Center for Adult Learning New Student Orientation

1
A Safe Harbor from the Storm Developing a
University-Wide Student Academic Success Program
Presenters Ricardo Ortegón, Ramapo College of
New Jersey Tara Morlando-Zurlo, Montclair State
University
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Program Agenda

• The Lay of The Land
• Office Structure
• Students Served by CAAAL
• Research Trends
• University Demographics
• Storm Watch
• University History Academic Action
• Student Academic Success Coordinator position
• Probation Population statistics
• Building A Harbor
• Academic Success Program - Timeline
• Weathering The Storm
• Success/Results

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University Demographics

• University Population
• 16,076
• 12,365 Undergraduate students
• 3,711 Graduate Students
• Academic Action Populations Spring 2007
• 242 students on probation
• 95 freshmen
• 76 sophomores
• 46 juniors
• 25 seniors

4
Office Structure

• Center for Academic Advising Adult Learning
  (CAAAL)
• 3 Administrators
• 5 Professional Advisors
• 1 Technology Coordinator
• 1 Student Academic Success Coordinator
• 4 Customer Service Representatives

5
Students served by CAAAL

• Undeclared Upperclassmen 1,200
• New Transfer Students 1,200
• Adult Learners (new and returning) - 350
• All action students (except for Freshman, EOF and
  Athletes) - 533
• Transitional Students (switching majors, aiming
  for restricted majors, etc.) - infinity

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Research Trends

• Student placed on probation tend to be there
  because of two main factors
• Inability to grasp the material/disinterest in
  the subject
• Outside responsibilities/personal problems
  overshadow demands of coursework
• Dunwoody Frank, 1995 Lemoncelli Leonard,
  1990 Lucas, 1991 Trombley, 2000

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University History(Academic Action)

• University History (Academic Action)
• Old academic standards
• No centralized intervention program
• Students perpetually on action (minimum retention
  policy)
• New Standards of Academic Progress
• Creation of University-wide Student Academic
  Success Program - (Probation Intervention
  Program)
• Introduction of the Student Academic Success
  Coordinator position

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Student Academic Success Coordinator (SASC)

• Created new position within the division
• Position responsibilities
• Primary Advisor - Readmitted students
• Secondary Advisor Probation Students
• Creates and updates the Academic Standards
  webpage
• Manages all online RSVP forms relating to
  Academic Action programming efforts
• Directs and manages the Student Academic
  Monitoring Program (STAMP)
• Creates semester and end of the year Academic
  Action reports

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Probation Population
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Probation Population
Of the 381 students on probation with the
University, the CAAAL Office directly
worked with 242 students
(excluding freshmen or special program admits).
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Probation Population
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Academic Action Program Sample Timeline for
Spring 2007

• January 2007
• Semester grades are posted
• Action holds (registration) placed on students
  under 2.00 cumulative GPA
• Courtesy email sent to students notifying them of
  probation
• Official University notification ? Holds link
  in the student information system

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Academic Action Webpage
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Academic ActionProgram - Timeline (cont.)

• January Mid-February 2007
• Conduct mandatory Academic Success Workshops
• Workshop dates with electronic RSVP posted on
  website
• Workshop includes
• Student population survey
• Powerpoint presentation
• LASSI Inventory

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Academic ActionProgram - Timeline (cont.)

• January May 2007
• Probation student advising follow-up
• Action holds released
• Bi-weekly meetings
• Tutoring and student service referrals as needed
• Supplemental Themed Workshops
• Motivational Success
• Study Skills

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(Academic ActionProgram - Timeline (cont.)

• March 2007
• Student Academic Monitoring Program (STAMP)
• Conducted at the mid-point of each semester
• Emails sent out from Provost to campus and
  faculty listserv requesting Faculty/Staff support
• Paper forms are mailed to all Faculty members
  (Online version available)

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STAMP Form (online version)
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Academic ActionProgram - Timeline (cont.)

• March/April 2007
• STAMP Form Processing
• Sent to all action students (probation and other
  levels of action)
• Coded for special program populations (i.e.
  Athletics, EOF, NSE)
• Returned via paper or electronic submission

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Academic ActionProgram - Timeline (cont.)

• May 2007
• Final grades for Spring 2007 courses posted
  online
• Academic Action enforced (if applicable)
• Success Data
• Statistical Reports compiled

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Probation Workshop Attendance

• Of the 452 enrolled students placed on probation
  after Fall 2006, 381 (84) attended the mandatory
  Student Academic Success workshop before the end
  of the Spring 2007 drop/add period.

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Student Success Outcomes

• Of the 381 students who attended the workshop,
  252 (66) were successful, and were in good
  standing after Spring 2007.

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Three Year Data Comparison
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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TODAYS PRESENTATION. GOOD
LUCK AS YOU BUILD YOUR SAFE HARBOR ONE STUDENT
AT A TIME