Conducing a Self-study of the First Year Experience through the Foundations of Excellence Terisa C. Remelius, Ph.D. Assist. Vice President for Student Services/Dean of Students Associate Professor of Adult and Higher Education

Objectives Session Participants will: Understand the basic purposes of the Foundations of Excellence and why the University of South Dakota chose to participate, Compare the Foundations of Excellence assessment and evaluation process with those being used at their campuses, Make conclusions about the helpfulness of this type of process for their campuses.

Situational Analysis The University of South Dakota is the flagship, liberal arts institution in South Dakota. Less than 8,500 students including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Progression to second year of study by the 2004 cohort was 69%. Retention to graduation in 6 years for 2000 cohort was 47.7% (

Situational Analysis, continued. Strategic planning occurred in the academic year. Intentional focus on fusion of academic affairs and student affairs is evident in strategic plan. Five year goals included: First-time, full-time freshman class increase to 1,200 from approximately 1,000. Retention to second year increase to 78% from 69%.

Collaboration between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Significantly increase student learning, retention, and graduation by creating a culturally and intellectually diverse environment that supports and engages all students through the integration of rich academic and social experiences. Implement collaboration between academic and student affairs that results in a diverse and vibrant learning environment, with special attention to the first two years of undergraduate study.

Policy Center on the First Year of College Mission Statement: The Policy Center on the First Year of College has as its basic mission the improvement of the beginning college experience through enhanced learning, success, and retention of new students. This mission is grounded in the belief that an institution’s first-year policies and practices are the foundation for attainment of the larger goals of undergraduate education. ( ¶2)

Foundations of Excellence Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year is the voluntary self-study of all aspects of the first year of college at your institution. From inquiry to final grades, the participants will research, analyze, and evaluate all facets of the experiences of first year students.

Organization of the FoE Groups Steering Committee Co-chaired by AVP of Academic Affairs and AVP of Student Services Members: AVP for Academic Affairs/Chief Diversity Officer, Assoc. Dean of Arts & Sciences, Dir. Of Academic Evaluation and Assessment, President of USD Foundation, President of SGA, 3 faculty members Task Force (More than 100 participants who are faculty, staff, or students) All other Dimension Committees (Chaired by members of the Steering Committee)

Steering Committee This group guides the Foundations of Excellence project from start to finish. USD made the decision for the two co- liaisons to co-chair the Steering Committee. Other members included chairs of all of the dimension committees, SGA president, and Foundation president. Some institutions choose to include a representative from the Board of Regents/Trustees on their steering committees.

Dimension Committees The main work of the group occurs at the committee levels. In this case, there are seven dimensions being studied: Philosophy Organization Learning Faculty Transitions All-Students Diversity Roles and Purposes Improvement

Philosophy Dimension 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. The philosophy/rationale is explicit, clear and easily understood, consistent with the institutional mission, widely disseminated, and, as appropriate, reflects a consensus of campus constituencies. The philosophy/rationale is also the basis for first-year organizational policies, practices, structures, leadership, department/unit philosophies, and resource allocation.

Organizational Dimension Foundations Institutions create organizational structures and policies that provide a comprehensive, integrated, and coordinated approach to the first year. These structures and policies provide oversight and alignment of all first-year efforts. A coherent first-year experience is realized and maintained through effective partnerships among academic affairs, student affairs, and other administrative units and is enhanced by ongoing faculty and staff development activities and appropriate budgetary arrangements.

Learning Dimension 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. Whether in or out of the classroom, learning also promotes increased competence in critical thinking, ethical development, and the lifelong pursuit of knowledge.

Faculty Dimension Foundations Institutions make the first college year a high priority for the faculty. These institutions are characterized by a culture of faculty responsibility for the first year that is realized through high-quality instruction in first-year classes and substantial interaction between faculty and first- year students both inside and outside the classroom. This culture of responsibility is nurtured by chief academic officers, deans, and department chairs and supported by the institutions’ reward systems.

Transitions Dimension Foundations Institutions facilitate appropriate student transitions through policies and practices that are intentional and aligned with institutional mission. Beginning with recruitment and admissions and continuing through the first year, institutions communicate clear curricular and co-curricular expectations and provide appropriate support for educational success. They are forthright about their responsibilities to students as well as students' responsibilities to themselves and the institution. They create and maintain curricular alignments with secondary schools and linkages with secondary school personnel, families, and other sources of support, as appropriate.

All-Students Dimension Foundations Institutions serve all first-year students according to their varied needs. The process of anticipating, diagnosing, and addressing needs is ongoing and is subject to assessment and adjustment throughout the first year. Institutions provide services with respect for the students’ abilities, backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Institutions also ensure a campus environment that is inclusive and safe for all students.

Diversity Dimension 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. Whatever their demographic composition, institutions structure experiences in which students interact in an open and civil community with people from backgrounds and cultures different from their own, reflect on ideas and values different from those they currently hold, and explore their own cultures and the cultures of others.

Roles and Purposes Dimension Foundations Institutions promote student understanding of the various roles and purposes of higher education, both for the individual and society. These roles and purposes include knowledge acquisition for personal growth, learning to prepare for future employment, learning to become engaged citizens, and learning to serve the public good. Institutions encourage first-year students to examine systematically their motivation and goals with regard to higher education in general and to their own college/university. Students are exposed to the value of general education as well as to the value of more focused, in-depth study of a field or fields of knowledge (i.e., the major).

Improvement Dimension Foundations Institutions conduct assessment and maintain associations with other institutions and relevant professional organizations in order to achieve ongoing first-year improvement. This assessment is specific to the first year as a unit of analysis—a distinct time period and set of experiences, academic and otherwise, in the lives of students. It is also linked systemically to the institutions’ overall assessment. Assessment results are an integral part of institutional planning, resource allocation, decision-making, and ongoing improvement of programs and policies as they affect first-year students. As part of the enhancement process and as a way to achieve ongoing improvement, institutions are familiar with current practices at other institutions as well as with research and scholarship on the first college year.

Assessments Used Current Practices Inventory Electronic warehouse for USD practices, evidence, information, etc. Inventory of information already known or gathered (previous survey results, reports written, etc.) Defined the first-year cohorts (retention, ACT/GPA, race, gender, nation of origin, etc.) Inventory of Courses (highest enrollment, most D/F/W/I, etc.).

Surveys First year students were surveyed in early November. Faculty/Staff employed for at least one year were surveyed in September. Incentives from The U. were identified and given to random participants who voluntarily identified themselves apart from their responses.

Work of the Dimension Groups Utilizing all information collected from surveys and out of the Current Practices Inventory, each group had to answer questions. Example: Roles and Purposes Dimension PI 8.1 Purposes To what degree does the campus effectively communicate to first-year students its vision for the following purposes of higher education?

Performance Indicators PI 8.1 Purposes To what degree does the campus effectively communicate to first-year students its vision for the following purposes of higher education? Knowledge acquisition for personal growth Learning to prepare for future employment Learning for engaged citizenship Learning for serving the public good (Choices: very low, low, medium, high, very high, or n/a)

Performance Indicators After answering the question, the dimension committee must complete the following: Discussion Notes on the Current Situation Discussion Notes on Opportunities and Challenges Discussion Notes on Sources of Evidence Connect Sources of Evidence from CPI with the Response

Reporting The Dimension Committee submits a final report of all sources of evidence and responses to the database for evaluation by the Policy Center as well as for review by the Steering Committee and other individuals on the Dimension Committees. The Steering Committee is responsible for creating one final report that includes information from each dimension as well as suggestions for change on campus.

Making Change Based on suggestions by the Dimension Committees and Steering Committee, the Steering Committee created an implementation plan in which they took all of the action items from the Dimension Committees and determined the following: 1. Timeline for implementation 2. Cost or resources needed 3. Person or group responsible for implementing

Policy Center Involvement (Or, what do I get for my $) Use of the proprietary surveys and software Liaison from the Policy Center to work with your institution for the whole year Attendance at a training conference in August Mid-Year Conference Feedback on each report Outside consultant to move the process and keep the group on task

Reasons to Use this Assessment Method Your campus is stalled on assessment and need a process Student Affairs and Academic Affairs are not aligned or working together (need to bridge the gap) Your institution does not have a solid philosophy or rationale for the first college year Your institution needs to improve retention or student learning and engagement

Questions? Terisa C. Remelius, Ph.D. Assistant Vice President for Student Services/Dean of Students University of South Dakota (After ) Terisa C. Remelius, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Affairs Texas A & M University-Kingsville