A look at two innovative programs:

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EXPERIENCE counts when REACHING OUT to Freshmen
and Sophomores

• A look at two innovative programs
• First-Year Experience
• Second-Year Outreach
• Northeastern State University
• Tahlequah, Oklahoma

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Presenters

• Mr. Bill Nowlin, Dean of Enrollment Management
• Mr. Jeff Walker, Director of First-Year
  Experience
• Mrs. Kelly Lacey, Academic Commitment Specialist
• Mr. Brian Searcy, Academic Commitment Specialist

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One Year Retention Rates
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The First-Year Experience ProgramAt NSU
(Tahlequah)

• The first point of contact for new students once
  admitted.
• Process enrollment for new freshmen, transfer
  students and continuing students.
• Provide testing, academic advisement, tutoring,
  enrollment, orientation, freshman success class,
  intervention for at-risk students, transfer
  student recruiting/advisement, and student
  success counseling to first-year students.

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The FYE Team

• Accomplish this with four Student Success
  Specialists, one Testing Specialist, one Transfer
  Coordinator, and a support staff of two
  secretaries and six student employees.

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Testing

• CLEP
• Residual ACT
• CPT placement
• (pre and post test)

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TUTORING

• Tutoring for general education courses (mostly
  math) in the residence halls on week nights from
  700pm 1200am.
• Central contact point for other tutoring services
  on campus such as SSS, math lab, writing lab,
  etc.

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ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT

• Advise all undeclared continuing first-year
  students (approx. 2,500).
• Advise and enroll all new freshmen (1,200 each
  summer) individually with Student Success
  Specialists.

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Enrollment

• Provide enrollment services to all students

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New Student Orientation

• Orchestrate a campus wide orientation called
  Campus Connection for first-year students in late
  summer. Connect students to success tools and
  campus culture.
• Residents students
• (over night session)
• Commuter students
• (half day session)

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College Strategies

• FRESHMAN SUCCESS COURSE
• College Strategies is required for all new
  freshmen.
• Curriculum is standard and delivered through
  Black Board computer system.
• Web based for resident students (still must keep
  appointments with advisor/instructor at key
  points in the semester).

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College Strategies

• Once per week in high tech classroom for commuter
  students.
• Taught by faculty or staff instructor with a
  student peer leader for each class.
• Instructors are given data sheets for each
  student with information about their risk
  factors.

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INTERVENTIONS and other SUCCESS TOOLS

• Early Alert System
• Mid-term grade checks
• Partnership with housing
• Course clustering
• Success Contracts

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Second Year Outreachreaching out to students
through academic intervention

• This program works directly with continuing
  freshmen and sophomore students who are on
  academic notice or probation by providing early,
  intensive, and continuous intervention.

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Academic Commitment Specialists

• Academic Commitment Specialists stress the
  importance of students making commitments to
  their education.

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Early Intervention

• Students are identified early in the semester and
  contacted through letter, phone call, or email.
  We request and schedule an initial meeting at
  this point.
• Every student receives a folder with information
  about probation, academic success tips, general
  education requirements, and tutoring information.
  This information will be used in each meeting.

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Intensive Intervention

• Specialists check in with students through phone
  call or email every 2-3 weeks.
• Mid-term grade check
• Specialists help students enroll, give academic
  advisement, declare majors when qualified, and
  refer students to the many campus resources
  available.

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Continuous Intervention

• Students will meet with Specialists every
  semester they continue on academic probation.
• Students who are removed from probation will
  continue to be monitored in later semesters.

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Spring 2005 results
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Questions for Discussion

• How does your institution help students feel
  welcome and connected?

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Questions for Discussion

• How does your institution help students
• understand and cope with the new found
• freedoms college provides them?

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Questions for Discussion

• How does your institution identify at-risk
  students and what do you do with that
  information?

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Questions for Discussion

• How does your institution respond to
• students who do not attend class?

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Questions for Discussion

• How does your institution assist students
• who are experiencing academic difficulty?

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Contact Information

• Mr. Bill Nowlin [phone], Ext. 2200
• nowlin_at_nsuok.edu
• Mr. Jeff Walker [phone], Ext. 3253
• walkerj_at_nsuok.edu
• Mrs. Kelly Lacey - [phone], Ext. 3268
• rasmusse_at_nsuok.edu
• Mr. Brian Searcy - [phone], Ext. 3269
• searcy_at_nsuok.edu