The First-Year Experience at North Carolina Central University Janelle G. Simmons Director, Orientation and First Year Experience Student Success Week November 13, 2007

Presentation Outline I.Importance of the First-Year Experience II.NCCUs First Year Experience III.The Eagle Institute and WOW IV.Summer Bridge Program V.Dimensions of Learning VI.NCCU Community Dinners VII.Academic Achievement Ceremonies VIII.Future Initiatives IX.Steps to Planning X.Helpful FY Resources

The Importance of the First-Year Experience Assists with the academic and social integration of students into the campus community Can help improve the quality of undergraduate education and student satisfaction overall Promotes inclusion, practice, and scholarship Improves efforts of student retention Exposes students to the purpose of higher education and the institutional mission

NCCUs First Year Experience Primarily coordinated by the Office of Orientation and First Year Experience and the Human Sciences Department, but the University assists with all programs Human Sciences Dept. organizes Summer Bridge Program and Dimensions of Learning Course (FY Seminar) Most of FYE initiatives organized by the Office of Orientation and First Year Experience, which include: -NCCU Community Dinners -Salute to New Eagles -Academic Achievement Ceremonies (First and Second Steps)

NCCUs First Year Experience Mission Statement of the Office of Orientation and First Year Experience: The Office of Orientation and First Year Experience within the Division of Student Affairs enhances the mission of North Carolina Central University in providing comprehensive services to aid in the transition of newly admitted undergraduate and transfer students. We seek to introduce and to integrate all new students and their families into the intellectual, cultural, and social fabric of the institution. Our office envisions a successful first year experience for all new undergraduate students that will stimulate intellectual growth, social responsibility, personal wellness, and career development.

The Eagle Institute & WOW Summer orientation program Two-day program for freshmen, one-day program for transfers Consists of placement testing, academic advising, course registration, campus tours, and various presentations WOW (Week of Welcome)- takes place four days before the start of classes; consists of academic and social workshops and ends with the Salute to New Eagles freshman convocation

Summer Bridge Program Five week residential program during the summer Designed to provide a support system for 100 students to become better prepared academically, socially, and psychologically for college Participants take a couple of introductory classes, and attend mandatory tutoring Students are supported continuously by their participation in a learning community during their freshman year Student Affairs sponsors two educational excursions Participants pay a $100 registration fee

Dimensions Of Learning Is NCCUs First-Year Experience Course Can be taken either the Fall or Spring semester Students are graded out of a scale of 1000 points, which include the following: Mandatory events-215 points Career portfolio-250 points Group presentation-100 points Midterms and final exams-100 points each Text for seminar was written by NCCU faculty

NCCU Community Dinners New University initiative (currently in progress) Faculty and staff volunteer to take new students to dinner Initially anticipated students to participate, but received 236 applications from new students Faculty/staff member is responsible for transporting the student and paying for the meal Evaluations will be sent to all participants at conclusion of the dinners Holiday social scheduled for December

Academic Achievement Ceremonies Recognizes first year students who earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher First Steps- takes place in the Spring semester; recognizes those students who earned 3.0 or higher GPA during Fall semester Second Steps- takes place the following Fall semester (beginning of second year); recognizes those students who earned 3.0 or higher GPA during Spring semester Consists of distribution of certificates and reception following the ceremonies

Future Initiatives First Year Reading Program First Year Student Success Series First Year Newsletter Outstanding First Year Advocate

Steps to Planning Assess the needs of your students, with regard to evaluative data provided by CIRP, student satisfaction inventories, YFCY, etc. Develop a committee which is comprised of representatives from various student services and academe Examples of possible committee members: -Student Affairs & Activities -Academic Advising -Admissions -Faculty -Registrar

Steps to Planning (cont.) Utilize resources Consider who will be involved in process, and begin to plan training for them Establish means of evaluating Questions to think about when assessing FYE Programs: What is the nature and mission of our institution? What are we doing now? What are our practices and philosophies? What do we want to learn? What do we want new students to learn?

Steps to Planning (cont.) Other Questions to Consider… Can we evaluate development? What is our timeline? In regards to resources, what resistance might we encounter? The College Survival Success Scale: Designed to help students identify their most effective and least effective college survival and success skills Used to collect pre and post data

Helpful FY Resources The National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition: Challenging and Supporting the First-Year Student: A Handbook for Improving the First Year of College, by M. Lee Upcraft, John N. Gardner, Betsy O. Barefoot & Associates Teaching First-Year College Students (revised and expanded edition of Teaching College Freshmen), by Bette LaSere Erickson, Calvin B. Peters, Diane Weltner Strommer NODA (National Orientation Directors Association):

Contact Information Janelle G. Simmons Director, Orientation and First Year Experience Suite 120 Student Services Building Durham, NC Phone: (919)