portfolio of initiatives: an institutional model for implementing student success initiatives
DESCRIPTION
Graduating more students and increasing the quality of their learning are national priorities and Oregon is implementing 40-40-20 to improve student attainment. Due to demographic shifts, institutions must maintain institutional quality and reputation by building capacity to successfully serve an increasing numbers of first-generation and under-represented students. Educational institutions that fail to develop the capacity to serve a diverse student body, with varying ability, will face existential challenges. Research has shown that institutions can surpass the limits set by institutional resources and students’ backgrounds by engaging students in high quality learning experiences, organized around clearly articulated learning outcomes, supported by high-impact practices, and project redesign using assessment of student learning and program effectiveness. While there is significant research on factors that have an impact on student success, there are few models that outline how institutions can successfully implement student success initiative. Retention efforts are also distributed across the schools and colleges. This typically results in an institution developing a patchwork of programs, which are not effectively coordinated, where success of one program is negated by the actions of another project on campus, resulting in little or no progress in improving student success. Case Study: At Portland State University we have implemented a Portfolio-of-Initiatives framework, developed by McKinsey and Company, to develop strategy, and manage implementation. Using a Portfolio-of-Initiatives approach has required us to focus on: • A disciplined search for a variety of initiatives with the highest possibility of success. • Rigorous monitoring of projects and sub-projects, with a focus on action. • Supporting the champions. • Scaling up successful ideas and projects and winding down unsuccessful projects and changing course when needed. Portfolio-of Initiatives includes projects that aim to: improve effectiveness of existing academic policies and services; support early identification of students at risk; intentional advising and charting a pathway to degree completion; improve communication; address academic needs of students with a High School GPA below 3.0; address financial concerns; ease transition to college using peer mentoring; improve persistence of Freshmen living in residence halls; make student success data available at unit level; reduce the number of courses with preponderance (20%) of D, W, F grades; manage capacity of programs and course offerings for timely progress to graduation. Summary: This session will focus on the theory and practice of developing institutional student success initiatives. We will offer Portfolio-of-Initiative implemented at Portland State University as a case study for the participants.TRANSCRIPT
Sukhwant Jhaj, Dan Fortmiler,Ella Peterson
Portfolio of Initiatives: An Institutional Model for
Implementing Student Success Initiatives
Portland State University
Enrollment 2011-2012 (Fall 2011)• Total: 29,703• Undergraduate: 23,222• Graduate: 6,481• Full time: 58.3 percent• Part time: 41.7 percent
• PSU offers 60 undergraduate and 40 graduate programs.
• PSU offers more than 226 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
How does one develop strategy in a dynamic environment?
Institutional Context
Background / HistoryFirst Steps for Student Success and Retention CommitteeAACRAO Consultants
President Wiewel’s Blueprint 1. Provide Civic Leadership Through Partnerships2. Improve Student Success3. Achieve Global Excellence4. Enhance Educational Opportunity5. Expand Resources and Improve Effectiveness
External Context
Dynamic EnvironmentDeclining resources
Lack of fundingGovernance issues
Relationship with the stateLeadership changes set relationship with external audience
The Language of “performance” used to imagine higher-edPerformance compactDelta ProjectSchool comparator tool
Competitive landscapeAlternatives to traditional 4-year university
What is Portfolio of Initiatives?Created by Lowell Bryan to
Develop strategy in a dynamic and unpredictable environment
Elements:Rigorous Search
Initiatives with the highest possibility of success Diagnosis and designFocus on action Testing through experimentationJust in time implementationSupport championsImportance of passionate advocatesFlexibilityScale up successful projects, Winding down unsuccessful projectsChanging course when needed
Accessing Success
• Well defined measures• Balanced score card approach• Creating a culture of assessment and review
– Projects fail not people
• Example: Prescriptive Degree Maps
Evolving Assessment Structure
Prior Learning Survey --Student background characteristics--Student rating of academic skills--Student current life situation
End of Year Survey--Course evaluation--Academic Plans--Satisfaction
E-Portfolio Assessment--Student learning re: UNST goals
Evolving Assessment Structure
Prior Learning Survey
End of Year Survey
E-Portfolio Assessment
University Student Data Warehouse - Student Retention - Academic Performance, Fin. Aid
Student Success
Academic Preparedness and
Plan
Connectedness
Student Success
Well Being
Student Success Portfolio of Initiatives
•Assess the Effectiveness of Existing Policies, Procedures, and Services. (admissions req./process, application deadline, bursars hold)
•Support Early Identification of Students at Risk
•Intentional Advising and Charting a Pathway to Degree Completion•(Last Mile Committee, degree maps, degree map mile stone tracking, unified advising records)
•Improve Communication with Students
•Student Success Center (long term goal)
•Address Needs of Students Entering PSU with a High School GPA below 3.0
•Address Students’ Financial Concerns
•¡Exito! Latino student success
•Easing the transition to college using Peer Mentoring
•Improve the Persistence of Freshmen Living on Campus
•Make Student Success Data Available at Unit Level
•Reduce Courses with Preponderance (20%) of D, W, F, I, X, NP Grades
•Manage Capacity of Programs and Course Offerings
Intentional Advising
• Intentional advising background and history• Success supported by research• Intentional Advising supported by – Unified advising records, – Prescriptive degree maps, and – Degree map milestones tracking – Last Mile Committee– Fall Registration Project
Project: Prescriptive Degree Maps
• Rigorous Search – Addition of new academic advisors +
Research– Support by provost, Advising Council,
faculty• Focus on action – Testing through experimentation (pilot
project)– Embedding degree maps in PSU’s
processes • Support champions– Excellent leadership team
• Flexibility– Use in curricular efficiency– Changing the project direction as a result
of tech challenges
Project: Prescriptive Degree Maps
Review Handout
Available online at:http://jhaj.wordpress.com/retention-initiatives/retention-initiative-3/prescriptive-degree-maps/
Sukhwant Jhaj, Dan Fortmiler,Ella Peterson
Thank you!
Any questions? For more information
or a copy of this presentation visit: http://jhaj.wordpress.com