1. Orientation, Transition & Retention at Rural-Serving Institutions
Brett L. Bruner
Director of Transition & Student Conduct
Fort Hays State University
Kimberlie Moock
Director of New Student & Family Programs & Military Assistance Center
Eastern Illinois University
Michelle Nightingale
Director of Student Success Services
Tompkins Cortland Community College
2016
NODA Annual Conference

2. NODA Annual Conference
Overview
Learning Outcomes
What?
So What?
Town-Gown Relationships
Diversity
Serving Students
Now What?
Lessons Learned Along the Way
2016
NODA Annual Conference

3. NODA Annual Conference
Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this educational session, participants will:
Define a rural-serving institution of higher education.
Identify 2 orientation, transition and/or retention challenges at rural-serving institutions.
Identify 1 new strategy to support orientation, transition and/or retention at their rural-serving institutions.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

4. NODA Annual Conference
What?
Regional, comprehensive, public university
4,500 students
Located in Hays, KS (population ~ 20,000)
2016
NODA Annual Conference

5. NODA Annual Conference
What?
Regional comprehensive university
7,000 students
Located in Charleston, IL (population ~ 21,000)
2016
NODA Annual Conference

6. NODA Annual Conference
What?
Small, rural, residential community college
2,670 students
Located in Dryden, NY (population ~ 14,000)
Middle of farm country, but located about 30 minutes from the two smaller cities, Ithaca NY and Syracuse NY
Located about 4 hours drive from New York City – draw many students looking for the “college experience” but they are sometimes shocked to see cows and deer outside their bedroom window
Residence life, just over 800 beds (about ¼ of our population lives on campus) so unique from most commuter community colleges
2016
NODA Annual Conference

7. What? Rurality by U.S. Census Bureau
Urbanized Areas (UAs) of 50,000 or more people
Urban Clusters (UCs) of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

8. What? A Rural-Serving Institution
A challenging definition
Primarily services rural areas
Rural area – defined by governmental agency of the state
U.S. Code 20 USC 1161q
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

9. What? A Rural-Serving Institution
Centers of educational opportunity
Neighborhood schools of higher education
Representative & inclusive of their communities
Leading regional centers for cultural & fine arts in rural America
Create opportunities in place
Rural Community College Alliance. (2016). Why rural community & tribal colleges matter. Retrieved from
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

10. NODA Annual Conference
What? Rurality of Us
Size of community
50,000
25,000
Minutes to an urban area
120
240
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

11. NODA Annual Conference
What? Rurality of Us
Size of community
50,000
25,000
Number of students
10,000
20,000
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

12. What? Advantages of Rurality
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

13. So What? Town-Gown Relationships
Critical transition points
Effects on retention
How does this programming fit in an orientation gap?
Lynch, L. (2014). Rural postsecondary institution attributes and their relationship to minority student enrollment, graduation, and completion (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

14. So What? Diversity & a Sense of Place
Critical transition points
Effects on retention
How does this programming fit in an orientation gap?
Lynch, L. (2014). Rural postsecondary institution attributes and their relationship to minority student enrollment, graduation, and completion (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Lack of a central definition
Trying to define what “rural” is, in a nation of such diverse geography, can be a daunting task; and one’s concept of the term can be a bit ambiguous and vague. Particularly, in this age of instant communication, when a Montana rancher can access the New York stock market quotes from his laptop, miles from the nearest town, defining rural becomes more of a subjective term than what is defined by Webster’s.
There are three government agencies whose definitions of what is rural are in wide use: the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They and other organizations continue to strive for more precise definitions to fit new programs as the demographics of the United States are constantly changing. The number of rural counties fluctuates over time, and disparities with old designations continually exist.
The need for a clearer definition to meet the needs of new programs and new policies has encouraged other agencies to create more detailed definitions such as found in the collaboration between the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center and the Economic Research Service of the USDA. Agencies involved with rural health and human services will continue to evolve and adapt themselves, striving to better serve the needs of the rural population, for what is rural today will most likely change as we move on into the new millennium.
Why do we need a Definition?
Rural is an inexact term that can mean different things to different people. For example, what is considered rural in a state with low population density, like Montana, may not resemble what is considered rural in a state with a much higher density, like Massachusetts. However, for specific purposes there is a need for exact definitions of what is meant by “rural.”
One example of this need is determining eligibility for Federal rural grant programs. Even though the concept of rurality is elastic, funding agencies and organizations have to draw a line somewhere; and communities on one side of that line are eligible while those on the other side are not.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

15. So What? Serving Students
Critical transition points
Effects on retention
How does this programming fit in an orientation gap?
Lynch, L. (2014). Rural postsecondary institution attributes and their relationship to minority student enrollment, graduation, and completion (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Programming –
2016
NODA Annual Conference

16. Now What? Implications for Future Research
2016
NODA Annual Conference

17. NODA Annual Conference
Lessons Learned
Partnering with your local community is key for rural-serving institutions.
Inform your students of what is available within the local community.
Establish a sense of place.
Define how your institution presents itself in terms of rurality to determine the influence on OTR.
2016
NODA Annual Conference

18. Orientation, Transition & Retention at Rural-Serving Institutions
Brett L. Bruner
Director of Transition & Student Conduct
Fort Hays State University
Kimberlie Moock
Director of New Student & Family Programs & Military Assistance Center
Eastern Illinois University
Michelle Nightingale
Director of Student Success Services
Tompkins Cortland Community College
2016
NODA Annual Conference

19. NODA Annual Conference
2016
NODA Annual Conference