1 Student Engagement Retreat: The Sophomore Student November 18, 2011

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Student Engagement Retreat: The Sophomore Student

November 18, 2011

What is Student Engagement?

Student engagement represents the time and effort students devote to activities empirically linked to the intended outcomes of college and what institutions do to both provide these activities and induce students to participate in them (Kuh, 2009).

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Positive Outcomes of Student Engagement

Student engagement is generally considered to be among the better predictors of learning and personal development (Carini, Kuh, & Klein, 2006)

“Educationally purposeful” practices produce the following student outcomes:

– Investing time and effort– Interacting with faculty, staff, and peers about substantive matters– Experiencing diversity– Responding to more frequent feedback– Reflecting and integrating learning– Discovering relevance of learning through real-world experiences

(Brownell & Swaner, 2010)

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Student Engagement Project

Initial planning to address pressing issues:– Middle States– No Freshman Cars

Planning would engage faculty, staff and students in retreat “teams”

Planning would continue for all four years of a student’s time at Ramapo

Student Engagement for the First-YearGoals and Outcomes

Goal 1: Academic Engagement

Interaction, participation and interest in gaining skills and increasing knowledge. Seeking ways to relate learning inside the classroom with life outside the classroom.

Outcome 1: Students will apply classroom knowledge to current experiences and future goals.

Outcome 2: Students will explore their own and other cultures, beliefs, and practices.

Outcome 3: Students will use college-level discourse in speaking and writing both individually and in groups.

Outcome 4: Students will conduct research and use technology responsibly and effectively.5

Student Engagement for the First-YearGoals and Outcomes

Goal 2: Social Engagement

Interaction, participation, and interest in socializing with others within an active community. Seeking activities that facilitate positive relationships with others.

Outcome 1: Students will explore opportunities for involvement in campus activities.

Outcome 2: Students will establish connections with their peers, faculty, and staff.

Outcome 3: Students will embrace being a member of the Ramapo College community and celebrate college pride.

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Student Engagement for the First-YearGoals and Outcomes

Goal 3: Personal Engagement

Interaction, participation, and interest in knowing self and self in relation to the world. Reflection on one’s place on the campus, in the community, and in the world. Understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses and using this knowledge to reach one’s goals.

Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate their ability to identify and utilize campus resources when needed.

Outcome 2: Students will take responsibility for their personal development and construct a plan to achieve it.

Outcome 3: Students will become self-reflective and challenge their current view of the world and their place in it

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Student Engagement for the First-YearGoals and Outcomes

Goal 4: Campus/Civic Engagement

Interaction, participation and interest in the social, cultural, and leadership aspects of the College. Building the skills necessary to become active, engaged citizens who make the College, the nation and the world better places to live, learn, and work.

Outcome 1: Students will understand their roles, rights and responsibilities as citizens of the Ramapo campus.

Outcome 2: Students will understand their roles, rights and responsibilities as local, national and global citizens

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Student Engagement for the First-YearCriteria for Key Points of Engagement

A structured opportunity designed for all first-year students;   A structured opportunity open to all first-year students; and   A high-impact activity or an activity leading to a high-impact

activity, meaning that it is: – A substantive interaction, in class and out of class, with

peers, faculty, and staff or – A common experience that deepens understanding of self

and others or – An opportunity to connect in-class and out-of-class learning.

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First-Year Map

KPE Academic Social Personal Campus/Civic

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2

Orientation         x x   x        

Summer Reading/Convocation

x   x     x       x    

AlcoholEdu                 x   x  

Arching and First YearAssembly

            x          

Maroon Madness         x x x x x      

Choices and Consequences

  x           x     x  

Green Dot   x         x x     x  

LollaNoBooza         x x x          

Club Fair         x              

FYS/Peers x   x x   x   x x   x  

Advising x             x x      10

Continued work on First-Year Student Engagement

Overseen by the First-Year Experience Board

Developing KPEs where there are noticeable gaps in outcomes (service, diversity, international)

Continued Assessment of KPEs and adjusting for AY12-13

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Charge for the Sophomore-Year Retreat Participants

As part of Ramapo College’s Student Engagement Project (SEP), retreat participants will help the Student Engagement Steering Committee develop plans for the sophomore year. Specifically, participants will: Identify the specific needs of sophomore students; Review best practices for addressing the specific

needs of sophomore students; Review the sophomore student engagement goals

and outcomes to ensure that they match the

developmental needs of sophomore students;

Charge for the Sophomore-Year Retreat Participants

Identify existing activities that potentially match the needs of sophomore students;

Recommend and design new activities where gaps exist;

Align activities to the sophomore student engagement outcomes;

Develop assessment plans and other documents for the activities; and

Create a communication plan for the activities.

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Who Are Our Sophomore Students?

If we define sophomores as students who have earned 32 to 63 credits, we can say the following about our sophomore students:

  61% came to Ramapo College as freshmen 36% are transfer students 60% live on campus The top three majors for sophomore-students in descending

order are psychology, undeclared (12%), and communication

arts.

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Who Are Our First-Year Students?

If we define first-year students as students who have earned 0-31 credits, we can say the following about our first-year students:

89% came to Ramapo College directly from high school 11% are transfer students 79.9% live on campus The top three majors for first-year students in descending order

are undeclared (18%), nursing, and biology

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Research on Sophomore Students

Academic Impressions Webinar on engaging sophomores (8/3/11)

Hunter, M.S., Tobolowsky, B.F., Gardner, J.N. (2010). Helping Sophomores Succeed: Understanding and Improving the Second-Year Experience

Understanding the Needs of Sophomores

Overview Sophomore Slump Search for Purpose Academic Self-Efficacy and Major Selection Career Development Academic Engagement

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Understanding the Needs of Sophomores

Sophomore Slump Let-down from the structured support and activity of

the first-year experience Boredom and apathy Alienation and dissatisfaction

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Understanding the Needs of Sophomores

Search for purpose Motivation Identity and self-reflection Values and spirituality Social integration and involvement

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Understanding the Needs of Sophomores

Academic Self-Efficacy and Major Selection Academic self-efficacy as a predictor of student

academic success Declaring a major requires an attachment and

commitment to ideas, interests and a group of faculty Positive impact of being clear and decided about

major

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Understanding the Needs of Sophomores

Career Development Developmentally undecided vs. chronically undecided Major selection and career decision do not

necessarily go hand in hand

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Understanding the Needs of Sophomores

Academic Engagement Contact with faculty is one of the strongest predictors

of persistence, engagement and success Substantive, educationally meaningful faculty-student

interactions are critical (feedback, mentoring,

advising, research, co-curricular activities, etc.) Importance of active/engaged learning Effort and time on task

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Best Practices for Sophomore Students

Overview Help Sophomores Make the Transition Help Sophomores Engage with Academics

and Others Help Sophomores Make Life Decisions and

Develop Purpose Help Sophomores See the World and Make a

Difference23

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Best Practices for Sophomore Students

Help Sophomores Make the Transition End-of-First-Year Event Sophomore Convocation, Retreat, and/or Common

Reading

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Best Practices for Sophomore Students

Help Sophomores Engage with Academics and Others Living-Learning Communities Mentorship Programs Faculty-Student Research

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Best Practices for Sophomore Students

Help Sophomores Make Life Decisions and Develop Purpose Academic Advising Career Exploration Spirituality Programs

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Best Practices for Sophomore Students

Help Sophomores See the World and Make a Difference Study Abroad Internships Service-Learning On Campus Employment

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Discussion of Proposed Sophomore Goals and Outcomes

Goal 1: Academic Engagement

Interaction, participation and interest in gaining skills and increasing knowledge. Seeking ways to relate learning inside the classroom with life outside the classroom.

Outcome 1: Students will apply classroom knowledge to current experiences and future goals.

Outcome 2: Students will explore their own and other cultures, beliefs, and practices.

Outcome 3: Students will use college-level discourse in speaking and writing both individually and in groups.

Outcome 4: Students will conduct research and use technology responsibly and effectively.

Discussion of Proposed Sophomore Goals and Outcomes

Goal 2: Social Engagement

Interaction, participation, and interest in socializing with others within an active community. Seeking activities that facilitate positive relationships with others. 

Outcome 1: Students will participate in campus activities. 

Outcome 2: Students will interact meaningfully with faculty, staff, and peers and reflect on those interactions.

Outcome 3: Students will actively serve or participate in the Ramapo College community.

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Discussion of Proposed Sophomore Goals and Outcomes

Goal 3: Personal Engagement

Interaction, participation, and interest in knowing self and self in relation to the world. Reflection on one’s place on the campus, in the community, and in the world. Understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses and using this knowledge to reach one’s goals.

Outcome 1: Students will utilize campus resources when needed. 

Outcome 2: Students will engage in self-reflection and develop a sense of purpose.

Outcome 3: Students will reflect on their current view of the world and their place in it.

Outcome 4: Students will reflect on their academic performance, strengths, and interests in order to identify an appropriate major.

Outcome 5: Students will explore opportunities for career development.30

Discussion of Proposed Sophomore Goals and Outcomes

Goal 4: Campus and Civic Engagement

Interaction, participation and interest in the social, cultural, and leadership aspects of the College. Building the skills necessary to become active, engaged citizens who make the College, the nation and the world better places to live, learn, and work.

Outcome 1: Students will engage actively as responsible citizens of the Ramapo campus.

Outcome 2: Students will understand their roles, rights and responsibilities as local, national and global citizens.

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Discussion of Proposed Criteria for Sophomore KPEs

A high-impact activity or an activity leading to a high-impact activity, meaning that it is:

– A substantive interaction, in class and out of class, with peers, faculty, and staff or

– A common experience that deepens understanding of self and others or

– An opportunity to connect in-class and out-of-class learning. An opportunity, either designed for or beneficial to sophomore

students, that meets their developmental needs. An opportunity that fosters self-reflection and leads to personal

development.

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Inventory of Existing Activities that Meet or Could Meet KPE Criteria

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Proposed Criteria for Sophomore KPEs

A high-impact activity or an activity leading to a high-impact activity, meaning that it is:

– A substantive interaction, in class and out of class, with peers, faculty, and staff or

– A common experience that deepens understanding of self and others or

– An opportunity to connect in-class and out-of-class learning. An opportunity, either designed for or beneficial to sophomore

students, that meets their developmental needs. An opportunity that fosters self-reflection and leads to personal

development.

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Identification of Gaps and Potential New Sophomore Activities

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Closing Remarks