A Presentation Designed for the Council on Retention and Graduation

1
A Presentation Designed for theCouncil on
Retention and Graduation
Knowing IUPUI Students!
Presented by Michele J. Hansen, Ph.D., Director
of UC Assessment November 13, 2007
2
Assessing and updating your knowledge of

• Student progress and academic success
• Factors associated with academic success
• Student profiles
• Commitments
• Goals
• Finances

3
How to Score Yourself

• Scoring sheet has a place for you to indicate
  your answer to each question
• Score 1 point for an exactly correct answer
• Otherwise, give yourself a big fat ZERO

4
Ground Rules

• There are no life lines
• All answers ARE your final answer
• Youve got nothing to lose (or win for that
  matter)
• Here we go

5
Student Progress

• What percent of IUPUI Fall 2006 full-time
  beginners returned for their second year of
  classes?
• 63.0
• 64.3
• 66.9
• 69.3
• 71.2

2.6 higher than 2005!!
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
6
One-Year Retention Rates
7
IUPUI One-Year Retention Trend
8
Ten Year Trends
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Slide created by Victor M. H. Borden, Ph.D.,
Associate Vice President, University Planning,
Institutional Research and Accountability (IU)
9
Student Progress

• 2. What percent of IUPUI full-time beginners
  graduate from any IU campus within six years?
• 17
• 25
• 28
• 35
• 43

About 1 of 4!
Fall 2000 Entering Cohort
Source University Reporting Research official
reports are available at http//www.indiana.edu/u
rr
10
IUPUI Five Year Graduation Trend
11
Peer Institution Rates
One-Year Retention (2005) and Six Year Graduation
Rates of Full-Time Beginners (2000) Peer
Comparisons
Retention
Graduation
12
Fall 2005 Impact of Participation in a
First-Year Seminar on One-Year Retention  
13
Impact of Participation in a First-Year 2005
Seminar One-Year Retention
14
Fall 2006 Impact of Participation in a
First-Year Seminar on One-Year Retention  
15
271 Students did not Participate in a Fall 2006
First-Year Seminar

• Lower course loads
• Older (13 were 25 compared to 3)
• Higher SAT scores (mean1021 compared to
  mean997)
• Less likely to be conditionally admitted (27
  compared to 34)
• Less likely to be first-generation
• Less likely to live in campus housing
• More likely to earn a fall GPA below a 2.0 (31
  compared to 25)

16
Six-Year Graduation Rate - IUPUI (IN only)
First-Time, Full-Time Cohort
Source Kathy Burton, Director of Information
Management and Institutional Research
17
Questionnaire Results Students Reported Notable
Improvements in Following Areas

• Familiarity with campus and academic support
  resources.
• Deciding on a major or future career.
• Making connections with other students, peer
  mentors, faculty, and advisors.
• Adjusting to college.

18
First-Year Seminar Students Report Why Continuing
at IUPUI (n747)

• Major or Degree Program
• I plan to return because it is the best school I
  can go to for my particular major.
• It is really good for my major.
• For the nursing program.
• I plan to return to get the degree I want.
• Cost
• I plan to return because its the cheapest way
  to complete my degree.
• IUPUI is cheap and close to home still with a
  good education program.
• I enjoy the commuter campus and the low cost.
• Location
• Because it is close to home.
• I will return to IUPUI because I plan to still
  live at home.
• Easy access to home.

19
First-Year Seminar Students Report Why Not
Planning to Continue at IUPUI (n242)

• Too Far from Home
• Far away from home.
• I want to be closer to my family.
• Dont like being away from home, feel more
  comfortable at home.
• Cost
• IUPUI is expensive.
• Money reasons.
• I cant afford it right now.
• Lack of Connection/Commuter Campus
• A commuter campus is to much like a 2nd job to
  me.
• I hate the commute, and the fact that I dont
  live on campus theres no connection to the
  school.
• I dont plan on returning because I havent met
  a lot of people here. It is a commuter college
  and I want a more campus oriented life.
• I want to attend a different school with a
  college environment.

20
Themed Learning Communities First Semester
Academic Performance

• Fall 2003 Fall 2004
• TLC n120 2.84 TLC
  n255 2.65
• Non-TLC n1140 2.58 Non-TLC n1217
  2.56
•  
•  
• Fall 2005 Fall 2006
• TLC n 280 2.65
  TLC n 312 2.75
• Non-TLC n1026 2.43 Non-TLC
  n 1324 2.53
• Comparison group students who
  participated in a freshman seminar or learning
  community.
• G.P.A. adjusted to control for
  significant covariates including course load,
  age, gender, ethnicity, SAT scores, high school
  percentile ranks, units of high school math, and
  summer bridge participation.
• p

21
Themed Learning Communities Retention

• Fall 2003 Adjusted One Year Retention  
• of Students Adjusted Retention Rate
• TLC Participants 121 76
• Non-TLC Participants 1164
  69
•  
• Fall 2004 Adjusted One Year Retention 
• of Students Adjusted Retention Rate
• TLC Participants 287 69
• Non-TLC Participants 1351
  68
• Fall 2005 Adjusted One Year Retention 
• of Students Adjusted Retention Rate
• TLC Participants 338 70
• Non-TLC Participants 1211
  65
• Adjusted controlling for differences in
  demographics, enrollment, academic preparation,
  summer bridge participation. The non-participant
  group includes students enrolled in First-Year
  Seminars, but not in TLCs.
• .

22
Fall 2006 Impact of Participation in a Themed
Learning Community on One-Year Retention  
23
National Survey of Student Engagement

• Significant differences between TLC students (80)
  in comparison to others (280)
• Students participating in TLCs more often
• Worked on a paper or project that required
  integrating ideas or information from various
  sources
• Made more class presentations
• Included diverse perspectives (different races,
  religions, genders, political beliefs, etc.) in
  class discussions or writing assignments
• Put together ideas or concepts from different
  courses when completing assignments or during
  class discussions
• Worked harder than thought they could to meet an
  instructor's standards or expectations
• Tried to better understand someone else's views
  by imagining how an issue looks from his or her
  perspective
• Learned something that changed the way you
  understand an issue or concept

24
National Survey of Student Engagement

• Significant differences between TLC students (80)
  in comparison to others (280)
• TLC students also reported more instituional
  emphasis on
• Providing the support needed to help students
  succeed academically
• Encouraging contact among students from different
  economic, social, and racial or ethnic
  backgrounds
• Helping students cope with non-academic
  responsibilities (work, family, etc.)
• Working effectively with others
• Understanding people of other racial and ethnic
  backgrounds

25
Qualitative Survey Items

• Please describe how the theme of your learning
  community contributed to your learning
• Knowledge of Career/Major/Career Exploration
  Process (25)
• Cohort/Support Network (18)
• Connections/Integrative Curricula (15)
• Please describe what you liked most about your
  Themed Learning Community experience
• Cohort/Support Network (45)
• Professors (14)
• Interdisciplinary Connections (10)
• Please describe what you liked least about your
  Themed Learning Community experience
• Nothing (15)
• Lack of Interdisciplinary Connections/Coordination
  (12)
• Assignments (12)

26
Risk Factors Associated with Academic Success

• 3. Which of the following has been identified
  as a factor that is associated with poor levels
  of persistence and academic success?
• First-generation college student
• 30 hours working per week
• Low Socioeconomic Status
• Lack of institutional and goal commitment
• Low levels of Academic Hope
• Lack of social support
• All of the above
• None of the above
• Only a and b

27
Factors That Threaten Persistence and Graduation
from College

• Academically underprepared for college-level work
• First-generation college student
• Gap between high school and college
• 30 hours working per week
• Part-time enrollment
• Single parent
• Financially independent
• Children at home
• Lack of institutional and goal commitment
• George Kuh, 2006

28
Predictor Variables Positively Related to a
Higher Probability of Persistence

• Higher high school grade point averages
• Higher combined years of parents education
• Students who did not expect to be married within
  one year of graduation
• Students who were female
• Higher scores on moral/religious values factor
• Higher scores on good study habits in high school
  factor

Source Glynn, J.G, Saurer, P.L, Miller, T.E.
(2005-2006) Configural invariance of a model of
student attrition. Journal of College Student
Retention, 7(3-4), 263-281.
29
Factors Associated with Success (Source Gary
Pike Presentation 4/19/07)

• Gender
• First-Generation Student
• Institutional Commitment (Intent to Transfer)
• Amount of Time Spent Working
• Student Groups (predicted GPAs based on SAT/ACT
  High School GPA)

Ethnicity (minority status) was not significantly
related to student success.
30
IUPUI Entering Student Survey Study

• Based on the 2005 cohort, the following were
  significant predictors of First Semester GPA
  while controlling for academic preparation and
  background characteristics.
• Hours planned to work
• First generation status
• Comprehension and completion of assignments
  during the last year of high school

31
Work Commitments

• 4. What percent of IUPUI undergraduates have
  jobs?
• 12
• 26
• 45
• 63
• 75

Vast majority!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
32
Work Commitments

• 5. What percent of IUPUI undergraduates work off
  campus?
• 12
• 27
• 42
• 67
• 75

Vast majority!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
33
Work Commitments

• 6. What percent of IUPUI undergraduates work on
  campus?
• 5
• 13
• 24
• 35

Has gone up slightly!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
34
On-Campus Work Goal

• 7. What percent of undergraduates have never
  attempted to find a job on campus?
• 13
• 21
• 35
• 55
• 70
• 97

Wow!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
35
Work Commitments

• 8. What percent of IUPUI undergraduates who work
  are employed more than 10 miles from campus?
• 28
• 39
• 51
• 60

Majority!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
36
Employee Flexibility

• 9. What percent of undergraduates say their
  employers (on campus and off campus) give them
  the flexibility to attend classes and prepare for
  classes?
• 17
• 39
• 51
• 65
• 80

Flexible!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
37
Work Commitments

• 10. What percent of undergraduates who work say
  they need their job to be able to afford to
  attend college?
• 4
• 16
• 39
• 50
• 95

½!!!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
38
Work Commitments

• 11. What percent of undergraduates say they have
  to limit the number of classes they take because
  they work?
• 4
• 12
• 39
• 63
• 83

Surprised!
Spring 2007 Continuing Student Satisfaction and
Priorities Survey - IMIR
39
Commitments

• 12. What percent of Fall 2005 IUPUI Freshmen were
  employed on-campus?
• 1
• 6
• 15
• 27
• 30

Only about 300 students!
Source IMIR Profile of Undergraduate Student
Employees
40
Student Progress

• 13. What was the one-year retention rate for
  full-time freshmen students working on-campus?
• 60
• 65
• 70
• 74

Good News!!!
Source IMIR Profile of Undergraduate Student
Employees
41
Commitments

• 14. What percent of first-time students spend
  time providing care for dependents living with
  them (parents, children, spouse, etc.)?
• 12
• 23
• 34
• 45

Surprised?
Source 2006 NSSE N390
42
First Generation Status

• 15. What percent of 2007 FT, FT are First
  Generation Students?
• 25
• 49
• 57
• 85

majority!
Fall 2007 Institutional Data
43
First-Generation Student Progress

• 16. What was the one-year retention rate for FT,
  FT 2006 first-generation students?
• 45
• 50
• 61
• 68
• 77

Compared to 74?!!
44
IUPUI FT, FT First Generation Students

• Plan to work more hours
• Lower one-year retention rates
• Higher DWF rates (28 compared to 20 for
  non-first generation students)
• Higher percentage earned below a 2.0 during first
  semester (29 compared to 20 for non-first
  generation students)
• Lower fall GPAs (2.43 compared to 2.76 for
  non-first generation students)
• A substantially higher percentage reported that
  they needed help with financial aid (80)
  compared to non-first-generation students (62)
  

45
Student Profile

• 17. What percent of 2007 first-time, full-time
  students are African American?
• 2
• 5
• 8
• 17
• 26

46
Student ProfileFall 2007 First-Time, Full-Time
47
African American One-Year Retention Trend
Source University Reporting Research official
reports are available at http//www.indiana.edu/u
rr
48
IUPUI Fall 2006 FT, FT African American Students

• 71 reported that they were first-generation
  college students
• 58 were admitted conditionally
• 42 had first semester GPAs below a 2.0
• Planned to work more hours (20.17) for pay
  compared to all others group (18.63).
• More likely to live in campus housing (32)
  compared to all others (25).

49
First-Time, Full-Time Campus Housing
50
Student Progress

• 18. What was the one-year retention rate among
  2006 FT, FT students earning less than a 2.0
  during their first semester?
• 27
• 35
• 45
• 55

Not Good News!!!
51
FT Beginners GPAs and Retention Rates
Source University Reporting Research official
reports are available at http//www.indiana.edu/u
rr
52
Student Profile

• 19. What percent of 2007 IUPUI first-time,
  full-time students are age 25 or older?
• 2
• 12
• 22
• 31

(only 42 students)
53
IUPUI Number of Students Age 25 or Older
54
Student Progress

• 20. What was the one-year retention rate for FT,
  FT 2006 students aged 25 or older?
• 45
• 50
• 59
• 67
• 72

Similar to general rate!
55
Student Profile

• 21. What percent of 2007 first-time students are
  part-time students?
• 7
• 22
• 34
• 41

Lower than thought?!
56
Admit Status

• 22. What percent of 2007 FT, FT were dual admits?
  
• 25
• 32
• 57
• 85

majority are NOT
dual admits!
Fall 2007 Institutional Data
57
Educational Goal

• 23. Which of the following had the highest
  percentage of students reporting current
  educational goal?
• Earn at least two-year (associates) degree
• Earn at least four-year (bachelors) degree
• Take course for personal interest
• Take course for prof. dev. in current job
• Take course to explore career options
• Not sure

90
Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
58
Reasons for Attending College

• 24. What was most important reason affecting a
  students decision to attend college?
• Acquire knowledge and skills applicable to a
  specific job or type of work
• Fulfill a lifelong goal
• Make more money
• Meet new people
• My parents wanted me to go

Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
59
Reasons for Attending College
(rank order by mean importance)

• Acquire knowledge and skills applicable to a
  specific job or type of work
• Fulfill a lifelong goal
• Gain a general education
• Get a better job
• Make more money
• Meet new people
• Prepare for graduate or professional school
• My parents wanted me to go
• Change in financial situation
• Advance in my current job
• Issues related to children or childcare
• Change in marital status

60
Reasons for Attending IUPUI

• 25. What was most important reason impacting
  decision to attend IUPUI?
• Cost
• Recommendation from family member
• Ability to work while attending college
• Availability of specific academic programs
  (majors)
• Location
• Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
  Survey Results

61
Top 10 Reasons
(rank order by mean importance)

• Availability of specific academic programs
  (majors)
• Location
• Opportunity to receive an Indiana University or
  Purdue University degree
• Career and job opportunities available in the
  area after completing my degree
• Cost
• Ability to work while attending college
• Opportunities associated with the location of
  IUPUI in Indianapolis
• IUPUI's reputation
• Admissions requirements
• The variety of entertainment and social
  activities in the downtown area

62
Commitment to IUPUI

• 26. What percent of first-time students reported
  that it is important for them to graduate from
  IUPUI (agree or strongly agree)?
• 28
• 47
• 63
• 82
• 95

Good news!
Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
63
Commitment to IUPUI

• 27. What percent of first-time students reported
  that it is important for them to graduate from
  college (agree or strongly agree)?
• 28
• 47
• 63
• 82
• 97

Wow!
Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
64
Academic Interests

• 28. What percent of 2007 first year students are
  interested in studying abroad (taking classes in
  another country while a student at IUPUI)?
• 2
• 11
• 22
• 35
• 44

Travel interests!?
Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
65
Students Finances

• 29. What percentage of students reported that
  they applied for financial aid?
• 45
• 60
• 71
• 90

Majority!
Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
66
Finances

• 30. What was the one-year retention rate among
  Fall 2005 FT, FT who had a Family Adjusted Gross
  income below 50K and had 1/3 or less of their
  Need Met?
• 15
• 29
• 45
• 55
• 75

Can you
believe it?
Source Indiana University Full-Time beginner
Supplementary Retention Analysis
67
Finances

• 31. What was the one-year retention rate among
  Fall 2005 FT, FT who had a Family Adjusted Gross
  income below 50K and had 67 of their Need Met?
  
• 15
• 29
• 55
• 66
• 75

Can you
believe it?
Source Indiana University Full-Time Beginner
Supplementary Retention Analysis
68
Finances
Source Indiana University Full-Time Beginner
Supplementary Retention Analysis
69
Finances
Source Indiana University Full-Time Beginner
Supplementary Retention Analysis
70
Students Finances

• 32. What percent of first year students reported
  that they have some or major concerns about their
  ability to finance their college education?
• 13
• 23
• 35
• 72
• 90

Majority!
Fall 2007 Beginning Freshmen Entering Student
Survey Results
71
Interpreting Your Score
72
www.imir.iupui.edu
73
http//uc.iupui.edu/staff/research.asp