Learning Support CommitteeSocial ComponentHelping students succeed by fostering community

Cynthia BelmarMildred JosephVeronica McKissicGwen Richard

Social Support in Four Parts

Part I Introduction: Our assumptionsPart II Social support outside of the classroomPart III Learning communities as social support within the classroomPart IV Peer mentoring as social support

Part I: Assumptions

Students—

Are social beings who need to feel that they are not alone and that they have a sense of belonging.

Benefit from cultural, social, and learning opportunities planned by faculty and other college staff.

Need advisors, guides, mentors, and peers to help them navigate through the processes, policies, and procedures in the world of higher education.

Create their own communities through clubs, associations, and other means, using social media and in-person connections.

Part I: Assumptions

Students—

Need places to “be”—spaces for collaboration, engagement, study, club offices, recreation, and other places to socialize with peers.

Need places to have meals.

Need financial support.

Need a good selection of affordable food options while on campus.

Part II: What students say about social support

According to the 2015 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE):1. The majority of students feel that their colleges emphasize providing the

support they need to help them succeed, yet smaller numbers use support services.

2. Significant numbers also feel that their colleges do not offer support for non-academic, social and financial issues.

3. Over one-quarter (26%) say that their college puts very little emphasis on providing the support they need to thrive socially.

4. HCC’s 2015 CCSSE results mirror the above results very closely.

Sources : http://www.ccsse.org/survey/bench_support.cfm and http://sy-dashboard.hccs.edu/ibi_apps/bip/portal/Access

Part II: Two Categories of Social Support

1. SOCIAL (two sub-categories)Groups

SGAHonor societiesDepartment

sponsored clubsSociety of Eagle

MentorsActivities

Intramural sportsCultural eventsAwareness campaigns

Part II: Two Categories of Social Support

2. HELP (three sub-categories)Personal• Advising• CounselingFinancial

• Financial workshops• Childcare optionsOutreach

• Housing• Childcare• Transportation• Emergency financial assistance• Psychological needs

Part II: General Recommendations for Social Support

1. Child care assistance grants for academic students similar to Perkins grant for workforce students ($50 per day of class)

2. Increased marketing plan and outreach efforts to reach & apprise all students of what is available

3. Increase community partnerships with local businesses and non-profit organizations such as Capital Idea to promote and to support the social well-being of our students.

4. Increased social support for students within Canvas (new LMS) and the school’s website through the integration of videoconferencing and screen sharing tools such as Cranium Café, Voicethread, and Big Blue Button . Let’s imagine an online student being able to schedule videoconference sessions with her advisor and her tutor. Let’s imagine a professor providing online office hours where his students can communicate with him face-to-face.

Part III: Social Support within the classroom environment

Learning Communities provide social support to students:

“’ In the same class you see all the time the same faces, and you make friends. And you discuss anything whenever you want…If I have a class like writing, and the next class is different, then I have to make friends in that class, and I can’t discuss the things I want. [In the learning community] it’s easier to talk about ideas or whatever you want.’” (Tinto,1995)

Part III: Examples of Learning Communities

Bunker Hill Community CollegeLone Star College, CyFair

Part III: Learning Communities embody HCC transformation

“Centers of Excellence will allow students to focus on an in-demand field of study with concentrated counseling and shared experiences with

other like-minded students, thereby increasing persistence and success rates.”

-Chancellor Maldonado in Future Vision: Chancellor’s Listening Tour

Part III: Learning Communities produce tangible student outcomes

Learning communities produce long term benefits:

“MDRC’s longitudinal analyses [Kingsborough College’s Opening Doors program] show that a comprehensive one-semester program can improve student outcomes. Findings at the two-year mark did not show significant gains in students’ fall-to-spring persistence rates (77% for learning community students vs. 75% for control students in the first year; 61% vs. 59% in the second year). After six years, however, MDRC found that learning community students graduated at a rate of 36%, as compared to a 31% graduation rate among control group students. This 5 percentage point gain represents about a 15% increase in degrees earned. “

Source:http://www.ccsse.org/docs/Matter_of_Degrees_2.pdfSee page 21

Part III: HCC and Its Past Use of Learning Communities

Short term benefit isn’t apparent:

Source: Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research

Part III: Timeline for Pilot COE Learning Community Program

Early Spring 2016

Initiate

Spring 2016

Design

Summer 2016

Refine

Fall 2016

Execute

Early Spring 2017

Evaluate

Part III: Action Items for TimelineInitiate: Spring 2016 and early Summer 2016 Identify a COE willing to pilot a Learning Community program and assembly team of faculty, administrators from COE and Instruction, counselors, advisors, etc. to begin creating LCs

Enrollment services, IT, and PeopleSoft work to make Learning Communities “PeopleSoft friendly”

Refine: Summer 2016 Send the team to the Washington Center at Evergreen College to participate in their 2016 summer institute (July 11-15, 2016).

Faculty continue to collaborate and design Learning Communities (integrated curriculum, activities, etc.)

Advisors and counselors promote and enroll students in Learning Communities

Execute: Fall 2016 Student participate in first COE learning communities (2-4)

Evaluate: Spring 2017First reports and evaluations about the effectiveness of the learning communities

Part III: Evaluation of Pilot Learning Community Program

Qualitative MethodsFocus groups of faculty and

students LC participantsSurvey of LC participants

vs. control groupSelf-assessment of learning,

engagement, desire to repeat LC experience, almost a mini-CSSSE

Quantitative MethodsComparison of GPA,

persistence, credits completed, etc. of LC students with control group

Remember research suggests that LCs are a long term strategy and there may not be a big difference between the two groups initially

Part III: Cost of Pilot LC Program

Conference costs ($1350 per person) + Transportation costs Promotional costs to be determinedFaculty stipend to be determined Program supplies to be determined

Part IV: What is Peer Mentoring?

“’A confidential, one-to-one relationship in which an individual uses a more experienced, usually more senior person as a sounding board and for guidance.

It is a protected, non-judgmental relationship…’” (Industrial Society as quoted in Booth, 2003, p. 163)

Part IV: How does Peer Mentoring fit into the Community College?

Social integration and social support are closely linked and are vital to the college experience.

Successful integration in both social and academic areas reduces the likelihood of student withdrawal (Tinto, 1995)

Part IV: Why use Peer Mentoring?

Ferrari (2004) Improved academic performance Improved academic self-efficacy Improved satisfaction with academic programs

Brown, David and McClendon (1999, 2013) Ability to make a career choice and increased persistence to

achieve goals

Sosik and Godshalk (2005, 2010) Improved interpersonal communications Improved psychosocial support

Part IV: Why use Peer Mentoring?

• Impact on student experience• Creates sense of belonging and support• Contributes to academic success• Contributes to relationships/networking • Contributes to sense of community

• Impact on Houston Community College• Contributes to culture of success• Builds awareness of resources

Part IV: Pilot Peer Mentoring Program Overview

Focus on the social interaction as a key element of academic mentoring Positive social interaction Orientation of new students Encourage mentors in their own leadership development

Part IV: The training of peer mentors (key component)

Full training provided to mentorsSeries of workshops including:

• Expectations for mentor (what mentors do and don’t do)• HCC’s learning and social support services and when to refer a

mentee• Leadership styles• Building rapport• Effective Communication (i.e. asking open ended questions)

Pre and Post Survey or Test of trainingTraining would take place early to mid AugustTraining would be created and coordinated by Director of Peer Mentoring

Part IV: Cost of Pilot Peer Mentoring ProgramPilot: 2 peer mentors per COE or designated program (10-12 total)The mentors would be paid via work-study or attractive fellowship at $9.20 per

hour $9.20 per hour × 10 hours per week = $92 $92 ×16 weeks = $1472.00 per mentor per semesterTotal cost for 12 Mentors $17,664

 Director of the Mentor Program pay would be similar to Houston Community

College- P10 (i.e. Director of Learning Emporium) pay with specific duties. $61,335-$70,469. Estimated $65,000

 Secretary II (SCL7) or Office Manager (SCL8). Estimated $40,779 The director reports to the VC of Student Success or other HCC Administration

choice Estimated cost for all employees = $123,443

Part IV: Evaluation of Pilot Peer Mentor Program

Qualitative MethodsFocus groups of mentors

and menteesSurvey of mentors and

mentees

Quantitative MethodsComparison of GPA,

persistence, credits completed, etc. of mentors and mentees with control group

Questions and Comments

ReferencesBooth, A. (2003). Teaching history at university: Enhancing learning and understanding. New York: Routledge.

Brown, M. I., Davis, G. L., & McClendon, S. A. (1999). Mentoring graduate students of color: Myths, models, and modes. Peabody Journal of Education, 74(2), 105-18.

Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2013). A matter of degrees: Engaging practices, engaging students (high-impact practices for community college student engagement). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program.

Gentry, W. A., & Sosik, J. J. (2010). Developmental relationships and managerial promotability in organizations: A multisource study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77(2), 266-278.

Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research. (2011). Learning communities 6-year trend, 2005-2011. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/ad-hoc-analy/HCC_LC_6yrtrend.pdf

ReferencesHouston Community College, Office of Institutional Research. (2012). 2012 DEI strategy report: Spring 2011 course completion success rates for learning community students. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/atd-strategy-reports/Spring-2011,Learning-Communities.pdf

Maldonado, C. (2015). Future vision: Chancellor’s listening tour [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/HoustonCommunityCollege/future-vision-chancellor-listening-tour

Price, D.V. (2005). Learning communities and student success in postsecondary education: A background paper. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_421.pdf

Sommo, C., Mayer. A.K., Rudd, T. & Cullinan, D. (2012). Commencement day: Six-year Effects of a freshman learning community program at Kingsborough Community College. New York, NY: MDRC. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/publication/what-have-we-learned-about-learning-communities-community-colleges

References

Sosik, J. J., & Godshalk, V. M. (2005). Examining Gender Similarity and Mentor's Supervisory Status in Mentoring Relationships. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in learning, 13(1), 39-52.

Straus, M. & Cook, C. (2013) Final narrative & financial report. Houston, TX: Houston Community College. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/annual-reports/HoustonCC2012-Final-Narrative-Report-013113.pdf

Tinto, V. & Love, A. G. (1995). A longitudinal study of learning communities at LaGuardia Community College. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 380179).

Tinto, V. (1998). Learning communities and the reconstruction of remedial education in higher education. Retrieved from https://vtinto.expressions.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Developmental-Education-Learning-Communities.pdf

Visher, M., Weiss, M.J., Weissman, E., Rudd, T. & Wathington, H.D. (2012). The effects of learning communities for students in developmental education: A synthesis of findings from six community colleges. New York, NY: MDRC. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/publication/what-have-we-learned-about-learning-communities-community-colleges