Foundations of Excellence at Fayetteville State University

1
Foundations of Excellence at Fayetteville State
University

• Report from the Dimensional Committees
• January 3, 2008

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Foundations of Excellence - What is it?

• FoE developed by the Policy Center for the First
  Year of College, non-profit higher education
  advocacy institute
• The Foundations of Excellence is an
  externally-guided, self-study process that is
  engaging the entire campus community in
  evaluating our students experiences during their
  first year at FSU.
• Two phases of the self-study
• Self-evaluation based on nine principles of
  excellence, called foundational dimensions, for
  the first year drawn from two decades of research
  and practice
• Recommended actions based on the self evaluation

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FoE Goals for FSU

• Support ongoing efforts to improve retention and
  graduation rates, improve student learning
  outcomes, increase quality and quantity of
  graduates
• Prepare for SACS
• Promote culture of continuous improvement by
  using evidence to guide action

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FoE Basic Assumptions

• Academic mission of the university pre-eminent
• Self evaluation and recommended actions must be
  based on evidence of many types
• Focus is on institutional policies, practices,
  culture to promote student success
• While FoE focuses on the first year, it is
  intended to improve the entire undergraduate
  experience

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FoE Process

• Nine Committees one for each foundational
  dimension
• Each dimensional committee will submit a report
  to the Steering Committee
• The Steering Committee will develop one report
  with recommended actions based on the nine
  committee reports

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Organization Dimension Committee

• Dr. Petur Jonsson, Chair
• Ms. Evelyn Council, Co-Chair

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Dimensional Statement

• Foundations Institutions create organizational
  structures and policies that provide a
  comprehensive, integrated, and coordinated
  approach to the first year.These structures and
  policies provide oversight and alignment of all
  first-year efforts. A coherent first-year
  experience is realized and maintained through
  effective partnerships among academic affairs,
  student affairs, and other administrative units
  and is enhanced by ongoing faculty and staff
  development activities and appropriate budgetary
  arrangements.

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Performance Indicators

• PI 2.1 FYOS Description Which of the following
  statements best describes your campus's
  first-year organizational structure (FYOS)?
• A Comprehensive Single Unit/Administrative
  Structure provides campuswide oversight and
  alignment of first-year efforts. The FYOS 1)
  appears on the campus organizational chart, 2)
  has a director, 3) administers one or more
  component(s) of both the curriculum and
  co-curriculum, and 4) has a recurring operational
  budget.
• A Single Unit/Administrative Structure exists
  that meets some, but not all, of the conditions
  listed above.
• A Formal Coordinating Body oversees a broad range
  of first-year efforts and has institutional
  authority for oversight and alignment of
  first-year initiatives.
• Multiple Administrative Structures cooperate to
  administer and align first-year policies,
  practices, and programs.
• Discrete Structures exist that individually
  provide oversight for distinct aspects of the
  first year (retention, orientation, advising,
  first-year seminars, etc.), but there is limited
  or no coordination among these structures.

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• PI 2.2 Integration To what degree does the
  structure indicated in PI 2.1 result in an
  integrated1 approach that crosses division/unit
  lines (e.g., student affairs and academic
  affairs)?
• 1 Very Low/None
• 2 Low
• 3 Medium
• 4 High
• 5 Very High
• 6 N/A

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• PI 2.3 Evaluation   To what degree has the FYOS
  noted in PI 2.1 used evaluation results to
  improve its performance?
• 1 Very Low/None
• 2 Low
• 3 Medium
• 4 High
• 5 Very High
• 6 N/A

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• PI 2.4 Faculty/Staff Development Which of the
  following statements best describes the role of
  the FYOS noted in PI 2.1 in providing
  faculty/staff development to increase
  understanding of first-year issues? The FYOS
  provides faculty/staff development that. . .
• reaches all or most faculty and staff who work
  with first-year students, is on-going year to
  year, and is of high quality as confirmed by
  appropriate evaluation.
• conforms to most, but not all, of the conditions
  noted above.
• conforms to only some of the conditions noted
  above.
• is very limited (or not attempted at all).

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• PI 2.5 Financial Resources Which of the
  following statements best describes the financial
  resources1 for the FYOS?
• Funding is adequate and reasonably consistent
  from year to year to support the FYOSs mission
  of oversight for the first year.
• Funding varies somewhat from year to year and/or
  is not fully adequate for the FYOSs mission of
  oversight for the first year.
• Funding is either highly inconsistent from year
  to year, clearly inadequate, or fails in some
  other way to support the FYOSs mission of
  oversight for the first year.
• Insufficient evidence exists to judge the
  adequacy and consistency of funding (e.g., the
  structure(s) is/are newly established or highly
  dependent on external grant funding.)

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Sources of Evidence

• Current Practices Inventory
• University College Organization Chart
• Documents on Course Redesign
• Faculty/Staff Survey
• Budget Documents
• Etc.

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Discoveries So Far

• University College serves as the formal
  coordinating body for a wide range of first year
  efforts.
• University College monitors student performance
  and retention rates and has a hand in redesigning
  courses and integrating classroom and
  extracurricular activities during the first year.

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Discoveries So Far

• Some academic programs have very little
  involvement with first year students. For
  example, most prospective business students do
  not take classes from business faculty until
  their second year.
• Some faculty and staff are not really involved
  with first year issues. According to the
  faculty/staff survey 41.3 felt that they had
  little or no say on first year issues.
• The Faculty/Staff survey suggest that most
  faculty and staff have a fairly good
  understanding of organizational issues and are
  able to advise students on these.

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Discoveries So Far

• Changes in the budget and budget processes from
  year to year and the fact that the university's
  budget is based on different criteria each year
  must inevitably affect long term planning.

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Transitions Dimension Committee

• Dr. David Preston, Chair
• Mr. Gregory Moyd, Co-Chair

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Transitions Dimension Goals

• Facilitate appropriate student transitions
• Through intentional policies and practices
• From recruitment and admissions through the first
  year
• Communicate clear expectations
• Provide appropriate support
• Be forthcoming on responsibilities
• FSU responsibilities to students
• Student responsibilities to themselves

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Areas of Analysis

• Communications to first-year students
• Expectations, requirements, financial aid
• Communications to others
• Secondary schools, family, support networks
• Establishing connections
• With faculty, other students, support services
• Academic advising
• Selecting courses, planning schedules, exploring
  life goals and career goals

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Sources of Evidence

• FOE Faculty/Staff Survey (Fall 2007)
• FOE Student Survey (Ongoing)
• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
• Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)
• Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey
• FSU Admissions Office documents
• Documents from FSU departments and programs
  (e.g., First Steps, School of Business)
• FSU web site
• FSU retention and graduation rates

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Preliminary Findings Communication to Students

• FSU web site has a wealth of information
• FSU ranks higher than peers on out-of-class
  engagement opportunities
• Information on communicating academic
  expectations is mixed
• Information is contained in syllabi
• Emphasized in Freshman Seminar
• Some behaviors, e.g., attendance, are
  inconsistent with expectations

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Preliminary Findings Communication to Others

• Assessment of admissions is positive
• There is a need to improve communication with
  secondary schools
• The role of families in supporting first-year
  students is not adequately communicated
• Faculty should be added to others
• Originally schools, families, support networks
• Data should be communicated to faculty

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Preliminary Findings Establishing Connections

• Students are connected to other first-year
  students
• Students are connected to academic support
  outside of the classroom
• Some data (e.g., NSSE, FSSE) indicate connections
  are made with faculty
• Other data (e.g., preliminary data on student
  survey) not as positive on faculty connections

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Preliminary Findings Academic Advising

• Advisors feel positive about advice given
• Academic requirements, selecting courses, future
  enrollment
• Students are less positive about advice received
• Academic requirements, selecting courses, future
  enrollment
• Overall effectiveness of advising is not rated as
  highly as self-rating by advisors

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Improvement Dimension Committee

• Dr. Pamela Jackson, Chair
• Dr. Shirley Chao Co-Chair

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Improvement Committees Task

• Investigate the institutions use of assessments
  in important first-year initiatives
• Determine whether these assessments have yielded
  a better understanding of important student
  behaviors
• Determine whether faculty and staff are aware of
  internal and external sources of information and
  expertise about the first year experience

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Faculty Survey Results
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Use of Assessments

• To what degree has the following information
  directly influenced your work with first-year
  students
• Demographic information from this institution's
  databases
• Mean 2.75 Mean 2.75
• Standard Deviation 1.38
• Number 305
• Measures of pre-enrollment academic skills from
  this institutions databases
• Mean 2.76 Mean 2.76
• Standard Deviation 1.39
• Number 302
• Academic skills measured after one
  semester/quarter or more
• Mean
  2.77 Mean 2.77
• Standard Deviation 1.38

1 3 5
1 3 5
1 3 5
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Use of Assessments

• To what degree has the following information
  directly influenced your work with first-year
  students
• Measures of student time spent studying
• Mean 2.67 Mean 2.67
• Standard Deviation 1.37
• Number 305
• Measures of student alcohol consumption
• Mean 2.06 Mean 2.06
• Standard Deviation 1.33
• Number 303
• Current practices at other institutions
• Mean
  2.78 Mean 2.78
• Standard Deviation 1.31

1 3 5
1 3 5
1 3 5
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Use of Assessments

• To what degree has the following information
  directly influenced your work with first-year
  students
• Professional/published research
• Mean 2.90 Mean 2.90
• Standard Deviation 1.35
• Number 302
• Student evaluations, assessments, or feedback
  
• Mean 3.31 Mean 3.31
• Standard Deviation 1.30
• Number 304

1 3 5
1 3 5
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Use of Assessment

• Overall, please rate this institutions
  assessment capabilities relevant to the first
  year of college
• Assessing whats relevant
• Mean 3.56 Mean 3.56
• Standard Deviation 0.96
• Number 304
• Disseminating results in a timely manner
• Mean 3.40 Mean 3.40
• Standard Deviation 1. 06
• Number 303
• Using results for improvement

1 3 5
1 3 5
1 3 5
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SELECTED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
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Strategies To what degree are you engaged in the
following professional activities focusing on the
first year?
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UnderstandingTo what degree have recent
assessment activities improved campus
understanding of the following elements of
student success?
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FIRST YEAR INITIATIVES
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Glossary of First Year Initiatives

• First Steps - Placement testing, academic
  advisement, registration, tours of residence
  halls and campus, and counseling about financial
  aid, student health, bill payment, and admissions
  (Academic Affairs, University College, Student
  Affairs).
• Freshman Orientation - Workshops and
  presentations on programs, services, student
  expectations, rules and regulations, and other
  matters vital to student success at the
  university (Student Affairs)
• Freshmen Seminar Year-long interdisciplinary
  introduction to the university experience based
  on profile scores, students may be required to
  complete additional work in the Reading
  Laboratory (University College)
• University Studies - Interdisciplinary
  introduction to the university experience
  (University College)
• Student Support Services - Provides tutoring,
  counseling, cultural activities, financial aid
  assistance to students who are low income or
  first generation students (Special Program)
• CHEER - Enables first year students to get a
  head start on their FSU experience in the
  second summer session prior to their first year
  (Academic Affairs, University College, Residence
  Life)

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Glossary of First Year Initiatives

• Learning Center - Provides academic support in
  reading, writing, and mathematics, and
  supplemental instruction in courses with
  traditionally high rates of D, F, and W grades
  (University College)
• Early Alert System Interim Grades A
  communication system which asks faculty members
  to identify students who are at risk of academic
  failure (University College)
• College Student Inventory Survey that helps
  assess students motivation, desire to succeed,
  areas of confidence and need, and other related
  areas (University College)
• First-Year Learning Communities Provides groups
  of students with an opportunity to enroll in sets
  of (usually) three classes that are linked
  thematically (University College)
• Freshman Counselor, Retention Counselor, Second
  Year Initiative (SYI) Tasked with contacting
  and following up with students experiencing
  difficulty at various stages in their academic
  progression (University College)
• Sophomore Summer - A summer program after the
  first year for students who have performed well,
  but have not earned sophomore status (University
  College)

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COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
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Committees and Councils

• University College Advisory Board - Monitors and
  helps give direction to the programs and services
  for first year students
• Developmental Education Committee - Monitors and
  advises on placement, courses, and instructional
  strategies related to developmental education
  courses

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FIRST YEAR DATA AND ASSESSMENTS
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First Year Data and Assessments

• Retention and Graduation Rates - Provides
  retention and graduation rates of students who
  enter as first-time, full-time students
• Profile examination scores - Scores of reading,
  writing, and mathematics exams completed by
  first-year students (administered during First
  Steps)
• Freshman Survey - Provides information from
  freshmen about family economic status and other
  personal data
• Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) - Survey
  asks students to rate importance and satisfaction
  of programs and services on campus
• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) -
  Provides data on the extent to which students are
  engaged in educationally purposeful activities
  inside and outside the classroom

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First Year Data and Assessments

• Collegiate Learning Assessment - Measures
  simulate complex, ambiguous situations that
  graduates may face assesses the institutions
  contribution to student learning
• Beginning College Student Survey of Engagement -
  Measures entering first-year students' high
  school academic and co-curricular involvement, as
  well as the importance that these students place
  on their participation in educationally
  purposeful activities
• Student Affairs Surveys
• UNC-GA website Provides a variety of reports
  including a Freshman Profile, Freshmen Student
  Performance, and Transfer Student Performance

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Faculty Dimension Committee

• Dr. Jonathan Breitzer, Chair
• Dr. Colleen Walker, Co-Chair

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Dimensional Statement

• Foundations Institutions approach the first year
  in ways that are intentional and based on a
  philosophy/rationale of the first year that
  informs relevant institutional policies and
  practices.The philosophy/rationale is explicit,
  clear and easily understood, consistent with the
  institutional mission, widely disseminated, and,
  as appropriate, reflects a consensus of campus
  constituencies. The philosophy/rationale is also
  the basis for first-year organizational policies,
  practices, structures, leadership,
  department/unit philosophies, and resource
  allocation.

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Dimensional Statement Faculty

• Foundations Institutions make the first college
  year a high priority for the faculty.
• Culture of faculty responsibility for the first
  year
• High-quality instruction in first-year classes
• Substantial interaction between faculty and
  first-year students
• Culture of responsibility nurtured by
• All levels of administration
• Institutions reward system

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Performance Indicators

• Campus-Level Encouragement
• Unit-Level Encouragement
• Expectations
• Rewards

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Campus-Level Encouragement

• Do what degree do senior academic leaders
  encourage faculty to do the following?
• Use pedagogies of engagement in first-year
  courses
• Understand campus-wide learning goals for the
  first year
• Understand the characteristics of first-year
  students at this campus
• Understand broad trends and issues in the first
  year

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Unit-Level Encouragement

• Do what degree do department chairs encourage
  faculty to do the following?
• Use pedagogies of engagement in first-year
  courses
• Understand unit-level learning goals for
  entry-level courses
• Understand the discipline-specific trends and
  issues related to entry-level courses

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Expectations

• To what degree are expectations for involvement
  with first-year students clearly communicated to
  the following groups?
• Newly-hired full-time faculty
• Newly-hired part-time/adjunct instructors
• Continuing faculty

50
Rewards

• To what degree does the institution reward a high
  level of faculty performance in the following?
• Instruction in first-year classes
• Out-of-class interaction with first-year students
• Advising first-year students

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Sources of Evidence

• WESS faculty/staff survey
• 900 sent out, 546 responses (60.7)
• 240 faculty, 141 technical, clerical, service
  personnel, 84 professional staff, 81
  administrators
• Other sources to be used
• Listing of learning outcomes for each program
• FSU organizational structure
• CITL programming and attendance
• Current Practices Inventory (CPI) especially
  Inventory of First-Year Programs/Interventions

52
Discoveries So Far

• Faculty involvement with first-year students is
  considered important by
• Institution leaders gt Department chairs gt
  Colleagues
• Considered important gtgt Acknowledged,
  recognized, and/or rewarded by any of the three
• This gap is present with administrators as well
  as faculty

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Discoveries So Far

• Racial difference slight but consistent
• No consistent gender difference
• Are you an official academic advisor to one or
  more first-year student(s)?
• Yes no significant difference with Considered
  important by institution leaders, but
  considerably higher scores for everything else

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Discoveries So Far

• Considered important by all three levels
• Adjunct/instructor/lecturer gt Assistant/Associate
  professor gt Full professor
• Difference especially stark for new hires asked
  about the hiring process
• Administrators Professional staff gt Faculty

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The Donut Hole
Response to To what degree is faculty
involvement considered important by institution
leaders? by How long have you worked at this
institution? (Faculty only) Similar results for
other questions
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20
19
16
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Discussion

• Classroom delivery (pedagogies of enhancement)
  consider CITL
• Policies on plagiarism how well known?
• How do departments assign first-year courses?
• Faculty in some departments have more opportunity
  for first-year interaction than others
• Institution can do more to acquaint families of
  first-year students with academic life
• Administration can help provide literature to
  faculty on the specific challenges of teaching
  first-year students

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Learning Dimension Committee

• Dr. Marion Gillis, Chair
• Ms. Juanette Council, Co-Chair

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Learning Dimension Statement

• Foundations Institutions deliver intentional
  curricular and co-curricular learning experiences
  that engage students in order to develop
  knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors
  consistent with the desired outcomes of higher
  education and the institutions philosophy and
  mission. Whether in or out of the classroom,
  learning also promotes increased competence in
  critical thinking, ethical development, and the
  lifelong pursuit of knowledge.

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Performance Indicators

• Determine the existence of common first year
  learning experiences
• Determine the degree to which we monitor whether
  teaching methods in large courses results in
  engagement in learning
• Determine whether outcomes are evaluated across
  all sections of a single course
• Determine the appropriateness of course placement
  procedures and policies
• Determine the degree to which learning resulting
  from out-of-class activities has been documented

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Performance IndicatorsRatings Very
Low-Low-Medium-High-Very High

• PI 3.1 Learning Goals To what degree has the
  campus established common learning goals
  specifically for the first year?
• PI 3.2 Engaging Students  To what degree does the
  institution document instructional methods used
  in each high enrollment course and evaluate their
  effectiveness in engaging students in learning?
• PI 3.3 Course Outcomes  To what degree does the
  institution document and evaluate student
  learning outcomes across all sections of each
  high enrollment course?
• PI 3.4 Courses with High D/Failure/Withdrawal/Inco
  mplete (DFWI) Rates To what degree does the
  institution attempt to address the causes of high
  DFWI rates in the high enrollment courses?
• PI 3.5 Placement To what degree does the campus
  intentionally place first-year students in
  appropriate courses to address deficiencies in
  academic preparation or to provide sufficient
  academic challenge for above-average students?
• PI 3.6 Out-of-class learning To what degree does
  the institution document first-year students'
  learning outcomes for each of the following
  residence life, out-of-class activities related
  to academic programs, student affairs functions?

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High Enrollment Courses

• English Composition I
• General Psychology
• Critical Thinking
• College Algebra
• Introduction to College Algebra

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Sources of Evidence

• FoE Faculty/Staff Survey 2007
• FoE Student Survey 2007
• Rising Junior Examination (CBASE) 2006
• Collegiate learning Assessment (CLA)2005-06
• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 2007
• Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) 2007
• Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)
  2006 2007
• SIR 2007
• Department Interviews

63
Discoveries So Far

• Our committee is very dedicated to this task. We
  have never had less than 13 people to attend any
  scheduled meeting!
• We must talk with faculty teaching the high
  enrollment courses and the department chairs to
  round out the data collected thus far.

64
Discoveries So Far

• Learning Goals
• University College has identified Learning
  Outcomes that have been approved by the Faculty
  Senate. How these goals for the first 45
  semester hours will be assessed is yet to be
  determined. See Dr. John Brooks for copies of
  the Learning Goals for University College.

65
Discoveries -- So Far

• Engaging Students
• Our freshmen rate FSU faculty higher than any of
  its peer institutions with regard to discussing
  grades or assignments with instructors (NSSE)
• FSU freshmen (64) indicated that they often or
  very often asked questions in class or
  contributed to class discussions (NSSE)
• FSU faculty indicated that only 25 of lower
  division students as compared to 44 of upper
  division students asked questions or contributed
  to class discussions (FSSE)

66
Discoveries -- So Far

• Course Outcomes
• There have been efforts at common course syllabi
  and examinations in various departments
• There is a great discrepancy between faculty and
  student opinion as to the emphasis on the type of
  thinking required in coursework with the
  exception of memorization. Faculty tend to
  believe they are using methods that require
  higher levels of thinking more often than
  students do. (NSSE)

67
Discoveries -- So Far

• Courses with high rates of non-completion
• Courses with high rates of D, F, I, W grades have
  been assigned tutors through the Title III Funds
  to provide students with outside of class help
• Policies of reporting non-attendance have changed
  to ensure that the student who stops coming to
  class is identified early and contacted with
  offers of assistance

68
Discoveries So Far

• Placement
• Faculty are not clear on the role the placement
  tests taken by all freshmen should have in their
  advisement process
• Sections of high enrollment courses for freshmen
  with specific placement test scores are no longer
  identified

69
Discoveries So Far

• Out-of-class Learning
• Freshmen students rate FSUs encouragement for
  contact among students from different economic,
  social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds higher
  than any of our peer institutions (NSSE)
• Freshman report that it is important to have
  faculty available after class or during office
  hours and they are satisfied (5.46 out of 7.0)
  with the availability of faculty (SSI 2007)
• Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory data
  from 2006 and 2007 indicate that FSU made
  significantly positive improvement and progress
  in providing student individual attention

70
Discussion

• What are our goals from the student affairs
  prospective and how are we determining our
  success in meeting them?
• What do we need to look at to get definitive
  answers to our performance questions?
• What questions do you have?

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Roles and Purposes Dimension Committee

• Dr. Oliver Johnson, Chair
• Dr. Priscilla Manarino-Leggett, Co-Chair

72
Roles and Purposes

• Foundations Institutions promote student
  understanding of the various roles and purposes
  of higher education, both for the individual and
  society.These roles and purposes include
  knowledge acquisition for personal growth,
  learning to prepare for future employment,
  learning to become engaged citizens, and learning
  to serve the public good. Institutions encourage
  first-year students to examine systematically
  their motivation and goals with regard to higher
  education in general and to their own
  college/university. Students are exposed to the
  value of general education as well as to the
  value of more focused, in-depth study of a field
  or fields of knowledge (i.e., the major). (Foetec)

73
Performance Indicators

• Required Courses (e.g., core curriculum,
  distribution, and general education)
• Required Competencies (e.g., library skills,
  computing, writing)
• Requirements for Entry into Majors

74
Sources of Evidence

• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE 2007)
• Fayetteville State University Undergraduate
  Bulletin and other First-Year seminar materials
• Anecdotal Evidence (e.g., students, and faculty)

75
Sources of Evidence

• The Rising Junior Examination Report
• Retention and Graduation Rates
• Collegiate Learning Assessment Results
• Center for Personal Development

76
Discoveries So Far

• The University effectively communicates its
  rationale for required courses, competencies, and
  requirements for entry into majors through
  several programs and classes

77
Discoveries So Far

• The Academic Advising program is intended to
  assist students in developing and following an
  academic plan according to the requirements
• The Center for Personal Development is intended
  to assist students in coping with academic as
  well as non academic matters

78
Discoveries So Far

• Freshman Seminar courses I and II
• As a part of the core curriculum, the
  seminar courses help students make the transition
  to college life through counseling, mentoring,
  and tutoring. Students have the opportunity to
  communicate with instructors who are also their
  advisors. Students also participate in
  orientation sessions in the library, counseling
  center, and other campus offices.

79
Discussion

• National Survey of Student Engagement 2007
• FSU First-Year students and Seniors display a
  positive percent difference between their
  selected peers in certain areas.

80
Discussion

• These areas include First-Year Students
• Making a class presentation
• Discussing grades or assignments with an
  instructor
• Talking about career plans with a faculty member
  or advisor
• 4. Discussing ideas from classes with faculty
  outside of class
• 5. Communicating that the institution
  substantially helps students cope w/ non-academic
  matters

81
Discussion

• Seniors
• Working harder than expected to meet an
  instructors expectations
• Asking questions/contributing to class
  discussions
• Working with other students on projects during
  class
• 4. Saying the institution substantially
  encourages contacts among diverse peers
• 5. Saying the institution helps students cope w/
  non-academic matters

82
Discussion

• How can the University improve?
• Actively encourage students to access the
  services that are provided by the university
• (e.g., academic advising, and counseling)
• Encourage students to become involved in the
  community and additional collegiate experiences
  through volunteering and service learning

83
All Students Dimension Committee

• Mr. Landon Hadley, Chair
• Dr. Beth Bir, Co-Chair

84
Dimensional Statement All Students

• Foundations Institutions serve all first-year
  students according to their varied needs.The
  process of anticipating, diagnosing, and
  addressing needs is ongoing and is subject to
  assessment and adjustment throughout the first
  year. Institutions provide services with respect
  for the students abilities, backgrounds,
  interests, and experiences. Institutions also
  ensure a campus environment that is inclusive and
  safe for all students.

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Performance Indicators

• 1. To what degree does your campus identify the
  needs of individual first-year students in the
  following areas academic needs and
  social/personal needs?
• 2. To what degree does your campus address the
  identified needs of individual first-year
  students academic needs and social/personal
  needs?

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Performance Indicators

• 3. To what degree does your campus assure that
  all first-year students experience the following
• individualized attention from faculty/staff?
• academic support outside the classroom?
• opportunities for campus involvement?
• inclusive campus environment?
• 4. To what degree does your institution assure a
  campus environment in which first-year students
  are physically safe and psychologically safe?

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Sources of Evidence

• NSSE Results
• CLA Results 2005-2007
• Retention and Graduation Rates
• Current Practices Inventory
• Student Satisfaction Survey
• University College Learning Center

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Discoveries So Far

• Identifying student needs pretty good at
  placement into first year courses, quality of
  instruction, support for writing and math, and
  first-year advising.
• Meeting student needs Not so good at
  anticipating how many sections of English 108,
  110, and Math 121 to offer each fall Need to
  offer support in courses besides writing and math

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Discoveries So Far

• Advisors in UC meet needs pretty well more
  transfer advisors are needed to monitor and track
  first-year transfer students.
• Transfer credits should be given equivalencies in
  Banner to assist with planning coursework and
  figuring out prerequisites.

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Discoveries So far

• Campus environment Its a challenge to involve
  the first-year commuter student in social
  programs, campus activities, athletic events and
  support services.
• Campus safety The word about psychological
  services doesnt always get to those who need it
  when they need it.

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Discussion

• How can we make campus feel more inclusive to all
  students?
• How can we spread the word about campus safety
  and psychological services?
• Other issues?

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Diversity Dimension Committee

• Dr. Timothy Ajani, Chair
• Dr. Saundra Shorter, Co-Chair

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Diversity Dimensions Goal

• Ensure that first-year students
• Experience diverse ideas
• World views
• Culture as a means of enhancing their learning
  and preparing them to become members of
  pluralistic communities
• FSUs responsibility to students
• Offer a broad definition of diversity
• Include diverse ideas, values and cultures,
  demographic diversity
• Provide experiences of diversity
• Racial, ethnic, cultural

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• Structure experiences in which students interact
  in an open and civil community with people from
  backgrounds and cultures different from their own
  
• Reflect on ideas and values different from those
  they currently hold
• Explore their own cultures and the cultures of
  others

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Areas of Analysis

• FSUs performance in providing structures
• Students experience diverse ideas, both in and
  out of class
• Evaluate level of opportunity for students to
  interact with others different from themselves on
  and off campus
• Determine level of performance in conveying
  standards of behavior in an open and civil campus
  community

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Sources of Evidence

• FOE Faculty/Staff Survey (Fall 2007)
• FOE Student Survey (Ongoing)
• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
• Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)
• Beginning College Student Survey of Engagement
  (BCSSE)

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Preliminary FindingsFSSE NSSE 2007

• Discrepancies in views between faculty and
  students on in-class activities
• Faculty and student perceptions reveal that FSUs
  environment encourages diversity
• There should be more emphasis on foreign
  languages and study abroad

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Preliminary FindingsNSSE BCSSE (2007)

• Seniors in high school planning to come to FSU
  have higher expectations of interacting with
  diverse populations in college than they did in
  high school.
• 90 percent of incoming freshman expect FSU to
  provide opportunities for them to interaction
  with diverse populations.

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Results from Administration, Faculty, Staff and
Student Surveys

• Two surveys have been administered this academic
  year
• Results are still being tabulated by the
  Diversity Committee
• Stay tuned for more findings

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Discussion Questions

• What are you doing to expose students to diverse
  ideas in class and out of class?
• Do you encourage foreign languages in your major?
• How do you view study abroad for your majors?
• How do you see FSUs performance in terms of
  providing for a diverse community and how can
  this be improved?

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What Does This Tell About our Students?

• 32 percent of our students live between 101 and
  400 miles from Fayetteville
• 61 percent live less than 100 miles from
  Fayetteville.

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Discussion

• Tell us what you think!