Aspiring Eagle Scholars Aspiring Eagle Scholars Program: Program:

A Model for SuccessA Model for Success

North Carolina Central UniversityNorth Carolina Central University

10/24/07

Characteristics of Freshman Students Millennium Generation Vast knowledge of technology Constantly moving, on the go Looking to be entertained Often first generation college student Lack of knowledge about college expectations Egocentric Lacking direction and self discipline

What is a learning community? An intentional restructuring of the environment so

that students have opportunities for deeper understanding and integration of the material they are learning, and more interaction with one another and their teachers.

Occurs in a variety of setting.

Models are adapted to the organization and to the student and faculty culture of a campus.

Why learning communities? Promote greater student involvement in learning Provide a context for faculty development and

engage faculty in a highly supportive teaching environment

Often used to link first-year experience programs and freshman seminar courses to discipline based courses

Effective ways to introduce students to the academic culture

And because. . . . Students and teachers share responsibility for

teaching and learning

Can provide at-risk students with a support network of faculty, peers, and counselors

Help to overcome feelings of isolation common on large campuses

LC introduce accountability into the classroom (attendance, participation, etc)

How to structure the Learning Community? Organized along curricular lines Face to face, distance education or disciplines Common career interests Social interests Residential living areas Build around student organizations Establish LC for schools or colleges to

encourage interdisciplinary studies

We decided that our structure would . . . . . . Organize students and faculty into smaller groups

Encourage integration of the curriculum

Help students establish academic and social support networks

Provide a setting for students to be socialized to the expectations of college

Other Goals . . . .

Bring faculty together in more meaningful ways

Focus faculty and students on learning outcomes

Offer critical lens for examining first year experience programs

Provide a setting for community-based delivery of academic support programs

2006 Aspiring Eagle Scholars Summer Bridge Program

Focus on retention and graduation rates (a product of the Retention Management Task Force – Under the direction of Dr. Bernice Duffy Johnson)

50 students with developmental academic needs 5-week residential program 3 courses (4 credits) Math, Reading, Learning Strategies 2 hours minimum of weekly tutoring 4 Peer team leaders/counselors 2 - Cultural excursions Must continue in LC in Fall (joined by 105 other

students) Structured student engagement activities, 3 courses (4)

Benefits of 2006 Summer Bridge Program

100% completed the program in Summer Earned no less than a ‘B’ in all classes 49 returned in Fall Held 4/5 freshman class offices Motivated, excited, and engaged 96% engaged in campus organizations 38 earned 3.0 or better GPAs in Fall Provided a support network for each other and new

students Average Fall GPA of 2.806 (higher than the university

average)

2007 AES Summer Bridge Program

Funded by the Office of the Provost/NCCU Division of Student Affairs

100 students with developmental academic needs 18 conditional admits 5-week residential program 3 courses (7 credits) Math, Reading, Learning Strategies 2 hours minimum of weekly tutoring 6 Peer team leaders Cultural excursions Must continue in Fall (joined by other students) Structured student engagement activities

Benefits of 2007 Summer Bridge Program

96 students successfully completed the program 96% passed the math course with at least a ‘C’ All 18 conditional admits completed the program 17/18 of the conditional admits were accepted at

NCCU for the Fall semester and 1 for the Spring 2008 semester

99 of the total students were accepted at NCCU for the Fall and 1 for the Spring semester

More maturity, accountability, growth and development

Fall 2007 AES Learning Community Open to any freshman student (400 Students) Common residential setting for summer cohort Assigned faculty/staff mentors for all students (Freshman Seminar Instructors) Rites of Passage is the heart of the program 4 week progress reports / Tutorial reports 3 hours minimum of tutoring per week Community service project Monthly team meetings

Fall Learning Community Sessions First Session of the Learning Community

- Held in October focused on Managing

Stress and Time Management

Second Session of the Learning Community

- To be held in November – Focus to Civic

Engagement and Understanding $$$$

Other LC Sessions December Learning Community Session - Student Empowerment Conference

Sessions to continue in Spring

Closing ceremony held in April (Pinning) signifying a successful transition into college

Assessment Strategies Comprehensive and Longitudinal 2 Week progress report by instructors during

the summer Bi-weekly discussions by team leaders during

the summer Program evaluation by students, staff, faculty,

parents, and program coordinators Pre and post assessment in summer courses

Other Assessment Strategies . . . The College Survival Success Scale (Students identify their most effective and least effective college

survival skills)

Non-academic assessments - Student engagement in campus activities - Number and intensity of social and personal interruptions - Level of satisfaction with universities entities

And Other Assessment Strategies - Success in managing interpersonal relationships

- Extent of accessing university resources - Participation in mentoring program - Point at which students declare a major - Number of times the major is changed

Lessons Learned Know your students’ characteristics, needs, aspirations &

adapt services, program, and facilities to meet the needs of students

The entire campus must be vested – may require redefining our roles as administrators, faculty, staff, and support service providers

Educational excursions are critical to developing the total person

Common residential housing in a structured setting is needed

Proposed Summer Bridge 2008 100 Students 50 Slots allocated for conditional admits 5 –Week residential program 4 hours minimum of tutorials Math, English, Reading Comprehension (7 credits) Structured setting as in the past Evening seminars $100 Registration fee (Student Activities) 2 Cultural excursions

New Components 2008-09 Hire a data analyst to collect, analyze and interpret data

(Controlled/uncontrolled groups, tracking each cohort until graduation and perhaps beyond)

Instructor’s Academy - 15/20 Instructors (First Year, Retool, Interested Persons - Dinner - Examine various topics that will enhance the teaching and learning process

Instructional Planning Workshop - Clustering of classes

Other Possibilities . . . . .

With

Chancellor Nelms,

ENDLESS!!!!!!!