Jim Pierson

April 28, 2014

UCONN CONNECTS ABROAD

PROGRAM PROPOSAL

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UCONN

CONNECTS

ABROAD PROGRAM PROPOSAL

UConn Connects Abroad (UCA) is a study abroad program

administered through the Academic Support department of First Year

Programs & Learning Communities that promotes personal

development among students struggling academically. Pairing

successful students with first-year students looking to improve, this

structured learning experience will combine the recognized benefits of

studying abroad with the successful academic mentoring provided by

UConn Connects.

Every year students that objectively meet the qualifications to gain

admission to UConn, and presumably to succeed in higher education,

perform poorly academically. In the fall of 2013, 3,755 first year

students entered UConn. According to university statistics, the average

SAT score for the class of 2017 was 1233 and 82% of those students

were in the top quarter of their high school class

(http://www.uconn.edu/students.php). After the fall semester, 396 first

year students completing their first semester of higher education were

put on academic warning or probation. The 10.5% of the first year students struggling academically is

consistent with numbers throughout the previous decade. Programs exist to provide support for these

students, but a large number of individuals still leave the university due to academic problems. UCA

will provide another avenue to support these students and encourage high academic achievement

through a high impact experience abroad.

Significant research and assessment data attest to the strong impact study abroad has on students

(e.g., Cubillos & Ilvento, 2012; Dwyer & Peters, 2004; Lee, Therriault, & Linderholm, 2012; Martinez,

2011; Slotkin, Durie, & Eisenberg, 2012; Williams, 2005). Abroad programs help develop self-esteem

and self-knowledge, ability to work independently, knowledge of foreign languages and cultures, and

connection to academic disciplines.

Additionally, the UConn Connects program has demonstrated considerable impact in helping students

improve their academic performance through peer coaching and connection to campus resources.

Undergraduate facilitators in the UConn Connects program undergo a full semester of training upon

joining the program through the course Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) 3080: Helping

ESSENTIAL

STATISTICS

Class of 2017

• Size = 3,755

• SAT Average = 1233

• Percent in top

quarter of high

school class = 82%

• Number on academic

probation/warning

after first semester =

396 (10.5%)

• UConn Connects

participant fall 2012

average semester

GPA gain = 1.259

• UConn Connects

non-participant fall

2012 average

semester GPA gain =

.593

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Students in Higher Education. Through HDFS 3080, students are instructed on student development

theory, the psychology of learning, counseling and mentoring approaches, and effective study

techniques. This academic coursework coupled with their internship, in which they individually mentor

six undergraduate students throughout the semester, develops the facilitators into incredibly effective

peer mentors. Statistics from the fall 2013 semester show that students on probation who work

consistently with UConn Connects facilitators improve their semester GPA by an average of 1.2 points,

while students who do not participate in Connects only improve on average by 0.6 points.

Study abroad is a high impact experience that has significant supporting literature, while UConn

Connects has demonstrably impacted student academic performance. Combining two programs of this

nature is a first, and there is no readily available research on the efficacy of study abroad as a method

of increasing academic performance among students on academic probation. This program will be the

only one of its kind at this moment, but it has the potential to make a considerable impact on UConn

students.

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

• First year students on academic probation after the fall semester will be able to apply for UCA

• Accepted UCA participants will be provided with a study abroad scholarship of no less than $2000

for one semester

• Academically successful students currently enrolled in or having successfully completed Human

Development and Family Studies 3080: Helping Students in Higher Education as a UConn

Connects facilitator will be able to apply to be a UCA facilitator and receive a study abroad

scholarship of no less than $3000

• Participants and facilitators will meet weekly throughout the spring semester to work on motivation,

goal setting, and academic skills

• UCA pairs and individuals will meet with Academic Support staff regularly throughout the semester

for continued academic coaching, leadership development, and pre-departure orientation

• UCA pairs will choose and enroll in a pre-approved study abroad program offered through UConn’s

Study Abroad Office

• UCA pairs will travel abroad during the next fall semester and continue to meet weekly while

abroad to develop academic skills and facilitate cultural adjustment

• UCA pairs will meet electronically with Academic Support staff throughout the semester abroad,

while also completing periodic learning reflections

• Upon return to UConn, UCA pairs will continue to meet weekly throughout the final spring semester

to ensure long term learning and positive habits have formed

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PROGRAM STRUCTURE

Selection Criteria

Any student who completes their first semester of higher education at UConn and is placed

on academic probation or warning will be able to apply for a UCA scholarship. As part of the

program application, students will be required to demonstrate a strong desire to succeed at UConn

and a dedication to the Connects program. Selection for and acceptance of a scholarship includes

a commitment to three semesters of meeting with Connects facilitators and staff, regular learning

reflection journal entries, and receipt of a scholarship for study abroad of no less than $2000. Any

participant that accepts the scholarship and goes abroad but fails to complete the required

program components, including but not limited to failure to meet with staff or facilitators, or failure

to complete learning reflections, will have their scholarship turn into a student loan repayable upon

completion of study.

Students enrolled in or having completed Human Development and Family Studies 3080:

Helping Students in Higher Education will be able to apply for a place as a UCA facilitator.

Facilitators must be experienced mentors in the UConn Connects program and must be returning

to campus the semester following the abroad experience. Similar to the requirements of the UCA

participant, acceptance of a position as a UCA facilitator will require a three semester commitment

to the program requirements, and will come with a scholarship of no less than $3000. The

facilitator will serve as the academic coach and mentor to the UCA participant. The facilitator will

also be required to complete regular learning reflection journal entries, as well as meetings with

Academic Support staff. Pairs will be formed early in the spring semester and continue throughout

the duration of the program.

Pre-Departure Semester

Effective pre-departure orientation is a critical component of preparing students for an

experience abroad. For tradition abroad programs, the pre-departure orientation provides practical

information for students, related to travel procedures, currency, communication, and other

necessities. More importantly, it provides an opportunity for self-reflection and cultural orientation

prior to the beginning of a cathartic experience. UCA staff will take this opportunity to provide the

traditional orientation opportunities as described above while also coaching program participants

through academic skills that will allow them to be successful students at UConn and abroad.

Application materials for both facilitators and participants will include a ranking of eligible

study abroad programs by preference. UCA pairs will be assigned according to each individuals

ranking, as well as their academic discipline, career goals, and finances. Participants and

facilitators will be matched early in the spring of the Pre-Departure Semester. Pairs will meet

weekly throughout the semester to work on motivation, goal setting, and academic skills, as well as

any other issue that may impact the participant’s ability to succeed academically. Each individual

will be required to complete regular learning journal reflections, via any medium the individual

chooses (written, audio recording, video recording, etc.), the prompts of which will be provided by

Academic Support staff. Each individual will also be required to meet regularly with Academic

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Support staff throughout the semester, both one-on-one and as a pair. The staff will be able to

address issues that the facilitator cannot, will provide addition support, guidance, and assessment

of progress, and will provide pre-departure orientation for each student.

Semester Abroad

Each UCA facilitator and participant will be required to complete all the requirements of the

established study abroad program they are enrolled in, while also meeting the additional

requirements set by Academic Support. UCA pairs will continue to meet weekly to address

academic and personal issues related to student success abroad. In addition, they will be required

to meet electronically with Academic Support staff throughout the semester. Staff will help debrief

on academic and cultural differences between the institution abroad and UConn, issues with

culture shock, and other questions and concerns. Both individuals will be required to continue

completing regular learning reflections throughout the experience.

During the Pre-Departure Semester and the Semester Abroad, it will be important to ensure

that the UCA students take full advantage of their experience abroad. It will be important to remind

the students that their requirements related to UCA and their respective desires to be academically

successful should not impede their ability to immerse themselves in the local culture and to take

full advantage of the intercultural growth that is so important in abroad programs.

Return Semester

Upon return to UConn in the following spring semester, UCA pairs will continue to meet

weekly with each other and periodically with Academic Support staff. In addition to the continued

support around campus resources and academic strategies, additional topics to be addressed in

these meetings and the continued reflections will be how to leverage abroad experience on

resumes and in interviews, addressing culture shock related to the return to home environments,

and debriefing on foreign culture and language (if applicable).

OUTCOMES

UCA is ostensibly a program to support the academic development of first year students who

were unsuccessful academically after their first semester. However, the development and support of

successful student leaders is also a goal of the program and will further enrich the UConn Community.

As such, outcomes of the UCA program are listed below in two categories, both for the participants and

the facilitators.

Participant Outcomes

• Students will develop academic skills that will make them successful at UConn through

academic mentoring

• Students will develop intercultural competencies through their study abroad experience

• Students will cultivate self-motivation and self-esteem through independent living and working

abroad

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• Students will increase their connection to the University of Connecticut through the active

support of Academic Support staff and UCA student leaders

Facilitator Outcomes

• Facilitators will hone their leadership abilities through a long term mentoring relationship with

peer students

• Facilitators will develop intercultural competencies through their study abroad experience

• Facilitators will develop stronger interpersonal and helping skills through one on one interaction

with UCA participants

ASSESSMENT

Assessment will take place in three stages and will measure the growth of both the

participant and the facilitator. The assessment of the participant will allow program staff the

opportunity to determine the effectiveness of UCA as an intervention program, what additional

supports the participant may need, and how supports should be changed for future semesters.

The assessment of the facilitator will demonstrate how the facilitator has grown through this

position of leadership and to determine if the facilitator has received adequate training and support

to provide mentorship to the program participant.

First stage: prior to the beginning of the UCA program, the participant will complete a

standardized assessment that measures learning strategies, help-seeking strategies, motivation to

succeed, and intercultural knowledge. Accepted participants will also be tracked by their semester

and cumulative grade point averages (GPAs). Facilitators will complete the same assessment as

the participants, with an added component measuring leadership skills. Facilitator GPA’s will also

be recorded and tracked.

Second stage: throughout the UCA program, assessments of growth will continue to be

administered. Each participant and facilitator will complete the standardized assessment

developed in the first stage at the beginning and end of each semester of the program to track

growth along each scale. Individual GPAs will be tracked throughout the program as well. In

addition, reflective learning journals will be used as qualitative data to measure growth.

Third stage: after completion of the UCA program, individual GPAs will continue to be

collected and academic program completion and graduation will be tracked long term. Individuals

will also be solicited to conduct interviews with Academic Support staff a year after program

completion and five years after program completion to measure long term effects of the UCA

program.

PROGRAM SCALE

The first run on the UCA program will begin with no more than eight individuals to ensure

current staff have the ability to manage resources and measure the long term viability of the

program. After the successful completion of the first class of UCA participants, the program will be

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scaled up. It is realistic to expect that with current staff and program interest, UCA will grow to a

maximum of approximately 20 participants and 20 facilitators, though this number too can be

scaled up with additional resources and support.

BUDGET AND RESOURCES

In the first year of the program, with an estimated four participants and four facilitators,

scholarship funds will total at minimum $20,000. Current staffing levels in Academic Support will

be able to manage the first iteration of the UCA program. As the program grows to the planned

level of 40 students, an additional staff member will need to be brought in to help manage the

recruitment, support, and assessment of the program.

NEXT STEPS

• The creation of a program timeline, detailing anticipated start date and steps toward implementation

• Securing the budget to support the UCA program

• Collaborating with UConn Study Abroad to ensure support of the program and facilitate the entry of students who don’t meet minimum academic requirements into current abroad programs

• Coordinating with UConn Study Abroad and other relevant departments to provide Academic Support staff with training to provide cultural pre-departure orientation and international support

• Researching and establishing program curriculum and learning standards, including learning reflection prompts, assessments, and pre-departure orientations

• Preparing for program recruitment and selection