““What Do You Do If What Do You Do If There Is No Silver There Is No Silver

Bullet?” Bullet?” John N. GardnerJohn N. Gardner

Policy Center on the First Year of Policy Center on the First Year of CollegeCollege

gardner@fyfoundations.orggardner@fyfoundations.org

Higher Education Conference: Higher Education Conference: Enrollment ManagementEnrollment Management

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Oklahoma State Regents for Higher EducationEducation

Oklahoma City, February 2, 2006Oklahoma City, February 2, 2006

Introductory comments: just Introductory comments: just what did I learn in Speech 101 what did I learn in Speech 101

that I will apply here?!that I will apply here?!

There is no silver bullet. So There is no silver bullet. So what do we do about that?what do we do about that?

A silver bullet that won’t A silver bullet that won’t work for youwork for you

What is the first-year What is the first-year experience anyway? What I experience anyway? What I meant vs what people heard meant vs what people heard

me say and saw me do.me say and saw me do.

A need to reframe the A need to reframe the retention conversation.retention conversation.

Moving away from a Moving away from a minimum standard to minimum standard to

something more aspirational: something more aspirational: we don’t offer majors and we don’t offer majors and

degrees in retentiondegrees in retention

Using Astin’s IEO model to Using Astin’s IEO model to focus on the “E”, the focus on the “E”, the

environment (what we environment (what we control)control)

Taking more responsibility Taking more responsibility for student learningfor student learning

Focusing on engagement: Focusing on engagement: student behaviors vs our student behaviors vs our

behaviorsbehaviors

One of the best kept dirty One of the best kept dirty little secrets: the high risk little secrets: the high risk

coursecourse

Need to focus on the last Need to focus on the last retention frontier: the retention frontier: the introductory courseintroductory course

Providing more opportunity Providing more opportunity for more students to start in for more students to start in the four-year sector? If not, the four-year sector? If not, what are the alternatives?what are the alternatives?

More NEED-based aid; and More NEED-based aid; and encouraging students to encouraging students to

borrow more and work less.borrow more and work less.

Expanding opportunities for Expanding opportunities for more on-campus student more on-campus student

employment: should we be employment: should we be reinventing the “work reinventing the “work

college”?college”?

Reducing course loads in the Reducing course loads in the first term: five courses isn’t first term: five courses isn’t

working for many.working for many.

Expanding opportunities for Expanding opportunities for Summer BridgeSummer Bridge

Declaring all out war on Declaring all out war on math failuremath failure

A strategy for some, but a A strategy for some, but a minority: providing more minority: providing more opportunities for more opportunities for more

students to live on campus.students to live on campus.

More opportunities for peers More opportunities for peers to influence peers—but the to influence peers—but the kind of peers influencing kind of peers influencing

each other in the ways you each other in the ways you would wantwould want

Restructuring the time Restructuring the time honored “retention honored “retention

committee”committee”

Conducting a self study of Conducting a self study of the entire first yearthe entire first year

More attention to the faculty More attention to the faculty rewards culturerewards culture

Paying more attention to the Paying more attention to the leadership roles of academic leadership roles of academic deans and department chairsdeans and department chairs

More intentional integration More intentional integration of academic affairs and of academic affairs and

student affairs in pursuit of student affairs in pursuit of enhanced student learningenhanced student learning

More opportunities for self-More opportunities for self-paced learning and open-paced learning and open-

ended term completion datesended term completion dates

Looking beyond the first-Looking beyond the first-year experience to the year experience to the

sophomore year experiencesophomore year experience

My big bet: linking My big bet: linking reaccreditation to first-year reaccreditation to first-year

improvement effortsimprovement efforts

Focus on raising Focus on raising expectations—the college expectations—the college

experience just ain’t what it experience just ain’t what it used to beused to be

Redefining the historic Redefining the historic purposes of the historic first purposes of the historic first

year year

Focusing on a grand design Focusing on a grand design for the first yearfor the first year

Concentrating on what ALL Concentrating on what ALL students needstudents need

What are you going to take What are you going to take away from this speech for away from this speech for

subsequent action?subsequent action?

An invitation: please join me An invitation: please join me for a conversationfor a conversation

Thank you ladies and Thank you ladies and gentlemengentlemen