Utilizing TRIO to Enhance the First-Year

Experience

Ashyya Robinson & Jazmine Thompson |Berea College

National Conference on Students in Transition

October 23, 2017 | Costa Mesa, CA

Learning Objectives• Introduce Berea College's history, mission, and background on

programs; Emerging Scholars Program and First-Year Experience

• Examine the redesign of our first-year seminar course, GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success

• Provide the strengths and benefits on both sides for students and staff being under one office

• Discuss how to collaborate with TRIO programs on your campus and long term planning for FYI

• Q & A

Berea CollegeHistory

• Founded in 1855 on principles of equal education for men and women, black and white, primarily from Appalachia.

• Berea was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South.

• Berea is a four year Liberal Arts institution and primarily a residential campus.

• “To provide an educational opportunity for students of all races, primarily from Appalachia, who have great promise and limited economic resources.”

• No tuition promise

Berea College, Factbook, 2016-2017

Current Student Picture

• Enrollment: 1600

• Pell Grant Eligible: 98%

• Full tuition Scholarship: 100%

• Participation in Labor Program: 100%

Emerging Scholars Program &

First-Year Initiatives

Timeline

Emerging Scholars Program (ESP)

2010

Berea College received

the SSS Grant

2011

The Emerging Scholars

Programming begins

2015

SSS Grant Renewed

(5 year Award)

Emerging Scholars Program (ESP)

ESP Provides:

• Academic Counseling

Personal mentorship

Achieve students academic, financial, personal, and career goals

• GST 101: Strategies to Academic Success

Required first semester for ESP students

• Cultural and Educational Trips

• ESP Achievement Scholarship

Demographics• 144 Students

• Low-Income

• First Generation

• Distressed

Counties

• Inner City

Office of First-Year Initiatives (FYI)

2009-2010

Began creating an FYE

identity on campus.

2006

Pilot Program, ACES

(Academic Connection,

Engagement, and

Success)

2016

FYE transitioned into

new office space and

new name (FYI)

Office of First-Year Initiatives (FYI)• New Student Orientation

• Academic Transition Support

• First-Year Student Intervention

• Emerging Scholars Program (ESP)

• Berea Bridge

• Summer Success Experience (SSE)

• Teaching Assistant/Peer Learning Program

• Family Engagement

The Collaboration between Emerging Scholars Program and

the Office of First-Year Initiatives

The Office Merge

In 2015, FYE wrote a vision for the new FYI office to bring all programs under one office.

FYI director advocated for ESP to be under the office because of a shared vision and history.

Fall 2016

Emerging Scholars Program

integrated with the Office of

First-Year Initiatives

Examination of GST 101: Strategies for

Academic Success

GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success

Purpose

• The overall purpose of this course is for students to develop the skills and abilities that are necessary for academic and personal success in college and beyond. This class will focus on assisting first-year students in navigating transitions as well as developing and fostering positive self-identity, self-advocacy, and self-management.

Goals

Students will build skills to support their academic success

Students will improve academic skills

Students will explore and interests and abilities and how these relate to major and career.

Students will integrate into the college community by connecting with classmates, staff, and faculty.

Students will increase knowledge and utilization of campus services.

GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success

Basic Information

• Required for First-Year Students enrolled in ESP

• Taught by an Academic Counselor

• .25 credit hour

• 50 minutes, 1 day a week

Service-Learning

• One of five sections

• Random Placement

Course Topics

• Time/Self

Management

• Goal Setting

• Motivation

• Academic Skills

• Financial Literacy

• Identity Awareness

• Study Skills

• Course Planning

• Personal

Responsibility

• Campus

Resources

• Future Planning

GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success

Redesigned Model

• Optional for all first-year students

• Total of 320/430 first-year students interested course

• Currently 245 students are enrolled

• 76 ESP and 169 FYI sections.

• Total of eight instructors

Other First-Year Transition Support:

GSTR 110/GSTR 210/GST 150 (all FYS)

TA/PL program (all FYS)

Berea Bridge (select FYS)

Male Initiative Course (select FYS)

• African American

Appalachian

Latino

Black Male Initiative (select FYS)

S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Students United to Create Cultural and Educationally Successful Situations (select FYS)

Bonner Scholars (select FYS)

Strengths on Bridging the Gap between TRIO and

FYI

Strengths on Bridging the Gap

ESP works directly with the Office of Academic Vice President

Additional financial support

ESP brings instant traffic with 1/5 of first-year student population

Advertise programming

Benefits for TRIO Students and Staff Members to be Included

with other First-Year Programs

Benefits for TRIO Students and Staff Members

Staff

• Physical and structural proximity

• Sharing information on students for interventions

• Easier to add/drop students from classes or request students to move to part-time status

• Voice on programming ideas to change campus culture

• Attend professional development opportunities

Students

• Holistically experience being involved with other first-year students

• Ability to be in the know of FYI events

• Enhances involvement on campus

• More institutionally direct with the Dean and other higher administration on campus

How to Collaborate with TRIO Programs on Your Campus?

Collaborate with TRIO on Your Campus

Begin with close consultations with the TRIO program on your campus

Know your TRIO staff and their skill-set

Make sure that your TRIO and FYE program have a shared mission

Create strategic partnerships with various campus and community partners

Seek staff and faculty development opportunities

Long-term Planning for the Office of First-Year Initiatives

Ongoing Challenges

Student participation in first-year events

Establish an identity with first-year students that we are their primary resource

FYI campus location

Creating more ways to utilize office space for student led programs

ESP staff bound to grant regulations

Moving Forward

Building a closer partnership with Student Life

Growing our programs and collaborating more with campus partners and faculty

Marketing First-Year Initiatives (FYI) on campus

Engaging with our incoming students and families through Livestream chats

Target programming for Transfer Students

Questions?

Ashyya Robinson

Student Engagement Specialist

Emerging Scholars Program

Office of First-Year Initiatives

robinsonas@berea.edu | 859-985-3376

Jazmine Thompson

Coordinator of First-Year Programming & Family Engagement

Office of First-Year Initiatives

thompsonjaz@berea.edu | 859-985-3376