CUNY Office of Academic Affairs · 2015 Fall CUNY UFS Conference . Faculty can improve student success USIP is only a part of a student readiness solution Continue the momentum when

UNIVERSITY SKILLS IMMERSION PROGRAM (USIP) Lucinda Zoe University Dean for Undergraduate Studies G. Michael Guy Associate Professor of Mathematics, Queensborough Community College and Faculty Fellow, CUNY Office of Academic Affairs November 13, 2015

CUNY Office of Academic Affairs

2015 Fall CUNY UFS Conference

Overview

What is USIP? Brief history of USIP How does USIP operate? How well is USIP doing? What can CUNY faculty do to improve on the

success of USIP? What can CUNY faculty do to improve on the

success of CUNY students?

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What is USIP?

USIP (University Skills Immersion Program) provides tuition free opportunities for CUNY students to receive remedial or other types of supplemental instruction during the summer and winter sessions.

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543

1,414

2,705

4,451

7,209

7,974 8,277

1,440

2,300 2,649

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

Num

ber o

f St

uden

ts

Academic Year

Enrollment

Summer

Winter

Immersion’s Early Years

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Target Population

Remedial (all subjects) New freshmen Continuing students

Non-Remedial (including senior colleges) Bridge programs Bootcamps Focused orientations Improve outcomes of gateway courses

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Need for Immersion 6

75.7 75.9 79.9 80.7 79.5

59.4 61.6

72.3 74.7 74.0

48.3 48.1

35.0 30.7

27.3 31.2 32.3

25.8 24.1 23.2

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Perc

enta

ge

Year

Trends in Initial Remedial Need of Associate Degree-Seeking First-time Freshmen†

Any Subject Math Writing Reading

† Reflects remedial need upon application to CUNY.


15,596

17,575 16,695

14,399 15,720

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Num

ber o

f St

uden

ts

Academic Year

Enrollment Remedial and Non-Remedial

First-time Freshmen and Continuing Students

Summer

Immersion in Recent Years

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How does USIP operate?

Central Office

• Central coordination • Data collection and reporting • Incentive funds • Policy support

College USIP Director

• Local coordination • Student outreach

Faculty & Staff

• Support curriculum development • Student assessment and grading • Teaching staff

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Major Intervention Formats

Intensives Workshops Courses

Variation in:

Contact hours Type of instructor Replication of course/curriculum

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Key Benefits for Students

Build or continue academic momentum Intense focus (Lack of) Financial aid usage

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How well is USIP doing?

Propensity score matching (N=10,610). Students in immersion showed: Increase in future enrollment Increased earned credits Higher cumulative GPA More cumulative credits earned/attempted

Douglas, D., & Attewell, P. (2014). The Bridge and the Troll Underneath: Summer Bridge Programs and Degree Completion. American Journal of Education, 121(1), 87-109. doi:10.1086/677959

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Outcomes by subject

Subject

2013 2014

Enrolled Passed Enrolled Passed

Math 7,199 62% 9,409 60%

Reading 856 61% 1,614 54%

Writing 982 52% 1,496 51%

Reading & Writing 321 64% 513 47%

ESL 564 49% 784 43%

Bridge 1,070 79% 1,554 68%

Other 399 69% 350 64%

Total 11,391 62% 15,720 58%

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Summer 2014 (Remedial†)

Intervention Type Did Not Pass Passed Total

Course 2,373 (41%) 3,463 (59%) 5,836

Course with supplemental tutoring 632 (32%) 1,347 (68%) 1,979

Tutoring only 6 (33%) 12 (67%) 18

Workshop 2,082 (52%) 1,940 (48%) 4,022

Workshop with supplemental tutoring 364 (33%) 749 (67%) 1,113

Total 5,457 (42%) 7,511 (58%) 12,968

† Data for 11 campuses with significant remedial enrollment

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CUNY Elementary Algebra Final Exam

College Type N Percent Tested

Percent Passed

Senior 323 93% 89% Comprehensive 1,875 87% 69% Community 2,827 85% 64% Total 5,025 86% 67%

USIP 2014

College Type N Percent Tested

Percent Passed

Comprehensive 2,550 66% 39% Community 12,367 68% 37% Total 14,917 68% 38%

Spring 2014

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To be sure, it might be better for everyone if these dimensions of being a college student, or being “college ready,” were instilled in high school. But as long as instructors and colleges are willing to take the steps necessary to resocialize students, then their recognition that so many students are not “college ready” turns from a pejorative perception into a diagnosis of what work needs to be done.

Grubb, W. N. (2013). Basic Skills Education in Community Colleges: Inside and Outside of Classrooms, Taylor & Francis. November 13, 2015 15 CUNY Office of Academic Affairs


Faculty can improve USIP’s success

Only 27.5% of first-time freshman with remedial needs attended Summer 2014 USIP. Design programs for the other 72.5%!

Work collaboratively with departmental leaders, immersion directors, and colleagues to implement new or improved approaches

Take advantage of the flexibility within USIP by offering differentiated learning opportunities to appropriate target populations

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Faculty can improve student success

USIP is only a part of a student readiness solution Continue the momentum when the semester starts Embrace the responsibility to provide supportive

learning environments in every course Incorporate successful models from USIP into the

semester, and vice versa

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Documents

CUNY Office of Academic Affairs · 2015 Fall CUNY UFS Conference . Faculty can improve student success USIP is only a part of a student readiness solution Continue the momentum when