ACICS = Accrediting Council for Independent

Colleges and Schools;

Annual Faculty Development Plan:

◦ Plan year runs April 1st through March 31st;

◦ 4 mandatory in-service sessions per year outlined on plan;

◦ 3 mandatory professional growth activities each of various

“types” outlined on plan:

Professional growth “types” include related business experience,

memberships, continuing education, professional writing,

workshops, webinars, reading professional journals, etc.;

Remember to document your professional growth and submit

evidence to your school chair or dean;

◦ 4 e-Campus courses per plan year.

ACICS Data Sheet:

◦ Page 1 will only updated unless you have a major change in

your personal information, acquire a new certificate, earn a

new degree, etc.;

◦ Page 2 will be updated each quarter:

The table at the top contains your class schedule for the upcoming

quarter;

Your school chair or dean will confirm the accuracy of this schedule.

◦ Complete the professional development information in the

second half:

Methods courses or workshops during the past three years;

Conventions or educational meetings during the past three years;

Organizations and professional societies related to your position.

Encourage 100% attendance from every student starting from day 1: ◦ Dean Smith sets this expectation when he speaks to incoming students at New Student

Orientation… continue the message on day 1 in your classes;

Encourage clear communication about attendance: ◦ Expect students to e-mail you and call you if they are going to miss class;

◦ Provide your students with good contact information and respond to your e-mails!

The importance of accurate attendance: ◦ Print the class roster and make sure the date is visible;

◦ Have the students sign the roster within the first 30 minutes;

◦ Enter attendance into system within the first 30 minutes;

◦ Indicate on the roster which students have emailed you or called out;

◦ LRC staff will come by your classroom to collect the roster;

◦ Academic staff will call all absent students and document on roster and in system;

◦ Academic staff will return the roster to your classroom;

◦ It is still expected that you personally call and e-mail missing students;

◦ Turn the roster in to metal bin by the photocopier in the instructor’s office.

Exercise: “Why are you here?”

Student engagement

Attendance = Retention

Remember the goal… 100%

Simple equation to keeping students engaged from day 1:

Strong bond with:

1 Administrator + 1 Instructor + 1 Student = Engagement

“Social integration of students increases the probability of

academic and social success in the institution. If students are

engaged, they are more likely to feel a part of … the college

or university” (Spady, 1970).

By the mid-70s, Tinto (1975) developed his model of Student

Integration based on the prior work of Spady (1970):

Prior to admission to higher education institutions, students have already developed

certain attributes conditioned by their upbringing;

They have also already developed certain academic and social skills and abilities

throughout their experiences;

All of these experiences form what becomes the student's goals, expectations, and

level of commitment toward college, the workforce, and the world around them;

Once they are enrolled in the institution, there are many formal and informal

activities that will have an impact on the student's "integration" into the college, or

lack thereof;

If the integration is strong, the student is more likely to decide to persist (be

retained);

If the integration is weak, the student is more likely to decide to depart (to drop);

In many cases, students need to be reconditioned so they are better equipped to

handle social situations and untaught so they are better equipped to handle academic

situations!

By the mid-90s, Swail (1996) developed a model for student

retention based on the prior works of Spady (1970) and Tinto (1975):

The student comes to the college with characteristics across two distinct

lines – cognitive and social;

These aspects define very distinctly the student's strengths and weaknesses

in academic and social situations;

The institution, at all levels, then has the ability to identify these areas and

better meet the needs of the student so that he or she is able to succeed.

What are the cognitive and social lines of the Swail model?

How do we as educators identify these areas?

So, how do we as educators identify these areas?

The answer is in the connection between the concepts of:

Social integration Persistence/retention Engagement

1. We have to make sure students are attending classes as

regularly as possible with the goal being 100% ;

2. We have to make sure that students are forming strong

connections with administrators, faculty, and fellow students;

3. We may have to recondition students to certain social situations

and unteach certain academic behaviors;

4. We must get to know our students…

Things NOT to do during class:

1. Say the words “drop” or “withdraw”;

2. Come across as negative, bored, or disengaged;

3. Read from your slides and stand stationary;

4. Arrive late and/or unprepared.

Things TO do during class: 1. Call students by their names often;

2. Build accountability and buy-in from day 1;

3. Teach interactively and reach multiple learning styles;

4. Manage and lead your class with confidence…

Classroom Management:

Maintaining accurate attendance records;

Following the institution’s attendance policies;

Maintaining accurate grades for all students;

Returning graded work to students in a timely manner;

Distributing progress reports at weeks 3, 6, and 9;

Writing your agenda on the board every class period;

Controlling any noise, chatter, and discipline problems;

Immediately reporting and documenting instances of plagiarism;

Controlling the “Grand Central Station” effect;

These are maintenance-related activities!

Classroom Leadership:

Effectively delivering the assigned curriculum and utilizing the books;

Asking effective questions of all students using appropriate techniques;

Pressing students for engaging feedback to ensure they “get it”;

Providing solid feedback to students that motivates them to dig deeper;

Switching gears enough that students do not become disengaged;

Developing interesting field trips and inviting special guest speakers;

Building confidence in your students by having them speak in public;

Assisting students with adapting to changing classroom conditions;

Leading in a way that presents you as an expert in the field;

These are leadership qualities that help you mentor and empower!

Social integration Persistence/retention Engagement

Engaging faculty and staff: An imperative for fostering

retention, advising, and smart borrowing. (2008). Round

Rock, TX: Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation.

Retrieved from http://www.tgslc.org/pdf/EngagingFaculty.pdf

Spady, W. G. (1970). Dropouts from higher education: An

interdisciplinary review and synthesis. Interchange, 1(1), 65-

85.

Swail, W. S. (2004). The art of student retention: A handbook for

practitioners and administrators. Education Policy Institute,

Retrieved from http://www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/ART.pdf

Swail, W. S., Redd, K., and Perna, L. (2003). Retaining minority

students in higher education. An ASHE-ERIC Reader. San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical

synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research,

45(1), 89-125.

Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college. The University of Chicago

Press: Chicago, IL.