PRESENTER: Jennifer I' Sarabok jennifer'sarabokbc3'edu INSTITUTION: Butler County Community College - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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PRESENTER: Jennifer I' Sarabok jennifer'sarabokbc3'edu INSTITUTION: Butler County Community College

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Title: PRESENTER: Jennifer I' Sarabok jennifer'sarabokbc3'edu INSTITUTION: Butler County Community College


1
PRESENTER Jennifer I. Sarabok (jennifer.sarabok_at_b
c3.edu) INSTITUTION Butler County Community
CollegeTITLE Up the Down Staircase A mandatory
Intervention program for Students on
ProbationUSER ID 2302008 NACADA Annual
Conference
2
Up The Down Staircase
  • A Mandatory Intervention Program for Students on
    Probation

Presented by Jennifer Sarabok Academic
Counselor Retention Specialist
3
  • Embarrassment, disappointment, and desolation
    can be felt by a student who has failed to meet
    the academic requirements of his or her
    institution. Imagine experiencing all of these
    emotions and not knowing how to get back on
    track. - Christie A. Cruise, University of
    Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Cruise, C. A. (2002). Advising Students on
    Academic Probation. The Mentor. Retrieved
    September 24, 2008, from http//www.psu.edu/dus/me
    ntor/021028cc.htm

4
About BC3
  • 2 year public college
  • a main campus with three smaller off-sites
  • open enrollment
  • 3,800 students
  • about 2/3 need some developmental courses
  • 48 are first generation
  • 76 fall to spring retention

5
BC3s Advising By Choice Model Students will
be highly encouraged to seek direction and
guidance from their faculty advisors or the
academic counselors however, many students will
be permitted to register without the advisors
signature. Source BC3 Advising Manual
  • Academic Center for Enrichment composed of
  • The Dean for Student Services
  • 3 full time college-funded Academic Counselors
  • 1 full-time Perkins Career and Academic Counselor
  • 1 full time Act 101 Counselor
  • The Career Services Specialist
  • The Tutorial Coordinator
  • 1 full-time 1 part-time secretary

6
Before the New Probation Initiative What We Used
to Do
  • Three academic standings
  • Probation
  • Suspension
  • Dismissal
  • Probation based on a confusing matrix of
    cumulative GPA and credits attempted
  • 12-23.5 credits?1.0-1.49 ?limited to 12 credits
  • 24-35.5 credits?1.5-1.79 ?limited to 7 credits
  • 36 credits?1.8-2.00 ?limited to 7 credits

7
Before the New Probation Initiative What We Used
to Do
  • Students received letters informing them of their
    standings and the credit limits (see letter A)
  • For pre-registered students, credit limits and
    advising were not enforced.
  • Many pre-registered students on probation did
    not
  • repeat failing classes
  • understand financial aid progress
  • follow correct pre-requisites
  • seek academic counseling

8
  • Probation students had a 40 fall to fall
    retention rate

9
The Probation Initiative What We Changed
  • The Retention Committee chose this population for
    targeted intervention based on low retention
    rates.
  • A Probation Committee was formed to examine new
    ways to address this population.
  • Involved IT to look at the previous outcomes for
    this population
  • Held faculty focus groups and presented to
    Presidents Cabinet
  • Based on data, focus groups, and cabinet input
    the policy was officially changed!

10
The Probation Initiative What We Changed
  • Added an Academic Alert category
  • Academic Alert students who have a cumulative
    GPA below a 2.0, but semester GPA is above 1.5
  • Students on Academic Alert receive letters with
    information about contacting their Academic
    Advisors and accessing other resources (see
    letter B)

11
The Probation Initiative What We Changed
  • Got rid of the confusing grade and credit limit
    matrix for Probation Standing
  • Probation students who have cumulative GPAs
    below 2.0 and semester GPAs below 1.5
  • All students on academic probation are limited to
    13 credits

12
The Probation Initiative What We Changed
  • Enforced Follow-up Requirements
  • Students on Probation receive letters informing
    them of their probationary standings
  • Letters state the day, time , and location of
    each students MANDATORY session (see letter C)
  • Students who do not attend their sessions and do
    not call to request alternate sessions or
    individual appointments have their classes purged

13
How it works
  • A list of pre-registered students who fall into
    the probation category is generated by IT and
    forwarded to the Retention Specialist the day
    after grades are due
  • Students are randomly assigned to 2-hour
    Probation Sessions which are listed in the
    colleges database as pass/fail non-credit
    courses (PROB 101)
  • Letters are generated, which merge the session
    data with the students information (letter C)

14
How it works
  • Fall Sessions are held after the winter shut-down
    week but before classes begin
  • Spring sessions are held in the end of May
  • Students may call the office to change times or
    locations
  • For special circumstances, students can be seen
    individually

Fall 2006 5 sessions (split among three
counselors) Number of students ranged from 6 to
10 per session
15
How it works
  • Students who do not attend sessions are contacted
    by the counselors facilitating their sessions
  • If students do not follow-up, they are recorded
    as failing the non-credit class
  • Student who have Fs for this class have their
    schedules purged by the registrar two days
    before classes start
  • Purged students can re-do their schedules but
    must see counselors

The program has been in place for 4 semesters and
only 3 students have been purged (all
re-scheduled)
16
What we do in the sessions
  • 0-15 minutes
  • intro explanation of academic standing
  • 15-30 minutes
  • Study skills checklist
  • 30-45 minutes
  • Tips for success and campus resources
  • 45-60 minutes
  • motivation/goal setting
  • 60-75 minutes
  • Financial aid progress (with financial aid staff)
  • 75-120 minutes
  • Schedule adjustment w/ counselors

17
Folder given to students includes
Each students semester schedule and transcripts
are included in his or her individual folder
  • Academic Standing Policy from the College Catalog
  • Study Skills Checklist
  • Contract for Success
  • Goal Setting Sheet
  • Drop/add form
  • Student Services Directory

18
Follow Up
  • Students progress is monitored by the counselors
    who facilitated their sessions
  • Counselors check students progress after the
    Early Alert Report (4 weeks) and after Midterm
    Grades
  • Students MUST see a counselor or an advisor to
    change schedules and to register for the
    subsequent semester

19
Drawbacks of the Program
  • Labor Intensive
  • More work for counselors at a busy time
  • Increases administrative/clerical workload with
    more phone calls, mailings, creation of folders,
    management of sessions, etc.
  • Difficulties with communication of policy and
    enforcement
  • Selling the purge to administration

20
Outcome!!!Fall 2005 Probation Group (n 41)
BEFORE PROBATION SESSIONS
  • Fall 2005 GPA 1.139
  • Spring 2006 GPA 1.397
  • Fall 2006 GPA 1.345 (n17, 41)
  • Spring 2007 GPA 1.681 (n14, 34)
  • Cumulative (after Sum 2008) 1.676

21
Outcome!!! Fall 2006 Probation Group (n37)
AFTER PROBATION SESSIONS
  • Fall 2006 1.164
  • Spring 2007 1.496
  • Fall 2007 2.325 (n23, 62)
  • Spring 2007 2.290 (n24, 65)
  • Cumulative (after Sum 2008) 1.717

22
Conclusions
  • The first semester after the intervention was NOT
    significantly better.
  • HOWEVER
  • There seems to be a delayed or residual effect
    that appears to have significantly improved GPAs
    in subsequent semesters.

23
Future Considerations
  • Look at graduation and transfer rates
  • Examine why overall GPA does not seem to be
    higher
  • Require a 1-credit study skills class
  • Examine rates of resource use (e.g. Tutoring,
    advising, etc. ) after intervention
  • Involve peer mentors or tutors in the
    intervention process
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