sem summit ‘09 increasing accessibilty: lessons learned in retaining special population students...

SEM Summit ‘09SEM Summit ‘09SEM Summit ‘09SEM Summit ‘09

INCREASING ACCESSIBILTY: INCREASING ACCESSIBILTY: LESSONS LEARNED IN LESSONS LEARNED IN

RETAINING SPECIAL RETAINING SPECIAL POPULATION STUDENTSPOPULATION STUDENTS

IN CANADAIN CANADA

Susan Gottheil, Mount Royal CollegeClayton Smith, University of Windsor

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Why This Topic? In Canada, changing demographics & increased

competition, as well as social values based on equity, have sharpened efforts to increase PSE participation rates of youth from under-represented/ under-served groups

Provincial governments are funding a variety of targeted initiatives

Holistic retention programs & planning are not well-developed at most institutions

Access to and success in PSE has become an important public issue2

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The Political & Social ContextThe Political & Social Context

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Low-Income/First Generation Students

One-half of students from low-income families don’t continue past high school vs. one-quarter from high-income families (Baldwin & Parkin, 2007)

81% of 18 to 24 year olds whose parents have a university education participate in PSE, compared to 53% for young people whose parents didn’t go past high school (CMSF)

Both groups are disproportionately minorities, from rural areas, have less than optimal high school preparation or test scores

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First Generation Students (cont’d)

NSSE (2008): About half not involved in extra curricular activities

College Board: Less likely than peers to earn degrees, even when differences in high-school preparation taken into account

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Aboriginal Canadians

1.3 million or 3.3% of the Canadian population• 62% North American Indian, 30% Métis, 5% Inuit

• In 2001, 14% of population in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, majority in Northwest Territories and Yukon

• 1,123 communities and close to a dozen language families

More than 70% living off reserves (54% in cities)

Much younger than Canadian population as a whole • 1/3 under the age of 14

Fastest growing segment of Canadian population

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Aboriginal Canadians (cont’d)

Only 61% possess a high school diploma versus 78% of non-Aboriginal population

By age 20, non-Aboriginal youth 3X more likely than Aboriginal youth to be in PSE (Baldwin & Parkin, 2007)

Dropout and attrition 33-56% higher (depending upon age of student) than among general student population (Parkin & Baldwin, 2009)

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Barriers to Access

Financial• Tuition, fees & cost of living

• Debt aversion

Academic• Low high school grades, wrong course prerequisites, high

dropout rate

• Lack of preparation (hard & soft skills); quality of local high schools

• Gaps in training and certification

Geographic• Distance, costs of travel

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Barriers to Access (cont’d)

Language & literacy

Family & community: Lack of role models• Note: Some ethnic groups have considerably higher

educational aspirations for their children than others

Enforced cultural assimilation and legacy of residential school system for Aboriginal students

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Barriers to Access (cont’d) Aspirational

• Lack of interest/motivation

• PSE not considered necessary (for job, life)

• Lack of information about PSE benefits

Self-esteem and self-confidence

Institutional• Programs don’t respond to needs, interests

• Unknown environment

• Admission criteria and complexity of admission procedures

• Lack of information

• Counseling structure

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Attrition Factors

Academic preparation and performance• Contributes to lack of engagement, motivation

• Questioning of abilities, confidence

Financial support

Family and work responsibilities

Language proficiency

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Attrition Factors (cont’d)

Low level of educational aspiration/motivation

Well-being• Isolation

• Stress

• Lack of understanding of culture, racist attitudes on campus

Social/Family/Community support

Engagement

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Conclusion

Web of barriers to access & success interact with & compound one another

• Unmet financial need• Inadequate academic preparation, motivation &

direction• Insufficient information, guidance &

encouragement

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Lessons Learned: Increasing Retention within the SEM Framework

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Lesson #1 Access and success should not be targeted in

isolation: the barriers/obstacles are the same• Placing too much emphasis on access can be

problematic if it results in too little focus on student success

• Similarly, focusing primarily on policies which support persistence could result in failure to meet access goals

Remember the comprehensive SEM framework• Essential tool to meet institutional goals

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Lesson #2 Special population students have different needs

from traditional students – the funnel & student life cycle experience is different for different students

Each group has unique needs

Retention strategies need to be customized to meet the needs of each special population group

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Lesson #3 There’s a need for both specialized/targeted programs

& integration of under-represented groups into regular programming

• The latter requires outreach, cultural sensitivity & awareness of specific historical, economic & social barriers faced by special populations

We need to create connectivity between our FYE programs & campus programs/services targeted to specific groups – e.g., holistic first-year experience programs

• Importance of entire campus community working together to support under-served populations & make them feel part of our communities

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Lesson #4

Need longer term resource commitment/strategies to have impact on both access and retention/student success

Need to work with communities, provide role models & mentorship opportunities, ensure adequate information

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Lesson #5 Assessment is key but … data is often difficult to

come by• Targeted communities sometimes are reluctant to self-

identify

- Makes it hard to set goals

• Difficult to assess what barriers may be and whether targeted programs and initiatives are successful

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Student Retention: Best Student Retention: Best Practice StrategiesPractice Strategies

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Academic Programs Establish specialized academic programs/

courses

• Trent University: 1st Native Studies program in North America (1969)

• Lakehead University: honours program in Aboriginal Education

• University of Manitoba: Aboriginal Business program• University of British Columbia: program in Aboriginal

Forestry & Fisheries• Confederation College: applied degree in Indigenous

Leadership & Community Development• University of Winnipeg: Indigenous Police Preparation

Diploma

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Academic Programs (cont’d) Offer courses in communities

• Dual credit programming (Red River College with Peguis and Fisher River First Nations)

Reserve seats in programs• Ensures a cohort• Provides peer support

Establish access programs• Assists students who would not otherwise qualify for

university with entrance into professional programs like engineering, nursing, social work, medicine

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Academic Preparation Create summer camps, bridging & transition

programs to help students overcome the academic, financial & motivational barriers to their success

• Fisher River First Nation (Manitoba) implemented a 9-month transition program for all students who want band to fund PSE

- Aim is to reduce drop-out rate

- Course focuses on life skills, academic upgrading & career counseling

- Students spend time in Winnipeg to prepare for transition to urban living

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Bridging & Transition Programs

• Lethbridge College: First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Transition Program

- Provides 12 students with a $12,000 scholarship to aid with finances

- Provides 3 steps to aid in transition• Course on introduction to college life (August)

• Additional course in 1st term on skills and attitudes needed for college success

• Class on leadership skills (January)

- Spiritual support from elders; help from mentors and advisors

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Bridging & Transition Programs (cont’d)

• Centennial College offers first generation students summer workshops on time management and financial planning

- Connects students with learning resource centre, tutoring, financial counseling and centre for students with disabilities

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Community Partnerships School boards, churches, First Nations

“LE,NONET” program (Salish for “success after many hardships”) at University of Victoria

• Preparation seminar

• Peer mentoring

• Research apprenticeships

• Bursaries

• Community internships

• Cultural training for staff and faculty

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Community Partnerships (cont’d) Westview Partnership: between York University and

22 public schools to encourage First Generation students to attend PSE

The Leadership Experience for Academic Directors (LEAD) program: joint effort of University of Windsor and Windsor-Essex Catholic School Board, connects at-risk students entering secondary school with 2 university student mentors

U of T’s junior track team partnered with Toronto Community Housing to provide “scholarships” to housing project youth to practice on campus

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Community Partnerships (cont’d)

Pathways to Education project started in Toronto’s Regent Park, now in 6 Canadian communities

• Tackles low ambition and low marks

• Provides mentors and tutors from Grade 9 on and $4,000 bursary on high school graduation (“learning accounts”)

- Dropout rates fell from 23%-58% in different sites

- Teen pregnancies and crime rate plummeted

- College and university enrolment almost doubled• 80% of graduates from Pathway’s original site in Regent’s

Park have gone on to PSE (2009)

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Community Outreach

Build family/community support for attending PSE

• Work with church communities in low-income areas• Place articles about programs, success stories in

community & ethnic-based publications• Create targeted web microsites

- e.g., Carleton U for Aboriginal students

Offer a family orientation program

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Financial Aid Low-income students think they can’t afford

tuition & rule themselves out before graduating from high school

• Educate prospective students and their families on costs/benefits of PSE

• Simplify financial aid & make it more transparent• Create financial aid workshops for families of middle

& high school students to build expectations for attending PSE

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Financial Aid (cont’d)

On-campus work-study programs• Shift institutional student aid to those with the

greatest financial need (need-based bursaries vs. merit scholarships)

• Targeted aid/scholarships

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Student & Academic Support Programs

Create learning communities for peer support

Foundations for Success project (funded by CMSF) offers case-managed support services & financial incentives to students at 3 Ontario colleges (Seneca, Mohawk & Confederation)

• Assesses students after admission but before begin, identifying those that would benefit from academic tutoring, mentorship & career counselling

The First Generation Program at Brock University provides both academic and personal support, which includes 1:1 help with school-related issues

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Supportive Campus Environment

Foster a welcoming campus climate to increase comfort, skills & connections among special population students & make campuses more receptive to traditionally underrepresented groups

• Establish lounges, centres, student space

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