catch them while you can! learning college summit 2010
TRANSCRIPT
Catch Them While You Can!
Learning College Summit 2010
89%…of new students responding to the SENSE survey say they believe they have the motivation to do what it takes to succeed in college.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
High Expectations and Aspirations
Center for Community College Student Engagement
High Expectations & Aspirations
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85%…of new students responding to the SENSE survey say they’re academically prepared for college.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Entering students are highly motivated, are committed to achieving their academic goals, and sincerely believe they will.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Center for Community College Student Engagement
…of our students leave in their first year.
50%
Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE)
& Starting Right:
Listening to Entering Students
Center for Community College Student Engagement
SENSE & Starting Right: Listening to Entering Students3 years
220 + colleges
Represents 1.4 million students
36 states, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands
Focus Groups
SENSE Benchmarks • Early Connections
• High Expectations and Aspirations
• Clear Academic Plan and Pathway
• Effective Track to College Readiness
• Engaged Learning
• Academic and Social Support Network
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Starting Right -
2009-2010 Focus groups and interviews with students in 3 Houston and Gulf Area Community Colleges; feeder high schools
2010-2011 Focus groups and interviews with students in 3 geographically diverse Community Colleges
4…the least number of times students in focus groups at one college we visited returned to the college to complete the registration process.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Welcome to college!
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
Welcome to college!Video Removed
Students don’t know what they don’t know…
but we think they should…and we behave as though they do!
Center for Community College Student Engagement
The students in our focus groups who reported the best experience registering at their college had something in common.
What was it?
Center for Community College Student Engagement
What is registration?
What are the steps I have to go through? Why is it important that I take these steps?
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Early Connections
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During their first 3 weeks, students say…
Fewer than half participated in on-campus orientation.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
During their first 3 weeks…
• Almost 30% didn’t know they could get academic advising…
47% didn’t use it.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
But we gave them the info…
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Students don’t do optional!!
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Please Advise Me!
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
Clear Academic Plan & PathwayFor those who saw an advisor…”an advisor helped me…”
Select courses for my first term – 70%Choose a program or major – fewer than 60%
Set academic goals and create a plan for achieving
them - fewer than 38%
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Do I Need an Advisor?
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
More than 70%
of entering students say no college staff member talked with them about outside commitments to help them figure out how many classes to take.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Too Many Hours…
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
During the first 3 weeks
43% said they came to class unprepared.
More than 25% skipped class.
More than 31% turned in an assignment late.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
It’s My Fault…
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I Need Help, But…
85% never met with a tutor.
94% never used online tutoring.
65% never went to the writing or math lab.
25% never asked an instructor for help.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
I Need Help, But…
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
I’m Getting Help!
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
Helping students succeed through the equivalent of the first semester (12–15 credit hours) can dramatically improve subsequent success rates.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Engaged Learning
• More than 30% asked questions in class or contributed to discussion only once or NEVER
• Almost half worked with other students in class once or NEVER
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Give Me a Reason to Come to Class…
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
When it Works…
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Center for Community College Student Engagement
During the 1st 3 weeks of class…
More than half (55%) of students responding to the SENSE survey said they received prompt feedback about their performance
once or NEVER
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Do you know how you’re doing?
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What Matters Most for Entering Student Success?
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Students Start Right When They…•Make connections –
• between now and their future (setting goals)
• with faculty, staff and other students
• between what they’re learning and what’s important to them – personally and professionally
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Students Start Right When They…
•Navigate successfully through college systems, processes and procedures
They understand what they’re doing and why it matters!
So how are we doing?
Student Success…It’s in the Numbers…
Initiative on Student Success
Out of 74 Houston/Gulf Coast area focus group participants…
Almost 1/3 dropped at least one class during the 1st term
Houston/Gulf Coast Focus Group Participants
74 students in 3 community colleges
Status after 1st Semester
35 students earned GPA less than 2.0 – 47%
Initiative on Student Success
Houston/Gulf Coast Focus Group Participants
74 students in 3 community colleges
Status after 1st Semester
16 students earned 0 credits – 22%
Initiative on Student Success
Houston/Gulf Coast Focus Group Participants
74 students in 3 community colleges
Status after 1st Semester
15 students did not re-enroll spring term – 20%
Initiative on Student Success
Some Observations
• Students experience culture shock and academic shock.
• It’s over within the first three weeks!
• You have to ask to be told…but what if you don’t know what to ask?
Initiative on Student Success
Some Observations
• Students feel disconnected. “They didn’t notice me when I got here, they didn’t notice me when I left.”
• Orientation helps – but students want to meet faculty and other students before classes start.
• Students don’t consider it “advising” when someone simply helps them sign up for class.
Initiative on Student Success
One student tells us…
“Coming into this environment I know nothing about I do need some instruction. If they could just give me a little instruction…I’ll figure out the rest.”
Initiative on Student Success
What does all this mean for us?
• Create an “on-ramp” to college life.
• Streamline registration and give it meaning – help students understand the “what” and the “why.”
• Make everything more personal – show them we care!
• If we know what students need – make it mandatory!
Initiative on Student Success
High Performing Colleges
…make student engagement
inescapable!
Inescapable…
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Arleen ArnspargerProject Manager, Initiative on Student Success
Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE)Community College Leadership Program The University of Texas at Austin
Web sites – www.enteringstudent.orgwww.ccsse.org
Center for Community College Student Engagement
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