STUDENT SERVICES AND STUDENT SUCCESS - University...

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

VICE-PROVOST (STUDENTS) & VICE-PROVOST (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

STUDENT SERVICES AND STUDENT SUCCESS:

FINDINGS FROM RECENT RESEARCH AT ONTARIO COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Informing the Future of Higher Education

Richard Dominic Wiggers Executive Director, Research and Programs

WHO OR WHAT IS HEQCO?

HEQCO is an independent agency that tries to influence policy with evidence

Research

Government

Develop more effective policies

Allocate funds more effectively

Enhance quality and global competitiveness


3

HEQCO has three major research priorities

Accessibility & Participation (including retention, underrepresented groups, etc.)

Learning Quality (including student engagement, teaching and learning, etc.)

Accountability & System Design (including KPIs, multi-year agreements, system design, etc.)

4


HEQCO has completed or launched nearly 200 research projects

5


Published Completed Underway Total

Projects

Accessibility/Participation 30 9 14 53

Learning Quality 26 9 50 85

Accountability/System Design 13 2 1 16

Manuscripts/Edited Collections 2 1 0 3

Internal Research (various) 21 0 15 36

TOTAL 92 21 80 193

One of the first groups of research projects dealt with Student Services

First Year Transitions

Nipissing University Introductory University Course (UNIV1011) and Academic Retention & Success

Lakehead University First Year Experience Program for Under-Represented Students

Niagara College of Applied Arts Academic Advisement in the Partners' Program to Increase University Access

Targeted Populations

Ryerson University Access, Engagement, Retention and Success of Under-Represented Populations

Cambrian College Impact of Mental Health Problems within Community College Student Population

Brock University Statistical Variances in Student Financial Aid: Is Less More?

Ontario College of Art & Design Impact of 'Sheltered' English as a Second Language (ESL) Support Programming

Durham College & UOIT Student Support Associated with College-University Collaborative Outcomes

York University Student Services and Academic Engagement of Recent Adult Immigrant Students

Skills Enhancement Initiatives

Huron University College Writing Proficiency Assessment

Brock University An Evaluation of the Impact of Learning Skills Services on Student Academic Success

Georgian College of Applied Arts Information Literacy Competency Standards for Students

Course-Based Initiatives Carleton University Effectiveness of the Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) on Student Success

Queen's University Supported Learning Groups (SLG) in Residence

Brock University An Evaluation of the Online Writing Skills Workshop at Brock University

University of Guelph Skills Objectives of Peer Helper Program: Longitudinal Analysis

6


Source: Richard Wiggers and Christine Arnold, Defining, Measuring and Achieving “Student

Success” in Ontario Colleges and Universities (HEQCO: 2011).

Another group of in-class interventions used NSSE as an assessment tool

7

Course Based

Queen's University 1st Year: Increasing Student/Faculty Interaction in Large Classes

University of Waterloo 1st & 4th Years: Redesign of Selected Courses to Enhance Engagement

University of Western Ontario 1st Year: Redesign of Selected Courses to Increase Science Literacy

Discipline/Faculty Based

University of Ottawa 1st Year: Course-Based Learning Community for Social Science

University of Windsor 1st Year: Intrusive Advising Intervention for 1st Year Business Students

Queen's University 4th Year: Enhanced Academic/Tutorial Support System for Electrical Engineering

General Support

Carleton University 1st Year: Teaching Assistant (TA) Mentorship Model

University of Guelph 1st Year: Supported Learning Groups for "high-risk" courses

Ryerson University 1st Year: Improvement of Writing Skills Competencies

Wilfrid Laurier University 1st Year: Peer Learning Program to Improve Information Literacy, Research & Writing

Source: C. Conway, Implementing Engagement Improvements through Targeted Interventions,

Final Report: Intervention Processes, Impacts and Implications (HEQCO: 2010).


HEQCO has tried to provide an overview of the findings

• Richard Dominic Wiggers and Christine Arnold, @Issue Paper No. 10, Defining, Measuring and Achieving “Student Success” in Ontario Colleges and Universities (HEQCO: 2011).

• C. Conway, Implementing Engagement Improvements through Targeted Interventions, Final Report: Intervention Processes, Impacts and Implications (HEQCO: 2010).

• Tricia Seifert, Christine Arnold, Jeff Burrow and Angel Brown, Supporting Student Success: The Role of Student Services within Ontario’s Postsecondary Institutions (HEQCO: 2011).

8


More recently HEQCO developed and released a national “how to” Guide


9

• Based on a similar document developed by McMaster University

• Endorsed by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS)

• September 18, 2012 release

Researching Teaching and Student Outcomes in

Postsecondary Education:

A Guide

Susan Elgie

With:

Ruth Childs

Nancy E. Fenton

Betty Ann Levy

Valerie Lopes

Karen Szala-Meneok

Richard Dominic Wiggers

ACCESS

Ensuring broad access to PSE has been one of the longest standing goals


ACCESS

Barriers

First Generation

Under-Represented

11 Source: Richard Dominic Wiggers and Christine Arnold, @Issue Paper No. 10, Defining,

Measuring and Achieving “Student Success” in Ontario Colleges and Universities

(HEQCO: 2011).

University and non-university attainment for main OECD countries, percentage of population aged 25-64, 2006

23 24

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Tertiary-type B education (Non-university) Tertiary-type A education (University)

Canada already leads the OECD in PSE attainment


12

Ontario has a broad and accessible PSE system

20 Universities (360,000 undergraduate

and 47,000 graduate)

24 Colleges (220,000 students)

447 Licensed Private Career

Colleges (27,000 students)

Apprenticeships (120,000 students)

1000+ Unlicensed

Private Career Colleges


13

Ontario is achieving the goal of “mass education” in PSE

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

25-64 55-64 45-54 35-44 25-34

Hig

he

st e

du

cati

on

al a

ttai

nm

ent

Trades cert. & registered apprenticeship Total College or CEGEP Total University

67.5

61.4

Ontario Goal


14

Source: K. Norrie and M.C. Lennon, Tuition Fee Policy Options for Ontario (February

2011). 15


0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

$-

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$9,000

$10,000

Par

tici

pat

ion

rat

e

Tuit

ion

University Participation (18-24) and Average Undergraduate University Tuition, Ontario

Average University Tuition in Ontario University participation rate, 18-24

Participation rates continue to increase despite rising tuition costs

Family income does impact the choice of PSE pathways

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of S

tud

en

ts

Income Decile (10 is highest income and 1 is lowest income)

Confirmed University

Confirmed College

16


Our financial assistance program isn’t necessarily working as intended

Source: J. Berger, A Motte and A. Parkin, The Price of Knowledge: Access and Student

Finance in Canada (Fourth Edition, 2009). 17


Low Income (Less than $50,000 Family)

High Need (High Cost or Long Duration Program, Older Independent Students, Out-of-

Province Study, etc.)

Student Financial

Assistance

University participation rates vary by geographic region


18

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Regional Entrance Rates: First-year, FT Students Aged 18 to 20 from Ontario

GTA excl. Toronto

Toronto

East

Central

Southwest

North

Note: includes First-time (at institution), Full-time Ontario university students only. Sources: MTCU (students); Ministry of Finance (population). CUPA (CESPA) 2009-05-31

Source: I. Calvert and D. Smith, University Entrance Rates of Ontario Residents:

Regional and Gender Analysis (Presentation for CUPA 2009).

University participation rates also vary by group

39%

55%

51%

27%

35%

25% 27%

32%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Pre

dic

ted

pro

bab

iliti

es

of

en

rolli

ng

in u

niv

ers

ity


19

Two cohorts of Ontario students were tracked from 15 years of age

Age 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

14 PISA OSSLT

15 5,557 16,935

16 YITS

17 4,290

18 YITS

19 3,859 15,560

20 YITS

21 3,253

22 YITS

23 2,697 Literacy

24 400 YITS

25 2,049


20

PISA/YITS Cycle 4 (21 years of age) Gender

Source: Mary Catharine Lennon, Huizi Zhao, Shunji Wang, Tomasz Gluszynski,

Educational Pathways of Youth in Ontario: Factors Impacting Educational Pathways

(HEQCO: 2011)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Male Female

No PSE Non-University University


21



(HEQCO: 2011)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1 (lowest) 2 3 4 (highest)


PISA/YITS Cycle 4 (21 years of age) Parental Income


22



(HEQCO: 2011)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

High school or less Non-university PSE Bachelors Post-Bachelors


PISA/YITS Cycle 4 (21 years of age) Parental Education


23

24 Source: Mary Catharine Lennon, Huizi Zhao, Shunji Wang, Tomasz Gluszynski,


(HEQCO: 2011)


PISA/YITS Cycle 4 (21 years of age) High School Grades

25 Source: Mary Catharine Lennon, Huizi Zhao, Shunji Wang, Tomasz Gluszynski,


(HEQCO: 2011)


PISA/YITS Cycle 4 (21 years of age) PISA reading scores



(HEQCO: 2011)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Both Canadian 1 Foreign 2 Foreign


PISA/YITS Cycle 4 (21 years of age) Immigrant Parents


26

0.0

30.0

60.0

90.0

RecentArrivals(2002 to

2006)

ArrivalsBefore2002

Born inCanada


2006)

ArrivalsBefore2002

Born inCanada


2006)

ArrivalsBefore2002

Born inCanada


2006)

ArrivalsBefore2002

Born inCanada

Confirmed University Confirmed College Applied/Did Not Confirm Did Not Apply

Successful Not Successful Absent/Deferred/Exempt

Year of Arrival: Recent Arrivals (less than 5 years in Canada) N= 2104 Arrivals before 2002 (longer than 5 years in Canada) N=3214, Born in Canada N=10242

TDSB Cohort (18-19 years of age) Immigrant Parents


27

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.040.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

Perc

en

tag

e o

f S

tud

en

ts

Confirmed University Confirmed College Applied/Did Not Confirm Did Not Apply to PSE

Confirmed University 74.1 60.9 48.6 48.0 47.3 39.8 26.5 23.3

Confirmed College 8.5 16.0 18.3 16.1 14.2 14.5 21.9 21.7

Applied/Did Not Confirm 7.6 8.0 9.1 10.2 12.7 10.9 11.8 9.1

Did Not Apply to PSE 9.8 15.2 24.0 25.7 25.8 34.8 39.8 45.8

East Asian (2483)

South Asian (2520)

South East Asian (492)

Middle East (548)

White (4645)

Mixed (716)

Black (1457)

Latin (253)

TDSB Cohort (18-19 years of age) Immigrant Parents


28

RETENTION

Some began to question what access was worth without retention


ACCESS

Barriers

First Generation

Under-Represented

RETENTION

Persistence

Engagement

Credit Transfer



(HEQCO: 2011).

The terminology continues to evolve

• Institution/Program Centric

• Assumes Institutional Problem/Fix

“Retention”

“Attrition”

• Student Centric

• Assumes Individual Responsibility

“Persistence”

“Drop Out”

• No assumed responsibility

• Focus on what is best for student

“Student Success”

“Student Outcome”




(HEQCO: 2011).

My own postsecondary journey is best described as a “zig zag”


32

B.A.

Bachelor in Journalism (2 Years)

Europe (1 Year finding self)

Bachelor of Arts – History (2 years)

M.A.

Masters of International Relations (1 Year)

Work (3 Years becoming an adult)

Master of Arts – History (2 years)

PhD

Admission

Course Work (1 Year)

Course Work (2 Years)

Exams/Dissertation

When should we begin to track PSE students?


33

Application (Nov-Mar)

Acceptance (Feb-Apr)

Registration (Jun-Sep)

Fall Enrolment (Oct-Nov)

And how long do we track them for?

BASELINE: Fall Enrolment

Completion of First Semester/Year

Registration into Second Year (Y1-Y2)

Registration into Third Year (Y2-Y3)

Graduation (3 Year/5 Year/7 Year)

34


There can be huge variance in graduation rates among institutions

Source: May 2008 CSRDE Peer Institutional Reports


35

G13 UNIVERSITIES: UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GRADUATION RATES, 2001-02 ENTERING COHORT, SIX YEARS AFTER ENTRY

60.4

%

61.9

% 72.1

%

76.7

%

77.8

%

78.9

%

84.8

%

88.3

%

77.1

%

77.0

%

73.3

%

68.1

%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Dalhousie Calgary Alberta Ottawa Toronto Waterloo UBC Western Montreal McMaster McGill Queen's

G13 Avg = 74.9%

Should institutions with high student retention rates be rewarded?


36 Source: HEQCO. Employing OUAC and CUPA data (2011).

75%

77%

79%

81%

83%

85%

87%

89%

91%

93%

95%

Year 1 to Year 2 Retention Rates (CUDO 2011)

It depends on the priority:


Source: HEQCO. Employing OUAC and CUPA data (2011). 37

access or retention?

Brock Carleton

Guelph

Lakehead

Laurentian

McMaster

Nipissing

OCAD

UOIT

Ottawa

Queen's

Ryerson

Toronto

Trent

UW

UWO

WLU

Windsor York

80%

82%

84%

86%

88%

90%

92%

94%

96%

76% 78% 80% 82% 84% 86% 88% 90%

Yea

r 1

to

Yea

r 2

Rete

nti

on

Rate

High School Average

High School Average by Year 1 to Year 2 Retention Rate, by University (CUDO 2011)

Source: York University, Retention Risk Prevention Pilot Project (Office of

Institutional Research and Analysis: October 2009 Presentation).


At individual institutions as many as 1/3 don’t continue to graduation

38

Stopping-out:

– 34% of those entering as full-time students (≥80% full course load)

– 60% of those entering as part-time students

Continuers

Returners

Switchers

Pause/Switch

Actual Leavers

Source: Ross Finnie, Moving Through, Moving on, Statistics Canada (2009)


We are beginning to better understand student pathways

39

Administrative policies can also impact student retention

Institutional Policies

Sw

itch

Le

ave

PSE

Can repeat a previously passed course

Later course withdrawal dates

Flat fee course tuitions

More generous tuition refunds

Source: Martinello, F. Brock University, Academic Regulations, Tuition Refunds,

and Student Persistence and Program Changes (PowerPoint presentation at

CIRPA 2010).


40

The double cohort also seemed to create a positive impact on retention


41

82.2%

83.3%

84.4%

86.0%

83.3%

81.2% 81.1%

75%

76%

77%

78%

79%

80%

81%

82%

83%

84%

85%

86%

87%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Cohort Entering in Year ...

Retention after Two Years

at Ontario Universities

Source : Consortium on Student Retention Data Exchange (CSRDE). Cohort includes full -time first-year entrantswithout previous postsec. experience. COU CESPA 2009-08-17

The labour market also impacts on postsecondary retention


42

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

19

76

19

77

19

78

19

79

19

80

19

81

19

82

19

83

19

84

19

85

19

86

19

87

19

88

19

89

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

Un

em

plo

yme

nt

Rat

e

1st

to

2n

d Y

ear

Ret

en

tio

n R

ate

Ontario - Retention 1st to 2ndOntario - Youth UnemplOntario - Unempl in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

“AT RISK” STUDENT POPULATIONS

Student leaver rates vary among different subgroups

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0First Generation PSE

Non First Generation PSE

Non Aboriginal

Disabled

Non Disabled

Rural High School

Non-Rural High School

Low Income Family

Non Low Income Family

Single Parent Family

Two Parent Family

First Generation

Second Generation

Non Immigrant

French outside Quebec

English outside Quebec

Male

Female

Ontario University Year 4 Leavers Rate by Student Group

actual

average


44

One Ontario college profiled their most at-risk students

• Young, single males, living at their parent’s residence who are entering directly from high school with vague career goals.

• Students entering open admission programs that do not have focused and distinct employment and career outcomes.

• Program Suitability – career outcomes that do not meet student expectations

45


The disconnect between high school and college/university


46

• “75% say that just about all kids can learn and succeed in school, given enough help and attention.”

• “Most people believe that success in higher education has more to do with the effort the student brings to the college experience and much less to do with the quality of the college.”

• “When we ask who is responsible for college dropouts, the public is prepared to blame almost anyone other than the colleges:” 47% blame the students

38% blame the high schools

10% blame the colleges

Source: John Immerwahr and Tony Foleno, Great Expectations: How the Public and Parents

– White, African American and Hispanic – View Higher Education (Public Agena: May 2000).

The elimination of Grade 13 means that first year students are younger

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Full-time, Grant-Eligible, First-Year Entrantsto Ontario Universities

Age 20

Age 19

Age 18

Source: MTCU User reports (November 1st count). Note: age is calculated as age at end of calendar year of enrolment.COU-CUPA (CESPA) 2009-06-14

47


48


There are increasing numbers of “helicopter parents”

49


In turn, they are raising more “bubble wrap kids”

This shift in parenting seems to be driven by many factors

50


• Growing fears about lurking dangers

• Increased parental affluence combined with smaller families

• Social pressure and expectation on parents

• Technology (cell phones, Facebook, etc.)

• More parents with postsecondary credentials

• An amazing ability to forget the benefits of our own experiences and independence as young adults

Source: R. Finnie, S. Childs and T. Qiu, Patterns of Persistence in PSE (2011);

Academica, From Postsecondary Application to the Labour Market (2010);

Government of NB, High School Follow-Up Survey (2007). 51


Reasons for Leaving PSE Ontario Rest of Canada

Didn't like it/Not for me 35.7% 30.3%

To change schools or programs 35.2% 33.7%

Health, personal or other reason 17.3% 20.5%

Not enough money 3.1% 6.7%

Wanted to work 3.1% 5.0%

Marks too low 5.6% 3.9%

More PSE students are uncertain about their direction

More PSE students have difficulty coping emotionally


52 Source: Kate Lunau, “The Broken Generation,” Maclean’s (September 10, 2012).

• “Fully a quarter of university-age Canadians will experience a mental health problem, most often stress, anxiety or depression.”

• “Students seem to be under more pressure than ever from home. Part of it could be due to the fact that families are smaller.”

• “Overprotective parents may think they’re helping their kids, but once these kids arrive on campus, small problems can seem overwhelming”

PSE students need “grit”: passion and a determination to stick with it


53

• “It’s not just smarts, it’s the ability to stick with a task that makes a difference.”

• “if you want to develop their character, you do almost the opposite: You let them fail and don’t hide their failures from them or from anybody else – not to make them feel lousy about themselves, but to give them the tools to succeed next time.”

• “IQ matters a lot in terms of what your freshman GPA is, but graduating from college has much more to do with character strengths like persistence, perseverance and grit.”

Source: Paul Tough, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of

Character (2012).

ENGAGEMENT/SATISFACTION

Students appear to be satisfied with their PSE experience


55

Source: Arthur Levine, Diane R. Dean, Generation on a Tightrope: A Portrait of

Today’s College Student (2012).

1969 1976 1993 2009

I am satisfied overall 62 71 79 79

I would rather be going to university than anything else 69 69 75 83

I am satisfied with teaching at my institution 67 72 81 87

Satisfaction rates are high and don’t vary much over time

56


70

75

80

85

90

95

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Student and Graduate Satisfaction Rates 2000-01 to 2008-09, percentage of very satisfied/satisfied

Graduate Satisfaction Student Satisfaction

NSSE has limitations as a means to measure student engagement

57


• Too blunt for institutional comparisons, and too broad for course-based assessments

• It can be useful for program level and sub-group analyses.

• “most student subgroups are not universally engaged or disengaged, but rather show more or less engagement across items within and across benchmarks in a given program, and more or less engagement for particular items across programs”

Source: C. Conway, H. Zhao and S. Montgomery, The NSSE National Data Project

Report (HEQCO: 2011; C. Conway and H. Zhao, The NSSE National Data Project: Phase

Two Report (HEQCO: 2012).

The size of an institution or campus impacts on engagement

Source: McElroy. L. & Usher, A. HESA, Measuring Differences in Academic Challenges

and Grades at Canadian Universities (PowerPoint presentation for CIRPA 2010).

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Independence

Neither

Supportive

Very Supportive

% of Universities

Large Medium Small Very Small

University Size


58

One national survey found little impact from institutional changes

59


Source: A. Usher, Globe and Mail Canadian University Report: Annual Update from HESA

(Presentaiton to CIRPA, 2012)

Another innovation increased satisfaction but not performance

60


Source: J. Waldman, Measuring the Impact of Hybrid College Programs (Presentation to

ISSOTL, 2012)

Student Success (A, B or C) GPA

Student Satisfaction

Withdrawal Rates

University of Central Florida

High None to slightly positive effect

No effect Not measured

Sheridan (FOB, FT Faculty, PY Control)

High No effect No effect Possibly small

negative effect

Sheridan (College- wide, many controls)

Not measured Small negative

effect No effect

Small negative

effect

EMPLOYMENT

We need to define what we mean by “Student Success”


ACCESS

Barriers

First Generation

Under-Represented

RETENTION

Persistence

Engagement

Credit Transfer

EMPLOYMENT

Relevant Skills

Satisfaction

Income



(HEQCO: 2011).

Millennials have a different view of the value of university education


63



1969 1976 1993 2009

The chief benefit is that it increases one’s earning power --- 44 57 67

Essential goal: to get training and skills for an occupation 59 67 70 73

1969 1976 1993 2009

Essential goal: to formulate life values and goals for my life 71 62 52 50

Essential to learn to get along with people 76 66 47 38

Graduate and employer satisfaction rates are consistently high

64


70

75

80

85

90

95

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Employer and Graduate Satisfaction Rates 2000-01 to 2008-09, percentage of very satisfied/satisfied

Employer Satisfaction Graduate Satisfaction

Is it truly a

“Generation Jobless”?

65


There are growing concerns about how PSE connects with jobs

Source: Erin Anderson, “Can Canada’s schools pass the next great intelligence test?,

The Globe and Mail (October 5, 2012); Charlie Gillis and Chris Soresnen, “The new

underclass, Maclean’s (January 21, 2013).

66


• G&M: “Encouraged all their lives by politicians, parents and guidance counsellors to go to university, many students are waking up to the fact that their costly years on campus may not open the right doors later.”

• G&M: “Being the most educated, it turns out, may not be the same as being the best educated.”

• Mclean’s: “The culprit, according to business leaders, is three decades of parents and teachers extolling the virtues of a university degree, encouraging youth to become doctors, lawyers or teachers.”

Source: SSRC, 2012 from Learning to Earning, 2012, presentation by Brent

Herbert-Copley, SSHRC.

Unemployment By Student Performance (Sample Of Recent US Bachelor’s Graduates)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

CLA scores Academic Engagement/Growth

LowMediumHigh


67

Students must be reminded that jobs require more than a credential

It is best to be frank with students about the outcomes of their decisions

68


If universities were honest about the question of career opportunities and income, they would say this:

• “The top performing students, particularly those in high demand technical and professional fields, have very good employment prospects and will likely make impressive incomes.”

• “Students in more general areas of study and, particularly, those who fall short in skill level, motivation and work ethic, will likely struggle after graduation.”

• “Plan accordingly.”

Source: Ken Coates and Bill Morrison, “The Million-Dollar Promise,” Maclean’s

(January 21, 2013)..

LEARNING OUTCOMES

We need to define what we mean by “Student Success”


ACCESS

Barriers

First Generation

Under-Represented

RETENTION

Persistence

Engagement

Credit Transfer

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Graduation

Skills Acquisition

Value-Added

EMPLOYMENT

Relevant Skills

Satisfaction

Income



(HEQCO: 2011).

Many students are already arriving in PSE unprepared academically


71

Ontario College “A”

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Below College English 58.7% 59.3% 59.8% 59.3% 55.0%

College English 39.4% 38.4% 38.2% 36.5% 41.0%

Total Responses (Count) 6,150 6,409 6,380 6,834 7,179

There has been grade inflation in postsecondary education


72



1969 1976 1993 2009

My grade point average is A- or higher 7 19 26 41

My grade point average is C or less 25 13 9 5

I have taken a basic skills or remedial course --- 29 32 45

I work hard at my studies --- 86 89 93

Students are studying less, and learning less

Source: Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College

Campuses (2011)).


73

• 45% of students demonstrated no significant improvement in learning during the first two years of college

• 36% of students demonstrated no significant improvement over four years of college

• For students who show improvement, it is modest only

• Main culprit is lack of rigor in terms of reading requirements and study (12-13 hours/week)

PSE isn’t even the equivalent of full-time work for most students

14.0

15.2

15.9

17.0

27.3

28.4

29.3

31.7

0 10 20 30 40

below 70

70 to 79

80 to 89

90+

Hours per Week

Ove

rall

Un

ive

rsit

y G

rad

e

Total Time at School

work

Total Time Studying

Source: Lori McElroy and Alex Usher, HESA, Measuring Differences in Academic Challenges

and Grades at Canadian Universities (PowerPoint presentation for CIRPA 2010).


74

The majority of full-time students are NOT working at part-time jobs


75

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

19

76

/19

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19

77

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19

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19

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/20

00

20

00

/20

01

20

01

/20

02

20

02

/20

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20

03

/20

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20

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/20

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20

05

/20

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20

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/20

07

20

07

/20

08

20

08

/20

09

20

09

/20

10

20

10

/20

11

Full Time Students Working Part-Time During Academic Year, Aged 18-24, Ontario

University MenUniversity Women

HEQCO is doing more research on learning outcomes


76

• Collegiate Learning Assessment: standardized test to evaluate colleges and universities’ contribution to the development of students generic skills development in critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication skills gained from first to final year.

• Tuning: Groups of college and university faculty in social, physical, life and health sciences are establishing Learning Outcomes for these sectors and appropriate measures

• AHELO: Ontario has joined 16 other countries in this OECD study on the Civil Engineering discipline, which focuses on generic and discipline specific skills.

Among the most common types of interventions are the following…

First Year Targeted

Populations Academic Support

Financial General Support

x x x x x


77

AWARENESS

Too few students are aware of the services available to them

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

First year Second year Third year Fourth year

Very familiar

Fairly familiar


Source: Dunn, R. & Carfagnini, A. First Year Transitions: An Evaluation of Nipissing

University’s UNIV 1011 (2010). 79

This is particularly true of those students who need it the most


0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

50%-59% 60%-69% 70%-79% 80%-89% 90% and above

Very familiar

Fairly familiar


University’s UNIV 1011 (2010). 80

The source and timing of awareness also continues to be an issue

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Other

Student Services

Academic/FacultyAdvisor

Students/Friends/Family

Course Calendar/University Website

How did you hear about UNIV 1011?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Before starting Nipissing& after choosing 1st-

year courses

Before applying toNipissing

After 1st year ofuniversity

After applying toNipissing &

before choosing 1st-…

During 1st year ofuniversity

When did you first learn about UNIV 1011?

81



University’s UNIV 1011 (2010).

UTILIZATION

Students often fail to utilize the supports available to them


8.3% 8.4% 14.0%

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009

Nu

mb

er

of

Fir

st-

ye

ar

Stu

de

nts

Cohort

Learning Skills Participants Non-Learning Skills Participants

Source: Brock University Learning Skills Services and HESA. An Evaluation of the Impact of

Learning Skills Workshops on Student Academic Success (2011). 83

They also tend to make minimal use of those services

78%

14%

8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

0 Hours 1-4 Hours 5+ Hours

Source: C.A. Miles et al., The Effectiveness of the Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS)

Program in Enhancing Student Academic Success at Carleton University (2010).


84

That minimal use is consistent across multiple studies done by HEQCO


0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Pyschology 100 Biology 102 Biology 103

Nu

mb

er

of

Enro

lled

Stu

de

nts

Course

SLG Participants Non-SLG Participants

6.7% 8.8 % 6.7%

Source: Queen’s University, Assessment of Innovative Academic Initiatives: Queen’s

Supported Learning Groups Pilot Program (Forthcoming, 2011). 85

IMPACT

At times the impact may appear minimal or even negative


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

1-2

Ret

en

tio

n R

ate

s

Year

UNIV 1011 Non-UNIV 1001

Source: Dunn, R. & Carfagnini, A. First Year Transitions: An Evaluation of Nipissing University’s

UNIV 1011 (2010). 87

What does it mean if the impact appears to be negative?


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

De

gre

es

Co

nfe

rre

d

Year UNIV1011 Non-UNIV1011

Source: Dunn, R. & Carfagnini, A. First Year Transitions: An Evaluation of Nipissing University’s

UNIV 1011 (2010). 88

Even substantial financial incentives don’t seem to make a difference

Opportunity Knocks Target:

First and second year university students receiving need-based financial aid (UofT-Scarborough campus)

Control Group

(400 students)

Treatment Group

(400 students)

$20 for each percentage point

above 70 %

Each one-semester course (full course load = 5

courses) students received $100 for obtaining a grade

average of 70%

Assistance and advice from peer

advisors

Source: J. Angrist, T. Chambers, P. Oreopoulos and T. Williams, The “Opportunity

Knocks” Supplemental Merit Scholarships Project (November 2010).


89

Substantial financial incentives showed relatively small impacts

Source: J. Angrist, T. Chambers, P. Oreopoulos and T. Williams, The “Opportunity

Knocks” Supplemental Merit Scholarships Project (November 2010).

Treatment Control

Kernel Densities of Full-Year Average Grade (per cent) for Treatment and Control


90

RECOMMENDATIONS

Lessons from HEQCO’s previous research


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• AWARENESS: Many students who most need to be aware of the assistance available to them are not adequately informed

• UTILIZATION: For voluntary interventions, those who seek out assistance are often not those most at-risk

• IMPACT: There are few “easy fixes” that clearly improve student success, and most impacts are marginal, indirect or delayed

• MEASUREMENT: While participants will generally applaud the value of the interventions when interviewed or surveyed, there is seldom an easy and credible method to measure the impact on student engagement, academic achievement or retention.

Recommendations


93

Challenge Solutions

Awareness

Geographically centralize/co-locate support services

Centralize and simplify information (handbook, website, etc.)

Make information available early, possibly even pre-registration

Improve information dispersal via faculty, student associations, etc.

Utilization

More active efforts to target and remind students

Consider compulsory interventions for students on probation, etc.

Recognize that even students who are not “at risk” can and should benefit

Faculty buy-in to encourage students to participate

Source: Richard Wiggers and Christine Arnold, Defining, Measuring and Achieving “Student


Recommendations

Challenge Solutions

Impact

Most interventions are too limited in scope to expect impacts

Most assessments are too limited in scope to measure long term impacts

Clear and obvious impacts may simply not be measurable

Acknowledge that interventions often overlap

Measurement

Pilot surveys, and/or use existing and proven instruments

Develop a system to track individual student participation in interventions

Link participation and survey responses with student administrative data

Longitudinal tracking to graduation (5 years or longer)

Learning outcomes at the course, program and institutional level


94 Source: Richard Wiggers and Christine Arnold, Defining, Measuring and Achieving “Student


Effective retention practices identified by U.S. institutions

Institution Type Solutions

4-year public

Honours programs for academically advanced students

Academic support program or services

Programs designed specifically for first-year students

Programs designed specifically for conditionally admitted students

Programs designed specifically for at-risk students

2-year public

Institution wide emphasis on the teaching and learning of undergraduates

Academic support program or services

Programs designed specifically for first-year students

Providing each continuing student with a written academic plan/roadmap

Using web-based course engagement tools such as Blackboard, WebCT, etc.


95 Source: 2011 Student Retention Practices at Four-Year and Two-Year Institutions (Noel-

Levits, 2011).

Thank You!


Richard Dominic Wiggers Executive Director, Research and Programs

HEQCO

(416) 212-3881

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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