First Steps for Student Success and Retention (FSSSR) Recommendations for Improving Student Success at Portland State University Progress Update Fall 2009

President Wiewel’s Blueprint for PSU’s Future Improve Student Success--Ensure a student experience that results in higher satisfaction, retention and graduation rates. Enhance Educational Opportunity Expand Resources & Improve Effectiveness Achieve Global Excellence Provide Civic Leadership through Partnerships

Background  The First Steps for Student Success and Retention (FSSSR) committee met August 2007 through October The group reviewed OIRP data regarding retention and graduation rates, literature on best practices and reviewed certain policies & practices at Portland State that may impact student success.  Using a best practices grid adopted by OUS, the group inventoried retention activities at the institution. From these activities the group made their initial recommendations.

Data Summary First-year retention rates for first-time full-time freshmen have remained since the increase in the entering HS GPA in AY The graduation rate spiked for the 2000 cohort to 35%, but decreased again to the roughly 32% rate of the last 6 years. 77.5% of students in Freshman Inquiry classes in fall of 2007 completing the Prior Learning Survey indicated they intended to graduate from this institution, up from 70.5% in 2005.

Initial Recommendations and Status Report Advising & Support  Action Step 1: Establish and put into practice a clear and comprehensive intentional model of UG academic advising (centralized) and departmental (de-centralized) at Portland State University.

Advising Model:  Advising required for all UG students during New Student Orientation.  Advising required for all UG students in the first year within the schools or colleges in concert with professional adviser support.  General Advising required (minimally once per year) for all UG students who are identified as undecided through the sophomore year.

Advising Model (Continued ):  Each School/College will articulate their unique advising model and set expectations for how frequently beyond the first year UG students will be advised by a college or departmental adviser.  UG students may declare a major at anytime and must declare a major, and transition to departmental advising, by the end of their sophomore year.

Action Step 1 Update  Fall 2010 implementation date set for required orientation for all newly admitted undergraduate students.  Fall 2010 implementation date set for required advising for freshmen.  Fall 2011 implementation date set for required declaration of major for undecided/undeclared sophomores.

Action Step 2: Revamp and utilize the Academic Advising Council (AAC) to increase quality of advising campus-wide. Action Step 2 Update  Newly constituted Council representative of schools, colleges, advising administrators & practitioners convened February  AAC evaluated data from OIRP regarding number of students, by major, impacted by mandates to assist in creating alternatives to labor-intensive 1:1 advising.

Action Step 2 Update (Cont.)  Evaluation of group activities, including curricular options, and technology to enhance advising reducing demand for 1:1 resource intensive advising.  Developed Portland State Advising Tenets.  Ongoing work with A&A Deans/departments to support departments in recruiting best representatives to participate in New Student Orientation: Advising & Registration Program.

Action Step 3 Update  Data collection from OIRP regarding number of students to be advised by major shared with colleges and departments to assist in the design of advising most appropriate for the size of the individual departments. Action Step 3: Provide assistance to Schools/Colleges/Departments to articulate a departmental advising model. Build capacity within departments for advising students.

Action Step 3 Update (Cont.)  Department chairs to receive Academic Advising Planning Guide Winter 2010 to provide structure for implementation of unit advising plans and for creating referral communications plan.  AAC to provide feedback and recommendations to units for advising plans based on each department’s model.  AAC is addressing means to integrate advising from corollary areas, e.g. pre- professional, athletics, scholarship programs, etc..

Action Step 4: Utilize SIS-Banner to require students to declare a major and to see departmental academic advisors as determined by the college or school process. Action Step 4 Update  ARR Director Cindy Baccar and staff proposal to Administrative Priorities Committee to use Banner Faculty Self Service as administrative tool approved and in process.  Developing protocols to ensure students are advised based on college/school, and/or department model.

Action Step 5: Increase professional development and trainings for departmental advisors on GE requirements, university resources, advising skills and best practices. Action Step 5 Update  Adviser training conducted by UASC Director, Mary Ann Barham, December 2008, and joined by CLAS Assistant Dean, Robert Mercer, for June & July 2009 trainings. Approximately 100 faculty, professional advisers and staff participated.  Academic Advising Council to review current model of training.

Action Step 6: Pilot Summer Transition program for a select group of high risk students. Action Step 6 Update  Winter 2009 initial conversations held among Academic Support Program, Student Support Services/EOP, Residence Life/Housing and Admissions to identify prospective students.  ROADs to Success designed by Academic Support Program for pre-fall enrollment of targeted at-risk students in College Success courses; includes residence life component.

Action Step 6 Update (Cont.)  Two sections of College Success ROADS courses were offered for freshmen conditional admits in September 2009; included one section with a residential component.  Fifty-six students participated in this inaugural offering.  Evaluation of student performance being conducted.

Action Step 7: Identify a space or building on campus that could be designated for student services that would benefit by centralization and/or collaboration. Action Step 7 Update  Student Success collaboration within the Ondine to extend services to students during evening hours in the residence hall.  Millar Library collaboration created to provide advising and tutorial services within the library and build upon the Student Success model in the Ondine.

Action Step 7 Update (Cont.)  Creation of the new Skills Enhancement & Tutoring Center on the 4th floor of SMSU— increased supplemental instruction and tutoring capacity, completed April  Discussions have been initiated with campus leaders of the Office of Informational Technology, Millar Library and Student Affairs regarding the development of a Knowledge Commons.

Communication & Service Action Step: Evaluate PSU Portal for breadth of its communication potential as well as other Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software tools & web-based support. Action Step Update  Portal live, sub-group of Student Affairs and University Studies staff have vetted retention (CRM) software.  On recommendation of AACRAO Enrollment Consultants, expanded CRM search to include both retention and recruitment functionalities.

Action Step Update (Cont.)  Four vendors to have been vetted by campus- wide review process by end of February  Budget request submitted to support purchase and implementation of CRM for Spring  Communications Mapping Project completed spring term 2008 to inventory communications delivered to all students as well as sub- populations to support rollout of CRM communications.

Action Step Update (Cont.)  University Studies Early Notification System and Students First Website, now called U.Connect, have been implemented.  University Studies/OSA collaboration on first- year communications delivery with FRINQ students is in second year of operations.  Communications Mapping Project pilot communications for students outside of FRINQ implemented Fall 2009 with University Studies support.

Enrollment Processes Action Step : Evaluate admission policies and processes for possible changes. Action Step Update  ARR/ARC proposal to update general UG admission policies effective Fall  Review of conditional admission matrix.  Evaluation of conditional admit review process and determination of capacity for providing support for those conditionally admitted ongoing.  AACRAO Enrollment Consultants report and recommendations reviewed by internal enrollment group and CADS with action recommendations.