Rethinking the Beginning Student Experience at Casper College: On Becoming an Institution of Excellence

1. Rethinking the Beginning Student Experience at Casper College: On Becoming an Institution of Excellence John N. Gardner Executive Director Policy Center on the First Year of College Brevard, N.C. Casper College Casper, Wyoming January 10, 2008

2. A New Year: A Time for Reflection and Resolutions Anyone want to share one—especially related to work at the College?

3. All I ever needed to know about success as a higher educator, I learned in my first year of college • Example: Speech 101—need to identify with an audience • My first semester’s grades: 3F’s, 2D’s, 1A—what’s the moral of that story for teaching in open admissions settings? • The importance of other students as exemplars • Don’t settle for anything less than outstanding academic advising • The importance of out-of-class student faculty interaction • The importance of joining at least one co-curricularactivity

4. All I ever needed to know about the gratifications of college teaching I learned in my first teaching in a two-year college: the Four Things I Most Love (what are yours?) • Reading • Writing • Talking • Helping people

5. My first campus in contrast to yours • Was a two year constituent unit of a public, flagship, university • The University of South Carolina at Lancaster • Rural, southern textile mill town • Open admissions • Non-residential • Many non traditional students • Different student demographics • Also during an unpopular poor man’s war

6. My big take away lessons as both adjunct faculty member and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: (cont.) • For faculty it can be a grind teaching a steady diet over a career of just beginning college courses – so faculty development is even more important • New students’ ACT/SAT scores do NOT predict their motivation and basic intelligence • Those scores also do not predict campus personnel’s motivation and abilities to help those students

7. It Takes A Whole Village (College) to Raise……….. • New students………………….

8. It takes: • Admissions officers to recruit them • Financial aid professionals to make college possible • Counselors and advisors and placement officers to get them in the appropriate classes • Maintenance and custodial staff to make this an inviting environment • Technical support colleagues who maintain our technology infrastructure

9. Career planning staff who help clarify student purpose • Student services professionals who attend to the critical out of class experience • Administrative assistants who staff the front lines and offer informal advice • Registrar and business office staffs who make the place work • IR and assessment staff who provide critical information for decision making and planning • Security personnel who maintain a secure environment

10. Public relations, marketing personnel who help get our good story(ies) out • The academic division and department chairs who make such critical decisions that effect new student success • The Chief Academic Officer who provides overall academic direction with the faculty • AND the faculty who deliver the core business of the organization • The President and Cabinet who provide overall vision for the College • The Board of Trustees who provide overall governance and win support for new students

11. The Current Status of America’s two year colleges: • the darling of public policy • growth, growth and more growth • therefore job security • but sort of like the model of running a low cost airline • the tuition and enrollment decompression factor • so the question is: what should/who should our priorities be?

12. In the two-year college, who/what should be our models? • The secondary school • The university (where most of you got your degrees) • The community college

13. Consider the secondary school model • high rates of attrition • undervalued by society as reflected in compensation and recruitment patterns for teachers • teaching is bifurcated from “guidance” • paternalistic management styles • less faculty autonomy • no money for faculty travel and hence the in-service training model • governing boards operate on the local school board model, very frequent meetings, possibility of micro management, less autonomy for the CEO, instability of the CEO’s • and at their worst: bells, lockers, separate toilets for students, and much of the ambiance of high schools

14. The university • large classes for intro courses • cheap labor for intro courses • first-year as “cash cow” • the publish or perish model • the lecture as primary medium for communication between instructor and student • the weed out model • low status of the beginning college experience

15. The community college • being all things to all people • newer, younger, more flexible, more responsive • non residential • generation spanning • the learning college model (Terry O’Banion and John Tagg) • Key questions: who/what should our priorities be? Who gets in the life boat? College parallel vs occupational?

16. Problem of much of the literature about community college being written by those outside the culture • Main problem is the negative perceptions of community college students • And those doing the writing don’t work in this college sector and never have!

17. Is the glass half empty or half full? Stated differently, do you see the modal characteristics of community college students as being, on balance, a plus or minus…?

18. Leads to the danger of the self fulfilling prophecy: if you build it they will come; if you don’t, they surely won’t (what are the pedagogical corollaries?)

19. The Grade 13 syndrome: Otherwise known as “the College on the Corner” • translated into the national context: the challenges of raising and meeting student expectations

20. Let’s turn to the beginning college experience and let’s start with the obvious:Why is the beginning college experience important? It is the FOUNDATION for: • the undergraduate curriculum • choosing a major • establishing a good GPA • learning good study habits • developing “economies of time” • developing positive attitudes toward faculty • getting in the habit of interacting with faculty outside of • class

21. The Foundation for . . . • developing positive attitudes toward the College • developing long term relationships that will last through and beyond college • deciding on which groups to affiliate with • acquiring behaviors that may carry over beyond college • redefining roles between students and family members, and employers • introducing students to civic engagement • providing a baseline for assessment of student characteristics, behaviors, and learning outcomes

22. Defining & Measuring First-Year Excellence A Project of the Policy Center on the First Year of College www.brevard.edu/fyc/instofexcellence/data.htm

23. Institutions of ExcellenceSelection Process • Open to all accredited 2- & 4-year institutions • 130 nominations received • 54 semi-finalists • 13 finalists • Selections made by national panel of experts • Each portfolio read & ranked by 4 reviewers • Not a ranking system!

24. Criterion # 1 Evidence of an intentional, comprehensive approach to improving the first year that is appropriate to an institution’s type and mission. Spans curriculum & co-curriculum Relationship to mission & student characteristics Central & systemic Attention to curriculum

25. Criterion # 2 Evidence of assessment of the various initiatives that constitute this approach. Data-driven continuous improvement Attention to learning outcomes Methods vary; Findings are published Assessment reported & used for decision-making

26. Criterion # 3 Evidence of broad impact on significant numbers of first-year students, including, but not limited to, special student sub-populations. A “reasonable” level of participation Initiatives address needs of “average” students as well as the best and worst

27. Criterion # 4 Strong administrative support for first-year initiatives, evidence of institutionalization, & durability over time. Initiatives institutionalized & enjoy high status Effective organization & coordination Initiatives receive equitable share of resources

28. Criterion # 5 Involvement of a wide range of faculty, student affairs professionals, academic administrators, & other constituent groups. Involvement in design, implementation, & maintenance Partnerships cross divisional lines

29. Comm College of Denver LaGuardia Comm C Kalamazoo College Eckerd College Drury University US Military Academy Elon University Lehman College-CUNY Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Appalachian State U Ball State University IUPUI University of South Carolina Institutions of Excellence

30. Community College of Denver • exceptionally high expectations for students • no differences by ethnicity and gender • extraordinary success in Developmental Education • array of innovative educational practices • steadfast and innovative leadership • success in acquiring external funds • commitment to accountability and continuous improvement

31. Community College of Denver • intentional focus on student success as evident in institutional mission, goal setting and planning • basic skills placement • 3 level integrated advising • Educational Case Management System • learning communities linked to professional development • high utilization of technology • overcoming lack of physical identity

32. Laguardia Community College • exceptionally diverse and proudly so-“The World’s Community College” • an “industrial” beginning • aware and proud of its history • intentional emphasis on traditions and rituals • a unique culture emphasizing a spirit of innovation • leadership stability and leadership at all levels • a “calling” for faculty teaching

33. Laguardia Community College • built in assessment • success in attracting philanthropic support • high expectations • if we build it they will come • powerful learning communities with multiple models • many, many initiatives: first-year seminar, mentoring, convocation, common readings, Honors, summer abroad, critical thinking, special linkages/pipelines to elite colleges, middle college

34. What We Learned • Valuing the first year and being accountable • Leadership on multiple levels • Cultures that encourage ideas and innovation • Achieving a critical mass of student participation • Direct involvement of faculty • Attention to pedagogy in first-year courses • Clarity of mission; respect for students • Improving continuously through assessment • Creative acquisition & judicious use of resources • Willingness to learn from and share with others • Valuing partnerships

35. Now, let’s look at Redesigning the New Student Experience in the Two-Year College

36. First of all, responsibility: institutions of higher learning have to take more responsibility for student learning, success, and retention. • Versus the alternative paradigm: blame the student (victim) • Means reducing our tolerance for failure (best example is math)

37. No, things don’t have to be the way they are. We created things this way, and we can uncreate. • So, it all comes down to a matter of what you value, what you deem is important and hence a matter of institutional priority. • As our buttons say: “The First Year Matters”

38. Focus needs to be on aspirational standards (excellence) as opposed to minimum standards (retention) • So, as in the Foundations process, you have to start with a philosophy (Philosophy Dimension) • Need an alternative set of purposes to the “cash cow” model • And “philosophy” has to be connected with institutional mission, as approved by governance levels and HLC

39. “Roles and Purposes” have to be articulated to all (Roles and Purposes Dimension) • Have to have an organizational structure that provides responsibility and ownership for the beginning college experience (Organization Dimension) • First year needs to be designed for the students you actually have (as opposed to ones you would prefer to have, or think you used to have, or you used to be like) (All Students Dimension)

40. Have to have learning objectives for the first year and its courses, and assessment related thereto (Learning Dimension) • Pay attention to five highest enrollment courses, and those with 30% + DWFI grades • Redesign of the first year must engage the faculty who are often left out of “retention” work (Campus Culture Dimension)

41. Calls for attention to faculty development, support, rewards • Institution has to focus on supporting student transitions (Transitions Dimension) • First year needs to be a focus for campus-wide improvement focus (Improvement Dimension) • Need a standing advocacy group of stakeholders for the continuous improvement of the first year

42. Focus on what you control, your institutional and individual practices, policies, attitudes and behaviors • ALL students need orientation prior to matriculation • Restrict late registration • ALL students need academic advising (focus on selection, training, evaluation, rewards)

43. Raise expectations before classes begin (convocations, summer common readings, influence of peer leaders) • Offer Summer Bridge (and emphasize importance of subsequent summer school opportunities) • Redesign high enrollment courses • Provide academic support for ALL students (consider SI)

44. Offer, refine, strengthen first-year seminar (best practices include more credits, integration in Learning Communities, use of peer leaders, and engaging pedagogies) • Co enroll students in linked courses (Learning Communities) • Reaffirm the historic importance and dignity of developmental education • Declare war on math failure

45. The first year cries out for better understanding, self study, and action (the Foundations of Excellence self study process) • You need a “plan”, a gestalt, a grand design for the all important beginnings, the foundation. And most colleges don’t yet have one. They just have “programs”. It’s time to move to the next level, We salute them for showing the way.

46. To Promote early student success, faculty (and staff as applicable) should: • teach students how to use your syllabus • set high expectations immediately • require and take attendance • utilize an “early alert system” • if you don’t have “early alert”, create your own—be intrusive • like voting in Chicago, test/measure early and often • gift prompt and explicit feedback • motivate with praise • let students know you notice them • assume you are a developmental educator even though you aren’t and teach them how to study in your course • have each student come visit you during office hours early in the term

47. To promote student self-responsibility, faculty and staff should: • encourage students to set very specific goals for your course and share them with you (introduces public accountability) • consider using contract grading where students have greater choice about what they do and earn • reward students for engaging in optional responsible behavior (e.g. getting help/joining groups) • create opportunities for volunteering for certain learning opportunities (e.g. classroom presentation) • provide opportunities for student self reflection, sharing that, and receiving feedback

48. What Can Faculty and Staff Do To Promote Student Retention? To promote retention, take more responsibility for helping students do the following: • Making friends • Building institutional commitment • Interacting with faculty especially outside of class • Studying in groups • Joining other groups • Balancing work with studies

49. Finding a significant other • Engaging in assistance seeking behaviors • Spending more time on campus—the antithesis of the “PCP syndrome” • Becoming actively involved in the classroom using active learning strategies • Raising their expectations • Emulating other successful students (e.g. peer leaders)

50. A few more of Gardner’s principles about influencing student success in college: • focus on the things you control, not on the ones you don’t—means being smart enough and willing enough to recognize the difference (e.g. how you teach vs SES) • number one variable influencing student success in college: the influence of other students. How can I translate this insight into action? • number two variable is influence of faculty/student contact/interaction. How can I act on this insight? • you must teach the study skills students need to be successful in your class; can’t assume they will get them any other way • connect course content to other courses/disciplines (“connectedness”) • best way to do this is to teach in a learning community