WHAT DEFINES STUDENT

SUCCESS: A MULTIPLE

CHOICE QUESTION

Tricia Seifert, Ph.D.

Diliana Peregrina-Kretz

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

WHAT DEFINES STUDENT

SUCCESS: A MULTIPLE

CHOICE QUESTION

Tricia Seifert, Ph.D.

Diliana Peregrina-Kretz

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Supporting Student Success Study

To understand how stakeholder groups perceive their

institution's organization and approach to supporting

student success.

Methodology

• Constructivist methodology – participants play a role in

the data interpretation

• Interviews with senior administrators, faculty

collaborators & individual faculty

• Focus groups with faculty, SAS staff, students & student

leaders

Sample

80 Faculty

42 Senior Leaders

122 SASS

128 Students

N=372

▪Two publically-funded education sectors:

Colleges (4) and Universities (9)

Varied geographic location, size, mandate

and programming

▪Eastern, Western and Northern Ontario, GTA

▪Research intensive, primarily undergraduate,

applied degrees, diploma, certificate programs

▪Diverse communities

Data Analysis

1. Data was coded

2. Overarching domains developed

3. Take-away statements drafted

4. Synthesized institutional statements

and supported with evidence

5. Met with peer de-briefer

6. Drafted site visit report

7. Cross site comparison

What Defines Student

Success?

Is it:a) Retention and graduation

b) Year-to-year persistence

c) Employment after graduation

d) Sense of belonging

e) Student engagement

f) Student satisfaction

g) Community Building

h) Taking risks

i) ….

j) ….

Theoretical Framework

Kuh and colleagues, 2006

Institutional

Conditions

Post College

Outcomes

Pre-College

Student

Behaviour

How is Student Success Defined?

FacultySenior

AdministratorsStaff Students

1. Mastering

Academic

Content

2. Retention and

Graduation

3. Personal

Success

1. Retention and

Graduation

2. Holistic

Success

3. Academic

Success

1. Personal

Success

2. Holistic

Success

3. Engaging

Students

1. Personal

Success

2. Academic

Success

3. Sense of

Belonging

Top Definitions of Student Success

Academic Success

•Retention and Graduation

•G.P.A.

•Content Learning

•Finding Correct Program Fit

•Student Engagement

Personal Success

•Achieve what students came to

achieve

•Taking risks and challenges

•Day-to-day success

•Engagement

•Sense of belonging

•Building community

Making Sense of Student Success

Academic Success

Retention and Graduation

G.P.A.

Content Knowledge

Finding a good program fit

Being prepared for the workforce

Personal Success

Achieve what students came to achieve

Taking risks and challenges

Day-to-day success

Holistic

Varies by Student

Faculty Perceptions

….the focus on decreasing the number of students

who aren't successful and don't continue

To me success is giving them the tools they need to access the services, supports, the delivery model of courses, how material is taught that makes it so they can do well

Senior Administrators’ Perceptions

….it is a strategic direction for the college and a

board's ends policy, they actually define a metric that

we have to measure and [it is] the biggest

component [graduation rates].

Broadening their understanding of the world. A lot of

social issues are learned here. It is a time of

developmental growth.

Staff Perceptions

One thing that we hear from the top is student

success is graduation rate, and I don't necessarily

define it that way. And I don't even necessarily define

it as job ready because some use college as a

stepping-stone to get to university, and it works the

other way to…To me it needs to be kept flexible, and

should have a student focus to help them achieve

their goals in life …I would like to keep it general.

Students’ Perceptions

To me, its not just marks. I think you have more

success when you are involved and around other

students. So your extracurricular, your time

management skills are part of your success. I get

good grades, but I do a lot of extra things on campus.

I work with the student pub on campus, I work at the

convenience store. Student success is not just about

getting good marks, its about making yourself a well

rounded individual.

Summary

All of the Above

Faculty and Senior Administrators Definitions

Staff and Students Definitions

The influence of the institution's organizational structure in

defining student success

Implications

Shared Vision and mission that enhances student success

Collaboration and communication are key

Student Experience and Satisfaction

Follow our Research on:

Blog: http://supportingstudentsuccess.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @CdnStdntSuccess

Facebook: Supporting Student Success