1. Empowering Students to Be More at Century College
ACPA-College Student Educators International
2011 Convention - Baltimore, MD
Presented by:
Aarin Distad, Dara Hagen, and Katie Svoboda

2. Overview of Presentation
Who’s in the room?
Who is Century College?
GPS LifePlan - Goals + Plans = Success
Achieving the Dream
Campus Initiatives since 2009
New Student Orientation
First Year Experience Workshop Series
Required New Student Seminar w/Reading 0080
Group discussion on retention efforts at other institutions
Wrap-up

3. Who’s in the room? Please share with us the following: Your name
Institution you are at/representing
One interesting fact about your institution

4. Snap Shot of Century College
Community and Technical College offering 40 programs and 60 areas of study
Located in White Bear Lake, MN (NE of St. Paul)
Enrollment: 10,775 students
Part-time: 53%
Full-time: 47%
Average Age: 26
Students of Color: 29%
First Generation: 25%
Mascot: Wood Duck

5. Goals + Plans = Success
Best practice visit to Valencia Community College
2005 CCSSE results
President vision and support
Steering Committee
Workshop restructuring
Launched at New Student Orientation April 2006
External program evaluation and Program Redesign
Currently a MnSCU Program

6. Goals + Plans = Success
Planning tool that assists students in developing and achieving their goals and plans while attending Century.
There are 5 sub-plans that were created to meet the needs of students in all areas of academic, personal and career development.
CareerPlan – EducationPlan – FinancePlan – LeadershipPlan - PersonalPlan

7. Ways to Use the GPS LifePlan
Goals + Plans = Success
Ways to Use the GPS LifePlan
Website –
eFolio
Student Success Day
Course Integration
Student-Faculty/Staff Interaction

8. New Student Orientation
6,000 new students a year - mandatory
Old Model
Three hours
Covered resources, registration, policies
No formal advising
New Two-Day Model:
Started in June 2010
Advising and Registration Session – 90 minutes
Introduction to GPS LifePlan
Welcome Day – 3 hours
GPS LifePlan provides framework

9. Orientation Data – Summer 2010
71% of students agreed or strongly agreed that meeting with an adviser was helpful with course selection.
63% of students agreed or strongly agreed that Welcome Day was worthwhile.
68% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the breakout sessions were on topics of interest.
71% of students felt prepared or very prepared for classes to begin as a result of orientation.
79% of students felt that the two day process was a good use of their time.
82% of students understand the GPS LifePlan.

10. First Year Experience Workshop Series
Not mandatory…non-credit…it is free.
10-week program focused on getting first semester students connected to campus.
Topics: Getting Connected; Century College 101; The Power of 168; Train Your Brain; Got Goals?; Recharging Your Battery; Money Matters; Thinking Globally Starts with You; Charting Your Courses; and Finish What You Started
Textbook: The Skinny on College Success by Jim Randel and Carol Randel
Facilitated by student services staff along with student ambassadors.

11. FYE Data - Fall 2010
75% signed up for FYE because it sounded like a good program.
From involvement in FYE:
75% felt more connect to the college
80% felt that they had more support to achieve their goals
70% connected with other students in meaningful ways
95% were more confident in their ability to be a successful college student
75% knew where to go if they had a question about college

12. GPS LifePlan Certificate Program
Current Workshop Structure
Offered fall and spring
About 50 each semester
Less than 50-minutes long
Cover all 5 Plans
Students receive a certificate for each workshop attended
What’s missing?
real recognition and reflection

13. GPS LifePlan Certificate Program
Seeks to assist students with building resources and knowledge in the 5 different LifePlans: Career, Education, Finance, Leadership and Personal.
Students may choose to focus on one area or in several to help in all areas of their life. 
Can be completed in one semester or spread out over several depending on the needs of each individual student. 
There are 8 different certificate areas for students to complete.

14. GPS LifePlan Certificate Program
Foundation Certificates
Orange Certificate – complete 2 required workshops and 2 optional workshops from the CareerPlan      
Yellow Certificate – complete 2 required workshops and 2 optional workshops from the EducationPlan
Green Certificate – complete 2 required workshops and 2 optional workshops from the FinancePlan
Red Certificate – complete 2 required workshops and 2 optional workshops from the LeadershipPlan                
Blue Certificate – complete 2 required workshops and 2 optional workshops from the PersonalPlan

15. GPS LifePlan Certificate Program
For those students who wish to expand their knowledge
across the LifePlans, the following engagement certificates
will provide a broader range of knowledge and allow
students to reflect on what they have learned in the different
areas.
Bronze Certificate – complete 2 required workshops from 2 different areas and a reflective summary                 
Silver Certificate - complete 2 required workshops from 4 different areas and a reflective summary                    
Gold Certificate - complete 2 required workshops from 5 different areas and a reflective summary

16. GPS LifePlan Certificate Program
Required Workshops
CareerPlan
Resume and eFolio
EducationPlan
Time/Stress Management and DARS/Academic Planning
FinancePlan
Credit/Debt Management and Identity Theft
LeadershipPlan
Exploring Leadership Styles and Diversity
PersonalPlan
Bad Habits, Bad Grades and Fitness-Back to the Basics

17. GPS LifePlan Certificate Program
Recognition
There will be an award ceremony in the spring of each year recognizing students’ achievements – Wood Duck Club Awards.
This will give the college an opportunity to recognize students for going beyond the classroom to enhance their college education.
This will increase student participation and develop a more meaningful and engaging experience for staff, faculty, and students.

18. New Student Seminar Focus: Orient students to the college environment
Explore the student’s individual relationship to higher education
Examine strategies that will assist in becoming a successful college student
Reflect on academic goals, skills, interests, values, personality, and preferred learning style
Learn about Century College’s educational philosophy and practices in the context of the College’s unique and evolving community

19. New Student Seminar
During the fall semester, a total of 22 New Student Seminars were offered:
11 seminars part of a learning community
11 seminars “linked” to another course
During the spring semester, a total of 15 New Student Seminars were offered:
3 seminars part of a learning community
12 seminars “linked” to another course

20. New Student Seminar Highlights of Preliminary Fall 2010 Results
Improved CCSSE scores
Analysis of course and retention outcomes yet to be completed

21. Campus Initiatives First Year Academies/Advising
Increasing Success in High
Enrollment/High Attrition Courses
Developmental Students/Student Success Courses
Staff and Faculty Development Centered on Student Success

22. Achieving the Dream
Conceived as a national initiative in 2004 by Lumina Foundation for Education and seven founding partner organizations.
July 1, 2010 – Founding Partners established an independent national nonprofit organization – Achieving the Dream, Inc.
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC); Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas-Austin (CCLP); Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University (CCRC); Jobs for the Future; MDC; MDRC; and Public Agenda

23. Achieving the Dream
…to help more community college students succeed, particularly low-income students and students of color.
Strives to help students:
successfully complete the courses they take;
advance from remedial to credit-bearing courses;
enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper courses; and
earn degrees and/or certificates.
There are 160 community colleges in 30 states and the District of Columbia serving nearly 2 million students…Century College is the first Minnesota school to be accepted!

24. Principles of Institutional Improvement
Achieving the Dream
Principles of Institutional Improvement
Committed leadership
Use of evidence to improve programs and services
Broad engagement
Systemic institutional improvement

25. Group Discussion
What is happening on your college campuses to help students be successful?

26. Contact Information
Aarin Distad, Student Experience Director
Dara Hagen, Director of Upward Bound/TRIO
Katie Svoboda, Director of Orientation and Student Engagement