Life is Simpler When We Know What’s Essential

The Role of the First-Year Experience in Preparing Community College

Students for Successful Transitions

Rico R. Reed

Outcomes of this Session• Explore how the First-Year Experience in the

community college sets the foundation for a successful transition process

• Highlight the characteristics of two-year and four-year institutions that support comprehensive and effective first-year experiences that lead to effective transitions

• Provide rationale and highlight best practices for establishing an efficient and effective pipeline for best supporting students as they strive for what’s essential to their success.

Fulfilling the Promise of the Community College: Increasing First-Year Student

Engagement and Success

Transfer Students in Higher Education: Building Foundations for Policies, Programs and Services That Foster Student Success

Thriving in Transitions: A Research-Based Approach to College Student Success

Institute on First-Year Success in the Community College

November 2012

Life’s Greatest Lessons:20 Things that Matter

6 Essentials of Life1. Choose a good attitude, no matter what the

circumstances.

2. Build your life on a foundation of respect.

3. Make integrity the cornerstone of your life.

4. Accept the difficulties and challenges of life.

5. Have a passion to learn.

6. Enjoy life.

6 Essentials of Life1. Choose a good attitude, no matter what the

circumstances.

2. Build your life on a foundation of respect.

3. Make integrity the cornerstone of your life.

4. Accept the difficulties and challenges of life.

5. Have a passion to learn.

6. Enjoy life.

Why are you here?

What are your biggest challenges?

What do your students need?

Why hasn’t this been done in the past?

What resources do you have?

Who are your champions?

Who are your supporters?

What’s the ultimate payoff?

12

What Is a First-Year Seminar? A course designed to “assist students in their

academic and social development and in their transition to college. A seminar, by definition, is a small discussion-based course in which students

and their instructors exchange ideas and information. In most cases, there is a strong

emphasis on creating community in the classroom.”

(Hunter & Linder, 2005, pp. 275-276).

Types of First-Year Seminars• Extended orientation seminars

• Academic seminars with generally uniform content

• Academic seminars on various topics• Professional or discipline-based seminars

• Basic study skills seminars• Hybrid seminars

(Barefoot, 1994)

Describes the distinctive characteristics of first-

year student experiences and

challenges in community college

based on research and effective practice.

Community colleges have gone from being the stepchild to being the

golden child…

Dr. Frank Chong, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges

Key to nation’s effort’s to double the number of college graduates in the next ten years

The first-year, indeed the first few weeks of the beginning semester, is a pivotal point in

students’ academic careers.

Brown, King, & Stanley, 2011

We Know That …community colleges will play a central role in improving

educational access for increasing numbers of U.S. college students

• In order for increased access to be meaningful, students must persist in college, complete their programs, and where applicable, transfer to four-year institutions.

• Effective first-year programs turn access into success by keeping students in college and helping them overcome barriers that might otherwise prevent them from reaching their goals.

Two important themes ….(a) The first-year, as the springboard for student success, matters just as much in two-year institutions as it does in their four-year counterparts, and(b) even when considering specific institutional contexts and cultures, standards of best practice for institutional support and success of first-year students in community colleges are emerging.

Students whose first experiences are positive …

are more likely to persist toward their goals, whether that is a certificate, an associate

degree, or transferring to a four-year institution.

Overarching principles...

The learning college movement: how do you know what students are learning and achieving

21

Overarching principles...

The multiple missions of community colleges make them unique in the nation and world

Overarching principles...

Measures of students success differ between two and four-year colleges due to diversity of

students

The Evolution of Colleges of Opportunity

Community Colleges have evolved to include workforce and community development,

lifelong learning and developmental education.

Distinctive Characteristics of Community Colleges

•Access, to Persistence, and Inclusion•Community Responsiveness and Innovation•Small class-size and a focus on teaching

The Learning College Model and the Success and Completion Agenda now

includes:Achieving the Dream

Gates Foundation Postsecondary Success Initiative

The Obama Administration Higher Education Agenda

Voluntary Framework of Accountability

Learning from Student VoicesDr. Kay McClenney, Director of the Center for

Community College Student Engagement, created a portrait of the new community college student

Asked why they persisted, students typically referred to a strong early connection to someone at

the college…

Research Reports on College Transitions, No. 22009 National Survey of First-Year Seminars:

Ongoing Efforts to Support Students in Transition

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2009 National Survey of First-Year Seminars

Methodology for 2009 administration• Administration: Oct. 30 – Dec. 18, 2010

• Invitation sent to 3,225 institutions in 3 waves• Incentive program

• 1,028 responses (32% response rate)• 87.3% of 2009 respondents (N=890) reported

having a first-year seminar

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2009 Survey Participants

Institution Type Number PercentageTwo-year 298 29Four-year 731 71Public 529 52Private, not-for-profit 422 41Private, for-profit 68 7

*Remaining data focuses on two-year campuses in sample (N=298)

Administrative Home of First-Year Seminar

Unit 2009

Academic department 32.9%

Academic affairs 30.1%

Student affairs 17.4%

College or school 5.0%

First-year program office 3.7%

Administration of Seminars• Average size of seminar program is around 20-

25 sections• A majority of seminars have classes enrolling

20-29 students• 20-24 students/section: 41.6%• 25-29 students/section: 23.1%

• Approximately 31.5% of institutions require all first-years to take the seminar

Credit Hours

1 2 3 4 5 > 50

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50 47.9

13.9

34.0

1.5 1.0 1.5

11% offered FYS for no

credit

Grading and Credit• Most seminars (84.9%) are letter graded

• 72.2% of seminars are one term (quarter or semester) in length

• Seminar credit applies toward graduation in most cases

• As an elective: 59.8%• General education: 33.0%

• To the major: 9.8%

Who Teaches the Seminar?Instructors 2009Adjunct faculty 61.7FT non-tenure track faculty 46.0Student affairs professionals 45.1Tenure-track faculty 41.7Other campus professionals 23.8

*Peer instruction is not present in community colleges

Instructor Training & Compensation68.0% of respondents offer training for first-year

seminar instructors42.9% require training

70.5% of respondents indicate that instructor training is < 1 day long

Most frequent compensation is a stipendThe second most frequent responses were “None”

and “Part of overload”

Top Course TopicsMost Important Course Topics 2009

Study skills 59.6%

Campus resources 56.2%

Academic advising/planning 43.4%

Time management 34.5%

Least common: Diversity, Financial literacy, & Specific disciplinary topics

Course Practices

Practice 2009

Online component 61.6%

Linked to other courses 35.2%

Service-learning 19.6%

Common reading component 10.5%

Common Seminar GoalsObjective 2009Orient to campus resources 66.4%Develop academic skills 57.0%

Develop a connection w/institution 51.5%Personal development 37.0%Create common FYE 14.9%Develop support network/friends 14.9%Improve sophomore return rates 11.9%

Outcomes MeasuredOutcome 2009Grade point average 59.2%Persistence to second year 57.7%Satisfaction with faculty 53.5%Satisfaction with the institution 47.9%Use of campus services 42.3%Academic abilities 40.8%Persistence to graduation 36.6%Participation in campus activities 35.2%Connections with peers 31.0%

Assessment StrategiesAssessment 2009Student course evaluation 91.1%Institutional data 78.9%Survey instrument 72.2%Interviews w/instructors 44.4%Focus groups w/instructors 42.2%Focus groups w/students 36.7%Interviews w/students 28.9%

A first-year seminar does not equal a first-year experience

FYS

Service Learning

Learning Communit

y

Orientation

Common Book

Online Learning

Development Ed

Benchmarks of Effective Practice with Entering Students

some areEarly connectionsClear academic plan and pathwayAcademic & social support network

What needs to be doneSome are:

Build a Culture of Evidence

Commit to the discipline of routine student cohort tracking

Bring programs to scale

Emerging evidence suggests that certain educational experiences may contribute significantly to the

likelihood of students success. Examples include:

College orientation programsFirst-year seminars

Student success coursesLeaning communities

At some point it behooves community college educators to overcome their

reluctance to make mandatory experiences shown to enhance

student learning, persistence, and attainment.

McClenney, 2011

Recommendations Create intentionally-designed comprehensive programs

Bring programs to scale Cultivate support from campus leadership

Build coalitions on campus Develop community partnerships

Provide campus-wide professional development opportunities

Support transfer Establish relevant benchmarks for success

Build a culture of evidence

Create intentionally designed comprehensive programs

Prioritize student programs and services focused on the initial adjustment to college

Include academic and learning support programs

Seek innovative and effective interventions

Create intentionally designed comprehensive programs

Academic advising and career development are the pillars of a comprehensive program

Empower staff to accomplish the program mission

Group services together

Bring programs to scale

Include a transition plan for movement from:Boutique service to universal student access

Grant funding to base budget

Link programs to accreditation processes

Remember, students don’t do optional!

Goal: 75% participation rates for FY students

Cultivate support from campus leadership

Include campus leadership in program: Development

Implementation

Maintenance

Communication is key

Select the right people to coordinate the program

Cultivate support from campus leadership

Connect the program to the mission, vision, values, and culture of the campus

Have data toSupport program decisions

Document effectiveness

Draw support from leadership across the campus

Build coalitions on campus

Cross-campus collaboration is likely to draw the attention and support of campus leadership

Draw upon the “horizontal” nature of FYE to build partnerships

New partnerships contribute to program evolution & improvement

Develop community partnerships

Enlist political, business, and community leaders

Campus messaging should show campus as a destination of choice

Include community leaders and members in the communication plan

Develop community partnerships

Career focused programs create a bridge to the community

Placement servicesMembers of advisory board and committees for

career programs

Use career programs as a model for other community partnerships

Provide campus-wide professional development opportunities

Professional development is an ongoing commitment

Opportunities should fit the context:Community college specific

Fit with the campus mission and student needs

Consider professional development as a requirement

Provide campus-wide professional development opportunities

Programs should create a safe space for reflection and innovation

Focus on cross-training across roles, programs, disciplines, etc.

Integration into reward, recognition, & promotion expectations

Support transfer

Successful transfer begins when students enter the community college

Examine the connections of current programs with four-year institutions

Efforts and initiatives for transfer must be present in marketing efforts

Support transfer

Programs at the community college that are critical to successful preparation and transfer

include:Academic advising

Career development

Academic support

Initiatives that support STEM students

Establish relevant benchmarks for success

Connect success metrics to your institution’s mission, goals, and student needs

Create multiple success measures

Develop new metrics for success Still need to consider completion

Establish relevant benchmarks for success

Establish a realistic timeline to achieve the benchmarks

If your benchmarks are normative, be sure to identify appropriate comparison groups

Important to commit to accountability

Build a culture of evidence

Draw upon quantitative and qualitative data

Link assessment data to metrics of successCritical to use consistent definitions

Establish comprehensive information and tracking systems

Build a culture of evidence

Employ accountability measures that provide meaningful data

Model data-driven decision making

Engage in national data collection/research efforts

Make data widely available to campus partners

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The FY Seminar at Your Institution

• If you have a seminar, how is it supporting the goals of students and of the

institution?• If you don’t have a seminar, how might it

be designed to support the culture, curriculum, and population of your

college?

6 Essentials of Life1. Choose a good attitude, no matter what the

circumstances.

2. Build your life on a foundation of respect.

3. Make integrity the cornerstone of your life.

4. Accept the difficulties and challenges of life.

5. Have a passion to learn.

6. Enjoy life.

QUESTIONS?

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS?

Institute on Sophomore Student Success April 12-14, 2013

Life’s Simpler When We Know What’s Essential

Rico R. ReedAssistant Director for Administration and

Resource Development

National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition

rico@sc.edu803.777.6225