From Zero to 80 in Two Years: Increasing Retention through Strengthening Academic Support

Amy Jones and Joe Roidt / Davis & Elkins CollegeACA SummitOctober 15, 2011

Presentation Outline

D&E: A brief primer

The “not so good” old days at D&E ( ‘00 - ‘07)

Challenges and change (’07-’10)

The present

D&E: A brief primer

The “not so good” old days Retention at D&E ( ‘00 - ‘07)

Lower 70th percentile (fishy numbers) Mid 60th percentile (pretty solid

numbers)

Academic support at D&E ( ‘00 - ‘07) Underutilized Understaffed Entirely reactive

Challenges and change – ’07- ‘08 Cutbacks and downsizing ‘07- ‘08

The elimination of the underutilized, understaffed, and reactive office of academic support services

Faculty committee charged with addressing issues and challenges of academic standing is groping toward more proactive practices to bolster retention

Challenges and change

D&E is undertaking accreditation self-study and reflecting on its mission and identity

D&E is undertaking new initiative to boost regional enrollment

Significant enrollment gains at D&E bring corollary retention challenges

Challenges and change

Fall ’09

D&E creates electronic form enabling faculty to relay concerns about individual students in real time

Retention team is formed and begins meeting on a weekly basis for the first time

Marginally more structured academic support initiatives are introduced

Challenges and change

The retention literature: Forming relationships or fitting in? “Forming relationships” sounds

preferable to “fitting in” “Fitting in” may be equally important, in

the sense that students need to feel confident that—academically speaking—they “belong” at college

The present

Retention team meets weekly throughout the year

Tracking all students referred to Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Working to connect students to appropriate resources

All students placed on academic probation are automatically enrolled in Academic Skills

The present

All students with multiple midterm deficiencies are automatically enrolled in Academic Skills

Students who continue to struggle academically after completing Academic Skills are placed in Structured Academic Support

Creation of broad array of tutoring services and other academic support initiatives

Academic Skills (FND 103): What it is… Academic Skills is a mandatory

course that runs half a semester It is required for students who enter

the semester on academic probation It is required for students who have

two or more deficiencies (D’s or F’s) at midterm

It is a graded credit that does not count towards the graduation requirement

Academic Skills (FND 103): What it is not…. Punishment

Extra Work

A waste of time

Academic Skills (FND 103): Why it works…. Students are held accountable for

their actions in a non-judgmental environment

Students are provided with the behaviors needed to succeed in the college environment

Students are provided with support and plugged into key campus resources to help them succeed

Academic Skills (FND 103): BAM

Behavior

Ability

Motivation

Structured Academic Support(FND 105) Graded 1 credit hour course that

does not count for graduation requirements

Requires the following: A weekly meeting with me Two hours of mandatory supervised

study hall A weekly action/accountability report

that discusses attendance, assignments, and grades

Peer Tutoring Program

Evolving All tutoring services are FREE Standing tutoring schedules All tutors must have a 2.5 or higher

gpa and a recommendation of a professor in the field for which they plan to tutor

Study Groups

“Students remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear,

70% of what is discussed with others, 80% of what they experience

personally, and 95% of what they teach to someone else.” William

Glasser

Future Directions (Tutoring Program) Develop a tutor training program in

the form of a graded course for credit

Work more closely with faculty regarding study materials, study groups, recitation sessions, and tutor development

Academic SupportUnderlying philsophies FND 103 and FND 105 rely heavily

on Behavoristic and Humanistic approaches to teaching and learning

Academic support programs were designed with significant consideration given to student development theories

Academic support provides students with the opportunity for a transformative learning experience

Questions? Comments?