Creating a “No-combat Zone”: Maneuvering …...Creating for Sustainability • Review the...

Creating a “No-combat Zone”: Maneuvering Institutional Change, Sustaining Program Relevance

Dr. Dorothy Ward, Director, Entering Student Program, UTEP

Dr. Maggy Smith, Chair, Department of English, UTEP

© The University of Texas at El Paso

Presentation Overview

•  The University of Texas at El Paso •  The Entering Student Program (ESP) •  Creating for Sustainability •  Maneuvering Institutional Change •  Sustaining Relevance •  Recommendations


The University of Texas at El Paso

•  Public, RU/H Research University (high research activity) •  70 bachelor’s degrees •  76 master’s degrees •  20 doctoral degrees

•  Emerging Tier One University


Fall 1999 •  14,696 students

•  12,471 undergraduates

•  68% Hispanic •  83% from El Paso County •  99% commuter •  54% receive financial aid

Fall 2014 •  23,079 students

•  19,817 undergraduate

•  80% Hispanic •  84% from El Paso County •  97% commuter •  75% receive financial aid •  78% employed •  53% first generation

The University of Texas at El Paso Student Profile


UTEP Entering Student Program

Program Design/Components •  UNIV 1301: Seminar in Critical Inquiry

•  Peer Leader Program

•  Learning Communities

•  Global Learning Communities

•  UNIV 2350: Interdisciplinary Technology and Society


Entering Student Program (ESP) Fall 1999

•  Administrative Staff •  Director •  Administrative Assistant

•  2 ESP Employees •  18 Peer Leaders •  18 Sections of UNIV 1301 •  13 Learning Communities

(190 students)

Fall 2014 •  Administrative Staff

•  Director •  Associate Director •  Peer Leader Manager •  Office Supervisor

•  20 ESP Employees •  94 Peer Leaders •  87 Sections of UNIV 1301 •  14 Learning Communities

(317 students) •  2 Global LCs •  5 UNIV 2350


Entering Student Program Recognitions

•  2003 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Star Award

•  2006 Finalist for Examples of Excelencia •  2011 Educational Policy Institute

Outstanding Retention Program Award •  Highlighted in several publications

•  Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter

•  Challenging and Supporting the First-Year Student: A Handbook for Improving the First Year of College


Creating for Sustainability and Relevance

How do you create a program that will have long-term sustainability while continuing to have relevance?


Creating for Sustainability

•  Review the national landscape (what works in what context)/critically examine local needs (based on student demographics, fiscal strengths, and staff/faculty availability)

•  Build on institutional disciplinary strengths •  Work for campus buy-in

•  Form a university-wide committee to strategize program needs & structure

•  Include all who need to be there, all who want to be, and the nay-sayers

•  Locate program strategically in campus organizational structure (academic vs. student affairs)

•  Review potential funding streams


Creating for Sustainability (con’t)

•  Assess on an ongoing basis •  Part of the design •  Part of the program

•  For programmatic improvement •  For programmatic defense •  And for garnering programmatic support

•  Predict institutional responses to program changes


UNIV 1301: Seminar in Critical Inquiry •  3-Hour Core Curriculum Course

•  Discipline-Based, Theme-Driven

•  Small Class Size = Hands-on Work with Students

•  Instructional Team

― Instructor ― Peer Leader ― Librarian ― Advisor


UNIV 1301 Goals

Students will •  examine the roles and responsibilities

crucial for success in college. •  practice essential academic success skills. •  build a network of faculty, staff, and peers. •  assess and understand their interests,

abilities, and values. •  become involved in UTEP activities and

utilize campus resources.


Peer Leaders Support

•  Serve as role models for the students ― Model ideal classroom behavior ― Attend all class sessions ― Arrive to class on time

•  Make department referrals when appropriate •  Meet with the students outside of class during the

semester •  Maintain 2-5 office hours per week •  Serve as an intermediary between the student

and the instructor


Librarian Support

•  Partnership – Librarian & Instructor are assigned by area of expertise (theme is matched to reference area)

•  Contact information on syllabus •  Planning meetings (guided) •  Library Trainings

– Online tutorials and quizzes –  Library tour or scavenger hunt –  Activity (or activities) in library computer lab –  Follow-up assignment(s)

•  Lib Guides •  Follow up visits


Advisor Support

•  Assigned to course based on discipline •  Contact information on syllabus •  Visits class at least once to present:

– Requirements of the core curriculum – Academic standing/probation/reinstatement – How to calculate GPA – Degree plan(s) – How to navigate “What If” degree plan

•  Available for group advising for majors


Borders Textbook

•  Low cost •  Greeting from UTEP President and ESP Director •  History of UTEP •  Testimonials/success tips from UTEP students •  Authors from AA and SA (who teach or work with ESP)

address: — academic skills, study strategies — transitional issues (family, work, time management) — financial aid — career opportunities — healthy lifestyle — campus safety

•  Library and other campus unit information •  Locations for computer labs, study areas


Maneuvering Institutional Change

What happens when a change in institutional leadership is accompanied by a significant shift in philosophical assumptions about what is important?


Maneuvering Institutional Change

•  Maintain agility and flexibility in the face of change (is that opposition?)

•  Accept criticism and put it to work to your advantage

•  Don’t be defensive; don’t go on the offensive •  Look critically at your program all the time:

don’t ever say “all is going well”

Retention and GPA for UNIV 1301

One Year Retention (2003-13)* Two Year Retention (2003-12)*

1st Term GPA (2003-13)**

1st Year GPA (2003-13)**

2nd Year GPA (2003-2012)**

Never enrolled in UNIV 1301

UNIV 1301

n = 13,873 n = 1,558

n = 13,581 n = 1,467

n = 12,784 n = 1,315

n = 12,907 n = 1,332

n = 12,665 n = 1,254

*First-time, full-time, freshmen with fall semester entry term; ** Adjusted to exclude UNIV 1301 Grade


UTEP Risk-Level Determinants

•  High School Rank •  Math Placement •  Anticipated Hours Spent Working •  Direct Matriculation from High School


UNIV 1301 and Retention* *

n= 3,835

n= 329

n= 5,480

n= 328

n= 2,386

n= 125

n= 329

n= 5,480

n= 328

n= 2,386

n= 125

UNIV 1301 Never enrolled in UNIV 1301

2003

- 20

13 O

ne Y

ear

2003

– 2

012

Two

Year

*First-time, full-time, freshmen with fall semester entry term.

n= 3,613

n= 399

n= 6,633

n= 733

n= 3,627

n= 426

n= 3,541

n= 375

n= 6,534

n= 702

n= 3,506

n= 390


High Medium Low Risk Risk Risk 1st Term GPA**

n= 4

,174

n= 4

10

n= 7

,572

n= 7

23

n= 5

,181

n= 5

30

n= 4

,260

n= 4

25

n= 7

,642

n= 7

32

n= 5

,198

n= 5

34

n= 3

,324

n= 2

95

n= 6

,460

n= 5

78

n= 3

,582

n= 3

42

*First-time, full-time, freshmen with fall semester entry term; ** Adjusted to exclude UNIV 1301 Grade

High Medium Low Risk Risk Risk 1st Year GPA**

High Medium Low Risk Risk Risk 2nd Year GPA**

GPA for UNIV 1301, First-Term and First-Year (2003-13) and Second-Year (2003-12)*

UNIV 1301 Never Enrolled in UNIV 1301

n= 3

,044

n= 2

75

n= 6

,189

n= 6

33

n= 3

,551

n= 4

07

n= 3

,099

n= 2

83

n= 6

,244

n= 6

39

n= 3

,564

n= 4

10

n= 3

,048

n= 2

68

n= 6

,169

n= 6

10

n= 3

,448

n= 3

76

As a result of taking UNIV 1301, I believe that I feel an

increased sense of belonging to UTEP.

% Agree + Strongly Agree

As a result of your UNIV 1301 experience, to what

degree did your skills improve in managing time?

% Some + Very Much

UNIV 1301 helped me learn how to succeed at UTEP.

% Agree + Strongly Agree

UNIV 1301 End-of-Semester Feedback, 2010-2012

High Risk Medium Risk Low Risk

n= 7

10

n= 9

72

n= 1

,447

n= 7

19

n= 9

50

n= 1

,439

n= 7

33

n= 9

76

n= 1

,482


Honors and Top 15% Learning Communities

Created 7 learning communities designed to academically challenge and engage low risk students

•  Included strong research component •  Provided opportunity for students to earn

honors credit •  Established expectation that students would

work toward having a research project accepted for the Showcase


Learning Community Themes

•  Inventing America: UNIV and RWS •  Thinking Historically, Research and Writing

Academically: UNIV and HIST •  Social Justice and Activism: UNIV and

RWS •  Imagining Nations, Imagining Regions:

UNIV and RWS Global Learning Community


Student Comments

•  Research is to be willing to make connections and try something new, to take on a new perspective.

•  This project required my work to be at a much higher level than in high school. I had to learn how to collect and analyze information independently. Your evidence doesn’t always give you the answer you’re looking for.


Sustaining Relevance

How do you sustain first-year program integrity AND relevance while responding to changing institutional demands and changing student demographics?


Sustaining Relevance

•  Critical nature of leadership: big picture/little picture

•  Importance of maintaining a dynamic program •  Respond to changes in institutional focus •  Focus on student need •  Consider programming for un(der)served

student populations such as veterans, transfers, international, online, honors


Global Learning Community

•  GLCs link UNIV 1301 with comparably-themed first-year course at another institution

•  Students participate in a collaborative learning experience

•  Interactions include shared readings and lectures, discussion forums, video conferences, and videos


Global Learning Community Themes

•  Imagining Nations, Imagining Regions: The Making of Cultural Diversity in Australia and on the U.S.-Mexico Border: UTEP and Victoria University

•  Stories Across Cultures: Mobile Worlds and the Politics of Belonging Amongst Communities in Australia and the United States: UTEP and Victoria University

•  Exploring Racial and Ethnic Borders in American Colleges: UTEP and John Jay College of Criminal Justice

•  Society Through Graphic Novels: UTEP and John Jay College of Criminal Justice


Why GLCs?

Students gain •  a deeper understanding of different regions

and cultures •  a more global perspective •  expanded social and academic networks •  a collaborative learning experience •  an interest in study abroad and travel


Entering Student Research and Creative Projects Showcase

•  Videos, Poster Sessions, Creative Projects •  Instructor Nominated; Committee Selected •  Intended Purpose

•  Challenge and engage students •  Integrate students into university community •  Inform El Paso and university community

•  Unforeseen Effect •  Inspire and reinvigorate faculty


Research and Creative Projects


Recommendations

•  Engage in comprehensive, ongoing assessment (data-based changes & decision making)

•  Create a flexible structure for serving students •  Collaborate across campus for entering student success •  Engage in holistic support for learning •  Engage with the undergraduate curriculum in a dynamic

way •  Manage resources strategically (both campus-based and

external resources) (based on Evenbeck, S. E., et al. (2010). Organizing for Student Success. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina.)


Recommendations

•  Carefully review student needs •  Establish institutional support at all levels •  Create solid core components that can be

responsive to changing needs and change •  Be responsive to criticism •  Assess, assess, assess and use the

assessment data to make changes •  Maintain engagement with relevant

professional communities


Questions ?

Contact information:

Dr. Dorothy Ward: [email protected] Dr. Maggy Smith: [email protected]

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