Foundations of ExcellenceFoundations of ExcellenceTMTM

in the First College Year in the First College Year

Laying a Foundation Laying a Foundation forfor

First Year AssessmentFirst Year Assessment

Nazareth College of Nazareth College of Rochester,Rochester, Marywood Marywood UniversityUniversity

Mary Louise Gerek, M.B.A.Mary Louise Gerek, M.B.A.Institutional Research AnalystInstitutional Research AnalystNazareth College of RochesterNazareth College of RochesterRochester, New YorkRochester, New York

Ellen M. Boylan, Ph.D.Ellen M. Boylan, Ph.D.Associate Director of Institutional ResearchAssociate Director of Institutional ResearchMarywood UniversityMarywood UniversityScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, Pennsylvania

Overview

•• Foundations of Excellence Foundations of Excellence projectproject

• Tools to build buy-inTools to build buy-in

• • Institutional assessment Institutional assessment effortsefforts

• • Recommendations for Recommendations for changechange

• • Long-term impactLong-term impact

Foundations of Foundations of ExcellenceExcellenceTMTM

in the First College in the First College YearYear

National Grant-Funded ProjectNational Grant-Funded Project

• • To Develop Standards of To Develop Standards of

ExcellenceExcellence

• • To Develop Certification ProcessTo Develop Certification Process

Sponsored by the Policy Center for Sponsored by the Policy Center for the First Year of Collegethe First Year of College

Foundations of ExcellenceFoundations of ExcellenceTMTM

in the First College Year in the First College Year

Lumina Foundation for Education & Lumina Foundation for Education & The Atlantic PhilanthropiesThe Atlantic Philanthropies

• • AASCU AASCU • • Center for Postsecondary Research Center for Postsecondary Research

and Planning and Planning • • Pennsylvania State University – Pennsylvania State University – Center for the Study of Higher Education Center for the Study of Higher Education • • Council of Independent CollegesCouncil of Independent Colleges• • NCHEMS NCHEMS • • National Resource Center for The National Resource Center for The

First-Year Experience and Students First-Year Experience and Students in Transitionin Transition

Foundations of Foundations of Excellence Excellence TMTM

in the First College in the First College YearYear

Dimensions

Foundations of Foundations of Excellence Excellence MM

in the First College in the First College YearYear

Dimensions of ExcellenceDimensions of Excellence

AASCU InstitutionsAASCU Institutions

CIC InstitutionsCIC Institutions

PhilosophyPhilosophy

OrganizationOrganization

CommitmentCommitment

TransitionsTransitions

All StudentsAll Students

Educated PersonEducated Person

ImprovementImprovement

EngagementEngagement

DiversityDiversity

FacultyFaculty

Life PurposeLife Purpose© © 2003 2003 Policy Center Policy Center

Foundations of Foundations of ExcellenceExcellence TMTM

CIC Foundational CIC Foundational DimensionsDimensions

Foundations of Foundations of Excellence Excellence MM

in the First College in the First College YearYear

Nazareth College Nazareth College Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York

Project Organization

StructureStructure

• • Taskforce with 15 membersTaskforce with 15 members

• • Steering Committee with 4 membersSteering Committee with 4 members

• • Twice-Monthly Meetings Twice-Monthly Meetings

ChallengesChallenges

• • First faculty/staff integrated assessment First faculty/staff integrated assessment projectproject

• • Considerable time commitmentConsiderable time commitment

• • Not accepting a response without Not accepting a response without evidenceevidence

• • Tracking documents/informationTracking documents/informationFoundations Task Force

Nazareth College

First Steps

• Current Practice InventoryCurrent Practice Inventory

• Collect evidence from all over Collect evidence from all over campuscampus

• Compile sources of evidence for Compile sources of evidence for future referencefuture reference

Foundations Task ForceNazareth College

Current Practice Inventory

• Inventory current policies and Inventory current policies and structures supporting the first-yearstructures supporting the first-year

• Identify distinct subgroups of the Identify distinct subgroups of the first-year students relevant to your first-year students relevant to your campuscampus

• Inventory existing first-year Inventory existing first-year assessmentsassessments

Foundations Task ForceNazareth College

Inventory of Policies and Structures

• Structures: – First-year seminars– Advising centers– New student orientation

• Policies– Admissions requirements– Mandatory advising– Registration rules

• The Task Force was charged to “identify major structures and policies that, by design or circumstance, uniquely impact first-year students.”

Foundations Task ForceNazareth College

Inventory of Policies and Structures

• Created Policy and Structure documentation forms and distributed to all offices within the campus with first-year student contact

• Requested any supporting documents

• Additionally, requested any documents that provided any information for first-year students

• Suggested reference: A Data Audit and Analysis Toolkit to Support Assessment of the First College Year: Technical Manual, Karen Paulson.

Foundations Task ForceNazareth College

Foundations of Excellence Nazareth College

Current Practice Inventory Structure Documentation Form Please record information for any structure (position, program, activity, resource or process)

that impacts first-year undergraduate students, using one page per structure. First-year students

include first-time freshmen and transfers with freshman status. Please be brief in your response.

Structure: Goals (explicit and implicit): Division(s)/Office(s): Date established: Most recent update: How are students involved/informed of activity/resource: Group or subgroup served: Percent of first-year population involved: Key staff: Name Title Role Form completed by: Date:

Foundations of Excellence Nazareth College

Current Practice Inventory Policy Documentation Form Please record data for policies that impact first-year undergraduate students using one

sheet per policy. First-year students include All students who will be considered freshmen

by completed credits in the spring semester (excluding AP credits). Please be brief

in your response. Policy: Goals (explicit and implicit): Division/Office of authority (ex. Student Development, Academic Affairs):

Date established: Most recent revision: If published, name of publication, page number, and distribution process:

(please attach a copy of the relevant page): If not published, how are students informed of policy: Percent of first-year students affected annually: Student group or subgroup affected: Describe campus enforcement plan: Key Staff with authority to change or cancel policy: Name Title Role Form completed by: Date:

Document Management• Developed MS Access database to manage documents

• Identified sources and contacts for follow-up by Task Force

• Created links within the database to documents or web locations

• Identified the Dimension where the document was cited as evidence for the response

• Compiled reports with complete document lists

• Utilized the same ideas in preparation of the Middle States Self Study

Foundations Task ForceNazareth College

Current Status• Spring 2005 – Restructured Task Spring 2005 – Restructured Task Force began the development of a Force began the development of a Philosophy Statement for the First Philosophy Statement for the First Year at NazarethYear at Nazareth

• Statement unanimously approved Statement unanimously approved by faculty – Fall 2005by faculty – Fall 2005

• Discussions of the first-year Discussions of the first-year philosophy parallel discussions in philosophy parallel discussions in Curriculum Committee about Curriculum Committee about reevaluating our core curriculumreevaluating our core curriculum

• Significant use of the Task Force Significant use of the Task Force findings in the Middle States Self findings in the Middle States Self StudyStudy

Foundations Task ForceNazareth College

Foundations of Foundations of Excellence Excellence MM

in the First College Yearin the First College Year

Marywood UniversityMarywood University Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, Pennsylvania

Project Organization

StructureStructure

• • Taskforce with 22 membersTaskforce with 22 members

• • Subcommittee for each DimensionSubcommittee for each Dimension

• • Twice-Monthly Meetings Twice-Monthly Meetings

ChallengesChallenges

• • Systematic assessment in fluxSystematic assessment in flux

• • Considerable time commitmentConsiderable time commitment

• • Linking evidence to responsesLinking evidence to responses

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Dimension #11Dimension #11ImprovementImprovement

• Collect baseline data• Measure first-year outcomes• Use assessment to confirm or

improve practice• Contribute to the national

knowledge base• Continue the commitmentMU

Foundations Institutions conduct Foundations Institutions conduct assessment….to achieve assessment….to achieve ongoing first-year improvement.ongoing first-year improvement.

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Collect baseline data

• Admissions’ intake data • Academic assessment and registrar

recommendations• Disabilities needs• College Student Inventory (CSI) to

assess academic and social motivation, coping skills, and desire for support services

• CIRP Freshman Survey benchmarks

Performance Indicator 11.1 …data to place Performance Indicator 11.1 …data to place students in appropriate courses…provide students in appropriate courses…provide academic support, personal support.academic support, personal support.

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Measure first-year outcomes

• First Year Student Survey (FYSS)(FYSS) is administered at the end of the first year

• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)(NSSE) is given to first-year sample in the Spring semester

• Questions on the UNIV 100 course evaluation course evaluation ask about the adjustment to college life.

• First to second year retention dataretention data is tracked.

Performance Indicator 11.2 …measurement Performance Indicator 11.2 …measurement of cognitive development, personal development. of cognitive development, personal development.

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Use assessment findings

• Marywood’s Teagle Grant has been used to strengthen key first-year initiatives in academics, advising, and retention, and allowed for three consecutive years of the NSSE

• Ongoing evaluation of Orientation programs results in annual review, change, and improvement

• A strong, established cycle of annual surveys translates into continuous assessment of the first year

Performance Indicator 11.3 …assessment findings Performance Indicator 11.3 …assessment findings used to confirm or improve first-year practice. used to confirm or improve first-year practice.

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Continue the commitment

• Continued funding for baseline surveys, outcomes assessment

• Personnel for academic advising, retention, counseling

• Commitment to scholarship on first-year practice

• First-year line items in the institutional budget

Performance Indicator 11.5 …continuing allocation Performance Indicator 11.5 …continuing allocation of resources, both human and financial, to of resources, both human and financial, to assessment first-year practiceassessment first-year practice

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Long-Term Impact

• First-year “package” of programsFirst-year “package” of programs • • Targeted retention effortsTargeted retention efforts

• • Direct assessment is bolsteredDirect assessment is bolstered

• • More activity is linked to P.I.’sMore activity is linked to P.I.’s

• • Faculty advisor model continuesFaculty advisor model continues

• • Liberal arts dean is accountableLiberal arts dean is accountable

• • Sharper insight into students, selfSharper insight into students, self

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Long Term ImpactLong Term ImpactRestructuringRestructuring

Enrollment Enrollment ManagementManagement

Admissions+Admissions+

registrar

retentionadvising

disabilities

diversity

Retention Rates Entering 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Fall Term Fall Fall Fall Fall 2000 N 257 207 174 163 % enrollment 100% 80.5% 68.2% 62.4% 2001 N 287 225 200 191 % enrollment 100% 78.4% 69.7% 66.6% 2002 N 310 251 225 225 % enrollment 100% 81.0% 72.6% 72.6%

2003 N 278 239 210 % enrollment 100% 86.0% 75.5%

First Year AssessmentMarywood University

Contact Contact InformationInformation

Nazareth College of RochesterNazareth College of Rochester Mary Louise GerekMary Louise Gerek Institutional Research AnalystInstitutional Research Analyst mgerek3@naz.edumgerek3@naz.edu

Marywood University, PAMarywood University, PA Ellen M. Boylan, Ph.D.Ellen M. Boylan, Ph.D. Associate Director of IRAssociate Director of IR eboylan@marywood.edueboylan@marywood.edu