Developing Social Community with an Academic Focus

1
Key Academic Community

• Developing Social Community with an Academic Focus

2
Who Participates?

• 190 first-year freshman students diverse
  composition (gender, ethnic/racial,
  resident/nonresident, academic preparedness
  backgrounds)
• Over-representation of students with particular
  characteristics

3
The Key Academic Community
Social Integration
SPECIAL ORIENTATION
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
Academic Integration
CLUSTER COURSES
Intrusive Advising
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
4
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY -190 students, Braiden
Hall -Sense of community -Values responsibility
for learning, multicultural respect
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
5
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY -190 students, Braiden
Hall -Sense of community -Values responsibility
for learning, multicultural respect
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
6
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY -190 students, Braiden
Hall -Sense of community -Values responsibility
for learning, multicultural respect
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
7

• 100 enrollment before semester begins
• Sense of community, belonging, before semester
  begins
• Heightened expectations before classes begin
• Already a shared understanding of what it takes
  to be successful

8
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES -3 courses, 9 credits -Seminar
Access to professor cross-disciplinary content,
writing, participation, academic
discourse -Community to/from classroom
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
9
Linked Courses in the Key Program
10
Linked courses in the Key Program
Cluster 5 Psychobiology
LSCC 102 Biology
PYCC 100 Psychology
Supplemental Instruction
KACC 192 Psychobiology Seminar
11
Fall Clusters for Key

• Molecular Aspects of Living Systems
• Art and Performance in the 20th Century
• Culture and Communication
• Cultural Interaction in a Global Society
• Psychobiology
• Science, Society, and the Environment
• Culture, Resistance, and Identity
• Psychology of Diversity From Prejudice to
  Empowerment
• Values, Dialogue, and Choices
• Business, Technology, and Society

12
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES -3 courses, 9 credits -Seminar
Access to professor cross-disciplinary content,
writing, participation, academic
discourse -Community to/from classroom
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
13
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES -3 courses, 9 credits -Seminar
Access to professor cross-disciplinary content,
writing, participation, academic
discourse -Community to/from classroom
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
14
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES -3 courses, 9 credits -Seminar
Access to professor cross-disciplinary content,
writing, participation, academic
discourse -Community to/from classroom
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
15

• Students spend most of their time in groups
  oriented around academics
• Students form study groups naturally
• Students have a strong relationship with faculty
• Faculty become advocates of the students and
  program

16
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/CONNECTION -Peer Mentors -Grade
Monitoring -Connection to campus resources
17
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/CONNECTION -Peer Mentors -Grade
Monitoring -Connection to campus resources
18
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/CONNECTION -Peer Mentors -Feedback on
academic progress -Connection to campus resources
19
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/CONNECTION -Peer Mentors -Grade
Monitoring -Connection to campus resources
20

• Direct information on students class performance
• Frequent interaction with students almost daily
• Role modeling by successful students
• Early warning and feedback
• Leadership and academic skills development

21
A social community with an academic focus Strong
connections with peers and institution Opportunity
for feedback and intrusive advising
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
CLUSTER COURSES
FEEDBACK/ CONNECTION
22
Assessment
23
Criteria for assessing impact of the Structured
First Year Does it make a difference in?

• student retention rates?
• student academic performance?
• student satisfaction?
• student involvement and leadership development?

24
Key Academic Performance GPA at end of first
year (All students by Index)
25
Persistence and Ethnicity Graduates and still
enrolled after 5 years Freshman Retention Study
(OBIA)
26
Key Retention MINORITY STUDENTS to Second Fall
(by Index Level)
27
Key Academic Performance MINORITY STUDENT GPA at
end of first year, compared to non-participants
(by Index)
28
Nonresident Students Graduates and still
enrolled after 5 years Freshman Retention Study
1980-95 (OBIA)
29
Key Retention NONRESIDENT Students Returning
to Second Fall (All cohorts by Index)
30
Key Academic Performance NONRESIDENT STUDENT GPA
at end of first year (by Index)
31
Continuous Improvement Academic Performance (Cum
GPA) at end of first year for Class of FA01
32
Embedded academic support GPA Performance of
Key students who attend Supplemental Instruction
regularly
33
Credit Completion
34
Assessing Student Satisfaction
A1 I am able to learn with students who have
similar goals for academic engagement and
success A2 I have been offered effective
strategies such as study skills and note taking
skills A3 I have had opportunities to connect
with campus resources in a way that may not have
occurred otherwise A4 My Peer Mentor has
provided me with quality feedback on my academic
performance A6 I feel comfortable in my
classes A7 I know how to contact my academic
advisor A9 I try not to be absent for any of my
classes A10 I know how to find academic help on
the campus A11 Im able to find places to study
35
Involvement

• 89 of Key students are involved in at least one
  club/organization on campus aside from Key in
  their freshman year.
• Since the establishment of the Key Academic
  Community, the number of ethnically diverse
  Resident Assistants has tripled.

36
Involvement
37
What does it take? A different way of organizing
services

• Personnel
• One professional coordinator
• 10 merit workstudy student peer mentors
• Supplemental Instruction facilitators (4 student
  workstudies)
• 6 resident assistants no additional cost
• 10 Seminar Instructors no additional cost
• Operating
• Operating postage, phone, pizza

38
What does it take? A different way of organizing
services.

• Campus relationships
• Registrar (reserving seats in courses)
• Faculty (10 First Year Seminars)
• Housing (reserving hall sections assigning
  resident assistants)
• Support services (Career Center, Advising Center,
  Counseling Center, Learning Assistance Center,
  Science/Math Tutoring Center, others)

39
Changing the structure

• engagement with students even before the first
  day of class
• approval/selection most classes for each student
  first semester
• interaction with students three or more times
  per week -- every week all first semester
• able to reserve seats in the best classes (best
  profs, most valuable, popular, and versatile
  classes), and assure that SSS students enroll for
  those seats
• able to know on a daily basis how things are
  going for students in their living situation
• can assure your students know one another, and
  have developed a sense of community and belonging
  within the first week or even before the first
  week.
• can assure participation in activities that would
  help students develop their academic skills,
  knowledge of campus policies, etc.
• students have greater knowledge and greater sense
  of belonging than most students on campus

40
Key Academic Community

• Developing Social Community with an Academic Focus

41
(No Transcript)