Students First Mentoring Project

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MCC College Student Retention Summit
Students FirstImproving First Generation
Students Performance and Retention in Higher
Education
Dr. Peter Collier Portland State University
June 2007
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(No Transcript)
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Percentage of High School graduates who enter
college the Fall term following graduation
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Percentage of High School graduates who enter
college the Fall term following graduation
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Percentage of students who have either graduated
or persisted 5 years after entry
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Percentage of students who have either graduated
or persisted 5 years after entry
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• compounding issue of multiple group membership

Low Income Students
First-Generation Students
Students of Color
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first generation students are most likely to be

• African-American or Hispanic
• Come from lower-income families
• Female, older, with dependent children
• Delay entry into postsecondary education
• Begin college at a 2-year institution
• Need remedial coursework
• Take classes part-time while working full-time
• Stop in and out of college

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the issue of 1st year persistence

• students are most likely to drop out during their
  first year
• academic performance is closely associated with
  1st year persistence
• the lower the number of credits completed during
  a students freshman year, the less likely that
  student is to complete any type of certificate or
  degree program

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• models of persistence, performance, and success

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Tintos Model of Persistence
Academic System
Family Back-ground
Individual attributes
drop out
decision
Pre-college schooling
Social
System
Tinto, 1975
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Modified Model of Persistence
Drawn From Tinto 1975 and Guiffrida 2006
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Two Path Model
Understanding of Professors Expectations
Students Abilities
Students Performances
Demonstrated Capacity
Cultural Capital
Actual Capacity
Academic Skills
Understanding of Course Material
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• how can we improve success and retention for
  under-supported students?

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how can we improve success and retention for
under-supported students?

1. students and their families need more useful
   information about college, funding and finances,
   early in the process of planning for college.

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how can we improve success and retention for
under-supported students?

• 2) In order to increase the chances of being
  successful academically once they enroll in
  college, students must improve their relative
  level of academic preparation before entering
  college.

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how can we improve success and retention for
under-supported students?

• 3) colleges need to provide community, in the
  forms of a hospitable campus climate, as well as
  opportunities to remain connected to cultural
  communities.

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how can we improve success and retention for
under-supported students?

• 4) In order to be successful, new first
  generation, students need help navigating the
  institution.

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• Under-supported students benefit from having a
  mentor -- someone who can translate the
  expectations of college for the new student

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Under-supported Transfer students
efficiency and effectiveness of
effort vs. persistence and course success
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Students First Mentoring Program (SFMP) is a four
year pilot intervention --- supported by the U.S.
Department of Education and Portland State
Universitys Office of Student Affairs
designed to improve first generation student
retention at PSU
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Areas of Program Emphasis
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Points of Impact
Understanding of Professors Expectations
Students Abilities
Students Performances
A
B
Demonstrated Capacity
Cultural Capital
Actual Capacity
Academic Skills
Understanding of Course Material
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SFMPs Fit Within the Modified Model of
Persistence
Drawn From Tinto 1975 and Guiffrida 2006
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SFMP freshman persistence and performance

• Persistence
• 90 of SFMP freshmen who entered in the Fall 05,
  were still enrolled in Spring 06 79 were still
  enrolled in Winter 07. 2006-2006 Fall to Spring
  retention rate was more than 16 greater than
  the rate for all PSU freshmen, and was 24 higher
  by Winter of the subsequent year
• Performance
• GPA
• SFMP freshmen earned higher GPA for each term and
  for the year
• Credits Completed
• SFMP freshmen successfully completed more credits
  for each term and for the year

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SFMP transfer persistence and performance

• in 2005-2006, 14 transfer students participated
  in SFMP
• 86 persisted to Fall 05 Winter 06
• 79 persisted to Fall 05 - Spring 07
• GPA 3.27
• Avg Credits Completed 35

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What can YOU doto Put Students First?
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Dr. Peter Collier Associate Professor of
Sociology Principal Investigator Students First
Mentoring Program cfpc_at_pdx.edu 503-725-3961
Collin Fellows Program Manager Students First
Mentoring Program studentsfirst_at_pdx.edu 503-725-53
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