New Student Orientation (NSO): Establishing Connections and Removing Barriers to Student

Success at University of Hawai‘i Maui College

(UHMC)

Presenters:Francine Ching

Benjamin Guerrero

Introductions

Who are we?

Who are you?

What do we have to share?

Format of the presentation

What is a New Student Orientation? Discussion: What would be your ideal

New Student Orientation? Who would help you to do an NSO? What activities would you include? What goals would you set? What data would you track? How would you evaluate your NSO? For all questions: Why?

New Student OrientationNew Student Orientation(NSO) 2010 (NSO) 2010

At University of Hawai‘i Maui College At University of Hawai‘i Maui College (UHMC)(UHMC)

What is NSO?What is NSO?

NSO is mandatory for all current Maui County high school seniors wanting to attend UHMC in fall 2010

NSO is an important “first step” toward a great start at UHMC

NSO provides detailed information that will help students with their transition to college life

Why Mandatory?

If students are given options, they opt OUT!

We lose nearly 50% of our students in the first year

Mandatory WorksAssertive Advising is Required

NSO will help students with:NSO will help students with:

Interpretation of their COMPASS placement scores

Academic advising Register for classes Learn about campus services and

programs Gain college success strategies Create connections with other

students, faculty, and staff

Admissions checklist:Admissions checklist:

Submit UHMC Kama‘aina application to the Admissions & Records office

Submit Health clearances: Tuberculosis (TB) & Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccination (MMR) to be submitted to the Health Center – see enclosed UHMC health form

Take the COMPASS placement test for English and math

Obtain a University of Hawai‘i (UH) username Reserve your space and attend a New

Student Orientation (NSO) session

Why Focus on Placement Testing? According to ATD data students avoid

taking their developmental courses and never graduate because they do not fulfill their requirements

If testing isn’t mandatory, students could “fall through the cracks”

We wants students to take these requirements in their first year to build stronger foundational skills to build a connection to the institution and faculty

Compass Test Data From September 2008-August 2009

approximately 2,700 COMPASS subtests were administered reading, writing, and math. 88% tested into developmental math

MATH Percentage Total Math 1 53% 1412 Math 22, 50/50H 24% 655 Math 23 7% 190 Math 25 3% 60

Compass Test Data

58% tested into developmental writingWRITING Percentage Total

English 15 17% 458 English 19 13% 338 English 22 28% 776

Compass Test Data

47% tested into developmental reading

READING Percentage Total

English 15 13% 336 English 21 34% 922

Current Policy-Placement Testing

UHMC’s policy: Students wishing to enroll in an English or mathematics course, or a course requiring a specific English or math placement as a prerequisite, may take the Compass placement test…

New Proposed Policy

Prior to registration, all first-time UHMC students are required to take COMPASS tests (Reading, Writing and Math). COMPASS test placement will assist students in achieving academic success. Exceptions to the policy will be made on a case by case basis. Consultation with a counselor is highly recommended.

NSO at our campus………..NSO at our campus………..

NSO sessions start in April and end in July with a total of 22 sessions including Hana, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i

NSO sessions are from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Section 1: Check – In, Welcome, and Scavenger Bingo

Section 2: Academic Advising ppt, Advising, and Registration

NSO Persistence Data:NSO Persistence Data: Base line 2007 without NSO: 290 Maui County high school seniors registered for the fall

2007 218 (75%) of the 290 are non - Native Hawaiian ethnicity 72 (25%) of the 290 are of Native Hawaiian ethnicity

Persistence Rates: 166 (57%) of the 290 have persisted from fall 2007 to fall 2008 134 (61%) of the 166 are non – Native Hawaiian ethnicity 32 (44%) of the 72 are Native Hawaiian ethnicity

NSO Persistence Data:NSO Persistence Data: NSO 2008: 421 Maui County high school seniors attended an NSO session 374 (89%) of the 421 registered for the fall 2008 semester 239 (64%) of the 374 are non – Native Hawaiian ethnicity 135 (36%) of the 374 are of Native Hawaiian ethnicity

Persistence Rates: 239 (64%) of the 374 have persisted from fall 2008 to fall 2009 159 (66%) of the 239 are non – Native Hawaiian ethnicity 80 (59%) of the 135 are of Native Hawaiian ethnicity

NSO NSO Persistence DataPersistence Data:: NSO 2009: 454 Maui County high school seniors attended an NSO

session 429 (94%) of the 454 registered for the fall 2009 semester 241 (56%) of the 429 are non – Native Hawaiian ethnicity 188 (44%) of the 429 are of Native Hawaiian ethnicity Fall 2009 to fall 2010 data will be collected in August 2010

Persistence Rate (data is being collected)

Data for Native Hawaiians?

As a means to create equity and close the academic gap between NHs and other ethnicities, ATD is embedded in the UH Strategic Plan 2008-2015. One of its 5 goals is to increase NH success

ATD is funded in part by Kamehameha Schools and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs

This goal is also embedded in the UH mission statement approved by the Board of Regents

NSO is the Key!NSO is the Key!

All Maui County 2010 high school graduates wanting to attend UHMC will have a registration hold on their account

Attendance at a NSO session will lift the hold – other holds may still apply

Completing the Admissions process early will ensure a student the best class availability

Student CommentsStudent Comments

“I look forward to attending UHMC!” “I enjoyed getting to know other

students that I will be seeing on campus.”

“This made me more confident about my decisions. I appreciate it.”

“I’m very excited to start!” “The orientation was very helpful, all

my questions were answered!”

UHMC’s Goal for the future:UHMC’s Goal for the future: Our campus would like to expand this mandatory

orientation to all students, tailoring each orientation to meet the needs of the new, continuing, returning and transfer students.

In fall 2010 we will be implementing Frosh Camp. This two – day interactive program will on assisting the students with clarifying their purpose in college, understand the college expectations, meet peers who are trained and will be able to provide valuable information, to ease the transition from high school to college by getting involved, and by starting their first year with confidence.

New Proposed Course Schedule

With such a high number of students testing into developmental education we would like to pilot this schedule:

For students testing 2 levels or more below college level math or English

ENG 15 Reading Math 18 (combined basics & pre-

algebra) Student Success Course-to be

developed

Pushback! Concerns!

Faculty is concerned about placement testing those students who are not seeking a degree

If we test all students shouldn’t the institution be in a position to offer all the developmental courses dictated by placement scores?

The institution does not have the necessary faculty, especially in math to offer the sections needed

More Concerns!

As part of the new proposed course schedule, counselors would be needed to teach the student success course once it’s developed

This would require a re-designation of counselor’s duties and could disrupt the department

Institutional Administrative Concerns!With severe budget cuts,

Chancellors need to decide where they want to spend their limited funds

Expand offerings for upper & BA level courses OR

Reduce upper level offerings and expend funds on developmental education

Strategies for Success

Using a modified Emporium Model, John Squires is assisting UHMC to establish a similar program to one at Cleveland State CC to improve success in math using a computer classroom for instruction, but no separate computer lab.

A math 18 and math 82 courses have been developed and approved to help reduce the amount of time students take to reach college level math from two years to one year.

More Strategies for Success

English and math alignment of courses at all UH community colleges to compare data and make transfers more efficient

Using ARRA funds hold math and English summits to accomplish this

What strategies do you have to increase student success, especially for minorities?One definition: Equity is not giving all

people a pair of shoes, equity is giving all people a pair of shoes that fit.

To create equity, is there a group of students on your campus that may need more support than another group?

What are their challenges?How can they be addressed through ATD?

Imua e na poki‘i!Imua e na poki‘i!Move forward our brothers and sisters!Move forward our brothers and sisters!