First-Year Experience
Review, Benchmarking and Best PracticesFall 2015
Assess First-Year Experience• Review data • Review past recommendations• Benchmark best practices
Engage Campus Leadership• Student Government Association• Faculty Senate Executive Committee• Student Services Collaborative• Provost’s Academic Leadership Council• Associate Deans• Student Affairs Leadership Team
Recommend and Implement Changes
Our Charge
90% First-Year Retention
Measured by
A Successful Student Experience
Goal
UVM Comparator
Data
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
William and Mary 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 96
Boston College 95 95 95 95 96 96 95 96 95 95 95
George Washington U 92 92 92 92 92 91 91 92 93 93 93
UCONN 88 89 90 91 92 93 93 93 93 93 93
Boston University 88 89 90 90 91 91 91 91 91 91 92
Syracuse University 91 92 92 92 92 91 91 91 91 92 92
SUNY Binghamton 91 92 91 91 90 90 90 90 91 91 91
SUNY - Stony Brook 86 86 87 88 88 88 89 89 89 90 90
UMASS – Amherst 84 84 84 84 83 84 85 87 88 88 89
UVM 83 84 85 85 86 86 85 86 86 86 87
U of Colorado – Boulder 83 83 83 84 84 84 84 84 84 84 85
Factors that Impact
Retention
Retention Factors: Student Characteristics
• Academic Prep
• Residency
• Gender
• Motivation/Grit
• Financial
• External (family, behavioral)
Retention Factors: Institutional Experiences
• Level and quality of engagement
• Integration (academic, co-curricular, social)
• Academic challenge
• Supportive campus environment
UVM Data
Retention Rates: All FTFY StudentsFall 2009 - Fall 2013
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Re
ten
tio
n R
ate
FTFY Cohort Fall Term
One-Year Rate
Two-Year Rate
Three-Year Rate
One-Year Retention Rates by Ace ScoreFall 2009-Fall 2013
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
FTFY Cohort Fall Term
ACE Score: 1
ACE Score: 2
ACE Score: 3
ACE Score: 4
ACE Score: 5
ACE Score: 6
ACE Score: 7
ACE Score: 8
ACE Score: 9
Retention Rates – By Residence
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
FTFY Cohort Fall Term
Vermont, One-Year Rate
Vermont, Two-Year Rate
Vermont, Three-Year Rate
Out-of-State, One-Year Rate
Out-of-State, Two-Year Rate
Out-of-State, Three-Year Rate
Recommendations from Previous Reports• Central oversight and coordination of FYE efforts• Provide FYE training for advisors and instructors • Develop a first-year seminar • Recognize outstanding faculty, students, and staff
regarding FYE
Our Current Practices
Academic Initiatives
Co-Curricular Initiatives• Orientation and Pre-arrival communication
• Career + Experience HUB
• myUVM content
• Centralized opening weekend programs
• New residential communities
• Free subject-area and learning skills tutoring
• Universal screening in the Student Health Center and Counseling Center
• Housing master plan
• Wellness environment
Best Practices and
Benchmarking
BenchmarksWilliam and Mary Stony Brook Northeastern UVM
Central Coordination of FYE Efforts✓ ✓
Coordinated FY Course✓ ✓ ✓
FY Programmed Housing100% 100% 100% 30%
Common Reading✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Peer Advising and Mentorship✓ ✓
• Centralized First-Year Seminar and FY academic course (similar to TAP)
• Small groups from FY Seminar incorporated throughout welcome week
• Undergraduate Fellows Program
• Undergraduate mentors for FY students
• All First-Year Students Live in Programmed Housing
• Professional Advising for First-Year Students
• First-Year Read Incorporated Throughout FY
• FY Retention Rate: Class of 2013, Retention 90%
Three Major Themes• Centralized Coordination for
First-Year Experience
• Common First-Year Course(student success, University 001)
• Programmed Housing
What We Heard…Opportunities• Leverage Programmed Housing
to improve student engagement• Programmed Housing should
be easier and more transparent• Programmed Housing + FYE Course
= Successful Transition• Consider health & wellness
in planning• Interest in results of peer
mentor pilot
What We Heard…Challenges
• We are behind in comparison to other campuses in FY experience
• FYE Course could be difficult to integrate into professional curriculums
• FYE experience should include two or more high-impact practices
TimelineNovember:• Draft recommendations from
feedback and research• Gather additional feedback from
schools/colleges
December:• Final recommendations to
President and Provost
Questions?