Holistic Approaches to Student Success: Practical StrategiesLindsay WaytEmira IbrahimpašićMs. Kelli King

National Conference on Students in TransitionOctober 19-21, 2013 Atlanta, Georgia

Goals of Higher Education• “American higher education was distinctive from the beginning in that it was based on the belief that the student’s character as well as scholarship must be developed” (Komives & Woodard, 2003, p. 1).

• “…President Obama challenged every American to commit to at least one year of higher education or post-secondary training. The President has also set a goal for the country: that by 2020, America would once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world” (The White House, 2013).

W.H. Thompson Scholars in the Context of Higher Education GoalsOur Goals: The “big picture” of what and who

What – Requirements for Recipients of

the Susan T. Buffett Scholarship

1st Year W.H. Thompson RequirementsFall Semester Spring Semester3 WHT CoursesOne of which must be the W.H. Thompson First Year Experience Seminar

2 W.H. Thompson Courses

1 eventAcademic or Life Skills event

2 eventsAcademic, Life Skills, or Social events (at least one must be Academic or Life Skills)

2 mentor/mentee group activities 3 mentor/mentee group activities3 mentor/mentee individual meetings 3 mentor/mentee individual meetingsFirst-Year Scholar Orientation Mid-semester grade checkMid-semester grade check  

2nd Year W.H. Thompson RequirementsFall Semester Spring Semester1 W.H. Thompson Course 2 events

Any combination of Academic, Life Skills, or Social events

2 eventsAny combination of Academic, Life Skills, or Social events

Mid-semester grade check

Sophomore Scholar Welcome Back  

One-on-One meeting with a W.H. Thompson staff member

 

Mid-semester grade check  

REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SCHOLARS:•Maintain a 2.0 GPA•Earn at least 18 credit hours or 27 quarter hours each award year•Take an active role in monitoring academic progress with their assigned W.H. Thompson Program Coordinator

Who – Recipients of the Susan T. Buffett Scholarship  2013   2012   2011   201

0  2009   2008  

Demographic Information # % # % # % # % # % # %# of Students 280   249 201   242   149   69  

Race                    

Asian 23 8.0% 19 7.6% 16 7.96% 12 4.96% 13 8.72% 4 5.80%

African American 23 8.0% 15 6.0% 13 6.47% 33 13.64% 17 11.41% 9 13.04%

Hispanic 34 12.% 40 16.1% 42 20.90% 14 5.79% 15 10.07% 3 4.35%

Two or More Races 3 1.0% 12 4.8% 15 7.46% 11 4.55% 2 1.34% 1 1.45%

American Indian/Alaska Native

1 1.5% 1 0.4% 3 1.49% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

0 0% 0 0.0% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%

Unknown 7 2.5% 1 0.4% 3 1.49% 2 0.83% 4 2.68% 5 7.25%

White Non-Hispanic 188   159 63.9% 109 54.23% 170 70.25% 98 65.77% 47 68.12%

Gender                    

Male 171 61% 98 39.4% 63 31.34% 103 42.56% 60 40.27% 34 49.28%

Female 109 39% 150 60.2% 138 68.66% 139 57.44% 89 59.73% 35 50.72%

First Generation                        

First Generation 115 41% 134 53.8% 140 69.65% 127 52.48% 73 48.99% 46 66.67%

Unknown 62 22% 13 5.2%     28 11.57% 76 51.01% 7 10.14%

Non-1st Generation 103 37% 101 40.6% 61 30.35% 87 35.95%     16 23.19%

Holistic Approaches to Student Success: Practical Strategies• Best Practices Within the Program at Large

– Life Skills Programming– Academic Engagement

•Student-Faculty Relationships•Study Environment•Tutoring

– Residential Component (Living-Learning Community)

– Social Programming– Mentoring– Intensive Advising– Financial Support

Academic and Life Skills Programming

Chickering’s Vectors1) Developing Competence

2) Managing Emotions3) Moving Through Autonomy

Toward Interdependence4) Developing Mature

Interpersonal Relationships

5) Establishing Identity6) Developing Purpose

7) Developing Integrity(Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010,

pp. 67-69)

W.H. Thompson Programs

1) Rock Wall Climb Note-Taking Workshop

2) Surviving the Transition to College

4) Sexpectations

6) Teach for America Peace Corps

Academic and Life Skills Programming

Life Skills ProgrammingLife Skills Events2012 Cohort

Fall Semester

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 9 3.6% 0 events 0 0.0%

1 event 221 88.8% 1 event 151 64.8%

2 events 18 7.2% 2 events 77 33.0%

3 events 1 0.4% 3 events 5 2.1%

My favorite event of the year was getting to have breakfast with the Chancellor.- Caitlin (Sophomore)

Life Skills Events2011 Cohort

Fall Semester

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 64 35.4% 0 events 81 44.8%

1 event 70 38.7% 1 event 71 39.2%

2 events 40 22.1% 2 events 24 13.3%

3 events 17 9.4% 3 events 5 2.8%

4 events 1 0.6% Data from 2012-2013 Academic Year

Academic ProgrammingAcademic Events

2012 Cohort

Fall Semester (N=249)

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 2 0.8% 0 events 0 0.0%

1 event 218 87.6% 1 event 161 69.1%

2 events 24 9.6% 2 events 67 28.8%

3 events 4 1.6% 3 events 5 2.1%

4 events 1 0.4%

Data from 2012-2013 Academic Year

Academic Events2011 Cohort

Fall Semester (N=181)

# % Spring Semester (N=181)

# %

0 events 79 43.6% 0 events 64 35.4%

1 event 79 43.6% 1 event 71 39.2%

2 events 23 12.7% 2 events 41 22.7%

3 events 8 4.4% 3 events 4 2.2%

4 events 1 0.6% 4 events 1 0.6%

Social ProgrammingSocial Events

2012 Cohort

Fall Semester

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 4 1.6% 0 events 0 0.0%

1 event 161 64.7% 1 event 77 33.0%

2 events 62 24.9% 2 events 100 42.9%

3 events 16 6.4% 3 events 42 18.0%

4 events 4 1.6% 4 events 11 4.7%

5 events 2 0.8% 5 events 2 0.9%

6 events 1 0.4%

Social Events

2011 Cohort

Fall Semester

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 40 22.1% 0 events 65 35.9%

1 event 59 32.6% 1 event 56 30.9%

2 events 63 34.8% 2 events 36 19.9%

3 events 23 12.7% 3 events 20 11.0%

4 events 7 3.9% 4 events 4 2.2%

I really enjoyed attending the socials because I was able to meet other WHT students and create a bond like no other. -Cameron (Freshman)

Every Late Night Breakfast is my favorite because it gives us all a reason to get together one last time before the end of the semester and we get to see friends we don’t see. -Zoey (Sophomore)

Data from 2012-2013 Academic Year

Programming in GeneralTotal # of Events (excludin

g mandatory events)2012 Cohort

Fall Semester

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 0 0.0% 0 events 0 0.0%

1 event 3 1.2% 1 event 0 0.0%

2 events 5 2.0% 2 events 0 0.0%

3 events 133 53.4% 3 events 4 1.7%

4 events 68 27.3% 4 events 121 51.9%

5 events 28 11.2% 5 events 65 27.9%

6 events 8 3.2% 6 events 33 14.2%

7 events 3 1.2% 7 events 7 3.0%

8 events 1 0.4% 8 events 2 0.9%

9 events 0 0.0% 9 events 1 0.4%Total # of Events (excludin

g mandatory events)2011 Cohort

Fall Semester

# % Spring Semester

# %

0 events 8 4.4% 0 events 15 8.3%

1 event 7 3.9% 1 event 3 1.7%

2 events 13 7.2% 2 events 9 5.0%

3 events 107 59.1% 3 events 122 67.4%

4 events 37 20.4% 4 events 26 14.4%

5 events 17 9.4% 5 events 3 1.7%

6 events 3 1.7% 6 events 3 1.7%Data from 2012-2013 Academic Year

Academic Engagement:Student-Faculty Relationships• Vincent Tinto (1975)

– Attempted to “formulate a theoretical model that explains the processes of interaction between the individual and the institution that lead differing individuals to drop out from institutions of higher education…” (p. 90)

– Interactionalist Theory– One of the key interactions: Student-Faculty

– Student-Faculty interaction is key to student success (p. 107)

Academic Engagement:Student-Faculty Relationships“I just enjoy seeing familiar faces in classes that are through WHT, it gives me an automatic partner because you already have a connection through WHT.” –Sophomore

“…last week's Study Cafe office hours went very well.  During the first night, I had student meetings back to back for more than two hours!  Moreover, they seemed more comfortable than they normally do in my office.  I definitely plan to do this again!”- Dr. Steve Swartzer, Instructor for Philosophy 106: Philosophy and Current Issues

Academic Engagement:First-Year Experience CourseClass Schedule—William H. Thompson First Year Experience Seminar

Date Topic Due

Week 1William H. Thompson Scholars Learning Community 101

 

Week 2 Time Management  

Week 3Study Skills: Preparing to Study, Reading, and Attending Class

 

Week 4Study Skills: Maintaining, Test Prep, Test Taking

Time Management Log

Week 5 Building A Support NetworkInstructor Visit Report

Week 6 Goal Setting  

Week 7 Grades/Community IdentityMid-Semester Grade Check

Week 8W.H. Thompson Scholars Learning Spring Course Scheduling

Event Attendance Report

Assignments: 

Time Management Log: The Time Management log requires scholars to track and log how they spend their time over the course of one week. Scholars bring the log to class on the due date and use the information to develop an organized and comprehensive approach to the semester.

Instructor Visit Report: The Instructor Visit Report requires scholars to meet with one of their instructors in the semester and write a reflection on the meeting.

Mid-Semester Grade Check: The Mid-Semester Grade Check requires scholars to collect grade reports from their instructors. * This is required of all scholars during their first and second years.

Event Attendance Report: The Event Attendance Report requires to attend one William H. Thompson event of their choice and write a reflection on it.

Academic Engagement:Study Environment• Vincent Tinto (1975)

– Interaction– Again

• Alexander Astin (1999)– Involvement– “Students learn by being involved” (p. 36).

• George Kuh– Engagment– “Student engagement is generally considered to be among the better predictors of learning and personal development” (p. 2)•Carini, Kuh, and Klein (2006)

Academic Engagement:Study Environment

I always attend the Study Café, and it is very helpful. I get most of my studies done, and the mentors that are there are very helpful and kind.-Freshman

I love the Study Café. This is a place where I am able to come downstairs and study while also enjoying some coffee (to keep me up) and snacks (to also keep me up). -Freshman

Academic Engagement:Tutoring

He did a great job with helping me understand. I liked how he related some of the math problems to real life situations. This helped me understand the information better.-Freshman Scholar on Tutor Lab

Academic Engagement:Tutoring

Academic Engagement:Study Environment and Tutoring• 2013 Fall Semester Studying and Tutor Use Date– Study Café, September 3 – October 9

•782 sign-ins to study•1,459 hrs 51 mins

– Tutor Lab, September 3 – October 9•194 sign-ins to work with a tutor

Residential Component:Living-Learning Community• “Living on campus substantially increases the student’s chances of persisting and of aspiring to graduate or professional degree” (Astin, 1999, p. 524).

• Remember: Interaction, Involvement, Engagement

• Zhao and Kuh (2004) examined learning communities (not all residential)

• Zhao and Kuh (2004) found most learning communities “incorporate active and collaborative learning activities and promote involvement in complementary academic and social activities that extend beyond the classroom” (p. 116)

Residential Component:Living-Learning Community

“A student’s most important teacher is often another student” (Chickering & Reisser, 1993, p. 392)

Mentoring• “Successful minority students identified peer support as an

important factor in their academic achievement; they noted, however, that such support groups were most likely to develop among students from college-educated families. In addition, first-generation minority students expressed a need to ‘scale down’ the physical dimensions of the college experience, ‘to find places to study, meet friends, or seek support ... spaces that provided some measure of ‘comfortability’” (Hsiao, 1992).

• “The literature on first-generation college students paints a picture of these students lacking in both personal skills and social supports that could contribute to positive academic outcomes in college” (Dennis, Phiney, & Chuateco, 2005, 223).

• “The implementation of both formal and informal mentoring programs has the potential to provide higher education institutions the opportunity to promote and enhance their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Over the past two decades, research on the role of mentoring to increase minority retention and satisfaction, both in corporate and academic settings, has grown” (Nickels & Kowalski-Braun, 2012, 190).

MentoringI have an incredible mentor (Blaise Lanoha), I remember our first one-on-one, and he and I immediately opened up. At that moment we reached peak communication and also formed a friendship. -Freshman Scholar

Intensive Advising• “Just as expectations matter for student success, so does support” (Tinto, 2012, p. 22).– Academic, Social, Financial

• “Some students may arrive at college knowing exactly what they need to do to accomplish their goals. Most, however, need guidance to figure out which courses to take and in what sequence, how to add or drop courses and apply for financial aid, and what resources are available to help them adjust to campus life” (Brock, 2010, p. 119).

Intensive Advising

Learning that the WHT staff is always there and truly cares about me and wants me to be successful. It’s empowering!-Freshman Scholar

Intensive Advising:Academic Warning Program• Mid-Semester Academic Warning

– “Through this process I have learned that I must do study hours, no matter what it is. I know that I need to discipline myself and suffer so that my grades don’t [struggle later]. I will continue to make a study schedule for each semester to keep my grades up and not have the stress about my GPA. I feel a lot more comfortable around my advisor now and I know that I can go in and talk to her, or set up an appointment to talk to her. Being on mid-semester academic probation has definitely been a needed learning process, but it's also one I don't plan on going through again” (Freshman Scholar Reflecting on Mid-Semester Warning Program)

• Academic Warning– “I can say that at first my motivation level was low. I felt down

on myself and with the added pressure from my advisor I didn't think I could make it this semester. Once I got past the initial meeting and a plan was laid out I felt like there was some light at the end of the tunnel. This experience was definitely helpful in my academic success. I now see how to study effectively. I have the skills and motivation to push forward in my journey” (Junior Scholar Reflecting on Academic Warning Program)

Financial Support• In his book Completing College: Rethinking Institutional Action, Tinto (2012) explains the importance of financial support to student success. He highlights that this form of support is especially important for students of low-income backgrounds (pp. 29-31).

• The Susan Thompson Buffett Scholarship– Yes, financial support for tuition and materials

– And also•UNL’s CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) sessions

•Testing for learning disabilities

Another Look at the Big PictureREQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SCHOLARS:•Maintain a 2.0 GPA•Earn at least 18 credit hours or 27 quarter hours each award year•Take an active role in monitoring academic progress with their assigned W.H. Thompson Program Coordinator

1st Year W.H. Thompson RequirementsFall Semester Spring Semester3 W.H. Thompson CoursesOne of which must be the W.H. Thompson First Year Experience Seminar

2 W.H. Thompson Courses

1 eventAcademic or Life Skills event

2 eventsAcademic, Life Skills, or Social events (at least one must be Academic or Life Skills)

2 mentor/mentee group activities 3 mentor/mentee group activities3 mentor/mentee individual meetings 3 mentor/mentee individual meetingsFirst-Year Scholar Orientation Mid-semester grade checkMid-semester grade check  2nd Year W.H. Thompson RequirementsFall Semester Spring Semester1 W.H. Thompson Course 2 events

Any combination of Academic, Life Skills, or Social events

2 eventsAny combination of Academic, Life Skills, or Social events

Mid-semester grade check

Sophomore Scholar Welcome Back  

One-on-One meeting with a W.H. Thompson staff member

 

Mid-semester grade check  

Data of Program ProgressRetention of 2nd Year (Cohort 2011) at end of Fall 2012

  Original Cohort (n=241) Fall 2012

Retained w/in UNL and active in Learning Community 192/241 (79.7%)

Retained w/in NU (includes transfer students retained on scholarship) 206/241 (85.5%)

   

Retention Data for Students Removed from Learning Community  

Retained w/in UNL (includes removed students who remained at UNL) 203/241 (84.23%)

Retained w/in NU (includes removed from scholarship but enrolled at UNL and removed from scholarship but enrolled in NU system)

217/241 (90.04%)

Retention of 2nd Year (2010 Cohort) at end of Spring 2011

Retention of 1st Year (2011 Cohort) at end of Spring 2012

Original Cohort (n=282)

Active Cohort (n=269)

Original Cohort (n=241)

Active Cohort (n=241)

Retained w/in UNL 227/282 (80.5%) 254/269 (94.4%) 217/241 (90.0%) 217/241 (90.0%)Retained w/in NU 237/282 (84.0%) 258/269 (95.9%) 222/241 (92.1%) 222/241 (92.1%)

Retention Data for Students Removed from Learning CommunityRetained w/in UNL 236/282 (83.7%) 259/269 (96.3%) 228/241 (94.6%) 228/241 (94.6%)Retained w/in NU 246/282 (87.2%) 263/269 (97.8%) 233/241 (96.7%) 233/241 (96.7%)

Data from 2012-2013 Academic Year

Data from 2011-2012 Academic Year

Is a holistic approach possible?

“Supportive academic department offices, advising services, programs or courses that allow for more personal interaction with faculty, or institutionally established, minority-focused networking groups can all serve to reduce the physical dimensions of the students' college

experiences” (Richardson & Skinner, 1992).

The Bigger Picture:Higher Education in America• “Historically, institutions have placed most of their attention on individual students while neglecting the importance of campus conditions in promoting their learning and educational attainment” (Schroeder, 2013, p. 43).

• “…many institutions still struggle to engage faculty and administrators in building campuswide retention efforts, to find the organizational levers that translate the abstrations and complexities of retention theory into scalable and durable initiatives, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of those initiatives in terms of outcomes in general and degree completion in particular” (Spittle, 2013, p. 27).

The Bigger Picture:Higher Education in America• “To be sure Edgerton [long-time president of the

American Association of Higher Education] impels institutions to focus on the quality of the student experience broadly defined to include in- and out-of-class experiences and the potential synergy that can be created between the two. This is a particularly important assertion because most institutions have little control over the academic and other characteristics of the entering student cohort. They can, however, significantly influence the nature and quality of students’ educational encounters from entry to exit in a variety of settings. Even more so, institutions have the ability to influence and administer quality institutional processes and policies that affect students’ experiences as they move through the institution” (Schroeder, 2013, p. 43).

References• Astin, A. W. (1985). Involvement: The cornerstone of excellence.

Change, 17(4), 34-39.• Astin, A.W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for

higher education, Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518-529.

• Braxton, J.M. (2003). Student success. In Komives, S.R., Woodard, D.B., & Associates (Eds.), Student services: A handbook for the profession (317-335). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

• Brock, T. (2010, Spring). “Young Adults and Higher Education: Barriers and Breakthroughs to Success.” Future of Children, 20(1), 109-132.

• Carini, R.M., Kuh, G.D, & Klein, S.P. (2006). Student engagement and student learning: Testing linkages. Research in Higher Education, 47(1), 1-32.

• Chickering, A.W. & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and Identity (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Dennis, J., Phinney, J. & Chuateco, L. (2005). “The Role of Motivation, Parental Support, and Peer Support in the Academic Success of Ethnic Minority First-Generation Students.” Journal of College Student Development, 46 (3), 223-236.

• Evans, Nancy J., Forney, Deanna, S., Guido, Florence M., Patton, Lori D., & Renn, Kristen A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

References• Hsiao, K. (1992). First-Generation College Students. Eric Digest.• Komives, S.R., Woodard, D.B., & Associates. (2003). Student

Services: A handbook for the profession (4th Ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

• Nickels, A. & Kowalski-Braun, M. (2012). “Examining NIARA: How a Student-Designated Program for Women of Color Is Impacting Mentors.” Advances in Developing Human Resources, 14 (2), 188-204.

• Schroeder, C.C. (2013, Spring). “Reframing Retention Strategy: A Focus on Progress.” New Directions for Higher Education, 161, 39-47.

• Spittle, B. (2013, Spring). “Reframing Retention Strategy: A Focus on Progress.” New Directions for Higher Education, 161, 27-37.

• Tinto, V. (2012). Completing College: Rethinking Institutional Action. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

• Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89-125.

• The White House. (2013). [Official Web Site of the White House and President Barak Obama]. Retrieved October 13, 2013 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/higher-education.

©2007 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. All rights reserved.

Presenters:Lindsay Wayt, Senior Assistant Program Coordinator | lwayt2@unl.eduEmira Ibrahimpašić, Associate Program Coordinator | eibrahimpasic3@unl.eduMs. Kelli King, Program Coordinator | kking11@unl.edu

www.unl.edu/wht