Student Success Programs Where Retention Theory and Practice Converge Mary Stuart Hunter Houghton Mifflin College Survival National Conference July 12, 2002 Atlanta, Georgia
What We Know About Student Retention There is widespread interest in student success Nationally, rates vary by institutional type 52.5% at public two-year institutions 83.6% at private universities Overall, retention rates have changed very little over the past 30 years
What We Know About Student Retention What matters most is our institution’s rate Not a goal, rather a by-product Student learning and success = student retention
Perspectives on Student Retention From the Institution’s Perspective From the Student’s Perspective Lessons from Astin’s I – E – O model
Institutional Cultures and Student Success Barriers to Student Success and Retention
Recruitment and Orientation Tendency to admit under-prepared students Inadequate new student orientation Inadequate pre-matriculation academic advising
First-Year Instruction First-Year Instruction Large first-year classes Classes taught by the least experienced instructors Infrequent testing and little feedback
Instruction / grading based on memorization and regurgitation Little opportunity for active learning strategies Lack of critical thinking in classes Research skills not required nor taught
Campus Community Little effort to create a common community Lack of student – faculty interaction outside of class
Little effort is made to connect the curriculum and the co-curriculum Little attention to connecting the curriculum and the co-curriculum to the institutional mission Lack of collaboration between student affairs and academic affairs
Student Success Courses and First-Year Seminars Ideal Settings for Addressing Institutional Challenges
Understanding and Applying Student Retention Theory
Student / Institutional Fit (Tinto) Student background and characteristics help determine their commitment education. The greater the congruence, the more likely that the student will persist.
Empathic Recall Exercise
Social and Academic Integration (Tinto, Pascarella, Terenzini) Valuable learning experiences incorporate the classroom learning with out of class learning. Students who integrate the academic and the social reap great benefits.
Sharing of Examples
Involvement / Community (Astin, Kuh, Boyer, Light) Direct link between the quality and quantity of involvement and student performance and satisfaction Positive interaction with peers brings about a sense of satisfaction and responsibility
Reflections on Powerful Group Experiences
Student Learning (Astin, Tinto, Kuh) Successful institutions create settings that educate all students Students who find support for their learning, engage in active learning, and receive frequent feedback are more likely to stay than those who don’t
Optimal Learning Reflection
Applying Theory to Student Success Courses
10 Tips for Success in Teaching First-Year Students (Strommer) Understand your students Clarify your objectives Attend to the first class
Establish a climate for learning Abandon the non-stop lecture Involve students with varied activities Provide opportunities for reflection Take risks Include upper-class students Develop a support group
10 Tips for Success in Teaching First-Year Seminar (Hunter) Embrace high expectations and demand quality work Learn names early and use them Demonstrate self disclosure
Give students ownership for some aspects of the course Involve students in teaching the course Remember that process is content Meet at least once with each student individually
Obtain feedback throughout the term Provide opportunity for synthesis and projection Know that teaching new student seminars if a continual work in progress
7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering and Gamsen) Encourages contact between students and faculty Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students Encourages active learning
Gives prompt feedback Emphasizes time on task Communicates high expectations Respects diverse talents and ways of learning
A Lesson from Recycling Think Globally Act Locally
Stuart Hunter National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition