Student Success

1
Student Success

• Engagement, Retention, Learning,
• and Graduation

Student Success
Diane M. Lee, Office of Undergraduate Education
Michael Dillon, Office of Institutional
Research UMBC Retreat August, 2007 Online at
http//www.umbc.edu/undergrad_ed/aboutmain.html
or www.umbc.edu/oir

2
Objectives

• Provide an overview of retention and graduation
  rates at UMBC.
• Discuss established first-year initiatives.
• Share evidence supporting efficacy of first-year
  initiatives.
• Collaborate with each other on ways we can engage
  ALL students.

Student Success
3

• REALITY

Student Success

• UMBC Compared to USM schools
• UMBC Rates have Increased
• The Critical First Year

4
Who has the lowest six-year graduation rate?
Reality Check

• Salisbury
• Towson
• UMBC
• UMCP

5
Salisbury
UMCP
Towson
UMBC
Source MHEC, System Retention Graduation
Rates20004-yr Institutions (Fall 2006)
6
What percentage of new students who enter in the
fall are lost after one year?
Reality Check

• 10
• 20
• 30
• 40

7
Trends in Retention Rates at UMBCDegree-seeking
New Freshmen (1995 2006)
Source OIR
8
Trends in Retention Rates at UMBCDegree-seeking
New Transfer Students (1995 2006)
Source OIR
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Trends in Graduation Rates at UMBCDegree-seeking
New Freshmen (1995 2002)
Source OIR
10
Trends in Graduation Rates at UMBCDegree-seeking
New Transfer Students (1995 2002)
Source OIR
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The First Year is Critical

• Nearly half those who leave do so within the
  first year.
• Most of those never return -- only 6 return to
  graduate within six years.
• The 1st year is critical for retention.

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• RESULTS

Student Success

• Guiding Principles for First-year Initiatives
• What we do at UMBC
• FOCUS First-year Experiences (FYE)
• Do FYEs Matter? Evidence-based Research

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Best Practices

• Active and collaborative learning
• Academically challenging coursework
• Time on task
• Enriching educational activities
• Engagement in out-of-class experiences
• Cultural diversity
• Student and faculty interaction
• Collaborations across Academic and Student
  Affairs divisions
• Student cooperation and collaboration
• Supportive campus environment

Astin (1984, 1993) Tinto (1987, 1993)
Chickering Gramson (1987) Kuh (2001) Kuh et
al. (2005 Pascarella Terenzini (2005)
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Formal Interventions are Recent
1999 Sondheim Scholars
1989 Meyerhoff Program
1992 Humanities Scholars
2000 Living-Learning Communities
2002 CWIT Scholars, First-Year Seminars
1994HHMI Scholars
1988 Honors College, FYI
1995 Linehan Scholars
2004 Extension of IHU across disciplines
2005/2006 CHEM 101/102 reforms
1967 1977
1987
1997 2007
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First-Year Experiences

• Introduction to an Honors University (IHU)
• First-Year Seminars
• Living-Learning Communities

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Of the more than 2,500 four-year colleges and
universities in the U.S., what portion offer
something similar to our Introduction to an
Honors University (IHU) course?
Ask the Audience

• 75 100
• 50 75
• 25 50
• 1 25

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The Survey Says

• Introduced by John N. Gardner at the
• University of South Carolina in 1972 as
• University 101, the idea has since been
• adopted or adapted by nearly 95 of
• Americas four-year colleges and
• universities (Pascarella Terenzini, 2005,
  p.400).

Pascarella, E., Terenzini, P. (2005). How College
Affects Students, Jossey Bass, San
Francisco. Second National Survey of First-year
Academic Practices (2002). Policy Center on the
First Year of College, Brevard , NC.
http//www.firstyear.org/survey/survey2002/findin
gs.html. Accessed August 10, 2007.
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First-Year Experiences at UMBC

• Introduction to an Honors University
• One-credit academic orientation and transition
  seminars paired with popular freshman courses in
  content areas
• Learning goals of the IHUs include
• Academic integrity
• Time management
• Academic expectations and skills
• Information and technological fluency
• Academic and career goal development
• Interpersonal communication teamwork skills
• Involvement in UMBC community

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First-Year Experiences at UMBC

• IHUs have been linked to the following courses
• ENGL 100English Composition
• ENES 101Introduction to Engineering Science
• AMST 100Ideas Images in American Culture
• MATH 106Algebra and Elementary Functions
• IS 101Introduction to Computer-based Systems
• PHIL 100Introduction to Philosophy
• PHIL 152Introduction to Moral Theory
• SCI 100Water An Interdisciplinary Study
• BIO 100 L Biology Lab (starting fall 2007)

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First-Year Experiences at UMBC

• First-Year Seminars
• Implemented in fall 2002
• Designed to provide first-year students
  (including transfer students) a small group
  academic experience that allows for active
  collaborative learning with faculty peers
• Incorporate traditional reading, writing,
  discussion, and lecture formats with active
  learning experiences like field work, original
  research, group projects or performance

http//www.umbc.edu/undergrad_ed/fys/allcurrentfac
ulty.html
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First-Year Experiences at UMBC

• Living-Learning Communities
• Programs where undergraduate students live on a
  residence hall floor and participate in academic
  and co-curricular programming developed for them

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First-Year Experiences at UMBC

• Living-Learning Communities
• Living-Learning Communities have included
• Shriver (2000)
• Intercultural Living Exchange (2001)
• Humanities (2002)
• Emergency Health Services (2002)
• Women Involved in Learning Leadership (2003)
• Visual Performing Arts (2003)
• Honors College (2003)
• CWIT (2004)
• Exploratory Majors (2006)

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Do FYEs Matter?

• OIR studies have assessed FYEs in terms of
• Participation rates
• Relationship to effective education practices
  (NSSE)
• Relationship to retention

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First-Year Experiences (FYE) 1st Semester
Participation Rates Fall Cohorts of
Degree-seeking New Freshmen and New Transfer
Students (2000 2006)

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The NSSE (2005) shows

• Goals of UMBCs IHU and FYS are consistent with
  NSSEs Benchmarks of Effective Educational
  Practice
• IHU participants reported significantly higher
  scores on
• One benchmark
• Supportive Campus Environment

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The NSSE (2005) shows

• UMBC has contributed to their ability to
• Work effectively with others
• Develop a personal code of ethics values
• Develop a deepened sense of spirituality
• Analyze quantitative problems
• Solve real world problems

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The NSSE (2005) shows

• FYS participants reported significantly higher
  scores on
• Level of Academic Challenge
• Active and Collaborative Learning
• UMBC has contributed to their ability to
• Write clearly and effectively
• Speak clearly and effectively
• Contribute to the welfare of your community

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Engagement in FYEs Matter!

• New freshmen who engaged in an FYE the 1st
  semester were more likely to be retained after
  the
• 1st semester
• 1st year
• 2nd year
• Bottom line loss rates declined by 10

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• What else Works?

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Affiliation Matters

• Students involved in the following
• groups their 1st semester are more
• likely to be retained than those who
• were not

• Scholars Programs
• Meyerhoff
• Sondheim
• Linehan
• Humanities
• CWIT

• Honors College
• Shriver Center
• Athletes

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Classrooms as Communities Matter Chemistry 101

• Peer-guided discovery learning model
• Lecture
• Discovery sessions
• Tutorial Center

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What was the pass rate for CHEM 101 in Fall 2006?
Ask the Audience

• gt 90
• 75 - 90
• 60 - 75
• lt 60

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The Survey Says
Source SIS BRECS.Hist_crs_dtl, 8/7/2007
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Classrooms as CommunitiesInitiatives on the
Horizon

• Chemistry 102 (started fall 2006)
• Mathematics 106 (600 students)
• Psychology 100 (950 students)

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Conclusion Engagement Matters

• UMBC first-year initiatives are grounded in best
  practices.
• FYE participation at UMBC is positively related
  to retention.
• Students most at risk do not voluntarily
  participate in FYEs.
• ALL new students deserve an FYE.
• We must find additional ways to help our students
  during the exploratory years.

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It takes a campus (and then some)
Undergraduate Program Directors
Honors College
Cheryl Miller
Kathy O'Dell
Exploratory majors Floor
Andrea DeSantis
ADMINISTRATION
Faculty Development Center
Ralph Pollack
Provosts Office
Christopher Tkacik
LRC
Advising
Political Science
Andrea Spratt
Campus Connect
Gregory Simmons
Sondheim Scholars
CoAHSS
Registrars Office
Gabe Rettaliatta
Michael Busges
Retention Policy
Mikhel Kushner
Womens Center
STUDENTS
Miriam Tillman
OUE
LLC
CIO
Mania Jabes
Lisa Akchin
Shannon Tinney
Sharon Jacobs
Psychology
Samantha Riley
Karen Freiberg
Athletics
Linda Oliva
ENG
Andrea Desantis
Meyerhoff
CSC
CWIT
Charlie Fey
Admissions
David Hoffman
Abigail Delgado
OIA
Theresa Davis
David Hollander,
Retention Strategy
American Studies
FAMILY
Assessment
Jack Prostko
Scott Barasch
OCSS
David Daniel
Jack Suess
Delana Gregg
John Fritz
OIT
Bonita Johnsen
Kim Leisey
Ramona Arthur
Advising
Student Life
Chemistry
Keith Harmon
Susan Mcdonough
Judicial Services
FACULTY
Michael Dillon
OSL
STAFF
Judaic Studies
Peggy Rheingans
Diane Crump-Fogle
Kenneth Baron
Shriver Living Learning Floor
Jill Randles
Susan Lavazza
Lashae Moore
Marilyn Demorest
Connie Pierson
Teresa Viancour
Cynthia Hody
Jonathan Finkelstein
Jason Lovigilo
Diane Lee
CSEE
Ericka Thompson
Janet McGlynn
Cathy Bielawski
Claudia Morrell
Jean Donohue
Mark Terranova
USM
ResLife
OIR
Education
Barbara Smith
Michele Wolff
Susan Martin
Tom Vogler
UCC
Arthur Johnson
Carrie Sauter
Teresa Aylsworth
Nancy Young
Jessica Hammond
Anne Scholl-Fiedler
Yvette Mozie-Ross
Steven Gilmore
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• RENEWAL

Student Success
38
Structures for Student Success Breakout Sessions

• First-Year Experiences
• Transfer Students
• Exploratory Years

Student Success