1. Designing Learning for our Students at FSU
Karen Laughlin, PhD
Joe O’Shea, PhD
Leslie Richardson, PhD
New Faculty Orientation
August 2017

2. Our commitment to student success
In Florida, there is an increased focus on the Four-Year Graduation Rate for FTIC students, and I firmly believe our students should complete their “four-year degree” in four years. 
Our investment in student success has our four-year graduation rate at 65.3%, ranking FSU in the top 20 public universities in the country on that metric. The average rate for our public Research 1 peers was below 50% for the most recent IPEDS cohort. 

3. Our success in these efforts has gained us national recognition and awards. Our journey has been chronicled and recognized in national educational research and case study reports from around the US, and we are very grateful to have received such praise over the years.

4. Retention Increases and Interventions
Enrollment
Management
Graduation
Specialists
Coaching
Career Center
Liaisons
PASS
Take 15
NB: I’m a bit dubious about including this one, but haven’t deleted it yet. LR
KL: Sally did confirm with me that she would talk about our student success efforts. Perhaps Joe will have a sense of whether this will be covered in Sally’s presentation, though a bit of redundancy might be ok. I could also move this one as a preface to my slides if you cut it here. It will resonate with what I want to say but I don’t think it’s critical.
If I were talking about this slide here I would just say something like this:
FSU has demonstrated a sustained commitment to supporting and engaging students through a wide variety of policies and programs that have helped build our reputation.  Your teaching and research will intersect with these in ways that will benefit you while helping us continue to be recognized as a national leader in student success.  
Ok, I know this slide is a "hot mess," but I wanted to start by allowing you to visualize our journey and highlight some of the major interventions we've made. If you look at the gray bars, they represent the near constant improvement in our first-year retention.
These interventions didn’t happen by chance. We have remarkable community of educators at FSU who share my dedication to student success. In fact, our Enrollment Management Group has been meeting every two weeks for the past 15 years. This group is focused on all dimensions of student success and has representatives from roughly 20 offices on campus. 
As you can see, FSU is a campus that long ago realized that student success is our primary mission. Student success is part of who we are. You will also notice that we have averaged at least one key initiative every year. 
Office of National
Fellowships

5. Study identified FSU as having one of the highest graduation rates of African-American students of nearly universities 
We have virtually erased graduation rate disparities between all categories of underrepresented students and our traditional students
Making FSU the highest-ranked public university to attain this distinction.
As well as we have done with our graduation rates, I take personal pride in the parity we have attained in our graduation rates
We were recently identified in a national study by the Education Trust as having one of the highest graduation rates of African American students of nearly 700 universities.
When we bring in underrepresented or first-generation students, we do everything we can to make sure they graduate at the same rates. Many of these students enroll through our nationally recognized CARE program, which provides these students with services and support they need to be successful.
We have virtually erased graduation rate disparities between all categories of underrepresented students and our traditional students
Which makes FSU the highest-ranked public university to attain this distinction.
This recognition is a testament to our commitment to access, diversity, and the success of students. 

6. What does Student Success mean at FSU?
Not just graduation rates, but the kind of graduates we produce and how we launch them after graduation
FSU is working to become one of nation’s strongest and most diverse talent pipelines
We must produce graduates who are prepared to address the immense challenges of our time
Not just graduation rates 
Promoting students' full educational growth (are our brightest students being challenged enough to grow fully?)
And focusing on the kind of graduates we produce and how we launch them after graduation
FSU is working to become one of nation’s strongest and most diverse talent pipelines
We must produce graduates who are prepared to address the immense challenges of our time

7. Every member of the university community has a role to play in building the learning experience we aspire to provide for our students
Quick plug for how critical faculty are to the success of the university…

8. What are you expecting from FSU students?
Start of handout—Leslie?

9. When you were a student, you probably noticed that each of your professors had a different approach to teaching. Please take a moment to describe the environment of the course in which you felt the most motivated and excited about learning.

10. What did your professor do to create that learning environment
What did your professor do to create that learning environment? Please try to remember as many details as possible.

11. Student Panel Santiago Aparicio Jacob Goldstein Stacey Pierre
Ashley Ward

12. What surprised you about what you heard from the panel of students
What surprised you about what you heard from the panel of students? How might their reflections shape what you do this semester?

13. One of your most important tasks as faculty at FSU is to cultivate a learning environment that makes students feel engaged, challenged, and supported. Where do you want to start? Take a few minutes to brainstorm. 
KL:  Might want to qualify this somehow to acknowledge the emphasis on research as well:  One of your most important tasks….  (Joe: Good idea; I changed this for Leslie...feel free to edit). 

14. We know this is not an easy question to answer—so we’ll be working on it tomorrow afternoon.

15. Who are our students? 17.7% of FSU students are Hispanic
8.4% of FSU students are Black
27% of FSU undergraduate students are Pell eligible
Approximately 30% of FSU students are First-Generation college students
The entering freshman class has an average high school GPA of 4.1 and an ACT score of 29 (GPA and SAT increase every year)
There are more than 6K students in the Fall 2017 entering class; 42K applied
Most FSU students move to Tallahassee from more than 5 hours away

16. Faculty are the front lines
Engaging and supporting a diverse population of students.
Different backgrounds
Different levels of achievement/engagement
Different personal situations

17. What does this mean for the Curriculum?
Evolve our curriculum to reflect modern workplace: collaborative, problem- solving, experiential, and cross-cultural
Strong foundation: General Education/Liberal Studies

18. Liberal Studies Mission & Goals
Provide a foundation for success in their major(s)
Expose students to the perspectives and methods of an array of fields
Help develop intellectual, practical, and professional abilities essential for leading engaged and productive lives.
Foster breadth of vision and the capacity to learn and grow over their life course.
(See
E-Series Courses
For FTICs, the 36 Gen Ed hours must include one 3-credit E-Series course (IFSxxxx)*-- overlaps with one of the areas listed above or with Scholarship-in- Practice
Designed to foster curiosity and help students become analytical & flexible thinkers.
Are inquiry-based & focus on a major question that relates to real-world issues or problems that can be Engaged, Explored, Examined and Evaluated.
Created for non-majors & challenge students to analyze persistent issues from multiple perspectives.  
Include a range of assessments and substantive work on college-level writing, with feedback and time for revisions.
Like all other Liberal Studies courses, undergo a rigorous course approval review, overseen by the Liberal Studies Coordinating and Policy Committee, which reports to the Faculty Senate.

19. Focus on broad questions
Created for non-majors & include substantive writing
Designed to foster critical thinking by encouraging students to compare multiple perspectives on persistent issues
We encourage you to identify a broad question or process & CREATE YOUR OWN course
Two key/unique and exciting aspects of this curriculum
Designed to engage students in applying knowledge, critical thinking & creative approaches
Result in a scholarly or creative product
Units typically outside Liberal Studies have an opportunity to share disciplinary skills with non-majors.

20. Engaging Undergraduates
Understand Liberal Studies Philosophy
Ask students to address authentic problems
Involve students in the excitement of your work (Honors, E-series, UROP, directed research, etc.)
Identify and encourage high-achievers

21. Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement (CARE)
Summer Bridge for Traditionally Underrepresented Students
Transition, Support, & Engagement for First- Generation and Low- Socioeconomic Students
Karen: CARE is a great example of a targeted intervention for our traditionally underrepresented students like our first-generation, low-income population.
The program provides systematic support, financial aid, and engagement for 400+ incoming students each year, though a strong summer program that helps support their transition to college and ongoing support as they progress toward graduation. 
What’s great is that these students continually perform at or above a level equal to rest of the student population in spite of the fact that they are at-risk population, with retention rates now over 96% and a six-year graduation rate at 81%.
FSU is committed to helping ALL students to engage in activities that expand their learning (e.g., mentored research, international travel, entrepreneurship) through funding and the kind of personal encouragement that CARE (along with committed faculty like yourselves) provides.

22. First Generation Students
May face unique challenges
Consider sharing your challenges, identity as first-generation student, “impostor syndrome”
Send progress reports when requested

23. Bumps in the Road
How can you help students who hit obstacles to their learning and progress?
Your Dean’s office (or the Dean of Undergraduate Studies)
Advisor referrals
Tutoring support
Supplemental Instruction
Consider requiring attendance; Thursday and Friday tests and quizzes
FSU has a multitude of resources that will help you assist students who need help or encouragement
ASK about academic policies (like dropping classes)
Refer students as you learn about resources (see materials in your packets)

24. Thank you!

25. Resources Undergraduate Studies Dean Karen Laughlin
undergrad.fsu.edu
Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT)
Leslie Richardson   
  Joe O'Shea
  Assistant Provost