Alternatives to Dismissal: Giving Students One More Chance

Yovan Reyes

Ann Von Thron

Facts & Figures

• Private, Comprehensive University

• 6,900 students enrolled – undergraduate & graduate

• Approximately 50% of students from Florida with two thirds of those from the Tampa Bay area

• Students from 50 states and approximately 100 countries

• 65% of full-time students live in campus housing

• Approximately 1,500 degrees conferred annually

Academic Advising• Dual Model: Faculty Based Advising & Central

Academic Advising Office for all four colleges

• Undergraduate students

• New student registration

• Assignment and Support of Faculty Advisors

• Manage Academic Appeals

• Class for at-risk students

• Support academic component of ROTC

Undergraduate Retention Standards

Up to 16 hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic warning.......................................................Below 2.0

17-59 hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic warning.......................................................1.75-1.99Academic dismissal.....................................................Below 1.75

60-93 hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic warning.......................................................1.95-1.99Academic dismissal.....................................................Below 1.95

94 or more hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic dismissal.......................................................Below 2.0

Summary of Academic Dismissal Process• In the past, faculty Academic Appeals

Committee met at end of each term to make dismissal decisions

• UAAO now reviews and makes recommendations on students in dismissal range

• Faculty committee affirms those decisions and decides on unusual cases

• The options are dismissal or semester option probation

• Semester Option Seminar (S.O.S.)

• Academic Skills course (ASK 100)

• All receive some sort of prescription

Semester Option Seminar (S.O.S.)The Early Years

• Origins of the program• Outgrowth of UAAO’s involvement in academic

appeals process

• Pilot program in 1998, posted as a course in 2001

• Pattern of well-prepared students based on high school GPAs and test scores but falling into Dismissal range

• Need for something more than study skills training

• Student Focused: motivation , personal, mental health

• Connect to the university and have a support system

The S.O.S. Student Profile over the past 10 years

• Completed two or more successful semesters

• Traditional-aged students

• Average Class Size: 14 students

• Average high school GPA: 2.75

• Average SAT of 1000

The S.O.S. Model• Taught by Academic Advisors

• Weekly Class Meetings – 14 weeks for 0 credit

• Stress Time Management

• Instructor Progress Reports

• Connections to Key Campus Personnel

Guest Speakers•Vice President

•Deans

•Faculty

•Support Services• Academic Advising Office

• Academic Center for Excellence

• Career Services

• Health and Wellness Center

• Saunders Writing Center

The S.O.S. Class•What Do Your Professors Expect?

•Individual Meetings with Students

• GPA Calculation

• Pre-Registration

• Personal Goals and Career Choices

• Identifying Students’ Support Systems

• Understanding Retention and Dismissal Standards

Does S.O.S. Equal Success?

10 Years of Results

After S.O.S. Course is TakenStatus Totals

Good Standing: 169 56.33%

Semester Option: 42 14%

Dismissed: 89 29.67%

Total: 300

Students persist at a high rate directly after enrolled in course

Transfer vs Non-Transfer

55%Transfer

45%Non-Transfer

TransfersGood Standing: 58.9%Semester Option: 17.2%Dismissed: 23.9%

Non-TransfersGood Standing: 54.1%Semester Option: 10.4%Dismissed: 35.5%

Gender

39.5%Female

60.5% Male

MaleGood Standing: 56.5% Semester Option: 17.4%Dismissed: 26.1%

FemaleGood Standing: 56%Semester Option: 8.6%Dismissed: 35.3%

Ethnicity Breakdown

65.9%5.4%

10.1%

1.9%

7.3%0.9%

4.7%3.8%

CaucasianHispanicAfrican-AmericanAsianNon-Resident AlienAmerican IndianN/AOther

Class Standing – based on credits

25%

41%

29%

5%

FreshmanSophmoreJunior Senior

College Comparison

20%

19%

28%

33% College of Arts & Letters

College of Natural Health & Sciences

College of So-cial Sciences, Math, & Edu-cation

College of Business

Final StandingStatus TotalsGraduated: 97 32%Currently Attending: 59 19%Dismissed: 119 39%No Longer at UT: 24 8%Graduated after dismissal & readmission 4 1%Total: 303

Non-Transfer vs Transfer - final

55%Transfer

45%Non-Transfer

TransfersGraduated: 39.8%Currently Attending: 18.7%Dismissed: 30.1%No Longer at UT: 8.4%Graduated after Dis-missal & Readmission: 3%

Non-TransfersGraduated: 22.8%Currently Attending: 20.6%Dismissed: 49.3%No Longer at UT: 7.4%Graduated after Dis-missal & Readmission: 0%

Gender - final

39.5%Female

60.5% Male

MaleGraduated: 32.1%Currently Attending: 19%Dismissed: 40.8%No Longer at UT: 7.6%Graduated after Dismissal & Readmission: 0.5%

FemaleGraduated: 31.7%Currently Attending: 20%Dismissed: 36.7%No Longer at UT: 8.3%Graduated after Dismissal & Readmission: 3.3%

Average GPA – by Session

Before During After1.50

1.75

2.00

2.25

2.50

1.67

2.122.23

Average GPA – Cumulative

Before During After Final1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00

2.25

2.50

1.872.01

2.212.04

Top 10 Majors

1 – Management2 – Criminology3 – Communications4 – Psychology5 – Marketing6 – Undecided7 – Exercise Science8 – Sports Management9 – Government & World Affairs10 – Liberal Studies

Limitations• More in-depth research on:

• Gaining SAT/ACT and high school GPA information for Transfer Students – not required for Admission

• On-Campus vs Off-Campus• Financial Aid Implications• How involved on-campus/organizations/activities• U.S. vs International

Conclusion• The majority of students persist at a high rate directly after taking the course• Transfers graduate at a higher rate than non-transfers• Male students persist at a higher rate than females, however females graduate at a higher rate• Session and cumulative GPAs increase after taking course• Students continue to enroll beyond the class but ultimately have trouble graduating• We are able to retain a high percentage of students that would have otherwise been dismissed

How Can We Do Better?• Keep tracking and checking in with students after course taken

• More collaboration with Career Planning

• Better outcomes for females

• Involve successful past participants in programming

Step Up

Background

•STEP UP is a comprehensive summer program for students that are at risk of dismissal from the University

•Focuses on Personal and Academic skill development

•Designed for unfocused distracted or immature students who have a desire to be successful

Issues

•The University of Tampa has a well established faculty review process to provide

second and even third chances for students facing academic dismissal

•The summer program is more viable and academically vigorous

•This program seeks to augment the process by providing services to students offered semester option probation

Opportunities

• The STEP UP program will help integrate available summer resources in ACE and Student Success for a defined target population.– Faculty and advisors will now have an

integrated summer program to recommend for students that may need help.

Questions & Discussion