Focus on the First-Year “ The First Year Matters” Presentation for the Academic Affairs Town Hall October 2, 2007

Current Efforts to Improve the First-Year Strategic Priorities – 1.7 Provide academic and student services support for student retention, success and graduation – 2.1 Engage and support first year students to improve retention and connectedness WASC Theme #3 – Improving Retention of First-Year Students Variety of initiatives & programs across campus

WASC Theme III Improving Retention of First-year Students Three projects in our May 2005 Proposal – An Intensive Summer Program for Incoming Freshmen – Learning Communities – Student Support Services for First-year Students Several indicators as to the (Educational) Effectiveness of these projects – Increased one-year continuation rates for all first-year student groups – Improved remediation rates in English and mathematics – Improved first-year advising

The Basic Questions As a Campus Community How do we know what is working for our first-year students? How do we know what our next steps should be for improving our first-year?

Foundations of Excellence ® in the First College Year The Policy Center on the First-Year of College has selected Cal State San Marcos as one of 13 four-year institutions that will participate in a year-long project, “Foundations of Excellence ® in the First College Year.” This national project is designed to help campuses evaluate and improve the overall experience of first-year students.

Foundations of Excellence ® in the First College Year The Foundations of Excellence project began working with National Select cohorts in Since then, 81 four-year colleges and universities have participated in the self-study process (including CSU Bakersfield last year). Four CSU campuses (Chico, Dominguez Hills, Monterey Bay and San Jose) participated in the “Phase I” development of the Foundational Dimensions.

Foundational Dimensions ® for the First College Year The entire Foundations of Excellence process rests upon nine Foundational Dimensions. The Dimensions serve as a model that provides institutions with a framework for improving the first year of college. As a tool, the model enables institutions both to confirm their strengths and to recognize the need to improve. As an aspirational model, the Dimensions provide general guidelines for an intentional design of the first year. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® assume the following: The academic mission of an institution is pre-eminent. The first year is central to the achievement of an institution’s mission and lays the foundation on which undergraduate education is built. Systematic evidence provides validation of the Dimensions, which collectively constitute an ideal for improving not only the first college year, but also the entire undergraduate experience. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® Organizational Structure at CSUSM Distinct “Dimension Committees” working on seven of the nine dimensions. Steering Committee will consist of co-chairs from the seven Dimension Committees and will also serve as the Philosophy and Improvement Committee. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center Steering Committee (Philosophy & Improvement) FacultyLearning Organization TransitionsAll studentsDiversityRoles & Purpose

Foundations of Excellence ® Structure and Process Conduct Surveys with faculty/staff & students Conduct Current Practices Inventory (CPI) Form Task Force and Identify Dimension Committees Dimension Review Dimension Review Task Force Review – Pulling It All Together Final Task Force Report Executive Summary Nine Dimension Reports Action Plan Implementation Periodic Review Adjustment Current Practices Inventory Score Card

Foundations of Excellence ® in the First College Year Our Policy Center Liaison is Betsy Barefoot, Co-Director and Senior Scholar for the Policy Center Prior to assuming this position in 1999, Dr. Barefoot served for 11 years as Co- Director for Research and Publications in the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina. She is engaged in ongoing research on first-year programming in American higher education, has co-edited a number of publications including the Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, the First-Year Experience Newsletter, and a series of single-topic monographs, and authored and co-authored a number of publications including the 2005 Jossey-Bass books, Achieving and Sustaining Institutional Excellence for the First Year of College, and Challenging and Supporting the First-Year Student: A Handbook for the First Year of College. Betsy on how Foundations of Excellence goes “Beyond Retention”

The Foundational Dimensions ® PHILOSOPHY Foundations Institutions…….. approach the first year in ways that are intentional and based on a philosophy/rationale of the first year that informs relevant institutional policies and practices Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® ORGANIZATION Foundations Institutions…….. create organizational structures and policies that provide a comprehensive, integrated, and coordinated approach to the first year. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® LEARNING Foundations Institutions…….. deliver intentional curricular and co-curricular learning experiences that engage students in order to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors consistent with the desired outcomes of higher education and the institution’s philosophy and mission. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® FACULTY Foundations Institutions…….. make the first college year a high priority for the faculty. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® TRANSITIONS Foundations Institutions…….. facilitate appropriate student transitions through policies and practices that are intentional and aligned with institutional mission. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® ALL STUDENTS Foundations Institutions…….. serve all first-year students according to their varied needs. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® DIVERSITY Foundations Institutions…….. ensure that all first-year students experience diverse ideas, worldviews, and cultures as a means of enhancing their learning and preparing them to become members of pluralistic communities. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® ROLES & PURPOSES Foundations Institutions…….. promote student understanding of the various roles and purposes of higher education, both for the individual and society. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

The Foundational Dimensions ® IMPROVEMENT Foundations Institutions…….. conduct assessment and maintain associations with other institutions and relevant professional organizations in order to achieve ongoing first-year improvement. Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes Improvement © 2005 Policy Center

Timeline for Dimension Committees October 10 th – Launch Team reviews response forms and begins forming Dimension Committees and identifying individuals who may wish to chair a Dimension Committee. Mid to late October – Training meeting with Dimension Committee chairs. Early November – Dimension Committees begin regular meetings. Biweekly is suggested, but committees may decide to me meet less frequently or more frequently as the need arises. Wrap up by April, 2008 Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes © 2005 Policy Center

Our Foundations of Excellence Launch Team

Opportunities to participate in our Foundations of Excellence process will be campus-wide. How can YOU participate?

The Launch Team has recommended to Provost Cutrer and VP Worden a number of key individuals in AA and SA who they have invited to serve on Dimension Committees. If you were on this original list, you should have received an invitation from Provost Cutrer last week. If you are willing to serve on a Dimension Committee, please fill out the response form that came with the invitation and return it to Academic Programs. In the event that you were overlooked and you find this interesting, please contact Joanne Pedersen or David Barsky, and we’ll be happy to get you involved with one of the dimensions. Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes © 2005 Policy Center

Even if you are unable to serve on a Dimension Committee, we hope that you will willing to assist these committees if you are contacted for some information that you have and which they need for their work. Please respond to the Foundations of Excellence electronic survey, and encourage others to do the same. Over 1/3 of all faculty, staff and administrators across the entire campus have already responded by last Friday afternoon. (The reminder s will stop coming once you complete the survey.) Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All Students Diversity Roles & Purposes © 2005 Policy Center

Co-liaisons: David Barsky Joanne Pedersen For more info: Foundations of Excellence website: Foundations of Excellence “ The First Year Matters”