What matters? Assessing conditions in the Alpha Academic Services programs to enhance educational effectiveness, student engagement and retention at ACU Book 1—Assessing conditions to enhance educational effectiveness: The inventory for student engagement and success Book 2—Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter by George D. Kuh, J. Kinzie, J.H. Schuh and, E. Whitt and Associates. (2005). By James Scudder Individual, Group and Organizational Interventions

Presentation Overview Guest Speaker Book title and its origin (ISES from SSC from DEEP) NSSE Book 2 -- SSC Primary Book -- ISES Why I chose to work with Alpha Academic Services Video’s –Testimonials –Programs that support students through holistic education Conclusion

Guest Speaker Director of Alpha Academic Services—Scott Self –Tell us about Alpha Academic ServicesTell us about Alpha Academic Services Q & A Please consider this information while I speak about these books.

Assessing conditions to enhance educational effectiveness: The inventory for student engagement and success (ISES) Referred to as ISES, this book is a template for institutions to use with the book Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter (SSC) (Kuh et. al., 2005). ISES can be used to: –examine what institutions or programs are doing, –how well they are doing it, and –where they falling short in creating the conditions for student success.

Origins of ISES and SSC SSC was written as a result of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The NSSE Institute formed a study over a two year period and called it the DEEP project (Documenting Effective Educational Practices). The DEEP committee use the results from the NSSE to find themes that help define effectiveness of institutions. 20 DEEP schools—11 public + 9 private What is NSSE? Does anyone recall their experience with NSSE?

OIRA and ACU’s 2007 NSSE Results There is a Student Survey There is a Faculty Survey Where is the Staff Survey—If there were how would NSSE results change? If they created one who would participate in it?

Book 2—Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter Based on NSSE, “what does an educationally effective college look like in the 21 st century?” SSC p xvi Is it the buildings? Is it the parking lot? Is it the students? Is it the faculty and staff? Is it the hospitality? Is it the mission? Is it all of the above and more? The answer to this question will be explained by this presentation.

Part One: Student engagement is the key to student success Based on NSSE results –What are students saying about themselves? –What are faculty saying about students? A blue print for becoming a high performing institution –Does one size fit all?

Group Work--Part One: Chapter One How do ACU students experience the five clusters? Chapter One: The five clusters of NSSE 1.Academic challenge: 2.Active and collaborative learning: 3.Student-faculty interaction: 4.Enriching educational experiences: 5.Supportive campus environment:

Part One: Chapter One Chapter One: The five clusters of NSSE--students have the opportunity to: 1.Academic challenge: Preparing for class, reading and writing, develop critical thinking skills, institutionally supportive environment for academics, etc. 2.Active and collaborative learning: Class participation, making presentations, in and out of class group projects, tutoring or teaching other students, etc. 3.Student-faculty interaction: Discussing grades or assignments, career goals, discussing assignments outside of class, etc. 4.Enriching educational experiences: Talk with students with different religious beliefs, political opinions, values, race, ethnicity, use of technology, internships, etc. 5.Supportive campus environment: Help students succeed academically, cope with nonacademic responsibilities, thrive socially, student-peer and student-faculty relations, etc.

Part Two: Chapters Two-Seven six overarching features found to be common in the 20 DEEP schools Chapters Two - Four. Chapter 2: A “living” mission and “lived” educational philosophy Specific to the institution, mission--espoused mission vs. enacted mission, philosophy-- compass for mission Who knows the mission? SSS at FSU is mentioned p Chapter 3: An unshakeable focus on student learning emphasis on holistic student learning is broad and deep in policies and practice Hiring of faculty and staff Make time for students - LC, Facebook, etc. Learning and teaching styles - CTE, etc Work with students they have Chapter 4: Environments adapted for educational enrichment Where they are and who they are Local community Strong attachments Interior and Exterior spaces--encourage participation

Part Two: Chapters Two-Seven six overarching features found to be common in the 20 DEEP schools Chapter 5: Clearly marked pathways to student success Guideposts: first year programs advising sessions, capstone courses Publications: describe student experience Resources and services Standards need support: TRiO, Writing Center Chapter 6: An improvement oriented ethos Does performance match potential? Does not settle, always improving Innovative Systematically collecting information to improve Improvement and innovation grounded in its mission Chapter 7: Shared responsibility for educational quality and student success All programs, all offices, all units Leaders clearly and consistently articulate the core operating values and principles All “model the way” All are supportive educators Operate across “silos” Model and hold each other accountable Hospitality

Group Work--Part Three: Chapters Eight - Twelve Effective Practices: Where Does This Happen at ACU? (programs and policies) Chapter Eight - Twelve: The five clusters of NSSE 1.Academic challenge: Inform students of expectations, provide support, celebrate scholarship, etc. 2.Active and collaborative learning: Teach and encourage collaboration, peer teaching and tutoring, service learning, etc. 3.Student-faculty interaction: Opportunities for research, first-year seminars and capstone experiences requiring regular contact with faculty, use of technology, etc. 4.Enriching educational experiences: Value of diversity, activities that promote cross-cultural understanding, civic engagement, and self-reflection, study abroad, internships and real-life situations, etc. 5.Supportive campus environment: Transition programs, early-warning systems, advising, mentoring, learning support resources, peer support, faculty and staff, administrators etc.

Group Work--Part Three: Chapters Eight - Twelve Effective Practices: What are some of the supportive programs that allow ACU to be effective in encouraging student engagement? (programs and/or policies) Chapter One: The five clusters of NSSE 1.Academic challenge: Classroom, residence halls, Alpha, etc. 2.Active and collaborative learning: Labs, residence halls, learning communities, Alpha, LC, WC, etc. 3.Student-faculty interaction: Offices, labs, service projects, etc. 4.Enriching educational experiences: office multicultural enrichment, residence halls, study abroad, Alpha, etc. 5.Supportive campus environment: SOS, student success, career planning, counseling, Alpha, etc.

VIDEOS Who are our students, Alpha’s and therefore ACU’s?

Semester project I plan to use this template to help Alpha answer the following questions: 1.Considering the population Alpha Academic Services serves on the ACU campus, does it contribute to it’s graduation rates? 2.To What extent does Alpha challenge and support students and foster their learning and personal development? 3.How does Alpha know? 4.What might Alpha do differently to improve student learning and persistence on the ACU campus? I anticipate that I will find more questions to answer as I work on this project.

Why focus on student success? As the pressure to become premiere, “the pool of prospective undergraduates is wider, deeper, and more diverse than ever, and four-fifths of high school graduates need some form of postsecondary education to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to address increasingly complex social, economic, and political issues” (Kuh et. al., 2005, p 3). Kuh and his associates state that Adelman, (2004), and Pascarella &Terenzini, (2005), suggest that the best predictors of whether a student will graduate are academic preparation and motivation. As universities and colleges seek to become more “selective - recruiting the best and the brightest students, it is not an approach that expands access or addresses the human capital needs of individuals or society” (Kuh et. at., 2005, p 3). Last argument. We speak of cultural diversity on campus, I believe diverse backgrounds educate their peers about the other side of the tracks, intentionally and unintentionally. Given the opportunity for a college education, and through conditions mention in this presentation, they bloom and contribute to a better society.

Sources Book 1—Assessing conditions to enhance educational effectiveness: The inventory for student engagement and success Book 2—Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter By George D. Kuh,J. Kinzie, J.H. Schuh and, E. Whitt and Associates. (2005).