b eyond the f irst y ear : m eeting the n eeds of s econd y ear s tudents ana romero, residence hall...
TRANSCRIPT
BEYOND THE FIRST YEAR:
MEETING THE NEEDS OF SECOND YEAR
STUDENTS
Ana Romero, Residence Hall Director
Matthew Tombaugh, Area Coordinator
Northern Arizona University
OVERVIEW
Introduction
Why is this topic relevant
Second year student needs
Our journey
Developing your own model
WHY IS THIS TOPIC RELEVANT
Sophomores continue to struggle with transitions Moving into a less structured environment
Retention continues to be a strong focus area Second highest drop (2009: 71% 1st yr vs. 60%
2nd yr.) Performance based funding
Furthering identity development Character, personality and value development
SECOND YEAR STUDENT NEEDS
May begin to feel unimportant
Begin to question if college was the right choice
Seeking sense of belonging and meaningful experiences
More critical of peer relationships
Continued exploration of majors
Lack of satisfaction with faculty interaction
Interest in connecting classroom material with out-of-classroom experiences
Unsure of how to improve grades
Transition Issues Academics
SECOND YEAR STUDENT NEEDS
Interest in taking on more leadership opportunities
Service and giving back to the community becomes more important
Desire to study abroad
Interest in making more clear career decisions
Want to gain applicable career skills
Need preparation for internships and future employment
EngagementCareer Development
OUR JOURNEY
Our Departmental Model
Progression from Freshmen Connections
2007 SYE Conference Impact and Cost
Last Year: First Four Weeks The structure and what it accomplished The year in overview
This Year: First Four Weeks and Beyond Creating structure and accountability: Programming
and one on one conversations and where we’re going.
Connecting with Residents
Residents Connect with Each Other
Educate: Academic Success
Inclusive Communities
Community & Civic Engagement
Health, Wellness & Personal Development
Connections to NAU
Connections to
the World
OUR JOURNEY
Our Departmental Model
Progression from Freshmen Connections
2007 SYE Conference Impact and Cost
Last Year: First Four Weeks The structure and what it accomplished The year in overview
This Year: First Four Weeks and Beyond Creating structure and accountability: Programming
and one on one conversations and where we’re going.
Week 1: Connect to NAUWeek 2: Community LivingWeek 3: Academic SuccessWeek 4: Health & WellnessWeek 5: Community ServiceWeek 6: Explore Your World
Each week comes with suggested activities, conversation starters and
expectations.
Freshman Connections: First 6 Weeks!
OUR JOURNEY
Our Departmental Model
Progression from Freshmen Connections
2007 SYE Conference Impact and Cost
Last Year: First Four Weeks The structure and what it accomplished The year in overview
This Year: First Four Weeks and Beyond Creating structure and accountability: Programming
and one on one conversations and where we’re going.
Last Year: First Four Weeks
Week 1: (Re)connect to NAU Week 2: Academic Success Week 3: Personal Growth Week 4: Global Citizenship
OUR JOURNEY
Our Departmental Model
Progression from Freshmen Connections
2007 SYE Conference Impact and Cost
Last Year: First Four Weeks The structure and what it accomplished The year in overview
This Year: First Four Weeks and Beyond Creating structure and accountability: Programming
and one on one conversations and where we’re going.
SECOND YEAR EXPERIENCE: THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS AND BEYOND!
Year Overview: First Four Weeks focus on Connection Building and giving a “taste” of 3 focus areas.
Academic Success: “Minute to Win It” Personal Growth: “Photo Hike” Global Citizenship: “Amazing Race”
End of September through end of October: Engage each resident 1:1 in reflection. November: Create activities focused around Personal Growth and Development.
January to mid-February: Engage each resident 1:1 in reflecting about academic success.
Late February to Spring Break: Create activities focused around Inclusive Communities
Returning from Spring Break: Create activities focused around Global Citizenship.
April: Engage residents 1:1 in reflecting on their year to assist closure and transition.
LESSONS LEARNED
Planning can’t begin too early
Creating investment and buy-in takes time
Expectations need to be clear and understood
Training and on-going skill building is key
More yet to be learned
WHAT’S NEXT? Further development of assessment to measure
outcomes (possible creation of focus groups)
Continued and revised staff training
Looking at the timing and ratio of programs to conversations
Proposal of a SYE focused community
Review alignment between the first and second year experiences
More communication up-front to incoming students
DEVELOPING YOUR OWN MODEL
Consider:
Institutional/departmental values. Where have you been? What is your population? What are you trying to achieve? Resources available. How do you get buy-in? How do you provide initial and on-going training? How will you assess?
QUESTIONS?
Thank you for attending this session!
Presenter info: Ana Romero ([email protected]) Matthew Tombaugh