plan to get their degree in four years • 37% plan on staying at GGC the entire time,47% expect to be at GGC 2+years,16% just 1 year • GGC was first choice for 53% of students Preliminary Data from Bear Essentials Survey

3. Student Information GGC Fall 2012 • 10% believe they have poor study habits, 40% in middle range (3 on point scale) (setting aside time to study….) • 8% believe they have poor study skills, 31% in middle range (focusing on the right material, reading material effectively…) • 7% believe they have poor time management skills, 29% in middle range • 49% believe they have heavy family obligations (child or dependent care, household duties, etc.) 1 in 5 students “much more so than others compared to other students”. Preliminary Data from Bear Essentials Survey

4. Student Information GGC Fall 2012 • 22% of student have parents neither of whom has progressed past a high school diploma, 43% have parents neither of whom has progressed past some college credits (not college graduates) • 36% have both parents born outside the US, 31% of GGC students born outside of US • 13% of students claim that English is not their 1st language and 20% have “been in an ESL class”. • 29% of students work more than 20 hours per week, 35% work 11-20 hours per week. Preliminary Data from Bear Essentials Survey

5. Students with Challenges • Students with Disabilities • 299 students at GGC are registered with the Office of Disability Services • Top Three Areas at GGC • ADD 87 • Learning Disabilities 77 • Mental Health Disorders 62 • Students who register with Disability Services Office at GGCare provided accommodations every semester for each class. The office also enforces compliance with ADA Americans with Disabilities Act . • If a student has a documented disability they have been diagnosed by an outside professional. • Disability services can tell you whether or not a student is registered with Disability Services and will offer suggestions and advice

6. What are Typical accommodations? • Testing • Additional time for tests, quiet locationfor testing, oral exam format etc. • Classroom Modifications • Additional time to complete assignments, volunteer student note takers, use of a tape recorder, written instructions, or preferential seating in the classroom • Auxiliary Aids/Services • Calculators, additional tutoring, or some type of assistive technology (hardware or software)

7. First Generation Students • An undergraduate whose parents have no college experience • They tend to work more hours, come from low income families, be members of racial or ethnic minority groups, more likely to be female, to have lower college entrance exam scores, and perceive they are lacking support from those at home including family and friends • Strategies: • Attempt to understand the students’ background and family lives • Encourage First Generation Students to use available GGC resources to succeed • Help them develop not just academic goals but personal goals needed to support their academic objectives • Hold them accountable for reaching their goals NACADA, 2011

8. First Generation Students • Provide and encourage opportunities for students to engage in campus-based activities with their peers • Connect the academic and cocurricular with the home and family experiences of the students • Recommend peer mentors or ask if student has a peer/friend who could to serve as a role model and provide consistent support • Incorporate a strong emphasis on academic success skills (time management, study skills, college reading, test taking, wellness…) • Teach students about the mission and purpose of GGC and how the curriculum connects to the larger context as well as to their own personal goals NACADA, 2011

9. Second Language Learners • Not easy to categorize • May be foreign students studying on student visas, citizens who have arrived in the country as immigrants or refugees, been in the country only a matter of days or for many years. • Some students may be very proficient in spoken English; others may still be struggling to speak. • Many of them believe that they will learn the language better and faster if they are with native speakers than if they are with other ELL students. • On the other hand, ELI classes will address grammar and pronunciation issues while developmental classes do not (or at least not to the same extent). • They are usually easy to understand in person but still worry about their verbal skills (and their accents) and may be reluctant to speak up in class. • They may be somewhat shy in the initial interaction, but are often anxious for help and direction and will usually trust your expertise if you guide them with patience and compassion. NACADA, 2011

10. Second Language Learners • These students are typically very motivated. Unlike many native speakers who are placed in developmental classes, they know that they need to learn English and are anxious to improve. • Many of them may be functioning in English primarily while they are in school and in their native language at home and/or at work. NACADA, 2011

11. Student Success Students • Underprepared in one or more of the basic skills • Lack of study skills • Low self-esteem - academic abilities • Unaware of support systems on campus • Hesitant to participate on campus • May be dependent learners • May have multiple issues, i.e., learning disability, language deficiency, adult learner, first-generation students, etc. NACADA, 2011

12. Student Success Students • Successful Strategies • Utilize the knowledge and expertise of professional developmental education instructors at GGC • Suggest supplemental instruction (AEC) • Help the student clarify their career goals and life-planning choices • Find the match between the students goals and background and what will make them successful in college • Help students connect to campus • Mentor Mentor and Academic Advisor • Learning communities