Entering Community College Students: Consciously Creating Critical Connections 2012 FYE Conference San Antonio, TX

Center for Community College Student Engagement  Research and service center at The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program  Currently serve 826 community and technical colleges across the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Nova Scotia, the Northern Marianas, and the Marshall Islands  Provide national and college-level data on student engagement (approx. 1.7 million respondents), faculty engagement, and promising high-impact institutional practices 2

Center for Community College Student Engagement 3 Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), administered during the 4 th and 5 th weeks of the fall term focuses on students’ experiences from the time they decide to attend through the end of the first three weeks of the term Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), administered in the spring term gathers information from students about their overall experiences at the college Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE), administered in conjunction with CCSSE to all faculty teaching credit courses gathers information on instructors’ perceptions of student experiences and about teaching practices and use of professional time Community College Institutional Survey (CCIS), collects information on identifying and promoting high-impact educational practices in community colleges gathers information about whether and how colleges implement a variety of promising practices

Creating Critical Connections Are community and technical colleges setting priorities that align with the needs of their entering students? 4 How do we know? What are entering students saying about their earliest experiences at the college?

What the Data Say 5 Source: A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success, A First Look (2012) Center for Community College Student Engagement National Report 79% of entering students aim to complete an associate degree; yet fewer than half (45%) of entering students who intend to earn an associate degree or certificate meet their goal within six years. 72% of students who took a placement test report that they needed developmental education, but 82% of students say they never participated in supplemental instruction and 76% say they never participated in tutoring. 42% of part-time students and 19% of full-time students work more than 30 hours per week. But only 26% of entering students say a college staff member talked with them about their commitments outside of class to help them figure out how many courses to take.

What the Data Say In focus groups with students, what do they typically report as the most important factor in keeping them in school and persisting toward their goals? 6 Strong, early connection to someone on campus.

Miss Maureen 7 Video Removed

8 Placement Advising Orientation First three weeks in class Financial Aid Registration Effective Practice with Entering Students

9 Engaged Learning Academic and Social Support Network Early Connections Effective Track to College Readiness Clear Academic Plan and Pathway High Expectations and Aspirations Benchmarks of Effective Practice SENSE Benchmarks: Groupings of conceptually related items

Example: Benchmark Differences by Enrollment 10 Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Example: Benchmark Differences by Developmental Education 11 Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Early Connections: Starting Right

Early Connections in Detail Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data 13

Early Connections Assigned a contact person Helped w/ financial aid qualifying questions Someone learned my name Provided info on financial aid First time felt welcome 14

Early Connections: Influencing Factors on Engagement 15 Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: Engagement through Goal Setting and Academic Planning

Clear Academic Plan and Pathway in Detail Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data 17

Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: Developmental vs. Non-Developmental Talked to me about outside commitments (balance) Helped me set goals and make a plan Helped me select program or major Able to meet at convenient time Helped me to identify needed courses for first semester/quarter 18

Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: Influencing Factors on Engagement 19 Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Engaged Learning: Transitioning to the classroom

Engaged Learning: What Happened Along the Way? 21 Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Engaged Learning: Influencing Factors on Engagement 22 Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

A Look at Practice: Orientation, Student Success Courses, and Learning Communities

24 Orientation I attended an on-campus orientation prior to the beginning of classes I enrolled in an orientation course as part of my course schedule during my first semester/quarter at this college I was not aware of a college orientation 45% 7% 18%

Impact of Orientation: A Profile Impact of orientation: Predicted Early Connections: 55.4 Impact of orientation: Predicted Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: 49.8 Impact of orientation: Predicted Engaged Learning: For a male student, in developmental education, who received financial aid, attending part-time:

Student Success Courses 26 In which of the following types of courses were you enrolled during your first semester/quarter at this college? A course specifically designed to teach study skills and strategies to help students succeed in college (e.g., a college success or student success course) 27%

Impact of Student Success Course: A Profile Impact of student success course: Predicted Early Connections: 56.7 Impact of student success course: Predicted Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: 50.9 Impact of student success course: Predicted Engaged Learning: For a male student, in developmental education, who received financial aid, attending part-time:

Learning Communities 28 In which of the following types of courses were you enrolled during your first semester/quarter at this college? An organized “learning community” (two or more courses that a group of students take together) 5%

Impact of Learning Communities: A Profile Impact of learning communities: Predicted Early Connections: 57.5 Impact of learning communities: Predicted Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: 51.3 Impact of learning communities: Predicted Engaged Learning: For a male student, in developmental education, who received financial aid, attending part-time:

Connections Matter… 30 Video Removed

Creating Critical Connections: What are your college’s entering students saying about their earliest experiences? 31 SENSE data provide one way to find out… Is your college setting priorities that align with the needs of your entering students?

Contact Information: April Juárez Program Coordinator, Student Success BY THE NUMBERS Initiative Deryl Hatch Research Assistant