Achieving the Dream

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Achieving the Dream

• North Harris College
• Focus Groups
• Spring 2007

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Achieving the Dream

• Nationwide Initiative
• to help students succeed
• addresses needs of
• Students of color
• Low income students
• First-generation students
• North Harris College
• is dedicated to student success
• This qualitative study addresses
• students needs
• offers strategies to help students succeed

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Table of Contents
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Focus Group Methodology

• Moderator - Dr. Vicki Bradley
• developed questions with college personnel
• conducted focus groups
• analyzed data and created final report
• North Harris College personnel
• supervised focus group process
• recruited and contacted participants
• videotaped focus groups
• Focus Group participants
• volunteered their time
• were assured confidentiality regarding sensitive
  topics

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North Harris CollegeFocus GroupsSpring 2007

• 1 Student Group
• 2 Faculty Groups
• 1 Community Group

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Executive Summaryof Final Report

• Focus group participants
• were supportive of and loyal to North Harris
  College
• shared a wealth of ideas to help the college
  improve
• Similar results for two or more focus groups
• assistance needed for prospective students
• North Harris College is
• difficult to locate (-)
• inexpensive ()
• friendly ()
• Strategies based on focus group results
• increase student success
• increase colleges visibility

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North Harris College - Achieving the Dream
Student Focus Group Spring 2007

• Objective
• To gather data about student success
• Met on 3/21/07
• Nine participants
• 19 to 28 years old
• 6 female 3 male
• Recruited by
• Dan Mitsven, Program Manager, Student Activities

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Student Focus Group Questions

• Why did you choose North Harris College?
• Please talk about your experiences at North
  Harris College.
• How could North Harris College improve?
• How does North Harris College differ from other
  NHMCCD Colleges?
• Written Activities
• Best/Worst Prepared Students
• Self-Identified Ethnicity

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Students explained why they chose North Harris
College.

• Financial reasons
• Its convenient. The cost.
• I received a scholarship from my high school.
• Moved to the area
• Whats North Harris College?
• I didnt know about North Harris College.
• Someone told me about it.
• Chose to wait to attend university
• Because of a personal tragedy
• I needed time to choose.

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Students talked about their experiences at North
Harris College.

• Positive Experiences
• Friendly welcoming
• It is easy to meet faces even instructors and
  administration heads.
• It is a family environment.
• Easy to get involved
• There is always something going on here
  classes, workshops, joining clubs.
• Here it is easy to become a club officer. Just
  be willing to do something and do it.

• Negative Experience
• Internet courses
• I guess I just like to bug the teachers. Its not
  cool. There is no one-on-one time with the
  teachers.
• It is easy to get sidetracked. You might even
  sign in, but you might go read My Space
  instead!

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Students suggested ways that North Harris
College could improve.

• Faculty Teaching
• Keep on topic
• Teacher would talk and talk, but not about the
  lesson. I wanted to pass, but there was no
  information!
• Differentiate between facts and opinions
• Teacher was opinionated. Said, What did I
  state about ___? It was just opinion, not fact.
• Answer students questions
• Teacher would write on the board and not answer
  my questions. I was really upset.
• Grade students individually for group projects
• Please do not give one grade for the whole
  group.
• Respect students ideas
• One teacher made really racist comments,
  carefully picked comments. For example, a
  student said, Lets donate to Katrina. The
  professor said, Turn to page 25 in the book.

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Students suggested ways that North Harris
College could improve. (continued)

• Counseling Advising
• Let us know you care about us
• I went to five different ones. They didnt
  care. They said, Go read this book. Go get a
  flyer.
• Break everything down into steps
• No one told me I had to file for graduation. I
  will have to come back from Arizona to walk now.
• Advisors could specialize
• Advisors should know about your major.
• Could each one of them know about different
  schools? (for transfers)

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Students compared North Harris College to other
NHMCCD Colleges.Students primarily compared
environmental factors.

• Cy-Fair
• The cafeteria is really nice.
• Fairbanks is small.
• Kingwood
• Its very different.
• Its green. A lot of trees.
• Nice quiet campus.
• Students are snobby and cliquish. Like high
  school.
• Montgomery
• I didnt see much difference.

• The University Center (TUC)
• Very small. It looks nice. It was quiet. Nobody
  was there. We visited on a Friday.
• Tomball
• I took one internet class. It was kinda big. I
  got lost. It is a beautiful campus library.
  Really nice.

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According to the Student Focus Group Responses
were written, not verbal.

• Best Prepared Students
• Attitudes
• focused self-driven
• enthusiastic
• appreciate diversity
• Actions
• develop good study habits
• ask for help when needed
• always attend class
• get plenty of sleep
• come to class on time
• bring pen paper to class
• take good notes

• Worst Prepared Students
• Attitudes
• lazy and unmotivated
• calloused or bigots
• procrastinate
• Actions
• do not buy textbooks
• take too many classes
• do not attend class
• dress inappropriately
• come late to class
• sleep in class
• do not have pen paper

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The Question How would you identify yourself if
you could write it in your own words, for
example, on the Census?Objective to explore how
self-identifiers relate to students of color.

• The Answers
• Some students focused on their multiple
  heritages.
• Mexican, Italian, Spanish
• Mexican and Italian
• Pakistani and Chinese
• Hispanic and Columbian
• Some students preferred to use Census choices.
• Hispanic
• White
• White Caucasian
• Africa American (Black)
• Prefer Other or will accept African American
• Responses were written, not verbal.

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Theme of Student Focus GroupThe Comfort of
North Harris College

• Most of these students spend a lot of time on
  campus.
• I wish theyd get dorms.
• When summer comes I dont know what to do with
  myself.
• They are very comfortable at North Harris
  College.
• It is such a cozy environment.
• Im loving it! I recommend it to all my friends.
  Home cooking!
• Take your time. Enjoy it!
• Some of them need help transitioning.
• It is time to leave North Harris College.
• They are kicking me out! I have to move out.
• They have mixed feelings about transferring.
• At a four-year university I am like an ant
  in New York City! It is overwhelming. (Student
  is concurrently enrolled.)
• They need help graduating.
• How do you know when youre ready to graduate?

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North Harris College - Achieving the Dream
Faculty Focus Groups Spring 2007

• Objective
• To understand faculty perceptions of student
  success
• First Group (Faculty Senate members)
• Met on 4/16/07
• 10 participants (instructors and a counselor)
• Second Group (Library Council members)
• Met on 4/24/07
• 15 participants
• 8 instructors 6 librarians 1 student
  representative
• Groups recruited by
• Dr. Cher Brock, Vice President, Instruction

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Faculty Focus Groups - Questions

• What have students told you in the last year
• Why do students say they choose to attend North
  Harris College?
• What do students tell you about their experiences
  of North Harris College?
• What ways do students say North Harris College
  could improve?
• What has been your experience with students
  during the past year?
• Written Activity - Best/Worst Prepared Students

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Faculty reported that students said they like
North Harris College.

• close to where they live
• very reasonably priced
• recommended by a friend or relative
• fits their needs because they work all day
• specific programs and resources that interest
  them
• a warm atmosphere a family-like institution
• As students, they
• can try a lot of different things before they
  choose a major
• do not have to wait in line for advising

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Faculty reported that students said they were
surprised and impressed.

• In general
• This isnt 13th grade!
• (This is not one more easy year of high school.)
• It is an attractive campus.
• There is a lot going on here - music and
  activities.
• I didnt know all this was here! (at the
  library)
• Summer school students from four-year colleges
• We are learning the same thing at (four-year
  schools)!
• You cover a whole semester in a summer class!
• Youre like a real professor!
• Boy, you grade hard!

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Faculty reported that some students said they
have difficulties.

• Computer use
• Compatibility students or colleges technology
  is behind
• On-line registration
• Takes too much time. Too many steps.
• They get bumped off
• cannot get courses they need
• Lack of
• knowledge - just boggled by the process
• keyboarding skills
• Textbooks
• Too expensive complain about the price of
  books
• Frequent new editions cant use past editions
• They are surprised they have to buy a book.
• They want to share a book.
• Ask professor, Can I borrow a book for the
  semester?

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Faculty reported that students saidNorth Harris
College could improve.

• Instructors
• Is there any requirement for knowing how to
  teach?
• Students dont like it if the teacher doesnt
  enforce rules.
• Not being there when students need them.
• Assignments
• Too much work to do!
• For library writing center, students do not
• understand and they do not know what to ask.
• have a written assignment to hand us.

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Faculty reported that students saidNorth Harris
College could improve (continued).

• Facilities are not updated.
• difficult to concentrate due to
• no sound proofing between classrooms
• temperature Its not consistent.
• glare of lighting on (white/chalk) boards
• District-level compatibility
• copy cards
• difficult for students who take classes on
  multiple campuses
• foreign language software
• can only use lab at school where they are
  registered

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Faculty reported that students said North Harris
College could improve (continued).

• Additional concerns
• Not enough classes at preferred times
• Morning/night, certain types of classes, certain
  days of week
• Im late because the parking is so far away.
• Do you know how much I had to pay for this
  drink! (in cafeteria)
• They need stable child care
• for two hours so they can attend class
• They would like there to be no developmental
  classes.
• Why dont more instructors look like us?
• (ethnicity and age)

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Faculty reported their experiences with students
this past year.

• Positive Experiences
• We have fun and I feel like we can stay on task
  at the same time.
• I feel like I have a very good relationship with
  my students.
• The rest of the semester was quite wonderful.
• (only one negative incident)
• A student said, I took your class because my
  friend told me that you would always explain.

• Negative Experiences
• Very frustrating trying to motivate them
• They dont ever respond unless called on
• My absences are horrible!
• They dont know their professors names.

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Several faculty had a concern for students.

• Some students enter and leave classrooms during
  class.
• breaks the whole rhythm of the class
• I was pouring my entire heart and soul and mind
  into the lecture, and . . . suddenly a student
  stood up to leave the class.
• Students talk to each other.
• They are distracted and distract other
  students.

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According to the Faculty Focus Groups
Responses were written, not verbal.

• Best Prepared Students
• Attitudes
• responsible for own actions
• respectful polite
• focused/enthusiastic/motivated
• read well
• computer literate
• Actions
• Do
• have textbook
• assignments
• attend class
• on time to class
• sit near front of class
• have materials ready to learn
• pay attention participate

• Worst Prepared Students
• Attitudes
• unmotivated trouble focusing
• immature blame others
• will not read
• are too busy to do well/overworked
• rude/disrespectful
• Actions
• Do
• not have textbook
• not do assignments
• not attend class regularly
• come to class late
• fall asleep in class
• do not bring materials to class
• do not participate
• use personal communication devices

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Theme of the Faculty Focus GroupsDiscipline
Differences

• Faculty tended to emphasize
• their particular disciplines
• how discipline differences impact
• course work requirements
• faculty relationships with students
• Disciplines represented at Faculty Focus Groups
• Biology, Chemistry, Developmental Studies,
  English, ESL, History, Nursing, Psychology,
  Speech and Theater

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North Harris College - Achieving the Dream
Community Focus Group

• Objective
• To involve the community in improving college
  programs
• Met on 4/18/07
• Five Participants represented
• Local not-for-profit organization
• Local financial establishment
• Houston-area college
• Local community (2)
• Recruited by
• Dr. Bennie Lambert,
• Vice President, Student Development

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Community Focus Group - Questions

• What are your connections to North Harris
  College?
• What do you know about North Harris College?
• What have you heard about North Harris College?
• Would you recommend North Harris College?
• Why or why not?
• What are some possible ways for North Harris
  College to involve the community with the college?

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The community members have connections toNorth
Harris College.These connections speak well of
the impact North Harris College has made on this
community.

• Past and present work
• for the college
• in partnership with the college
• Past students
• themselves
• their adult children
• Present community members
• visit campus
• parent of a past instructor
• Responses grouped.

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The community members knew about North Harris
College this past year.

• Knowledge
• News Dr. Sam has left. The bond proposal
  didnt pass. Chancellor is retiring.
  Enrollment has leveled off.
• Events BBQ cook-off. Halloween Carnival.
• Perceptions
• Students like North Harris College. They are
  generally pretty positive.
• There are more activities on campus than in the
  past.
• News Sources
• web site Very good. Excellent. Easy to get
  around.
• campus newspaper
• meetings on campus
• This Week Chronicle newspaper

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Community members had heard about North Harris
College.

• Many people they talked to said
• My son/daughter went there.
• I went there. I took a course.
• Some people they talked to did not seem to know
• North Harris Colleges location
• Even people who live near the college say,
  Where is it?
• It is isolated physically.
• Who can
• take dual credit courses?
• use child development center?
• apply for financial aid?
• Types of courses
• Two-year degree
• If people dont need a degree, just improve
  their skills.

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Community Membersrecommend North Harris College.

• To students
• Accessible Take the toll road. Use I-45. Take
  1960. There is a bus route that goes right in
  front of the college.
• Inexpensive
• Hours are transferable. Transfer up to 66
  hours to a four-year college.
• The staff is friendly and helpful. They know the
  students.
• Remedial courses are available.
• There are intramural sports.
• For students just coming out of high school.
• Take courses. Save money!
• Be home with parents to be sure homework gets
  done.
• It is a good place to nurture your dreams and
  your visions.

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Community Members recommend North Harris College.

• To the community
• Community members can use library.
• You can rent facilities such as
• theater
• dining room
• There are no parking fees.

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Community members had ideas for how North Harris
College can involve the community.

• Suggested Strategies
• help prepare first-year college students
• increase college visibility
• create a community advisory board
• For details, see Proposed Success Strategies.

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Focus Group Connections The following issues
were addressed by two or more focus groups.
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Student and Community Focus Group Connection

• Prospective students may need to
• learn how to utilize registration and advising
• Terminology
• Location of services on campus

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Student and Community Focus Group Connection

• Community members have heard
• and
• prospective students new to the area had to ask
• Where is North Harris College?

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Student, Community, and Faculty Focus Group
Connection

• Good News
• North Harris College
• is inexpensive!

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Student, Community, and Faculty Focus Group
Connection

• Good News
• North Harris College
• is fun and friendly!

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Proposed Success Strategies
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College 101 College for First Generation
Students (Community Focus Groups idea)

• Panel of current students
• to talk to prospective first generation students
• because college can be intimidating!
• Its scary walking into these buildings!
• Prospective students need to know
• where to go who to talk to
• what the words mean (example 3 credit hours)
• how to ask questions
• how to feel worthy enough to come to college

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Transferring to Big U (Dr. Bradleys idea
based on Student Focus Group theme)

• Panel of Alumni
• to talk to current North Harris College students
• to prepare students to transfer to Big U
• Students transferring to university need to know
• similarities differences with North Harris
  College
• hints about Big U

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Are You Prepared for Class?Create poster
including visual representations.(Dr. Bradleys
idea based on Student and Faculty Focus Groups
responses)

• Worst Prepared Students
• Attitudes
• unmotivated
• are calloused or a bigot
• Actions
• do not have textbook
• do not attend class regularly
• do not bring pen paper
• come to class late
• sleep in class
• Overworked students
• take too many classes
• too busy to do well

• Best Prepared Students
• Attitudes
• enthusiastic focused
• polite
• appreciate diversity
• Actions
• do assignments
• get plenty of sleep
• come to class on time
• bring pen paper
• pay attention/focus
• take good notes

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Faculty Workshops for Student Success(Dr.
Bradleys idea based on faculty and student
concerns)

• Faculty meet to strategize for student success
• Share ideas with each other
• Bring in speakers
• Develop plans for student success
• Professional Development
• classroom management techniques
• lecture techniques
• modeling respect for students
• Increase student understanding of faculty
  expectations
• Coursework expectations
• Reducing
• tardiness and cell phone use
• student absences

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Advisor Workshops(Dr. Bradleys idea based on
student concerns)

• Advisors meet to strategize for student success
• Share ideas with each other
• Bring in speakers
• Develop plans for student success
• Advisors need to let students know they
• are knowledgeable regarding
• majors
• local universities
• care about the students
• can explain things step-by-step

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Increase North Harris Colleges Visibility
(Community Focus Groups idea)

• Take action
• create DVD/video
• to give to area organizations
• update yearly
• create a community newsletter
• do a survey
• find out what people dont know about North
  Harris College
• receive media exposure for community involvement

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Increase North Harris Colleges Visibility
(Community Focus Groups idea)

• Get involved in the community
• visit community organizations
• Promote North Harris College
• Answer questions
• join local organizations

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Increase North Harris Colleges Visibility
(Community Focus Groups ideas)

• Increase familiarity with the college by visits
• to elementary schools Start early with the
  kids
• with families and young children
• with the juvenile justice system
• They are throwing kids away at 11 years old!

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Create a DVD/Video(Community Focus Groups and
Dr. Bradleys ideas)

• Include testimonials
• past students from all walks of life
• students who have made it and are now working
• Create Photo Montage of Campus
• provide cameras and journals to
• students
• faculty
• staff
• community members
• Combine results to highlight
• students expertise (students who create the
  video)
• campus places and activities

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Create a North Harris College Community Advisory
Board(Community Focus Groups ideas)

• Representatives from all areas of the community
• students and their families
• civic clubs
• public school personnel
• community business leaders
• The Board
• 8 to 10 people
• meet quarterly
• rotate membership every 3 years
• Purposes
• The committee could help come up with ideas to
  get the word out.
• plan events such as dances and picnics
• meet with community at the events
• visit public schools

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Campus Tours(Dr. Bradleys ideas based on ideas
from Student, Community, and Faculty Focus
Groups)

• Prospective students and visitors
• Can be intimidated
• North Harris College is big!
• Students need to know their resources
• Library
• Writing Center

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Park and WalkPossible Collaboration between
Kinesiology Parking Lot Maintenance

• Concern
• Students long walks from parking lots
• (based on faculty focus group responses)
• Houstonians general need for more exercise
• Solution Park and Walk
• Promote healthy exercise on campus
• Advertising campaign to promote benefits of
  exercise
• Contest
• Length one week of classes
• Winner walk the most miles
• Set up parking lot signs
• in fractions of a mile
• from parking lot to buildings
• to demonstrate actual distance

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Questions for Further Exploration
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Follow-up on Students Concerns of Intolerance

• What are more examples of racism at the college?
• One teacher made really racist comments,
  carefully picked comments. For example, a
  student said, Lets donate to Katrina. The
  professor said, Turn to page 25 in the book.
  (Slide 11)
• Which students are bigots at the college?
  (Slide 14)
• Definition intolerant person somebody with
  strong opinions, especially on politics,
  religion, or ethnicity, who refuses to accept
  different views encarta.msn.com/dictionary
• How can intolerant attitudes and actions be
  minimized?
• What can be done?
• Who can help?

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Ethnic Self-Identifiers

• Ethnic Self-Identifiers
• how students identify themselves based on
  ethnicity and/or race
• Examples _____ - American, two parents
  ethnicities
• How can students use ethnic self-identifiers to
  help them feel more comfortable in college?
• How can the complex range of possible
  self-identifiers be incorporated into the college
  system by
• Administrators?
• Advisors?
• Faculty?

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Faculty Emphasis on Discipline Distinctions

• How do discipline distinctions influence
• how students should approach each course?
• faculty interaction with students?
• the faculty as a cohesive whole?

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Recommendations

• Assess if more students, faculty, community
  members
• share these concerns
• agree with these solutions
• have additional concerns and solutions
• Implement suggested strategies
• prioritize concerns
• involve students, faculty, and community