the evolution of student success - university of alaska system

©2019 by EAB. All Rights Reserved. eab.com

The Evolution of Student Success

Academic Affairs Forum

https://www.eab.com/


2Is College Worth It?

Source: “Is College a Lousy Investment,” Newsweek, September 2012; EAB interviews and analysis.

Higher Education Continuing to Face a Drumbeat of Critiques



3

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 4-Year Postsecondary Graduation Rate; National Center for Education Statistics, 2-Year Postsecondary Graduation Rate; Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce, 2017, “Career Pathways: Five Ways to Connect College and Careers”; Pew Research Center, 2017, “5 Facts about Student Loans”; EAB interviews and analysis.

19xTuition and fees at public 4-year institutions growing 19 times faster than the median family income since 1980

$1.3TAmericans owe more than $1.3 trillion in student loans

The Rising Financial Burden of a College Education

Some Good Reason for Concern

58.4% 58.6% 59.2% 59.4% 59.6% 59.4%

27.8% 27.5% 29.2% 29.8% 31.2% 30.9%

10

20

30

40

50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Gra

duation R

ate

(%

)

Starting Cohort

4-Year

2-Year

College Graduation Stagnant as Costs Rise

Percent of Students Graduating with a Degree Within 150 Percent of Normal Time1, 2-Year and 4-Year Postsecondary Institutions

1) 3-year graduation rate at 2-year institutions, 6-year graduation rate at 4-year institutions.


https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d16/tables/dt16_326.10.asp

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d16/tables/dt16_326.20.asp

https://cew-7632.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/LEE-final.pdf

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/24/5-facts-about-student-loans/


4Diverging Demographics by Region

Falling Birthrates From 2007 to Present Projected to Hit HEIs Across the US

Projected Percent Change in the Population of 18-Year-Olds, 2017-2029

11% to 30% growth

0% to 10% growth

-1% to -9% decline

-10% to -19%decline

-20% + decline

Sources: Grawe, Nathan D., Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education, 2017; EAB analysis.



5A Challenging Financial Environment$

17

,07

9

$1

6,3

00

$1

6,3

23

$1

5,7

28

$1

5,6

81

$1

5,1

83

$1

5,0

61

$1

5,3

55

$1

5,1

70

$1

5,8

76

$1

5,4

79

$1

4,9

31

$1

3,8

99

$1

4,5

03

$1

5,2

00

$1

6,8

29

$1

7,1

80

$1

7,7

49

$1

7,0

82

$1

6,7

55

$1

6,5

83

$1

7,2

13

$1

8,2

22

$1

8,2

01

$1

7,0

64

$1

6,3

91

$3

,34

1

$3

,08

4

$3

,31

2

$3

,45

6

$3

,59

4

$3

,78

5

$4

,47

9

$4

,45

4

$4

,24

1

$4

,18

2

$4

,17

2

$4

,20

0

$4

,38

3

$4

,81

3

$5

,26

7

$5

,49

4

$5

,80

2

$5

,98

9

$5

,99

9

$6

,16

9

$6

,29

7

$6

,53

1

$6

,47

1

$6

,68

2

$7

,14

6

$7

,30

1

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

0

5

10

15

20

25

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

20

17

Do

llars

per

FTE

Pu

blic

FTE

En

rollm

ent

(Th

ou

san

ds)

ALASKAPUBLIC FTE ENROLLMENT AND EDUCATIONAL APPROPRIATIONS PER FTE, FY 1992-2017

NET TUITION REVENUE PER FTE EDUCATIONAL APPROPRIATIONS PER FTEPUBLIC FTE ENROLLMENT



6

Financial Aid and Student Equity Policy Under Growing Scrutiny

Source: Katie Benner, “Justice Dept. Backs Suit Accusing Harvard of Discriminating Against Asian-American Applicants”, The New York Times, August 30, 2018; Anya Kamenetz, “Is Free College Really Free?”, NPR, January 5, 2017; Sarah Brown, “DeVos’s Rules on Sexual Misconduct, Long Awaited on Campuses, Reflect Her Interim Policy”, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 29, 2018; Levitan, Monica, “Proposed Title IX Regulations Prompts New Concerns,” Diverse Education, November 18, 2018, https://diverseeducation.com/article/132340/

Attempting to Navigate Shifting Policy Agendas

Use of Race in Admissions in the Spotlight as SCOTUS Changes

Justice Department sides with groups suing Harvard over use of race in admissions

Free College Spreads, but not Without Controversy

Questions remain about who benefits most, low-income or wealthier students?

Still Awaiting a Two-Page FAFSA

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) unrolls full FAFSA form to illustrate its length and complexity.

Photo

: AP P

hoto

/Manuel Balc

eCeneta

Concerns and Questions about Proposed Title IX Regulation Changes

Changes in accountability, due process, and standards of evidence add to an

already confusing set of rules and requirements



7

What Institutions Do (or Don’t) to Create or Worsen Gaps

Source: EAB interviews and analysis.

Focusing on What Higher Ed Can Control

“What gaps do we have to react to and attempt to remedy?

“What gaps do we contribute to or make worse by action or inaction?”

Two Guiding Questions

Seeking to Increase Access and Improve K-12 Education

Helping to Create Jobs and Meet Employer Workforce Needs

Overcoming Barriers to Equity in Student Success on Your Campus



8

URMs1 Most Likely to Attend Part-Time—And Least Likely to Complete

Source: “Signature 14 Completing College: A National View of Student Completion Rates–Fall 2011 Cohort,” National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, December 2017, https://nscresearchcenter.org/signaturereport14/; EAB interviews and analysis.

1) URM= Underrepresented Minority

An Overlooked Equity Issue

Attendance Status the Missing Piece?

Basic NeedsCampus

Engagement

Holistic Advising

Classroom Inclusion

Faculty Diversity

72%

84%81%

White Hispanic Black

Percentage of Two-Year Students Who Attended Part-Time at Least One Semester, 2011 Cohort

38%30%

22%

White Hispanic Black

Six-Year Completion Rates of Students Who Attended Part-Time at Least One Semester, 2011 Cohort

Current Equity Efforts Address Many Aspects of the College Experience



9

49%

63% 64% 62%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

ProjectedPresentPast

Source: Digest of Education Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics; “Current Term Enrollment Estimate Spring 2018”, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, May 2018; “Even One Semester,” Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2017; EAB interviews and analysis.

Part-Time Attendance Remains Constant

Of community college students enroll part-time at some point during their community college experience

83%

Vast Majority of Students Enroll Part-Time at Least Once

Part-Time Status Remains Stable Through Boom and Bust TimesPercentage of Students Enrolling Part-Time in the Fall


https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/

, https:/nscresearchcenter.org/currenttermenrollmentestimate-spring2018/


10

Financial Impact of a Retention Improvement

EAB interviews and analysis

The Economic Case for Student Success

Projected Net Revenue Above Baseline

• 10,000 student public institution

• $12,000 net revenue per student

$0.7M

$2.0M

$3.8M

$5.1M

$5.9M$6.2M $6.3 M $6.4 M

Fall

2018

Fall

2019

Fall

2020

Fall

2021

Fall

2022

Fall

2023

Fall

2024

Fall

2025

1% increasein overall persistence each year for 3 years



11

Root Cause of Attrition Remains Frustratingly Elusive

Why Don’t Students Complete?

In my interviews with students, I have

found that the biggest reasons for a

delay in graduation are that students

switch majors, fail out of courses,

cannot get required courses, do not

qualify for their intended majors; they

have to work to pay for their living

expenses, do not think there are any

jobs for them after graduation,

pursue double majors, do not receive

adequate advising, have medical

problems and personal issues.

Faculty Member,

Large Public Research University

Hours spent in campus

meetings and town halls

Hundreds of new student

success administrators

Countless presentations

on improving completion

Thousands of pages of task

force recommendations



12

108 Disparities Identified Across the Student Lifecycle

Source: Bibliography available upon request; EAB interviews and analysis.

Infographic: Barriers to Student Success

Using this Infographic Surprising Gaps Identified:

Effect of parental expectations on academic perseverance

Responses of faculty to comments on student discussion boards

Assists taskforces in identifying potentially hidden disparities

Faculty dropping students from courses

Impact of grading practices

Effect of student self-efficacy on first-year course grades

Designed to identify leading indicators of gaps in common success metrics

Thematically organized around key functional areas of your portfolio

Prioritize key areas of focus based on broader strategic and institutional goals



13

Creating a Data-Driven Student Equity Action Plan

Source: Bibliography available upon request; EAB interviews and analysis.

How to Use the Infographic on Your Campus

Start with common success metrics e.g. graduation rates, first-year retention

5 Steps to Use EAB’s Student Equity Audit

Consider your current student success and equity goals

Select two to three of the gaps EAB has identified that align with your institutional and strategic goals

Work with your institutional research office and academic units to collect relevant data to understand your current practice

Develop a solution-oriented action plan

Forthcoming Resources in Q1 2019

• Asset-based Communication Audit

• Peer-to-Peer Support Maturity Diagnostic

• Innovative Institutional Gap Analysis Repository



14

Who “Owns” Student Success On Your Campus?

An Organizational Dilemma


Provost

Enrollment Manager

VP of Undergraduate

Studies

VP of Student Affairs

VP of Student Success

Academic Deans

“Student success needs to be someone’s job”

“I have academic credibility and run the first year”

“We own the curriculum and the purse strings”

“I know how to manage to numbers, not just ideas”

“I understand the non-academic roots of attrition”

Admissions

Stop-Out Recruitment

Scholarships and Aid

The First Year Experience

Undeclared Advising

Honors Programs

Departmental Programming

Academic Advising

Curricular Design

Success data and dashboards

Advising policies and practices

Overseeing initiatives

Orientation

Counseling Interventions

Student Involvement

The Student Success Office



15Entering a New Phase in Student Success

Yesterday’s Approach

Target resource intensive support services and staff to highest risk students

Focus efforts and programs on first year students to boost retention

Monitor academic progress to identify students at risk of probation

Today’s Approach

Recognize “murky” middle students as attrition risks with opportunity for improvement

Address sophomore and upper division attrition and emphasize persistence to graduation

Apply a holistic risk model with academic and non-academic factors to identify students at risk of withdrawal



16

Instead of Major Choice, Advising Conversations Dominated by Registration


What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Career Preparation

Course Registration

Co-Curricular Options

Personal Advice

Academic Support

Course Registration

Advisors Cross-Trained in Multiple Specialties…

…but Course Registration Monopolizes Advising Meetings

Degree Planning

Appointment CompositionAdvisor Capabilities



17

Moving Beyond Registration to Put Student Success at the Core

How Has the Role of the Advisor Evolved?


Student SuccessEarly alert responseCase management

How Many Advisors View Their Role…

Student success often seen by advisors as an add-on responsibility to registration

SpecializationsFirst-year seminarsPersonal counselingFinancial advisingCareer advising

RegistrationCourse planningMajor guidance

Student Success

Academic Performance

…And How That Role is Evolving

Advisors increasingly asked to play many roles, with student success at the center

RegistrationFinancial

Well-Being

Engagement



18

Called Upon to Answer Students’ Complex Academic Questions

Faculty Seen as Critical to Student Success


Academic

Com

ple

x

Non-Academic

Tra

nsactional

Faculty

Academic Advisors

Success Coaches

Self-Service

“I can’t afford to finish my degree”

“I need a new ID card”

“How many courses should I take?”

“I don’t fit in and can’t afford to stay”

“I want to switch majors”

“I need to pick a major”

“Which subfield should I study?”

“I need to register for classes”



19

Individual and Collective Responsibilities to Guide Institutional Change

Six Roles for Faculty in Student Success

Enhance the Learning Experience

4

Support Evolving Advising Models

1Redesign Academic Policies

2Remove Curricular Barriers to Completion 3

Mentor Rising-Risk Student Groups

Flag Signs of Student Risk

5 6

IndividualContribution

Collective Decision-Making

• Faculty-Led Advisor Training

• Advising Career Ladder

• Unit Liaison Roles

• Distributed Support Balancing

• Academic Policy Audit

• DIY Enrollment Analysis Platform

• Enrollment Impact Audits

• Task-Based Retention Teams

• Guided Project Management

Scaling Learning Innovations

• Early Warning Design Requirements

• Adjustable Alert Parameters

• Effectiveness-Focused Feedback

• Targeted First-Year Mentor Matching

• High-Flyer Transfer Intervention



20

A True Perspective on Outcomes Demands a New Set of Success Metrics

Source: Shapiro D, et al., “Completing College: A National View of Student Attainment Rates – Fall 2010 Cohort (Signature Report No. 12)” National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (2016); Federal Reserve Bank of NY: https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-

market/college-labor-market_underemployment_rates.html#; EAB interviews and analysis

What Actually Happens to Our Students?

22Drop out of college

35Graduate and are working a job requiring a BA by age 27

33Earn an associate’s 28

Graduate but are underemployed

Graduate more students…

…in less time, at lower cost…

…with betterpost-grad outcomes…

For Every 100 Students Who Start a Bachelor’s Degree…

…to deliver a betterReturn on Education

12Still enrolled after six years

Our new student success mandate:


https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/college-labor-market_underemployment_rates.html


21

Student Success Encompasses More Than Graduation Success

Beyond the Completion Binary

Defining Student Success by How It’s Measured

Access

Intellectual, Social, and Emotional

Development

Post-Graduation Financial Wellness

Degree Progress

Retention Completion ?Career

Engagement

Foundational Holistic

Progressive Outcomes

Student Success

Graduation Success



22Guiding Beyond Today’s Event


Washington DC Richmond Birmingham Minneapolis

202-747-1000 eab.com



the evolution of student success - university of alaska system

Documents