tfr_guide_assessment_retention_2007-06-25tvt

8/14/2019 TFR_Guide_Assessment_Retention_2007-06-25TVT

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Retention Assessment Guide

The Follow-Up Report: Guides and Handbooks 1

The Follow -UpReport

Institutional AssessmentGuidelines:

Retention andAdvisement(A Guides and Handbooks Report)

Todd V. TitterudRevised 06/25/2007


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Institutional Assessment Guidelines:

Retention and Advisement(Todd V. Titterud, Revised: 06-25-2007)

The materials in this guideline have been collated to assist your department in theinstitutional assessment process. The examples from similar departments in otherinstitutions are included for comparison purposes to help you develop or revise your owndepartments efforts. They are not intended as recommendations but as efforts to bereviewed and critiqued to improve your own learning and understanding. While some may bemodels of best efforts, others may reveal the range of understanding and interpretation whichis still prevalent. Each department and institution is following their own learning curve towardthe common goal of establishing a culture of evidence-based continuous improvementfounded on student and institutional learning.

1 Sample Mission Statements

Georgia State University:Student Advisement Center

The Student Advisement Center strives to be a primary resource of academicadvisement and guidance with a reputation for going the extra mile to assist studentsin achieving their goals.

Metropolitan State College of Denver:Counseling Center

The Counseling Center assists students in the accomplishment of tasks that areessential to the students personal and educational development. The Centersprogramming is designed to facilitate students retention and graduation by providing

quality, time-effective, services through individual, coupled, and group counseling;outreach services; individual, organizational, and departmental consultation, crisisintervention, pre-doctoral internship training, and research.

Center staff are involved in community building, prevention and education, and thuscollaborate and consult with other departments in order to improve theinterrelationships of all areas of this urban college. To this end, the Center promotesthe understanding and integration of multicultural issues in all services and programs.The Center is dedicated to building a college community that permits all of its


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members to grow and to be successful in an environment of equity, respect, andinclusion.

Student Intervention ServicesStudent Intervention Services oversees and enforces the Academic Standing Policyfor the college. Contracts are required for students registering through the SIS Office.

The contract includes limiting course loads, repetition of courses, and a prescriptivereferral to resources on campus. Student Intervention Services also executes theAcademic Alert Program for the college

San Jose State University:Academic Services

Academic Services is a retention unit composed of a comprehensive set of studentassistance programs designed to facilitate successful student persistence through thecompletion of the baccalaureate degree.

Texas A&M International University:First Year Success Program

The Texas A & M International University First Year Success Program is dedicated tostudent retention by enhancing the educational, career, and personal success of first-time students attending as freshmen or as transfer students of higher levels. Studentsuccess is promoted by coordinating an array of services that are responsive to ourstudents unique needs, and by personally linking the students to the appropriateservice, such as tutoring, counseling, job-seeking, test preparation, financial aid andother university support services. This is accomplished by an array of communicationformats, such as face to face advising at time of need, weekly meetings with individualstudents, phone calls to disseminate relevant information, and social gatherings tobring students and staff together in informal settings. In addition, the program offers

staff accessibility throughout the day, thus assuring a support network throughout thedifficult first year university experience

PASE/General UniversityThe Department of General University strives to prepare students for the rigor ofcollege studies and standardized exams. It helps prepare freshmen at-risk studentsfor college success by giving them strategies for time management, informationmanagement and application, and critical thinking skills required in college levelcourses. Interpersonal skills are also taught in order to positively affect studentsinteraction with others in the college atmosphere and the workplace.

PASE TRiO-Student Support ServicesTRiO's Student Support Services offers support services to program participants who

are economically-disadvantaged, first generation college students and students withdisabilities. Program participants receive tutoring and supplemental instruction inacademic areas, career, personal and academic counseling, and the opportunity toattend cultural activities outside the University to encourage satisfactory academicprogress and retention.


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2 Sample Goals

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis:Advising Center Goals:

To foster collaborative relationships with students

To effectively disseminate information to students, family members, and colleagues To assist students in developing an academic plan tailored to the students personal

needs and goals.

To facilitate academic major and career decision-making process To encourage use of appropriate campus resources


Provide professional psychological counseling on a short-term basis to individualsexperiencing difficulties which interfere with their educational, career, social and/orpersonal development.

Provide, often in conjunction with other campus units, developmental programmingwhich will enhance the growth of college students.

Facilitate appropriate referrals, when necessary, to Student Health Services or tocommunity resources.

Understand and use student needs as a basis for developing and prioritizing activitiesand programs consistent with staff resources.

Provide information to faculty, staff, and students about MSCD-CC services.

Provide counseling related in-service activities for campus groups. Identify and help modify campus facilities, policies, programs, etc., which enhance

students development.

Evaluate and modify CC services (counseling outcomes, methods, instruments,techniques, and procedures).

Student Intervention ServicesDedicated to assisting students to understand the Academic Policy of the College, how itaffects them, and the requirements that a students on contract must meet in order to beallowed to continue as a student at MSCD.

Oversee and enforce the academic policy for the college. Enter viable contracts with students being registered through SIS.

Review the Academic Suspension appeals for students who desire to continue eventhough they have been suspended.

Make referrals for all students entering a contract to the many services on campus tofacilitate their success.

Execute the Academic Alert Program for the college.


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San Jose State University:Academic Services

1. Facilitate student academic success and personal development by providing an arrayof student development, liaison and instructional support services to program-eligibleand other students through the use of proactive and innovative strategies.

Programs/units that engage in activities to support this goal are: Student AdvisingCenter, Summer Bridge Program and the Learning Assistance Resource Center.

2. Promote educational equity by assisting in the admissions and retention of low-incomeand underrepresented students. Programs/units that engage in activities to supportthis goal are: Student Advising Center, Summer Bridge Program and the LearningAssistance Resource Center.

3. Enhance San Jos State University by providing quality service in support of studentsuccess and retention. Programs/units that engage in activities to support this goalare: Student Advising Center, Summer Bridge Program and the Learning AssistanceResource Center.

3 Sample Objectives


Help new freshmen transition from high school to college and complete the core

curriculum Work with undecided students in selecting a major that is consistent with their goals

and abilities

Articulate transfer credit for all new transfer students and maintain university's transferarticulation system

Advise at-risk students experiencing academic difficulties to put them back on track tocomplete a degree or about other options for fulfilling their goals

Maintain/update student records and compliance to degree requirements andacademic regulations, and maintain degree auditing system

Take lead with advisement-related issues across campus

4 Sample Performance Indicators


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Bellevue Community College:Student Retention (Persistence)

Some/Substantial Progress (=/> state average)

Early Leavers (< state average) Difference by Ethnicity: S/S Progress (


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5 Sample Student LearningOutcomesMendocino College:The SLO's listed below are what we expect our students to be able to do when they graduatefrom Mendocino College with an AA or AS degree. Many of these skills are taught both in theclassroom and by students' interaction with college offices and activities. Please fill in thechart below indicating how your department helps students to learn these skills. Be specificand give examples. You may enter "Not Applicable" as appropriate.

1. Assume responsibility for your actions, and work effectively as an individual and as amember of a group.CARE/Student Services: Organize support group of CARE students.

2. Express ideas with clarity, logic, and originality in both spoken and written English.CARE/Student Services: Encourage maximizing the students' English skills andthought process.

3. Apply mathematical principles to address and solve problems.CARE/Student Services: Provide additional tutoring assistance to assist withmastering math skills.

4. Gather and interpret data, using a variety of scientific methods, to address and solveboth practical and theoretical problems.CARE/Student Services: Not Applicable

5. Analyze, understand, and evaluate diverse ideas, beliefs, and behaviors.CARE/Student Services: Encourage to be accepting and tolerant of different beliefs.

6. Access, interpret, evaluate, and synthesize information using multiple resources,including current information technology.CARE/Student Services: Encourage CARE students to use a computer to reapply forfinancial aid online.

7. Enhance physical and psychological well-being by examining and applying health andwellness concepts.CARE/Student Services: Provide workshops on mental and physical healthawareness for the student and the student's children.

8. Explore and express personal creativity throughout your life.CARE/Student Services: Provide relevant workshops to enhance a CARE student'sself esteem and confidence.

9. Understand yourself and others as members of our diverse global community.CARE/Student Services: Provide workshops on cultural diversity.10. Understand and evaluate issues concerning use of the world's natural resources.

CARE/Student Services: Encourage seeking additional tutoring in courses related tonatural resources.

Metropolitan State College of Denver:Student Intervention Services


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1. Students will learn the content of MSCDs Academic Policy.2. Students will learn the minimum requirements for them to continue as a student at

Metro.3. Students will learn of the many services on campus that can assist them in their

success.

4. Students will learn how repeating courses will fit into their requirements, and how theLast Grade Stands Policy will assist them in recovering a higher cumulative GPA.5. Students will learn their next steps to be ready for the upcoming semester after

registration.Assessment: While your Intended Outcomes are specific and related to your departmentmission and purpose, they are overly specific and therefore appear that you do less withthe student than we know is true. For example, in #1, identify in what ways you would liketo see a student be able to demonstrate they have learned the academic policy. How doyou know they have learned it, other than agreement by the student? Could there be abrief written and scored test of knowledge? What are the factors that hinder students (nodata was supplied)? Could there be programming about the common factors with

knowledge surveys before the workshop and after? Other than understanding theminimum requirements, are there students you identify who want to go beyond theminimum, or who do? What was done differently with them? Could this information bepresented with pre and post measure to track these students?

6 Sample Other Outcomes


Intended Outcome #1: Students are educated about the importance of receivingacademic advisement and are utilizing center services consistentlyIntended Outcome #2: Freshmen and sophomores receive thorough and accurateadvising about the core curriculum and are completing core requirements in a timelymannerIntended Outcome #3: Undecided students are declaring a major in a timely mannerand are completing a program with few changes to their program of study


1. Will have developed skills to promote good mental health, as evidenced by decreased stress, improvedself-esteem, increased self-efficacy, decreased depression and anxiety.

2. Will have developed skills to promote academic success, as evidenced by maintaining academic courseload, increased knowledge of campus services, and progression toward graduation.

3. Reduced alcohol and other drug abuse behaviors.4. Identify career options/direction.


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Texas A&M International University:First Year Success Program

1. By September 2005, there will be a 10% increase in the number of first-time freshmenfrom the Fall 2004 cohort re-enrolling in the following year from the baseline 58% of

Fall 2000.2. By September 2005, there will be a 5% increase in the number of first time transfers

from the Fall 2003 cohort re-enrolling in the following year from the baseline 65% ofFall 2000.

3. By September 2005, members of the Fall 2004 cohort group attending the workshopsoffered by the component will express an 80% student satisfaction rate.

PASE/General University1. Retention of at-risk students (those scoring below 860 on the SAT or below 18 on the

ACT and taking General University (GENU) 1300) will increase.2. The percentage of at-risk students (those scoring below 860 on the SAT or below 18

on the ACT and taking General University (GENU) 1300) in good academic standing

(2.00 grade point average or higher) will increase.3. The percentage of at-risk students (those scoring below 860 on the SAT or below 18

on the ACT and taking General University (GENU) 1300) on academic probation willbe reduced.

PASE TRiO-Student Support Services1. TRiO program participants will persist toward completion of an academic program

(retention).2. TRiO program participants will be in good academic standing meaning that they will

have a minimum GPA of 2.0 at the institution.3. Program participants classified as seniors will graduate on or before the sixth year.

tfr_guide_assessment_retention_2007-06-25tvt

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