Dr. Andrea L. Tyler, Title III Administration

1
National Association of HBCU Title III
Administration Workshop
Developing and Advancing Program Initiatives to
Promote Graduate Student Success

• Presented by
• Dr. Andrea L. Tyler, Title III Administration
• Director of Graduate STEM Research
• Tennessee State University
• June 26, 2014

2
Overarching Questions

• What practices do institutions enact in an
  attempt to enhance graduate student persistence
  and graduation outcome?
• How do students experiences with institutional
  practices influence their success and graduation?
• Research shows the importance of these questions
• Braxton, 1999 Hossler, 2005 Perna and Thomas,
  2006 Tinto and Pusser, 2006

3
Program Goal
Increase the graduation rate of African American
graduate students in STEM disciplines at
Tennessee State University.
4
Program Objectives

• Provide a comprehensive, holistic, and
  multifaceted approach to engaging African
  American graduate students in STEM disciplines
• Create an infrastructure to adequately support
  and serve African American graduate STEM students

5

Program Elements

• Research studies on graduate student
  persistence indicate the following conditions are
  necessary to promote success
• Institutional commitment
• Active research
• Support
• Feedback
• Involvement or engagement

6
Program Framework

• Cognitive Factors Cognitive factors relate to
  the academic ability of the student and the
  students academic preparedness.
• Social Factors - Social factors are tied to a
  students interpersonal skills as well as the
  impact of family and peer interaction and support
  .
• Institutional Factors - Institutional factors are
  those factors that the university provides for
  the retention and persistence of students. These
  are mechanisms, services, and programs that the
  institution provides to meet the needs of the
  students.

7
Program Model
Institutional Leadership
Institutional Commitment
EXPECTATIONAL CLIMATE
ABILITIES, SKILLS, PREPARATION
Academic, Social, Financial Support
SUPPORT
ATTRIBUTES
Mentoring, Pedagogy, Workshops, Research,
Academic Organization
INVOLVEMENT
ATTITUDES, VALUES, KNOWLEDGE
FEEDBACK
EXTERNAL COMMITMENTS
Mentoring, Assessment, Early Warning
8
Program Components

• Mentoring
• Academic Advising and Support
• Academic Enrichments
• Peer Socialization
• Research Opportunities
• Financial Assistance
• TSU-TLSAMP

9
Program Component Activities
Individual Group Meetings (CuCme)
Meet with Advisors, Department Chairs Deans
Encouraged to present at a local and national
conference
Graduate Student Council (GSC) and resource room
Monthly seminars and hands-on workshops
10
Accountability/Assessment

• Evaluate the effectiveness of Title III
• programming through an internal program
• Evaluator, activity surveys, and focus groups.
• Transitional concepts
• Pre/Post activity and program assessment
• Internship/Career opportunities
• Research opportunities
• Academic engagement
• Effective, Impact, Relevant, Innovative

11
Conclusion

• A model of institutional action, whatever its
  final dimensions, must be specific to your
  university and the body of students your serve.
  No two models will look alike
• The ultimate challenge is not to create programs
  but to develop services that respond to the
  academic and social needs of students (Sherman
  et al., 1994, p. 178).
• Hence, as the study of retention has developed,
  so too has awareness that each institution must
  tailor retention to fit the specific needs of its
  students and the context of that particular
  institutional environment (Siedman, 2005, p. 3).
  

12
Question Answers

• Contact Information
• Dr. Andrea L. Tyler
• Tennessee State University
• atyler2_at_tnstate.edu
• 615-963-7353