WinstonSalem State University Success of Undergraduates through University College

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Winston-Salem State University Success of
Undergraduates through University College

• Pedro L. Martinez, Provost
• Carolynn Berry, Assistant Provost and Interim Dean

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Strategic Issue

• What must the institution do to provide a
  learning environment
• (organization, structures, faculty, policies,
  experiences, curriculum, courses, programs,
  activities, facilities, etc.)
• that supports undergraduate students for success
  in preparation for graduate school, work,
  professions, and citizenship in a diverse and
  global knowledge based economy?

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Student Success

• On-going conversation about student success
• Competencies from general education
• Majors
• Graduate School
• Careers
• Retention and Graduation Rates
• 1st Year Retention, 4-Yr Graduation, 6-Yr
  Graduation compare favorably with our Peers
• BUT, not as high as we would like

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1st Year College

• First Year Experience/College in place since 1997
  
• Designed to address the issues with first year
  retention and success based on work of Gardner
  and Tinto
• Heavy remediation focus which included testing of
  new students and placement into English,
  mathematics and reading courses based on
  placement scores

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1st Year College

• Supplemental Education, Academic Resource Center,
  Center for Student Success, and New Student
  Orientation placed under the First Year
  Experience
• Revamped the 1-hour orientation course to a
  freshman seminar course
• Academic advising by Freshman Seminar course
  instructor for the first two semesters of
  enrollment

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Results

• Steadily increasing first year retention rate
  from 68 in 1997 to 78 in 2001.
• Since 2001, the rate has fluctuated between 76
  and 79.
• However,
• Low numbers being prepared for entry into
  graduate school (number who take graduate
  entrance exams scores of those who do take the
  exams).
• Relatively low numbers of students involved in
  internships other than in health care or
  education.
• Licensing test scores for nursing students are
  high, yet the faculty report tremendous efforts
  are required to prepare students for this
  process.

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Assessment

• Positive
• Aligned academic support areas under one umbrella
• More focus on advising freshmen
• Negative
• Viewed by faculty and chairs as support
• Freshman Seminar became catch-all course and
  outside of the curriculum
• Little influence on curriculum, teaching, or
  learning outcomes

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What We Wanted

• Increased recognition for quality of programs and
  competency of graduates
• Well structured program for new students that is
  appropriately resourced
• Alignment of most critical elements (curriculum,
  faculty, support, assessment) to accomplish
  outcomes for university
• Institutional Values that we expect to see in all
  students imposed early and then consistently
• The core curriculum as a sufficient preparation
  for basic skills for any major

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What Is the Best Structure?

• Looked at models within the UNC system and the
  WSSU 2006 Peer institutions.
• Major Components of a University College
• Identify critical issues and then critical
  structures, functions and outcomes for each
  component
• Outcome University College

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Critical Issues

• Advisement
• Core Curriculum
• Learning Support
• Teaching of New Students
• Unique Learning Opportunities

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University Goal

• WSSU seeks to produce graduates who are well
  prepared for graduate school, professions and
  citizenship by offering major programs with
  relevant curricula, faculty who are engaged
  teachers and scholars, academic support
  structures (advising, learning support), and
  academic enhancement (co-curriculum, leadership,
  honors, international, experiential learning).

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University Goal

• WSSU seeks to support its new undergraduates by
  providing a University College which is
  structured to help students
• engage learning (curriculum, co-curriculum,
  academic support)
• align goals, aptitude, and learning paradigm
  selection and
• build relationships (with peers, faculty/staff,
  and university) in ways that provide a foundation
  for effective learning, retention, graduation,
  and success in graduate school and professions.

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Measures of Effectiveness

• Student Satisfaction
• Retention
• Graduation Rates
• Admittance to Grad School or Hired by Top Tier
  Companies/Institutions

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University College Goals

• Goal I Provide infrastructure to ensure that
  the general education outcomes are effectively
  taught and assessed in the curriculum and the
  co-curriculum.
• Outcome High success in competencies of the
  general education learning outcomes
• Outcome Faculty members teaching in general
  education are consistently rated high for student
  engagement and effectiveness of teaching
  methodology.

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University College Goals

• Goal II Provide appropriate academic support
  for students and courses.
• Outcome Successful completion rates in core
  courses.
• Outcome of courses with gt 30 DFW decreases
  to X

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University College Goals

• Goal III Provide a framework for effective
  advising of new students and undecided students
  and for supporting effective advising in major
  programs.
• Outcome Only x of new students change major
  more than two times after enrolling.
• Outcome Only x of students change majors after
  entering junior year (90 hrs earned credit).
• Outcome 90 of retained students will return
  for 2nd year as sophomores.
• Outcome Students report satisfaction with
  advising in University College and academic major.

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University College Goals

• Goal IV Provide a framework for intentional and
  structured interactions designed to build
  relationships between new students and
  faculty/support staff new students and a
  consistent peer group new students and learning
  support activities and new students and the
  culture of WSSU
• Outcome 1st Year Retention
• Outcome Students report satisfaction with both
  opportunities and the quality of interactions
  with faculty, support staff, and peers.

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Orientation and Advising

• Orientation begins in summer and continues
  through the first year
• Connection to institution
• Advisement
• Academic advising for new students by both
  professional advisor and faculty member
• Fruitful negotiation of first set of courses
• Connection to major program
• Identification of major
• Transition to Major
• Progression through major
• Coordination for policy and training for all
  advisors

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Curriculum and Learning Support

• Core Curriculum
• Learning Skills Freshman Course taught by
  discipline faculty
• WSSU values
• Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions
• Writing, Critical thinking, Critical reading
• Test taking
• Library research
• Introduction to learning support labs
• Competencies in general education
• Writing
• Critical thinking
• Critical reading
• Problem Solving
• Outcomes Assessment
• Academic Support/Learning Centers

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Learning Centers

• Supplemental Instruction
• formal academic assistance program that utilizes
  peer-assisted study sessions. 
• Tutoring
• traditional
• Assistance to Faculty and Courses
• Staff provides aids such as instant querying
• Resourced by faculty positions

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Teaching Center

• Teaching
• Engaged and active
• Addresses critical writing, reading, thinking
  skills of new students
• Integrative - helps students see connections
  across courses
• Position initially requested to add to university
  teaching center
• Focus on effectively pedagogy in first year
  courses
• Recent decision to move refocus teaching center
  and temporarily move it under University College
• Insure that adequate resources are focused on
  course in general education

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How do academic departments support University
College, i.e., Student Success?

• Best Faculty teaching freshmen
• Learn new pedagogies to promote engaged learning
• Create incentives in courses and syllabi to
  encourage to utilize support resources
• Faculty serve on General Education Committees
• Faculty serve on Learning Center Committees
• Faculty serve on General Ed Assessment Committee

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Short Term Strategies

• Establish University College and its components
  and hire appropriate leadership and staff.
• Create an inviting atmosphere for new students in
  the building where University College will be
  housed.
• Revamp and improve Academic Advising for both new
  students and in majors.
• Update and improve Services in Learning Support
  Laboratories.
• Identify senior faculty and excellent teachers to
  teach general education courses.
• Increase assessment and analysis of data
  pertaining to new students.
• Pilot a 3 hour critical thinking, reading,
  writing course designed by faculty to address
  both general education outcomes and needs of
  major (Education Department).

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Longer Term Strategies

• Revise general education outcomes, curriculum,
  and courses.
• Implement a revised general education curriculum
  which includes a new freshman seminar class that
  supports general education outcomes, that
  includes knowledge and skills that are
  transferable between majors, and that introduces
  students to concepts and/or competencies in a
  major.
• Increase capacity of Teaching Center to provide
  support for teaching innovation, especially for
  new faculty, adjunct faculty, and those teaching
  new students.
• Develop faculty who teach new students so that
  they have a breadth of effective pedagogies to
  employ.
• Deploy faculty resources so that a minimal number
  of new or adjunct faculty are teaching new
  students.

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Longer Term Strategies

• Implement learning support that is fully
  integrated into key first year courses that have
  historically proved difficult for students to
  realize success in mastery of the competencies.
• Provide support to students and programs for
  improvement in test taking skills, especially
  those related to standardized tests such as
  licensure exams and graduate entrance exams.
• Reduce or eliminate remedial courses.
• Review and revise learning outcomes for all major
  programs to ensure relevancy and appropriateness.
  
• Develop teaching and scholarship of faculty in
  major programs.
• Provide teaching methodology support for adjunct
  faculty at all levels.
• Fully deploy assessment and analysis to improve
  outcomes related to University College, major
  programs, and student learning outcomes.

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