Annual Summaries C Alternative Delivery Systems for the First

2004 Annual Summaries 1-C Alternative Delivery Systems for the First-Year Seminar Leon Book Director, First-Year Experience Southeast Missouri State University (537)651-2688 lbook@semo.edu David Starrett Director Southeast Missouri State University (537)651-2298 dstarrett@semo.edu Theresa Haug Belvin Coordinator of Orientation Southeast Missouri State University (573)651-5166 thaug@semo.edu Presenters describe their alternatives to face-to-face delivery of their first-year seminar, UI100, including an online version of the course and delivery via I-TV. Because their institutions offer a Bachelors of General Studies completely online, and because the first-year seminar is required for all degrees, Book and Starrett developed the online version of the seminar to fill that need. Additionally, the University has satellite centers scattered throughout its 25-county service region, and the I-TV sections allow more students to attend the University than would be able to otherwise. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach are included, including the obstacles each system presents and how the presenters have dealt with such obstacles. One obstacle in an asynchronous online environment is “oral communication,” and the presenters will describe their best reasonable alternative to oral presentations via such a medium, including the alternatives they considered before settling on the present “solution” to the obstacle. Questions and comments from the audience are welcomed and encouraged. 2-C The Power of Peer Leadership: What We Have Learned Over Ten Years John Beck First-Year Experience Director Concordia University Wisconsin (262)243-4260 jack.beck@cuw.edu Marmy Clason FYE Instructor Concordia University Wisconsin (262)243-4535 Aaron Beck Peer Leader Concordia University Wisconsin (262)243-1332 Naomi Kahle Peer Leader Concordia University Wisconsin (262)243-1687 Concordia University Wisconsin has taught its first-year seminar with peer leaders for the last 10 years. During that time we have experimented with different ways of selecting, training, employing peer leaders. This includes having peers leading classroom sessions in peer teams. Two faculty members and two peer leaders will discuss the benefits of this unique teaching style. We have found that peer leaders provide a unique perspective on first-year experience, that they are capable of forming a unique relationship with first-year students in the class, and that they provide a unique system of mentoring by the example they set. We will discuss the role of the peer leader both inside and outside the classroom and demonstrate the effectiveness of peers in presenting topics like: faculty relations, alcohol use, and exam preparation. 3-C Online Survival: Success Strategies for Students and Instructors Ryan Watkins Assistant Professor The George Washington University (202)994-2263 rwatkins@gwu.edu Michael Corry Assistant Professor The George Washington University mcorry@gwu.edu Whether it is in the traditional or online classroom, the fundamentals of success are rooted in the effective learning skills and study habits. Yet for students and instructors alike, the skills that led to success in the traditional classroom by no means guarantee success in this new and challenging online learning environment. Students and instructors enter the online classroom with a range of skills and habits that they have developed through years of experience primarily in the traditional classroom. The online classroom is a new learning environment for most students and instructors. This presentation is intended to provide FYE instructors with helpful information for assisting students to be successful with any online course experience as well as offer guidance in the development of online course materials for their FYE courses, whether it is for an entirely online course or for a course that simply uses online tools to supplement on-campus experiences. The new technologies that offer students and instructors the opportunity to expand education beyond the boundaries of the classroom, also produce barriers to success that can and should be addressed in FYE courses. The skills and habits necessary for success in the online classroom are not always the same as those utilized in the conventional classroom. Throughout this presentation we will provide guidance and directions for instructors who are working with students to develop these new learning skills and study habits that can help their students to be successful in any college course that utilizes online technologies. Success in online coursework requires the effective integration of online strategies and student success skills. By combining the learning skills and study habits that are required for success in any college course with the distinctive skills required in online learning environments, students and instructors can build the expertise to be successful in any online course experience. 4-C Classroom Refreshers: “Sure-Fire-Can’t-Miss-Gotta-Grab-’em-Now-Attention-Getters” Steve Piscitelli Professor Florida Community College (904)910-6142 spiscite@fccj.org As the pressures mount on education, more than ever we need to put aside resources for the most precious resource the school has to offer…the classroom teacher. Participants in this interactive workshop will focus on the essence of good teaching: building relationships by sharing innovative and motivating ideas. Classroom refreshers: “Sure-fire-can’t-miss-gotta-grab-‘em-now-attention-getters” will provide a forum for the participants to share the power and purpose of one of their best motivating practices in the classroom. The session will start with a brief introduction about the key to motivation and retention (the relationship triangle between students, faculty and administration). This will be followed by reviewing the broad but basic considerations of student success. (What I refer to as the 6 Rs: relationships, respect, responsibility, renewal, realism, risk). Classroom strategies will reinforce each concept. Participants will be introduced to a wide variety of motivators and innovators from case studies, to “Mingo the Flamingo”, to humor, to counterfactuals, to the “love bucket.” Some of the motivators will be “old”, some “new”, and some “strange.” But they all have the potential to be “attention getters.” Following this introduction, participants will work in small focus groups sharing one of their best motivators…that one activity they pull out of their bag of teaching magic when they need a “sure-fire-can’t-miss-gotta-grab-‘em-now-attention-getter.” Participants will be able to share positive feedback with their colleagues about these best practices. The session will cover the serious and perennial issue of student success in a light and reassuring manner. Participants should come prepared to listen, share...and walk away with “sure-fire-can’t-miss-gotta-grab-‘emnow-attention-getters” they can use the next time they enter their classroom. 5-C Crafting Compelling Cases for Better Student Learning James Beierlein Professor Penn State University (814)863-3536 jgb@psu.edu Barbara Wade Associate Professor Penn State University (814)866-7521 bwade@psu.edu The presentation will begin with an explanation of the value of case based learning in engaging students minds, and show how this prepares students for better college success. The program will move to what makes a great case, and then using hands-on techniques have the group begin to formulation their own cases. We not only talk about active, involved learning but also practice it in this session. The participants will then be given opportunity to share the first draft of their case with others in the session so we can all benefit from their feedback. The session will end with everyone being encouraged to take their case home and prepare it for class presentation. We will be available via e-mail to help participants once they get home by offering comments and answering questions from them so their first use of a home made case will be successful. 6-C Creating a Dynamic FYE Partnership That Can Weather the Storms of Competing Pressures Michelle Lundell Assoc. Vice Pres. for Student Services Utah Valley State College (801)863-8806 lundelmi@uvsc.edu Eldon McMurray Associate Professor Utah Valley State College (801)863-8550 mcmurrel@uvsc.edu Bob Rasmussen Asst. Vice President of Student Affairs Utah Valley State College (801)863-8491 rasmusbo@uvsc.edu Julie Bagley Dir UV Leader Ctr for Student Excellence Utah Valley State College (801)863-8358 bagleyju@uvsc.edu I. Creating a Dynamic Partnership: Creating an effective dynamic partnership between Academic Affairs, Student Services, and Student Life begins with a working partnership model. The working model developed at UVSC will be highlighted with an examination of the formal and informal organizations used to fuel the positive energies of key stake holders. The role of three essential college division functions will be outlined. II. Role of Academic Affairs: Empowering faculty to teach powerful freshmen orientation courses with passion is essential to the ongoing success of the program. Ideas for a thriving FYE faculty training program will be shared along with the importance of selective faculty recruitment. III. Role of Student Services: Student Services must integrate accessible academic resources and provide effective peer mentors to assist faculty in the empowerment of students. In addition, suggestions for capturing the expertise of academic advisors and integrating their skills into the program will be examined. IV. Role of Student Life: Student Life is a critical component that is often underutilized in FYE partnerships. Learn how to involve student government leadership into the fabric of FYE programs. Compelling ideas for gaining students’ buy-in for the continued success of the program will be explored. V. Summary of Benefits and Challenges for Ongoing Success: The balance of give and take between three robust divisions of the college will be summarized. Benefits and Challenges will be highlighted. 7-C Lessons in Emotional Maturity Sharon Ferrett Senior Academic Advisor Humboldt State University (707)826-5111 ferrett@humboldt.edu Have you ever wondered why some people just seem to have a gift for living well? They have a sense of peace and fulfillment that radiates about them. Why is it that the smartest student in college will probably not end up the richest or the well-adjusted? Why do we like and build rapport with some people almost instantly and distrust others? Why do some people remain buoyant in the midst of tragedy and setbacks that would discourage a less resilient person? What qualities determine who will succeed in college--and in life? Emotional maturity is the quality that sets the Peak Performers apart from those that sabotage their educations, relationships and careers. Psychologist now believes that I.Q. contributes only about 20 percent of the factors that determine success. A full 80 percent comes from other factors including emotional maturity. Emotional maturity is the ability to resist the urge for immediate gratification and opt instead for goals and values that will pay off in the long run. Emotional Maturity involves the ability to understand and control one’s own emotions, the willingness to learn and grow, the desire to be a better person, and the capacity to be empathetic to the feelings of others. This workshop will look at the importance of emotional maturity and the qualities involved. It will also give a brief review of personality instruments that can serve as a guide for understanding ourselves and others. 8-C A Seamless Approach to Orientation Heather Speed Dir., Center for Student Development Texas Woman’s University (940)898-3626 hspeed@twu.edu Trisha Van Duser Assistant Director Texas Woman’s University (940)898-3626 tvanduser@twu.edu The TWU Orientation Committee is comprised of representatives from Academic Advising, Housing, Admissions, Student Records, Student Development, and Student Life. This group meets bi-monthly to discuss the vision of orientation and to ensure everyone affected by orientation are all aware of the details of the program. It’s a group effort to ensure the success of the program. The committee meets after each APR to evaluate the program and make improvements for the next session. Close relationships have developed between Student Development (who facilitate orientation) and ITS, Conference Services, Food Service, and many others. This relationship has enabled the program to grow, be more successful, become a positive experience for all those involved, and most importantly be more effective for our potential students. Freshman Orientation is a three part program designed to help new students with their transition to campus. Part One – Academic Planning and Registration (APR) This first step in orientation is designed to introduce students and families to the unique educational experience that Texas Woman’s University has to offer. They meet students, faculty, administrators and staff, learn about academic programs, admissions procedures, financial assistance, housing and meal plans, as well as the many services, facilities, recreational and cultural activities. Other activities include placement tests, touring the campus, meeting with an academic adviser, registering for classes, and becoming acquainted with campus life. Part Two – Pioneer Camp This second step is scheduled the week before classes begin in the fall. Pioneer Camp, a community-based orientation, explores TWU beyond academic possibilities. During this 5-day program, students discover all sorts of resources that enable them to have a successful college experience. Part Three – University 1011 This third step is a one hour credit bearing course designed to equip freshmen students with the knowledge and tools they need to make a successful transition to college level learning. 9-I Using a Dynamic E-Learning Technology Tool to Improve Communications and Enhance Relationships Among First-Year Seminar Faculty and Students Amanda Yale Assoc. Provost for Enrollment Services Slippery Rock University (724)738-4868 amanda.yale@sru.edu Cathy Brinjak Director Academic Advisement Slippery Rock University (724)738-2009 cathy.brinjak@sru.edu Connie Laughner Asst. Dir. Academic Advisement Center Slippery Rock University (724)738-2009 constance.laughner@sru.edu Jessamine Montero Assistant Director, ACT 101 Program Slippery Rock University (724)738-2012 jessamine.montero@sru.edu Faculty at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania now have the opportunity to use a dynamic elearning technology as a means of increasing communication among the first year seminar instructors and students. Using an e-course management system, coordinators have developed an innovative and creative program that serves as a professional development tool for faculty and a communication and resource tool for students. Two levels of functionality for the use of the course management tool were developed. First, the professional tier was developed as an e-organizational tool for hosting information related to developing and preparing faculty to teach the course. This component is comprised of information and resources related to course goals, elements of an effective freshman seminar, teaching effectiveness strategies, classroom assessments, cooperative and collaborative learning, and assessment and research. Additionally, the professional development component hosts samples of course materials, resources, and activities organized by topics. Further, the site is used as a discussion board for faculty to communicate with each other on their individual successes and areas for improvement. All resources are hosted electronically and are available 24/7/ 365. A second use of the e-learning tool is focused on each individual faculty member’s course. First, faculty can use the course shell to post course materials, announcements, and reading assignments. Second, similar to the professional development site, each first year seminar faculty can use the e-learning tool to communicate with his/her students and students can communicate with each other on specific course assignments, readings, institutional services, programs, and processes. The e-learning tool provides faculty with the opportunity to share information with students beyond the faceto-face classroom time. Assessments and program materials will be made available to session participants. 10-I Improving Student Success: Learning Communities that Link First-Year Seminars and the Required College Math Course Anita Kitchens Professor, Mathematical Sciences Appalachian State University (828)262-2368 kitchnsan@appstate.edu Beth Glass Assistant Director, Freshman Seminar Appalachian State University (828)262-2028 glassek@appstate.edu Freshman Seminar at Appalachian State University is a 3-credit hour, graded elective course for first semester freshmen. Over sixty sections of this course are offered each fall semester with instructors ranging from full-time faculty to student development professionals to adjunct instructors. In 1998, a Learning Communities project was piloted linking a few Freshman Seminar classes with one other freshman-level course. Today, due to the success of this project, all sixty sections of Freshman Seminar serve as the anchor course for a learning community. We will discuss one such learning community – Freshman Seminar and the Required College Math Course. We will present an overview of how we are able to connect course content along with evidence of the positive results and benefits for the students. For the past two years, our link has resulted in a marked improvement in grade averages, class attendance, and satisfaction levels. We attribute this success to several aspects of our link. Due to the nature of Freshman Seminar, these students are bonding quickly. They become concerned when a classmate is absent, worried when a classmate is struggling, and encouraging to one another in times of stress. In addition to required course readings, students read and discuss Defeating Math Anxiety (written by Anita Kitchens) in Freshman Seminar. This guide helps them to examine and conquer their own forms of math anxiety. The book also explains effective means for studying mathematics and serves as a tool to connect their work in Freshman Seminar to the math course. As a result of the sense of community and the advice in the text, students naturally form study groups and encourage one another to speak up in their math class and visit the professor when they are struggling. This link has proven to be much more than a simple connection of two courses – it is improving student success. 11-I Academic Literacy Seminars: Helping Students Participate in the Construction of Knowledge in the Academic Discourse Community Doug Brent Associate Dean University of Calgary (403)274-2942 dabrent@ucalgary.ca Kenneth Bartlett Director of Teaching Advancement University of Toronto (416)585-4590 kenneth.bartlett@utoronto.ca Teresa Dawson Director, Teaching/Learning Services University of Toronto at Scarborough (416)287-7680 dawson@utsc.utoronto.ca Though less common than extended-orientation seminars, first-year seminars that focus on academic content are common in research-oriented universities, comprising 19% of seminars surveyed by Barefoot and Fidler (1994). Typically, such seminars use specific academic topics (often chosen by faculty members giving the seminars) to introduce students from the “inside out” to the ways an academic research community produces and reproduces knowledge. Academic skills such as reading complex material, writing in an academic voice, and selective and evaluating materials are embedded in a larger context that emphasizes the social construction of knowledge. This presentation will begin with a review of and justification for the goals of this type of seminar, with reference to the Boyer Commission report and the inventory of programs conducted by the Policy Center on the First Year of College. We will explore links with cognate literature, particularly literature on Writing Across the Curriculum, which addresses the practical and political aspects of introducing students to academic discourse. We will discuss briefly one important question raised in some of this literature: the degree to which “introducing students to academic discourse” can be seen as training students to accept rather than question and contest structures of knowledge created through discourse. We will conclude by comparing two examples of first year programs based on this model. The University of Toronto features a relatively mature program featuring nearly a hundred sections across a large Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The University of Calgary program is more recent, featuring fourteen sections across the Faculty of Communication and Culture. The latter is the subject of an ongoing qualitative research study designed to determine outcomes not in terms of skills acquired but in terms of shift in attitude to the academic research project and students’ sense of their place in it. 12-I Positively Impacting the Retention Rates for Students of Color Gayle Ward Associate Director DePaul University (773)325-2582 gward@depaul.edu This session will address the five components of the STARS program: Academic Enhancement, Transitional Adjustment, Cultural Exploration, Community Service and Leadership Development. The session will reveal the detailed steps from how the first-year students are identified and paired with a peer mentor before they matriculate at the university to how the aforementioned components are implemented on a weekly basis. This session will also provide the rigorous training program that the peer mentors receive prior to the arrival of STARS (first-year participants). This presentation will provide the audience with a comprehensive understanding of a highly organized peer mentoring program that has produced incredible results in transitioning and transforming the first-year student experience. 13-I Faculty and the First Year: Reflective Strategies to Increase Faculty Participation in a First-Year Seminar Carol Van Der Karr Director State University of New York at Cortland (607)753-4726 carolv@cortland.edu Faculty are central to the success of first year students and we continually work to increase faculty-student experiences. This is a challenge at a time when faculty are faced with competing responsibilities. The role of faculty in first year seminars varies depending upon the nature of the seminar, organizational positioning, and institutional mission and culture. At SUNY Cortland, the percent of first year seminar instructors who are faculty increased from 40% in 2001 to 70% in 2003. Not only has the percent of faculty teaching increased, we have also experienced greater faculty contribution to planning, instructor training and development, course evaluation, and curricular innovation. The increasing support and participation of the faculty has expanded campus interest in the program and strengthened the institutionalization of the seminar. This session will examine SUNY Cortland’s program, COR 101: The Cortland Experience, and include an open discussion about faculty involvement at your campuses. Since 1997 all Cortland first year students take COR 101, a one-credit course focused on the transition to the academic community. Faculty and professionals teach the 58 sections offered each fall. We will discuss the ways that faculty supported the creation COR 101 and how we have increased faculty participation in the program. This discussion will include the ways in which we analyzed faculty participation, identified strategies for greater involvement, and assessed relevant outcomes. Topics and strategies that we will review include: considering the faculty perspective, creating major sections, connecting advisement and COR 101, revising faculty development, and utilizing formative assessment. We will also be discussing participants’ institutions in order to learn from their experiences with faculty. First year seminars are dynamic, evolving programs and this will be an opportunity to share our strategies and successes. 14-I The First-Year Experience in Adult-Focused Institutions Elizabeth Tice Dean University of Phoenix (480)557-1564 elizabeth.tice@phoenix.edu University of Phoenix is distinctive in that its mission is to serve the needs of one student population--working adults enrolled in professional education programs. This mission informs every aspect of the institution’s programs, practices, and processes—from the academic program and teaching/learning system to the design of administrative and student services. Consistent with its mission, the University’s philosophy of the First-Year Experience is tailored to the unique characteristics of the working adult population and differs in appropriate ways from institutions whose programs are designed for the traditional 18-22 year-old student. For traditional students, the First-Year of the general education curriculum serves as one means to facilitate the transition to the world of adults. This is not appropriate for adult student; yet, these students come to the college experience with a wide disparity of skill and preparation. The University of Phoenix has built a first year program that is based on the University’s formal learning goals. The courses are designed to help adult students do two things. One is the focus on the attainment of the necessary skills to be successful in higher education. These skills include oral and written communication, information utilization, and collaboration. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on critical thinking, ethical development, and metacognition. The experience helps students understand the role and purpose of the education they have come back to college to attain, beyond the credential that they desire. This presentation will showcase the components of University of Phoenix’s first-year experience and the way we have used assessment data to change practice. 15-I Preparing for Success: Providing Support for Seminar Instructors Maggy Smith Dean of University College The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-7887 msmith@utep.edu Dorothy Ward Director of the Entering Student Program The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-8439 dpward@utep.edu Gary Edens Director of Student Success Programs The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-7778 gedens@utep.edu Since 1999, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has offered a three-credit hour first-year seminar as part of its core curriculum. Designed to increase students’ opportunities for academic success, the seminar, UNIV 1301—Seminar in Critical Inquiry, is taught by faculty and staff from a variety of academic disciplines. Section themes vary by instructor, but all seminar sections work to strengthen students’ academic performance, enhance students’ essential academic skills, and increase student interaction with faculty and other students. Since UNIV 1301 is different in design than the discipline-specific courses most instructors have taught, instructors receive support to assist them with preparing and teaching the course. First, instructors attend professional development workshops. These workshops include sessions on “Best Practices” and syllabus development for the seminar course. The sessions also introduce the faculty to basic pedagogical reform for the first-year student. A second area of support for instructors is through peer (student) leaders who work as members of the instructional team. To prepare for their instructional roles, peer leaders attend the Student Leadership Institute (SLI), which provides 120 hours (five hours per week) of training over two semesters in areas such as leadership theories and professional boundaries. A third area of instructional support is on-line skills modules. Two highly interactive web-based modules for time management and lecture note taking—both designed at UTEP for UNIV 1301—are available for use in all seminar sections. These modules provide a flexible way for instructors to incorporate study skills in their curriculum, and a stimulating means for students to practice key academic success skills. This session discusses UTEP’s general approach to professional development for first-year seminar instructional teams (instructor and peer leader). It also examines the procedure used to develop the on-line skills modules, and provides a demonstration of the modules. 16-C Integrating Service-Learning into First Year-Learning Communities William Oakes Assistant Professor Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Laura Vercler Graduate Teaching Assistant Purdue University (765)496-2774 lvercler@purdue.edu David Butts Graduate Student Purdue University (765)494-3429 dbutts@purdue.edu Service learning integrates community service into an academic context to enhance understanding of the subject matter as well as civic responsibility. Service learning has been shown to benefit first year students by enhancing learning, improving retention and providing a learning environment that is welcoming to a more diverse set of students than traditional courses. First year courses provide an excellent environment to integrate service learning. Involving students in the community during their first year enhances their sense of integration to their campus and local community which have been directly correlated to retention. Linking introductory courses with a service component often provides students with a broader view of their profession and its interaction with community needs, thereby helping to retain a broader set of students within the discipline. Service learning can facilitate curricular and co-curricular linkages between first year courses, such as in a learning community. The service experiences provide a tangible opportunity for collaboration and offer faculty a flexible way to integrate common themes into separate courses. This session will present the experience of integrating service-learning into a learning community for 143 students at Purdue in the fall of 2003. Service learning was used as a curricular linkage between three courses in a first year learning community, a first year seminar, engineering problem solving class and an introduction to communication course. Discussions will include how the service experiences were matched to the learning objectives of the respective courses, how partnerships were created with the community, how students were assessed and supervising and how reflection was implemented. Results will be presented from student and community partner evaluations, interviews with student participants and lessons learned by the faculty during the pilot year. 17-C From “Quick and Dirty” to “Personal Best”: Teaching Strategies to Promote Excellence in the First-Year Seminar Constance Staley Professor of Communication University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (719)262-4123 cstaley@uccs.edu The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs has experienced rapid and continuing success with its Freshman Seminar Program, which originated with one section of 19 students (5 percent of incoming freshmen) during Fall, 1991, and now serves over 500 students (50-60 percent) in 34 sections during Fall, 2003. The success of this multi-disciplinary, three-credit, academic course is due to the commitment of a core of faculty from 27 units across five colleges who motivate, engage, and support first-year students in the classroom. It is organized around broad and appealing content areas (“Crime and Punishment,” “The Mating Game,” “Life and Death,” “The American Dream,” “ColoradoLiving.com,” “Unreality,” and “Street Beat,” and “Incredible Shrinking Universe”) and taught by interdisciplinary, cross-college teams of faculty, staff co-instructors, and Junior Teaching Assistants. While focusing on their chosen compelling topic, students develop their skills in speaking, writing, teamwork, and technology; are introduced to the fundamentals of various disciplines; and work closely with faculty and peers. Freshman Seminar students spend one-half of their in-class time in small groups of fifteen with their individual instructor(s), and the other half with all students enrolled in the content area for presentations by experts within a variety of disciplines. The course begins two days before other classes with “Preview Daze” and ends five weeks early. After a brief overview of the CU-Colorado Springs program, this session will focus on specific teaching strategies and hands-on exercises for the first-year classroom. According to UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute, today’s college freshmen are less interested in academics than their counterparts have been over the last 37 years. Many first-year students are over-obligated and over-optionalized. This session will stress academic fitness and focus on specific teaching strategies that help students achieve their personal best (such as “The Ideal Student,” “Follow the Lecturer,” “Project Based Learning,” and “Visible Quiz,”). Participants will receive practical faculty training materials to enhance firstyear teaching at their home institutions. 18-C Compose Yourself Darien Ripple Learning Community Program Coor. South Texas Community College (956)688-2186 dripple@stcc.cc.tx.us The Learning Community Program at South Texas Community College has created a collaborative learning experience with a “non-traditional” approach to education that fosters a sense of community. Each individual learning community focuses on a particular theme relevant to the lives of community college students. The individual theme is approached from a multidimensional perspective that reinforces the interrelated nature of disciplines, thus introducing students to critical thinking skills and the assessment of ideas. Learning communities are coordinated studies models, which integrate two or more courses together during the same semester. Faculty members co-teach and develop integrated syllabi and assignments complimenting the subjects being taught. The learning community that will be discussed in this presentation is a collaboration between the English and Philosophy Departments and apart of the Institutional Effectiveness Plan at South Texas Community College! “Compose Yourself” is intended to get students to realize the connection between the various disciplines in college while asking them to analyze the concept of self. What defines the individual? Is solitude different from loneliness? Do material things liberate or free the individual? Why is free speech important? The students are asked to critically evaluate writers such as, Plato, Voltaire, Mill and Thoreau. And finally, they put together a project that attempts to explain the philosophical origins of self, while becoming better writers and forming a sense of place within the college. 19-E Assessing Student Development in the First Year: Results from the 2003 Administration of Your First College Year (YFCY) Ellen Bara Stolzenberg Research Analyst/Doctoral Student University of California, Los Angeles (310)825-7079 estolze@ucla.edu Your First College Year (YFCY) is the newest survey offered by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, which also houses the CIRP Freshman Survey. YFCY was developed by HERI, in collaboration with the Policy Center on the First Year of College at Brevard College. Administered to students at the end of the first year, YFCY includes questions about academic, residential and employment experiences; interactions with faculty and peers; satisfaction with curricular and extracurricular activities; and students’ values and goals. YFCY can be used as a follow-up questionnaire to the CIRP Freshman Survey, linked with local baseline data, or used as a stand-alone instrument. The purpose of this session is to share with the audience a national perspective on how students experience their first year of college and to discuss how these data could be used to influence policy and practice on their respective campuses to facilitate students’ transition to college. The session will report on findings from the 2003 national administration of YFCY, which was completed by roughly 33,000 students at over 130 institutions. Approximately 20,000 of the first-time, full-time first-year students who returned the 2003 YFCY also completed the 2002 Freshman Survey, thereby creating a valuable longitudinal data set to evaluate student development during the first year of college. General topics that will be covered include: curricular and co-curricular experiences of first-year students; adjustment to college; change in students’ goals and selfconcept since entering college; self-rated academic and personal success; and aspects of campus involvement. Finally, the presenters will describe several ways in which YFCY data are immediately applicable to first-year assessment efforts. Throughout the session, the audience will be encouraged to participate in the discussion of these findings and their implications. 20-C Mentoring the Mentors: A Validation of the Effects of Mentoring Education on the Adaptation of AfricanAmerican Students to Campus Carl Wells Director University of South Carolina (803)777-5850 wellscr@gwm.sc.edu Joshua Gold Associate Professor University of South Carolina (803)777-1936 josgold@sc.edu This presentation will present a rationale for the development of a graduate-level mentoring course and discussion of its effects on the success of first semester African-American students. The presentation will begin with a review of the mission of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at U.S.C. and the evolution of its mentoring program. Factors that facilitated an exploration of the development of EDCE 555: Theory & Practice of College Mentoring will be presented and the emergence of that course will be detailed. That course is intended to prepare and support mentors for 1st semester students. With the course having completed its second rotation, a causal-comparative study was designed on the hypothesis that 1st semester students whose mentors participated in EDCE 555 would evidence more successful adaptation to college than those students whose mentors did not participate in that course. The implications of the results of this study for other college-based mentoring efforts will be discussed. 21-C Gender Differences in First-Year Seminars: Insights from the First-Year Initiative (FYI) Survey Randy Swing Co-Director Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)966-5312 swingrl@brevard.edu This session will focus on the different learning outcomes reported by students responding to the FirstYear Initiative Survey in Fall 2002. Over 40,000 students completed the survey at the end of their experience in a first-year seminar. The data come from 84 institutions and represent over 2,000 first-year seminar sections. These data will show that on 14 of the 15 measured learning outcomes, women credit the seminar with producing higher learning outcomes than are reported by males. These results become more obvious when explained in the context of age. This presentation will show that what is most important is what a campus does in the seminar (measured as level of Engaging Pedagogy). As a predictor of learning outcomes, engaging pedagogy is more powerful than entering student characteristics (SAT score, on/off campus housing, etc) and more powerful than course structures (number of credit hours, course themes, etc.). The lesson to be learned is that the greatest predictor of learning outcomes is controlled by the faculty who teach first-year seminars. 22-C Putting It All Together: Applying Gestalt to the Classroom Marybeth Ruscica Dir., Univ. Learning Support Services St. John’s University (718)990-6566 ruscicam@stjohns.edu Lori Murphy Coor., Critical Thinking Skills Program St. John’s University (718)990-6668 murphyl@stjohns.edu Too often, students equate learning with memorizing, and so they study ineffectively and become discouraged. This belief makes them passive learners with no control of their learning situation and, consequently, no responsibility for their failures. In order to change such attitudes, teachers must convince their students that learning effectively requires synthesizing information from multiple sources. Through hands-on activities and discussion, workshop participants will develop methods and materials for proving to their students the value of organized and selfdirected learning. These methods and materials are based in Gestalt:” The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Although most adults recognize the validity of this principle, too many students memorize individual bits of information, call that learning, and thereby miss the big picture. Therefore, in this workshop, participants will apply the principle of Gestalt to learning strategies and will leave with specific teaching techniques for use in the classroom. 23-C Service-Learning: Models for Campus and Community Partnerships Peggy Quinn Freshman Orientation Consultant The University of Memphis (901)678-3111 maquinn@memphis.edu Service learning has become an option for institutions of higher education to engage students, faculty, and campus resources in partnerships that will extend the educational boundaries of the classroom. At our institution as well as others, pilot programs are designed to promote the concept of service learning by using diverse student populations with common goals or interests, compiling assessment outcomes, and establishing support for program implementation. Understanding the value of service learning and developing the structural format for course integration is the most challenging task. This session will explore and present pilot models for service learning in freshman orientation courses restricted for pre-health, education, and honors students. An overview of research in the field of service learning will be presented as well as research specific to the pilot program. Exit interviews will reflect student and faculty perceptions of service learning experiences. Participants will analyze the concept of service learning and share perceptions of personal and professional experiences. Model formats to include goals, website, and instructional materials will be analyzed for participant feedback. Program guidelines to stress the best practices for service learning implementation will be discussed to make participants aware of the need to stress a longterm partnership with community and campus resources. Participants will engage in experiential learning as they discuss strategies for creating their own models for effective service learning courses. Information packets will include materials needed to initiate the establishment of effective service learning partnerships on campus and within the community. 24-C Emotional Intelligence and Communication Competence: Research Pertaining to Their Impact Upon First-Year College Experiences Michael Elkins Associate Professor Texas A&M University-Kingsville (361)593-2801 kfmre00@tamuk.edu Darwin Nelson Professor of Education Texas A&M University-Kingsville (361)593-2203 darwin.nelson@tamuk.edu Gary Low Professor of Education Texas A&M University-Kingsville (361)593-2801 gary.low@tamuk.edu Robert Vela Dir, Community College Teacher Dev Ctr. Texas A&M University-Kingsville (361)593-3203 robert.vela@tamuk.edu This program provides a focus on developing emotional intelligence skills and communication competencies important for academic excellence. The assertive communication skills ideology is utilized for the basis of this session. From the literature and research data collected at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, there is clear indication of the need to enhance the instructional strategy in the area of communication skills training designed to decrease an individual’s level of communication apprehension and increase student confidence. In collaboration with the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Education is committed to developing a research derived instructional process for first year students. This session will use a variety of presentational methods including mini lecture, discussion, and active engagement. A featured activity includes at least one analysis of a realistic critical incident (case study) with presenter and participant interaction. To foster successful outcomes during the first year college experience, our overall goal of the session is to provide a practical classroom model of communication skills that students can learn and apply to improve their decision making process. In this program, emotional intelligence is at the heart of the decision making process. Learning objectives and outcomes are to: (1) define emotional intelligence and communication competence at a practical and personally meaningful level; (2) critically assess the communication patterned behavior of students in transition from high school to college in South Texas, (3) submit a research-derived instructional process to improve communication competence of first year students, especially under conflict or stressful situations, and (4)collectively unpack the application of instructional process through at least one critical incident. 25-I Building Community While Making Change Gerald Greenfield Associate Provost University of Wisconsin-Parkside (262)595-2144ext2261 gerald.greenfield@uwp.edu Steve McLaughlin Associate Vice Chancellor University of Wisconsin-Parkside (262)595-2598 stephen.mclaughlin@uwp.edu Michele Gee Associate Professor of Business University of Wisconsin-Parkside (262)595-2304 michele.gee@uwp.edu The prospect of change provokes ripples of concern on college campuses, especially during times of budgetary constraints. Spring semester 2002, marked by a climate of sharply declining state financial support and rising stress levels among faculty and staff, seemed an inauspicious moment for University of WisconsinParkside to join in the initial phase of the national project now known as Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year. Our initial task, which at the time seemed little more than a necessary preliminary to the “real work”, was to form a campus task force. On reflection, decisions regarding the composition of that group proved one of the most important factors in our success, a spring board to our crafting a successful proposal for inclusion as a Founding Institution for Phase II of the project, as well as for securing wider campus support for the new project. Moreover, positive “spill-over” effects from the Foundations effort have bolstered other campus initiatives. The key element was our decision to avoid calling on “the usual suspects”, that cadre of staff and faculty known for their willingness to serve on committees. Instead, taking our cue from the national project’s suggestion that the first year should be conceptualized in terms of the entire institution, our task force brought together staff and faculty from areas with little history of mutually respectful sustained discourse. The resulting conversations provided an important professional development experience for task force members. In the course of our work, we “demystified” some of the in-house language of our respective areas, came to appreciate the differing constraints of our offices, learned about our respective interactions with first year students, and discovered that we shared the goal of enhancing student success. Above all, we came to appreciate that each of our areas had a role to play in advancing that goal. 26-I Designing Companion First-Year Learning Communities at Two- and Four-Year Institutions William Fritz Associate Provost Georgia State University (404)651-1156 wfritz@gsu.edu Nannette Commander Director of Freshmen Studies Georgia State University (404)463-0576 Marissa McNamara Coordinator for Joint Enrollment Georgia Perimeter College (404)244-5044 mmcnamar@gpc.edu Maria Valeri-Gold Professor Georgia State University (404)461-0692 acamvg@gsu.edu Jeanne Clerc Assistant VP for Educational Affairs Georgia Perimeter College (404)244-5010 jclerc@gpc.edu This presentation describes the FIPSE Seamless Learning and Transfer Consortium Project involving a collaborative partnership between Georgia State, a four-year research university, and Georgia Perimeter, the primary two-year feeder college. The purpose of the project is to structure experiences in Freshmen Learning Communities on both campuses to positively facilitate the transfer process. In its second year of funding, several activities work toward the goal of seamless learning and transfer. Planning meetings occur at Georgia State and Georgia Perimeter where faculty collaborate to identify expectations of students, standards for achievement, and criteria for documentation of student learning. Faculty partnerships are created so that the first-year seminar instructor at the two-year college (GPC 1010) pairs with the first-year seminar instructor at the four-year institution (GSU 1010) to similarly structure their curriculum. Math and English instructors also partner to create a cohesive experience within the Freshmen Learning Communities on both campuses. Particular emphasis is placed on the creation of e-portfolios so that students document their academic work. Students from both campuses share their e-portfolios on line and participate in electronic discussions on various topics. Information on faculty incentives for participation in this type of project will be presented along with results of assessment activities. Team members from both campuses have identified four evaluation themes: 1) student success in making transitions, 2) portfolio contributions to learning, 3) alignment of standards/ criteria for achievement, and 4) faculty development. The extent to which project activities support each theme is monitored. Additionally, results from an informal student and faculty survey on the learning community experience will be presented. Future expectations are that freshmen using e-portfolios will have significantly higher (at least 5 percentage points) first-year retention rates than other students and significantly higher grade point averages (at least 0.2). It is also expected that transfer students using e-portfolios will pass more of their courses and have higher grade point averages than those not using e-portfolios. 27-I An Early Academic Alert System for First-Year Students Mark Campbell Department Chair Slippery Rock University (724)738-4410 mark.campbell@sru.edu This interactive presentation session will describe a multi-modal response to a system of early academic alert for first-year students with the intent of linking comprehensive academic support and retention efforts to students experiencing difficulty. During the early part of the academic term before midterm grades are issued, the Retention Services Office coordinates a Student Attendance, Performance, and Adjustment (SAPA) Report by which professors assess their first-year students with respect to attendance, preparation for class, class achievement, and demonstration of appropriate study skills. Data regarding individual students then prompt interventions by academic advisors, First-Year Studies instructors, coaches, housing personnel, and academic support professionals. As a result of SAPA data and with coordination from various university offices and personnel, students identified as possibly experiencing academic difficulty are referred in a timely manner to an array of academic services including academic advisement, free peer individual and group tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions, and a series of college skills workshops (i.e., time management, note-taking, memory skills, test preparation). Tracking and assessment provide evidence of interventions and resulting student outcomes. The presenter will not only describe the process, timeline, and content of the SAPA reporting system, but will also explain the coordinated response system by which professional feedback becomes linked with retention programming efforts like tutoring and advisement. Attention will focus upon the assessment and documentation employed throughout the SAPA reporting system, particularly regarding rates of student citations, frequency of interventions, and associated student outcomes. The connection between the First-Year Studies classroom and the attendance, performance, and adjustment data will also be explored. The presenter will provide copies of the brief computer-scanned SAPA instrument and will share relevant historical program data and suggestions for the implementation of such programming in other settings. 28-I Proactive Approach to Retention via the First-Year Experience Seminar Bernita Sims-Tucker Director of Retention University of Maryland Eastern Shore (410)651-6215 bsims-tucker@mail.umes.edu Johnie Little Counselor/Advisor University of Maryland Eastern Shore (410)651-8312 Sherri Bagwell Probation Specialist University of Maryland Eastern Shore (410)651-7972 Terra Boynton IT Data Entry University of Maryland Eastern Shore (410)651-7971 This presentation is an overview of retention activities developed at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. These retention activities included, but were not limited to: 1) academic support, 2) financial aid counseling, 3) personal counseling, 4) early alert program, 5) academic probation counseling, and 6) peer mentoring program. The first to second year retention rate jumped four percentage points to 82.3%, which is higher than the national average for a four-year public institution designated as having a liberal SAT score admissions selection criteria (ACT, 2003 data). This program was developed in four distinct phrases: 1) Creation of uniform course syllabus for the FYE course, 2) Creation of retention specialist positions, 3) Creation of referral monitoring and tracking process and 4) Creation of peer mentor selection criteria and responsibilities. Phase one: Campus-wide task force was established to develop an uniformed First Year Experience (FYE) course syllabus, established course content, goals, objectives approved by all academic departments, and the creation of a textbook to be used by all sections of FYE courses. Phase two: Creation of retention specialist positions. We hired three counselor/advisors, one career counselor, one financial aid counselor, and one counselor for students on probation. The primary goal of each hire was to provide service to students identified at as “at-risk” and/or dropout prone. Phase three: Identification of “at-risk” students by administering the Noel-Levitz, College Student Inventory (CSI). Inventory was administered prior to classes starting and data analysis was used to develop diagnostic and prescriptive student centered support programs, which monitored and tracked student progress. Phase four: Establish a peer-mentoring program, which is attached to the First-Year Experience Seminar. Peer mentor selection criteria, interview process, and peer responsibilities were established. 29-I Growing Pains and Gains Martha Carothers Faculty Director CTE/GEI University of Delaware (302)831-2027 martha@udel.edu Meghan Biery LIFE Program Coordinator University of Delaware (302)831-2027 mbiery@udel.edu The University of Delaware General Education Initiative (GEI) was developed as a result of the 1998 ad hoc Committee on General Education Report and the March 2000 Faculty Senate Resolutions. The past three years have focused on utilizing the Ten Goals of Undergraduate Education to expand and strengthen the First Year Experience (FYE). This prompted the inception of the LIFE Program in addition to the existing opportunities of the FYE. General Education Initiative website: http://www.udel.edu/ugs/gened/ Prior to the GEI, the FYE included the University Honors Program Colloquia and First Year Seminars. The Honors Colloquia, while supremely serving a select group of 500 freshmen, fell short of offering sufficient opportunity for the remaining 3,000 students of the freshman class. First Year Seminars, sporadically distributed across departments, still neglected a large number of first year students. LIFE is an academic living-learning program. Typically sixteen freshmen form a learning community organized around several academic courses, an academic theme, and out-of-class experiences integrating the courses and themes. Each cluster has a Peer Mentor, advanced undergraduate student, who helps freshmen make the adjustment to academic life of the University, facilitates activities, and in general, ensures seriousness of purpose and academic quality in the co-curricular experiences of LIFE students. Each cluster also has a Faculty Contact, faculty instructor of one of the two academic courses of the LIFE cluster, who provides counsel for the students and helps the Peer Mentor and students in the cluster explore academic issues related to the cluster theme. Based on assessment evidence and the GEI directive to expand first year opportunities, LIFE cluster variations were piloted in the fall of 2003 to include major specific and thematic Freshman English courses, and Honors, undeclared, provisional, off campus residence students. 30-C Effective Learning Strategies for Supplemental Instruction (SI) Sessions Maureen Hurley Associate Director University of Missouri-Kansas City (816)235-5557 hurleym@umkc.edu Sandra Zerger SI Campus Coordinator University of Missouri-Kansas City Supplemental Instruction (SI), developed by Dr. Deanna Martin in 1973 at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, is an academic assistance program which increases student performance and retention. In a report from the Association of American Universities and The Pew Charitable Trusts (2003), David T. Conley asserts that there is a big gap between expectations for success in high school and success in college. He says, “Even the best, brightest, and most diligent high school students who easily meet admission requirements may find themselves struggling in entry-level courses. They may be eligible for admission and still not be prepared to succeed” (8). The contributors to this report feel that American education has used specific high school courses and ACT/SAT scores as standards of college readiness rather than habits of the mind that students need to bring with them. Rather than specific content knowledge, these habits of the mind include critical thinking, analytic thinking, and problem solving, openness to feedback and to ambiguity, and the ability to read and write at a high level. It is no surprise, therefore, that many first-year students arrive without the requisite skills or mind-set to achieve academic success in college where they must organize vast amounts of material, think critically, and prepare adequately for rigorous examinations. SI provides an opportunity and an environment in which students can work collaboratively, guided by a peer who has been successful in a difficult course, and learn the strategies necessary for success. This model involves the active participation by students to engage with the content and with one another in tackling difficult concepts, practicing problem solving, organizing information, processing key concepts, and engaging on a deeper level with material which may be new to many students. The use of explanation in a collaborative study group encourages problem solving, promotes better integration of material, and leads to deeper understanding, according to Coleman (1998). SI provides this group experience on a regular basis from the first week of classes. In SI, students explain concepts to each other and to the SI leader. Leaders organize the group study time by using appropriate strategies for their particular discipline. These strategies are different and must be presented effectively in order to assist students in grappling with rigorous course content in mathematics, science, humanities, and social sciences (Simpson and Nist 1997; StallworthClark, Nolen, and Warkentin, 1998; Bazerman 1981). Rigorous evaluation of the model suggests that SI helps to provide students both success and satisfaction. This session will provide demonstration and participation in strategies that will assist students to learn in a group setting. There will also be data provided that shows outcomes for participation in SI. Brief Bibliography Bazerman, C. What written knowledge does: Three examples of academic discourse. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 11, 361-367. Coleman, E.B. (1998). Using explanatory knowledge during collaborative problem solving in science. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 7, 387-427. Conley, D.T. (2003). Understanding university success: A report from Standards for Success. A project of the Association of American Universities and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Eugene: University of Oregon, Center for Educational Policy Research. John, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1991). Cooperative learning: Increasing college faculty instructional productivity (ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 4) Washington, DC: George Washington University. Simpson, M. L., & Nist, S. L. (1997). Perspectives on learning history: A case study. Journal of Literacy Research, 29, 363-395. Stallworth-Clark, M. T., Nolen, R.W., & Warkentin, R. (1998). Linked instruction: The contextual acquisition of learning strategies in a university history course (Presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego). (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 429874) Webb, N. M., & Kenderski, C. M. (1984). Problem solving strategies and group processes in small groups learning computer programming. American Educational Research Journal, 13, 21-39. 31-C All Aboard! Taking First-Year Seminar Instructors to New Places Rennie Brantz Director, Freshman Seminar Appalachian State University (828)262-2028 brantzrw@appstate.edu Beth Glass Assistant Director, Freshman Seminar Appalachian State University (828)262-2028 glassek@appstate.edu Freshman Seminar at Appalachian State University is a 3-credit hour, graded elective course for first semester freshmen. Over sixty sections of this course are offered each fall semester with instructors ranging from full-time faculty to student development professionals to adjunct instructors. Since the program’s start in 1987, faculty development has been an intentional component of the Freshman Seminar program. Our program uses a variety of methods to reach our instructors including newsletters, mentoring groups, monthly faculty meetings and workshops, new instructor training, and a 2-day conference that serves as a kickoff to the new academic year. We will present an overview of our current faculty development efforts along with suggestions for implementation. Additionally, the presenters will discuss assessment of these efforts, the benefits for both students and faculty, and the problems associated with this coordination including timing, funding, and support issues. We design our faculty development efforts with specific goals in mind. We hope that our offerings encourage our instructors to be more sensitive to and understanding of students’ needs, use a wider variety of teaching strategies, lecture less and facilitate discussions more, and feel more competent and comfortable regarding their teaching skills. On a more personal level, we hope that our work helps our instructors meet new colleagues outside of their disciplines, feel more a part of the university community, feel more committed to undergraduate students as a whole, and feel engaged in their work. These aspirations are what drive us to provide our instructors with many opportunities for learning and growing. It is our hope that our approach to faculty development serves as inspiration for other academic departments and schools, and takes many instructors to new places. 32-C Grading Your Student Success Course & Promoting Student Self-Responsibility Dean Mancina Professor Golden West College (562)431-5671 dmancina@aol.com In 1986 when I began teaching the student success course I developed at Golden West College, I discovered that students often felt that they were the victim of their teachers’ grading system… that they had little control over their final grade in their classes. They also didn’t understand the importance of attending each meeting of their college courses. These seemed to me like important myths to dispel in a first-year experience course. Therefore, I revised my course to be points-based. Students receive points for each assignment they choose to do during the semester. I start the semester with an activity called ‘Choosing Your Final Grade.’ Students decide which assignments they plan to complete, and set a goal points score for each assignment as well as for their final grade in the class. Then they monitor their score on each assignment, and check to see if they achieved their goal for that assignment. If not, they have to re-evaluate, which includes changing the way they prepare assignments to be turned in, choosing to do additional assignments, and/or choosing to do extra credit assignments to get their points total back on track. By the end of the semester, they see how they, not their instructor, created their grade in a class. Attendance has been dramatically improved in my classes (with accompanying improvement in performance of my students), by deducting points for missed class meetings, and not permitting make-ups of quizzes, etc, when students miss a class. The feedback I have gotten from students and from faculty who have tried this in their classes has been very positive. This system can be adapted to many college courses, not just a first-year experience course. 33-C A Placement Validity Study for Freshman Composition and College Algebra Gary Greer Director of Academic Counseling University of Houston Downtown (713)221-8101 greerg@uhd.edu Suzanne Murphy Associate Director The College Board (405)842-9891 smurphy@collegeboard.org This presentation reports Accuplacer’s Placement Validity including predictions of success using Sentence Skills scores for prediction of success in Freshman Composition and Elementary Algebra scores for prediction of success in College Algebra. Participants will learn how to interpret a validity study and will understand how to build and replicate a validity study in their own setting. Research Questions: 1. What is the accuracy of Accuplacer Sentence Skills scores in predicting grade B or grade C in Freshman Composition? 2. What is the accuracy of Accuplacer Elementary Algebra in predicting grade B or grade C in College Algebra? Method to determine predictive validity: • Gather 844 Freshman Composition grades and placement scores and submit for processing. • Gather 1089 College Algebra grades and placement scores and submit for processing. • Interpret output from ETS. Findings: Low correlations. Freshman Composition 75% correct placements (true positives, true negatives) for grade of C. 54% correct placements (true positives, true negatives) for grade of B. College Algebra 61% correct placements (true positives, true negatives) for grade of C. 74% correct placements (true positives, true negatives) for grade of B. List probabilities of success associated with a certain placement score (I have 4 tables). Conclusion: This validity study certifies our current placement scores and promotes trust and confidence of advisors and faculty in current placements into FYE courses. 34-E Constructing an Institution-Specific Textbook: Thinking Outside the Binding David Campaigne Coordinator, Univ. Experience Program University of South Florida (813)974-4555 dcampaig@admin.usf.edu Claire Brantley Acquisitions Editor Pearson Custom Publishing (813)991-7669 claire.brantley@pearsoncustom.com This presentation focuses on the goals for a freshman seminar textbook, and the strategies we implemented to achieve them. We began the process by selecting a new publisher. We then evaluated our existing text, a hybrid of mostly copyrighted material and some locally written copy. We found that in our desire to tell the students practically everything we know about the important topics, we had created a four-pound soporific. The first decision was to reduce the content by about fifty percent. We then examined samples from other FYE programs and found that most were simply old wine in new bottles. In consultation with the Director of our Reading and Learning Center, we decided on a “D-ring” binder format. This format helped us achieve our goals of flexibility, timeliness, ease of revision, and a sense of permanence for the student. We decided to include only locally produced material, if possible, including graphics and photography, and the process of developing partnerships began. First, we created the table of contents to provide organization and define our needs. Our graduate assistant was assigned to shoot several hundred photographs to fit the table of contents. The program director contacted prospective campus authors to plan their contributions. The acquisitions editor opened communications with her headquarters about materials and specifications. The entire process took approximately eleven months and included periodic meetings with a campus advisory board created to review the text. The presentation will conclude with a step-by-step review of the features and content of the book and how both relate to the goals for the course. Internal suggestions will be discussed, and the participants will have an opportunity to engage the presenters. 35-C Partnering with Upper-Class Students for First-Year Student Success Vivia Lawton Fowler Director of General Education Columbia College (803)786-3776 vfowler@colacoll.edu Chrissy Coley Assistant Dean of Student Activities Columbia College (803)786-3663 ccoley@colacoll.edu At Columbia College, Resident Academic Advisors in our residence hall for first-year students, must, in addition to helping students adjust to the social demands of college, spend at least ten hours per week in academic assistance. They coordinate study sessions and provide assistance with writing projects. The Director of the Asbury Center and the Director of General Education provide training and guidance. In return, these students receive room and board and a small stipend. Another group of upper class students who provide leadership to first-year students are the Orientation Leaders. Beginning with summer orientation, each OL is connected with a small cohort of first-year students who are enrolled in Liberal Arts 100: Foundations for Learning in the Liberal Arts. The Orientation Leaders serve as coinstructors with the faculty advisors; they also meet with their groups after the conclusion of the half-semester seminar. Student Affairs personnel provide training and reflection, and the students receive leadership credits instead of monetary stipends. These two groups play a key role in our new First-Year Student Success Team strategy. This retention strategy focuses on the importance of attendance, especially during the first semester. Student leaders provide the first level of intervention for students who have missed two class sessions in any two-week period. Subsequent levels of intervention involve faculty advisors and Academic and Student Affairs administrators. Another form of peer leadership is the more traditional peer tutoring concept. At Columbia College, upper class students staff the Math Lab, the Academic Skills Center, and the Communication Lab. This presentation will describe our current and proposed initiatives involving upper class students as peer leaders, mentors, and tutors and show how our assessment data supports the importance of upper class students providing academic leadership. We hope to learn from participants what successes they have had with similar initiatives. 36-C Things That Work: Methods and Techniques Designed for First-Year Seminars, First-Year Core Curriculum Courses, and Beyond Thomas Carskadon Professor of Psychology Mississippi State University (662)325-7655 tomcar@ra.msstate.edu After seventeen years of efforts using seven different models of FYE courses, we have identified course elements and teaching techniques that lead to successful first-year seminars no matter what: “things that work” equally well in University 101-style courses, academic core curriculum courses that serve as first-year seminars, etc. The magic is in the teaching method, not in the course content; thus there are multiple, viable options for providing a first-year seminar experience on any campus, and several purposes may be served simultaneously. This presentation includes extensive handouts, summaries, and sample course materials. We speak to: selecting and training faculty; optimal and feasible class size and lecture/discussion mix; “sure-fire” outside readings that can relate to many courses; testing methods; aids to good writing; making a demanding course a fun course; “sure-fire” papers and assignments usable in many courses; assignments for writing journals, which we consider to be the single most powerful tool; ways to increase student use of campus helping resources; innovative approaches to introducing students to cultural literacy and cultural diversity; and programs of parent contact that generate enormous institutional goodwill. Relative pros and cons of traditional first-year seminars versus those incorporated into existing core curriculum courses are considered, based on experience with each. The traditional University 101-style first-year seminar is tremendously valuable; but when for reasons of budget exigencies and/or campus politics this approach is not feasible, the use of other courses to accomplish many of the same goals is a satisfying alternative that maximizes “bang for the buck.” This work suggests ways of extending valuable teaching techniques into upper-level courses, as well. Quite often, what’s good for first-year students is good for all students. 37-C BEYOND Programming: From An Orientation Office to a First-Year Centered Community at Rensselaer Lisa Trahan Dean, Office of the First-Year Experience Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (518)276-6864 trahanl@rpi.edu Amy Copeland Dean, Office of the First-Year Experience Emerson College (617)824-8643 acopeland@alum.rpi.edu Three years ago, incoming students at Rensselaer were introduced to the Institute through a two-day summer orientation program and a Fall Welcome Weekend aimed at meeting student’s basic transitional needs – getting oriented, getting registered, getting acclimated, and developing a new network of peers. While the program received high marks from both students and their support networks, the arrival of a new President encouraged the campus community to begin “thinking outside the box” about what constitutes the first-year. From inclusion in the Institute’s strategic plan to the development of a task force, the first-year experience became an Institute priority. Today, students’ introduction to Rensselaer has been transformed and the Office of the First-Year Experience is at the heart of that transformation. Through this concurrent program, we will explore Rensselaer’s evolving approach towards first-year students, moving from an orientation-only based program, to a true First-Year Experience (OFYE). This transformation began with a redefinition of the orientation programming. From this, came the development of two new programs, each with its own distinct goals. The first being a two-day summer “informational” component, and the other being a five-day experience with an optional off-campus overnight entitled Navigating Rensselaer and BEYOND. The presenters will explore the developmental aims met by this 5-day activities-based experience centered around three themes: outdoor/wilderness, cultural/historical, and community service, as well as the BEYOND component which provides activities throughout the first-year. These experiences serve as gateway for students and their support networks to the OFYE. The OFYE staff, both paraprofessional and professional, develop relationships that foster confidence in first-year students that there are both advocates and resources in the OFYE to aid in their transition – whether related to academics or transitional issues. While the redefinition of Orientation solidified the programming role of OFYE, challenges associated with being a true OFYE still exist. The underlying framework and goals generated by the task force, while largely beneficial, has posed a series of challenges as OFYE defines its role in the first-year. Several of these challenges include defining the roles of OFYE as it relates to judicial affairs and advising, addressing development of firstyear seminars and other academic endeavors when OFYE is housed outside of Academic Affairs, and ensuring that the specific needs of the three, seemingly disparate populations are being met. By engaging fellow colleagues in discussion, we hope to both share what has worked well and what continues to be a challenge as this transformation to an all encompassing First-Year Experience continues to evolve at Rensselaer. 38-C ONE SIZE FITS NONE: First-Year Seminars in the Comprehensive University Barbara Jackson Associate Dean IUPUI (317)274-8923 bjackson@iupui.edu Joan Pedersen Career Development Specialist IUPUI (317)274-4679 jpederse@iupui.edu Robert Levoit Assistant Professor of Military Science IUPUI (317)274-0070 rlevoit@iupui.edu Deborah Grew Academic Advisor IUPUI (317)278-8641 dgrew@iupui.edu William Potter Assistant Professor Herron School of Art (317)920-2455 wwpotter@iupui.edu Two significant recent trends in higher education – the recognition that we should meet entering students “where they are” and acceptance that faculty expectations for student learning should be more carefully articulated find themselves partners in programs of undergraduate education reform, especially at complex comprehensive universities. Addressing the transitional needs of entering students presents a unique set of challenges to faculty and staff at such institutions. Public and urban campuses, in particular, are presented with a population of first semester students whose characteristics are extremely varied with regard to factors including intended major, general collegiate expectations, level of academic preparation, age, family context, ethnicity and economic responsibilities. At the same time, the faculty at many such institutions have committed to a process of thoughtful curriculum review. They have engaged in conversations which have resulted in descriptions of the general goals of undergraduate learning and academic achievement for all students at the institution. The challenge, then, is to design a first year experience program that provides an introduction to the campus-wide learning expectations but that is sufficiently malleable to address the particular needs of different types of students. This session will describe the response to this challenge developed at IUPUI, a large comprehensive urban university with an annual entering student class of 3600, which offers over 185 undergraduate degrees. A Template For First Year Seminars at IUPUI was developed to reflect campus-wide faculty agreement on learning and transition outcomes important for all entering students. Elements of this template, including the use of instructional teams, introduction of the IUPUI principles of undergraduate learning, assessment and the seven general learning outcomes for all first-year seminars will be presented. The Template provides a consistent framework for over 100 seminars offered each year. Several examples of the varied ways in which the template comes to life in particular seminars will be demonstrated, including pre-medicine, military science, honors, career exploration, athletics, and studio art. All have been customized to engage students as part of particular communities within a complex institution. 39-I It Takes a Campus to Educate a First-Year Student Phil Clem Associate Professor of Biology University of Charleston (304)357-4793 philclem@ucwv.edu Alan Belcher Dir. of Learning, Assessment, & Tech. University of Charleston (304)357-4875 alanbelcher@ucwv.edu Freshmen at the University of Charleston participate in a year-long experience designed to assess their in-coming skills in all six areas of our liberal learning outcomes, to build competency in those outcomes, and to connect the students to campus. Students participate in a freshman seminar and in three academic learning communities. Through these elements, students build their foundational portfolios in writing, speaking, and computing. With guidance from faculty and peer educators, freshmen work their way through building their skills and putting their best foot forward in earning credits toward graduation through the portfolios. Students are connected through their Living Learning Communities in which students in a seminar group stay in the same section of the residence hall along with their resident advisor and peer educator. These upperclassmen help students understand how things work at UC while the freshmen are together after class hours, able to work with each other on assignments. There are at least five persons on campus who have direct responsibility for each freshman: the faculty mentor, the faculty member in the academic learning community, the peer educator, the resident advisor, the academic major advisor, the director of student life, the director of residence life, and often a coach. These staff members communicate regularly about each individual student’s progress in the first year. A large part of our first-year process is determining whether or not students are growing and whether or not we are providing the quality of education that we believe we are. We rely heavily on data gathered from direct evidence of student work and perceptions to make decisions about changes that need to be made. In this presentation, faculty and administrative staff involved will describe how the complete package came to be, how it is working, and what the next steps for improvement will be. 40-I The Science Learning Community: Reshaping Recruitment and Retention for Underrepresented Students Sherona Garrett-Ruffin Project Director Kent State University (330)672-6364 sgarrett@kent.edu Donna Martsolf Associate Professor Kent State University (330)672-8822 dmartsol@kent.edu In August of 2002, Kent State University established its first learning community for freshman biology and nursing students. The aim of the community was to increase the number of underrepresented students successfully completing science and science-related fields of study. In a broader context, the SLC was instituted in an effort to address student disengagement by connecting students with individuals (both students, faculty and student affairs professionals) with similar interests and goals. The SLC was composed of twenty students from populations underrepresented in science and nursing: women, minorities and first-generation college bound students. The community included male and female students. The SLC utilized a recruitment strategy aimed at identifying academically talented students, who indicated a propensity toward the ideals and mission of the SLC. Academic Requirements Science Learning Community students were required to enroll in the specific courses. The biology labs, university orientation and English courses were tailored to fit the needs of the SLC students. Residential Requirements All SLC students resided in the same residence hall and engaged in co-curricular activities. The co-curricular activities included social and academic components designed to facilitate both personal growth and community. Community Obligations The SLC students were required to sign a contract indicating their agreement to actively participate in weekly mandatory supplemental instruction sessions and co-curricular activities. IMPLICATIONS The SLC provided an opportunity to: learn about the challenges of collaboration between academic and student affairs professionals, alter course content to address the psychosocial development and academic interest of students, develop a hybrid professional position and learn about the needs and concerns of talented academically motivated minority students. Equally as important, the SLC provided a model of diversity inclusive of ethnic minority considerations, as well as, differences in academic departmental cultures and expectations. 41-I Implementing a Successful First-Year Transition Course Sherry McCarthy Associate Dean William Woods University (573)592-4368 smccarth@williamwoods.edu Beth Tidball Coordinator of Advising William Woods University (573)592-1135 Michelle Stephens Director of Student Success & Transition William Woods University The presenters will first give the demographics of their campus and the process used in determining a need for a freshmen transition course. Evidence and data from previous years will be shared, as well as the research done to decide what type of course to propose based on information on what worked other campuses. Next, they will present how the campus designed a course that met the needs of the students and the wishes of the faculty and staff. Steps in the process of designing the course and how the topics and activities were determined will be included. Third, they will explain all the decisions that went into implementing the course on a small liberal arts campus: instructors, student mentors, time, resources, stipends, policies, etc. They will give the progress they made quickly and the pitfalls they encountered in setting up the course. Fourth, they will discuss how the course went during the pilot year, including the problems that showed up and how they were resolved. The course will be reviewed from the point of view of the students, the instructors, the student mentors and the directors. Fifth, the process of assessment of the course will be discussed showing example of student portfolios, survey results from students, instructors, and mentors, pre/post tests, and retention rates. How the data was processed and for what purposes it was used will be covered. Finally, the presenters will give an overview of the whole process of implementing a freshmen transition course and its affect on the campus environment. Changes for the future will be discussed and time allowed for questions from the audience. This is meant to be an open presentation, allowing for questions at any time and interaction with the participants by soliciting how things are being conducted on other campuses. 42-I Hitting the Mark: Targeted One-Credit Seminars for First-Year Students Kathy Hartman Assistant Professor Kutztown University (610)683-4629 hartman@kutztown.edu Thomas Stewart Associate Professor Kutztown University (610)683-4743 tstewart@kutztown.edu Kutztown University of Pennsylvania began a first-year seminar program through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1998 to target at-risk students which emphasized critical thinking, reading and writing skills. Over the years, other colleges saw the need for this first-year seminar to increase retention and student engagement in their chosen majors. At the same time, the university was under increasing pressure to create 120 credit degree programs across all majors. The first to address this problem was the College of Education. The presenters sat on a committee to develop an alternative one-credit seminar which would fit into the 120 credit requirement while also addressing retention concerns. What came out of a year-long process was a one-credit seminar for education majors which would link them early to their college and provide them with strategies and information to help them succeed. The first department to offer this course was Library Science, and students in this major are now taking the seminar, taught by the presenters. This seminar features case studies and field-specific readings and strategies, while also addressing the requirements of that major. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The presenters also developed another version of this one-credit seminar for undeclared majors which is now being offered by the Department of Advisement. This course features case studies and assignments to help students choose a major and increase their study skills across the curriculum. The presenters have developed strategies through research for a first-year success textbook to be published by Houghton Mifflin. This text highlights the uniqueness of each content area and shows students how to best read and study in that chosen field. The presenters will share teaching strategies from this textbook, course content, and the results of surveys students completed on the courses and the individual assignments. 43-I 20/20 Hindsight: Lessons Learned from the Evolution of a FYE Library Unit Laura Baker Government Documents Librarian Abilene Christian University (325)674-2477 bakerl@acu.edu The session will begin with an overview of the First Year Program at ACU and the role of the library unit within the larger course curriculum. We will introduce the key committees involved in directing the program and establishing the structure within which the library unit must fit. ACU’s FYE library unit has continuously been revamped. We will select three different versions representative of the major approaches we tried: a scavenger hunt, a simulated research model, and a course integrated miniresearch project. For each approach, we will explain the overall plan, show samples of the assignments, and analyze how effective the approach was. We will answer the questions: What did we do? How did it work? What does this mean about what we should do next? The emphasis will be on what worked, what did not, and why. Special emphasis will be given to what we did in the next version of the library unit to improve its effectiveness. As we analyze how the library units worked, we will draw conclusions about how students learn, what they need to know, and how best to teach it. We will develop a list of principles that contribute to a successful library program. By sharing our experiences, we will enable others to benefit from our journey and to gain the lessons learned without having to repeat our learning process. 44-I First-Year Students as Family: Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Oklahoma Alice Lanning Director of Freshman Programs University of Oklahoma, Norman (405)325-3967 alanning@ou.edu From the summer program for new students and their families featuring individualized assessment, advising, and pre-enrollment, through experiences at Camp Crimson, a three-day immersion into campus community-building for first-year students, into New Sooner Orientation, a four-day welcome and information blitz for students and their parents immediately prior to the start of fall classes, new University of Oklahoma students hear the phrase “the OU family” and witness evidence of the importance of family as it relates to all members of the campus community. Among the programs highlighted in this presentation are: the President’s Opening Academic Convocation for new students and their families, first-year student residence hall assignments with suite-mate pairings that encourage diversity exploration and understanding, Faculty-In-Residence couples and their families who live with students in each first-year residence hall, the FYE Gateway to College Learning course that is designed to facilitate a successful transition from high school to college learning through small family group activities within the class, the OU Cousins program that matches international students with OU student “cousins” who help international students understand local customs and participate in local cultural events, and service opportunities that encourage students to give back to the larger family community in which they now live and study. Students participate in a large family lifestyle that will serve them well when they graduate and move to new communities in which they will live and work. Particular components of the FYE course designed to reinforce the family construct and help bond students to the institution as future graduates will be presented. Wrap-up discussion will include time for questions as well as opportunity for participants to share ideas. Higher first-year grades and increasing retention percentages among first-year students attest to the fact that the emphasis on family at the University of Oklahoma has produced excellent results. 45-R First-Year Service-Learning Experiences B. Cole Bennett Assistant Professor, English Abilene Christian University (325)673-9601 cole.bennett@acu.edu I will encourage discussion in this roundtable on service-learning in general, its application specifically to first-year classes, and the particulars therein, including logistics, the overcoming of noblesse oblige, the value and parameters of rich reflection techniques, and assessment. All attendees will be encouraged to share successes, failures, ideas, concerns, syllabi, or any other thoughts pertaining to the incorporating of servicelearning in this class. 46-R Residential Learning Communities William Thompson Director of Mayo College Texas A&M – Commerce (903)886-5876 wt@tamu-commerce.edu Since this will be a roundtable discussion, those who participate will provide first-hand accounts of their experiences with residential learning communities. As chair of the session I will provide information on Mayo College, how it eases the transition from high school to college and some of the things we have learned through four years of operation. 47-R Classrooms That Inspire Student Learning: Eight Conditions That Make a Difference Beverly Dolinsky Dean of Arts and Sciences Endicott College (978)232-2194 bdolinsk@endicott.edu A primary objective of the First-Year Seminar is to provide a foundation of skills and knowledge that allows for a successful transition into higher education. The students we teach are diverse, our methods varied, and our faculty multidisciplinary. Yet we all attempt to foster a learning environment that allows students to become connected to the learning and college experience. The purpose of this round table is to discuss the strategies used to promote student connections to their learning and to their institution of higher education. Is there a type of professor best suited for this job? What teaching strategies/methods are guaranteed to help create this connection at your institution? What must we provide students to help make this connection? Detailed handouts will be provided regarding faculty resources to help foster the foundational skills and knowledge that creates a students connection to their learning and higher education. A lively, diverse discussion is anticipated. 48-R Introducing Research Methods into the First-Year Seminar Carlos Hernandez Associate Director, First Year Programs Pace University (212)346-1219 chernandez@pace.edu Almost every academic discipline has an advanced course in its curriculum devoted to “Research Methodologies.” Such a course covers general research practices, as well as methods particular to the discipline. They touch upon both practical topics, such as confirming the validity of sources and conventions for documenting evidence, as well as more philosophical topics, such as the outstanding questions and current debates in the discipline. These courses often occur late in a student’s academic development: as a senior-level class, if not graduatelevel. But what if, from the specific tenets of research methods courses, we extracted generalized practices that apply to all students, and used such a course -- an Introduction to University-Level Research -- as the foundational basis for college-level learning? In such a model, higher education would be presented to students as a place where they come to conduct research in a variety of fields before they choose an area of specialization. Once they specialize, of course, the research they conduct will be much more intense and focused. In this model, however, the First Year Seminar would provide them the general ability to harness resources and work collaboratively with professors and other students in order to gain expertise in virtually any field of inquiry. Such an approach would, by definition, enforce the value of a liberal education and communicate the importance of preparing for a lifetime of learning, while also providing students with practical help on topics usually covered in First Year Seminars, such as study skills, time management, library use and academic integrity. Of course, this model would still need to prepare students to the social exigencies of college life. But by becoming an Introduction to College-Level Research, FYE seminars will not only gain more faculty support, but better serve students, by providing them a holistic and cross-disciplinary model for independent learning. 49-R The Cycle of the First-Year Experience: From Theory to Practice Jimmie Gahagan Coor. of Student Learning Initiatives University of South Carolina (803)777-1445 jdgahag1@gwm.sc.edu The cycle of the first-year experience developed by Stuart Hunter and Jimmie Gahagan, provides a framework for examining the developmental changes that occur in students during their first college year. We believe first-year students face similar challenges and issues at the same time each year. Therefore applying the cycle of the first-year experience in developing new programs and initiatives can help increase student learning and engagement. In the first part of the presentation I will examine current student development, retention, and student learning theory. The work of Astin, Perry, Chickering, and Baxter-Magolda supports the cycle of the first-year experience. We will briefly look at each theory and its implication for the first college year. In the second part of the presentation I will explain the four categories of the cycle: transition, establishment, new beginnings, and making commitments and the issues students face. The third section of the presentation allows session participants to break into small groups and discuss how to apply the cycle on their campuses. The question of what difference this makes in our work will be addressed. Finally each group will summarize their discussion and I will make some wrap-up comments and take questions. 50-R 3 Cs of Implementing First-Year Experience Programs Nadine Jenkins VP for Enrollment Management Sul Ross State University (432)837-8432 njenkins@sulross.edu A panel led discussion regarding the challenges faced in implementing a new first year experience problem. This interdisciplinary panel has been engaged in the development of a first year experience program will address the “What, How, and Why” of their experiences. Highlighted in this presentation will be a focused discussion around these themes: Communication, Collaboration, Collegiality. These guiding principles represent the major challenges during the development and implementation of first year experience program. This panel discussion will promoted group interaction and will culminate with a listing of how to overcome some or the challenges cited. This roundtable discussion will be practical and germane to any college or university interested in pursuing a new first year experience program A Roundtable discussion will include the following items: (1) Buy in from institution - Presentation by Randy Swing - Establish “Faculty/SS” committee - Deans/Department head approval (2) Curriculum Development - Syllabus - PSY 1101 - Fundamentals of Learning (course 1- credit) - Book -vs- no Book - 8 week vs 16 week format (3) Identifying faculty - student affairs - no monetary compensation - employing peer mentors (4) Objective - Mandatory -vs- Optional - what are students expected to gain from class 51-R FYE Departments as the New Kids on the Block: Lessons Learned Laura Lembo Kraus Assoc. Dir., The Office of First Year Exp. The Ohio State University (614)247-7465 gribbin.1@osu.edu Steve Crawford Program Coordinator The Ohio State University (614)247-6412 crawford.303@osu.edu Kelly Gribbin Graduate Administrative Assistant The Ohio State University (614)247-7465 gribbin.1@osu.edu Through a variety of programs and initiatives, offices and departments at OSU have been responding to the literature and research regarding the first year for college students and recognizing that “it’s all about the first year,” for quite some time. Before the creation of the Office of First Year Experience however, departments did much of their programming independently. Recognizing that so many different areas of campus shared this common goal, the Office of First Year Experience was created as an umbrella organization to link students with the college resources and university support services they will need to successful graduate from Ohio State. As the ‘new kid on the block,’ FYE had the challenge of finding its own unique niche; creating new and effective programming for first year students without stepping on the toes of already established offices with similar programming. Through effective collaboration with many of these offices, FYE has the opportunity to more efficiently and effectively reach a greater number of students. FYE has also won the support of members of the campus community, individuals, offices, departments who had not previously been involved with initiatives focusing on the recruitment and retention of successful first year students. In addition to soliciting buy in, FYE has also had to find and secure financial support and the establishment of a budget. This round table discussion will be an opportunity for members of OSU’s and other FYE offices to share the obstacles and challenges of establishing themselves. What have been the driving forces in making programs successful? Who have been the key players and supporters? What factors influenced the missions, vision and goals of the programs? How has the program shaped an identity on campus? What have been the financial issues of establishing a new program? These questions and more! 52-R Parent’s Role in the First-Year Experience Leslie Gloor Asst. Coor., Univ. Transitional Programs The University of Western Ontario (519)661-2111ext82682 lgloor@uwo.ca The University of Western Ontario has been adapting our practices to help not only students in transition but also parents. We recognize that when a student leaves home it is a transition for the entire family. With this in mind, we have created a very popular and successful parents program that runs as part of our Summer Academic Orientation program. This past summer we had over 3,400 parents attend our program. We have also implemented an online interactive community for parents to share experiences and thoughts with each other. The roundtable discussion would allow for increased sharing of similar programs and experiences surrounding parent programs, print and web material and outreach programs. We would like to explore the need of parent’s programs in U.S. schools and compare similarities and differences. With the format being Roundtable, I would simply use the first fifteen to twenty minutes to present what Western is doing with parents and then open the floor to discussion around topics like: summer programs, parent involvement – when to draw the line, how much involvement is too much, online opportunities, parent information sessions prior to student’s arriving on campus and then a best practices forum. I welcome the opportunity to discuss at greater length my experiences with this area. 53-R Goals, Administration, and Organization of First-Year College Seminars: What Works and What Doesn’t Jian Zhang Assistant Dean of Faculty Suffolk Community College (631)451-4058 zhangj@sunysuffolk.edu Research shows that over 75% of the institutions of higher learning in the U.S. run some kind of freshman seminar. However, not all practice is a success and the definition of freshman seminar differ drastically among institutions. There are a variety of student surveys on their first-year experience in recent years, but few forums for faculty and administrators of various institutions to share their view points, pedagogical issues, and unique institutional assessment of freshman experience. The current round table discussion will provide an opportunity for personnel of different aspects--instructors, administrators, admissions officers, counselors, and researchers-to share with each other their personal experience and practical concerns on the issues related to freshman seminar. The facilitator will start the discussion by presenting a diversified approach towards freshman seminar that the Suffolk Community College is currently experimenting. In order to increase student enrollment and encouraging full-time faculty participation, the college is offering a wide selection of freshman seminar courses, ranging from the generic freshman orientation, developmental program’s support course, special topics seminars, to various area-specific origination courses, covering almost the whole spectrum of forms of freshman seminar that the national surveys have discovered. Being experienced in administrating such variety of freshman seminar courses, the facilitator will be able to guild the discussion into a list of pros and cons of each course form in relation to some statistical information from the national research. The goal of the discussion is not to focus on any one solution to problems related to freshman seminars, but to provide a forum for the participants to share with each other their own successful and unsuccessful practice in managing and conducting freshman seminar. 54-R Research 101 Barbara Tobolowsky Associate Director University of South Carolina (803)777-5193 barbarat@gwm.sc.edu Phil Moore Director, Institutional Planning and Assessment University of South Carolina (803)777-2814 Summary: None. 55-R Getting Published: A Comparative Analysis of Accepted and Rejected Articles for The Journal of The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition Joshua Gold JFYE Editor University of South Carolina (803)777-1936 josgold@sc.edu Tracy Skipper Editorial Projects Coordinator University of South Carolina (803)777-6226 tlskippe@gwm.sc.edu This roundtable will present information on an analysis of the generation of research hypotheses, research designs, statistical analyses, and writing styles that distinguished accepted and non-accepted articles to The Journal. In addition, a review of the historical and present mandates of The Journal will be offered, with implications for future writing projects. 56-R Bridging the Gap Between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs: Building an Efficacious Relationship for Students Angela Gibson Instructor South Texas Community College (956)688-2125 agibson@stcc.cc.tx.us This presentation will first discuss the divide that happens on many college campuses and how the bridges that are built to cross this gap often do not get fully completed or deteriorate with neglect. Implications from this divide are most often felt by students, especially those in their first year and those in transition. The presentation will explore how students are affected by the problem and how it affects student satisfaction, retention, and success. Through review of research and results from surveys from different colleges the presentation will also identify where and why the most common problems occur, techniques, skills, and suggestions on how start up relationships, and how to maintain relationships and not become complacent. Additional resources and literature will be shared with participants. Participants will also be asked to share concerns, questions, and best practices. 57-R Teaching the First-Year Seminar: How Do We Motivate Students and Maximize Course Impact? Joe Cuseo Director, First-Year Seminar Marymount College (310)377-5501ext235 jcuseo@marymountpv.edu Summary: None. 58-R Completing Doctoral Level Research on the Student Experience Jean Henscheid Fellow University of South Carolina henscheidj@earthlink.net Summary: None. 59-P How to Succeed in College by Really Trying: The 19 Secrets to College Success Tracy Gottlieb Dean of Freshman Studies Seton Hall University (973)761-9786 gottlitr@shu.edu This session, which is presented to all first year students during Welcome Week activities just prior to the start of school in September, was prompted by the seemingly endless stream of faculty members who were complaining about the decorum of our freshmen students. “They come late to class,” “Their cell phones are ringing.” “They’re not studying.” The litany went on and on. To respond to these concerns, I created this presentation, “How to Succeed in College by Really Trying: The 19 Things You Need to Know to Succeed At Seton Hall.” We have performed this presentation to our students for the past two years. It’s a little bit Emily Post, a little bit Robert’s Rules, and a whole smattering of common sense. Students enjoy the presentation and often cite some of the advice during the semester. Each of the bullets is elaborated to include positive behaviors and advice. The presentation itself is assessed as part of the local questions of the CIRP, which is administered during the same Welcome Week activities. Top 19 Things You Need to Know at Seton Hall 19. Stop multi-tasking. 18. Read. 17. Use the Library. 16. Learn the lingo of college. 15. Make sure you know how to study. 14. Learn your professors’ names and titles, then use them. 13. Hand your assignments in on time. 12. Be prepared for class. 11. Be on time for class and appointments. 10. Observe appropriate classroom etiquette. 9. Be an active participant in your college experience (Leave Mom out of this!). 8. Speaking of Mom, throw her a bone and give her a call. 7. Seek help and ask questions. 6. Plan for your future. 5. Be active outside the classroom. 4. Sleep. 3. Always do the extra credit! 2. Remember that college isn’t high school with lots of recess. 1. As Woody Allen said, “Ninety percent of life is merely showing up.” Go to class! 60-P An Exploratory Program: Eighteen Years in the Building Ralph Anttonen Dir. of the Undecided/Exploratory Prog. Millersville University (717)872-3483 ralph.anttonen@millersville.edu Michelle White Director of Academic Advisement Millersville University (717)872-3257 michelle.white@millersville.edu Directed by Dr. Ralph Anttonen Millersville’s Undecided/Exploratory Program has been in existence since 1986. Beginning with 137 students and 10 volunteer advisors, the program has grown to over 300 students and 100 volunteer advisors per year. In the fall of 2003, the program received the NACADA nation wide Certificate of Merit Award. This poster session will highlight the key elements involved in the undecided/ exploratory program. These elements include a web page, videos on every major, a program design to help students raise low QPAs, and the summer training of advisors. Statistics on the retention rates, average grade point average and credits earned, and majors selected will be presented for all graduates, students still at the institution, and students who have left the institution. A major view video will be shown and will demonstrate the format for all the videos which are housed in the career services office. Samples of the summer training program for advisors will be available and the leaders of the session will answer questions concerning the actual content. In addition, the process and work with low QPA students will be available for those attendees who wish to institute similar programs at their institution. Also, the recruitment of volunteer advisors and the process of establishing a campus wide advisory committee will be available for interested conference participants. Finally, the newly developed first year seminar and its accompanying resident hall living learning experience will be featured. All poster session attendees are encouraged to ask any additional questions or concerns of the leaders as the main goal is the sharing an exchange of undecided exploratory program development and success. 61-P Effects of a Career Development Course on Career Decision-Making Jeff Reese Dir., Career and Academic Development Abilene Christian University (325)674-6400 jeff.reese@acu.edu C. Dewayne Miller Career and Academic Counselor Abilene Christian University (325)674-6400 wayne.miller@acu.edu The purpose of the presentation is to present the data on an outcome study investigating the effects of a career development course on career decision-making. The course is part of a new comprehensive career development program that all freshmen participate in, called the Discovery Program. Previous research (e.g., Orndorff & Herr, 1996) has found that all students not just undecided students need career development services. The Discovery program addresses this by providing targeted career development exercises in a freshman experience course for all entering freshman. However, for those students who remain undecided, a new course was designed to provide them additional assistance and more in-depth guidance with career decision-making, ultimately to help them decide on a major and first career. The theoretical underpinnings of the course are based on Crites (1978) and his identification of five critical career competencies: self-appraisal, occupational information, goal selection, future planning, and problem solving. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent group design compared students who completed the career course (n=31) to students in an introductory psychology course (n=77). The Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDMSE-S; Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996) was utilized due to its close alignment with Crites’ (1978) five career competencies. Students in the course showed statistically significant gains in all five areas: self-appraisal, occupational information, goal selection, future planning, and problem solving. When students were compared to the control group, the results indicated that students who completed the career course showed increased career decision-making self-efficacy in three of the areas: obtaining occupational information, setting career goals, and career planning. Other practical outcomes of the course will be discussed. For example, only 4 students remained undeclared at the conclusion of the course. Discussion of future research and ways to improve the course will also be covered. 62-P Spiritual Integration as a Predictor of Persistence at a Christian Institution of Higher Education Jason Morris Director, McNair Scholars Program Abilene Christian University (325)674-2838 morrisj@acu.edu The purpose of this study was to test three core constructs of Tinto’s (1993) Model of Student Departure in a Christian institution of higher education. In addition, this study added a spiritual integration variable to Tinto’s model that could potentially help to better explain retention and attrition at Christian institutions of higher education. It is the findings related to the spiritual integration variable will be reported in this poster session. The sample for this study consisted of first-year students who completed the Student Information Form, the Institutional Integration Scales, and the spiritual integration measure. These students were tracked for one year, from their initial enrollment in the fall semester of 2000 through the fall semester of 2001. Students were then placed into one of two groups. One group consisted of persisters, students who reenrolled for the fall semester of 2001. The second group was termed withdrawers, students who did not return for the fall 2001 semester. Survey research and quantitative data analysis was utilized to gather information and answer four research questions. The surveys used in this study include the Student Information Form (2000), the Institutional Integration Scales (Pascarella and Terenzini 1980), and a spiritual integration measure (Schreiner 2000). The integration surveys were distributed in the Spring 2001 semester, during the twelfth week of classes, to first-year students enrolled in a required bible course. This study found that the construct of Spiritual Integration was a significant predictor of student persistence. 63-P The Ingredients for a Success Course Katherine Reynolds VP for Enrollment Management Finlandia University (906)487-7324 kathy.reynolds@finlandia.edu Since Finlandia University’s inception of the Finlandia Success Seminar in the Fall of 2000, the university has seen the retention rate climb from 52% to 67% for first-time, first-year students. This was a marked improvement of 15%. During the course we cover areas such as study skills, money management, diversity issues, test-taking skills, time management, and other areas relevant to a students every day life. Along with those topics we incorporate such things as student activities, community events, tutoring, athletics, counseling services, and career services into the students required projects. Also we utilize an inventory tool, the College Student Inventory to help administration track potential attrition problems and provide early intervention, as well as aiding faculty by improving class attendance. After receiving the results of this survey we meet with all of the students individually. The course is offered for one credit and a grade is also administered. The grading is based on participation, attendance, and other assignments in class. Each class in comprised of an average of 30 students with numerous sections being offered concurrently during orientation and once during the spring semester. Instructors for the course are administrators and staff. The student success seminar has proven to not only improve student satisfaction and retention and but has served as an orientation to campus as well as to student life. 64-P A Campus-Wide Majors’ Fair: Networking to Close the Knowledge Gap Ila Schauer Professional Advisor Prairie View A&M University (936)857-2306 ila_schauer@pvamu.edu Fred Bragg Professional Advisor Prairie View A&M University (936)857-2306 Jocelyn Whiting Professional Advisor Prairie View A&M University (936)857-2306 College students change their major for a variety of reasons, not all of them good. A lack of knowledge about major requirements and job potential often results in an unsuitable match between the student’s reality and departmental expectations. The University College professional advisors at Prairie View A&M University have organized a campus-wide Majors’ and Minors’ Fair to help close these gaps and allow students to network with faculty and staff. The fair runs for one day from 9am to 3pm. It is scheduled to take place after midterm grades are posted; a time when some students are re-examining their college and career goals. The fair is also strategically planned to fall before early enrollment for Spring semester. All Colleges and Departments are asked to participate. There is no cost to them. They are to provide faculty or staff to man their booths and distribute information regarding major and minor requirements. Students have also requested that Departments provide salary ranges pertinent to their majors. Other organizations who are invited to set up booths are Student services, Career services, the Center for Academic Support (tutoring), ROTC, the Scholarship office, and Health Center. These serve to showcase student academic support. Perhaps our greatest innovation has been to invite a representative from the Registrar’s office to be available to change majors on-site. One unexpected bonus we observed was that University staff and faculty were able to network and discuss their own knowledge gaps. There is a hospitality room and lunch provided for faculty/staff participants. These help to facilitate the faculty networking. Our poster session will allow FYE participants the opportunity to discuss strategies and options for this type of event. 65-P Using Problem-Based Learning as a Tool to Enhance the First-Year Experience Linda McDowell Freshman Year Coordinator Millersville University (717)871-2388 linda.mcdowell@millersville.edu Carol Phillips Executive Assistant to the President Millersville University (717)872-3703 carol.phillips@millersville.edu Millersville University is about to complete its third year of a holistic living/learning community targeting undecided freshman. This poster presentation examines the use of problem-based learning as a tool to enhance the freshman year transition period. Problem-based learning is one of the pivotal pieces used to engage students in real-life situations they may experience on a college campus. The research topics that have been identified and integrated into the freshman seminar course include plagiarism and academic integrity, diversity, alcohol and drug abuse, conflict resolution, and choosing a major. The problems have been designed to address many of the key issues identified by the most recent research on the first-year experiences as well as ongoing assessment of the living/learning community being conducted at Millersville. Assessment findings indicate the students appreciate the interactive hands-on approach and group work required in the problem based learning experience. They find the problems to be thought-provoking, relevant and enlightening. 66-P Learning Communities and Communication: A Pilot Study Suzanne Walker Director of First Year Program Marietta College (740)376-4628 walkers@marietta.edu Chad Edwards Assistant Professor of Communication Marietta College (740)376-4588 edwardsc@marietta.edu The poster will feature graphic summaries of the quantitative data from the four measurement instruments used: 1. Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC); 2. PRCA-24; 3. Willingness to Communication (McCroskey, et al); and 4. Witcher-Travers Scale of Educational Beliefs. Handouts will include: a bibliography of sources on learning communities and issues of community and communication; copies of the scales used; and an outline of the methodology used in the pilot project and the results and implications obtained in the study. 67-P Designing FIGs and Empowering Faculty: A Bottom-Up Approach to Program Design Chris Caplinger Academic Enhancement Coordinator Georgia Southern University (912)486-7521 caplinca@georgiasouthern.edu Curt Erwin Assistant Director of University Housing Georgia Southern University (912)681-5406 cerwin@georgiasouthern.edu Genuine collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs is still the model that makes the most sense for developing strong living/learning communities (LLCs) on college campuses. To the extent that LLCs are seen as college or university programs—and not the province of just the housing office—the more effective they will be in garnering respect and institutional resources. This scenario is great if you have this kind of support, but it shouldn’t be an excuse not to seek out opportunities to develop living/learning programs if you do not have advocates in high places. At Georgia Southern University, the resources and initiative for First-year Interest Group program development are centered in the housing office. However, we have found that we can effectively recruit faculty if we demonstrate our willingness to play the role of facilitators of faculty members’ curricular objectives. We simply ask, “If you could teach a group of first-year students that had a specific interest, would that help you meet your goals in the classroom?” The response has generally been positive (a formal assessment of faculty in the Department of Writing and Linguistics will take place in January), and faculty have begun to write the descriptions for the housing assignments brochure we produce each year. For many faculty, cooperating with a housing program has gone from something they saw as part of their “service” component to something squarely as “teaching.” The good word has spread, and over a number of semesters, the program has grown, all in the midst of budget cuts and staff reductions. After discussing the evolution of the FIG program at Georgia Southern, the session will open up to discussion about the trials and success stories faced by session attendees on their various campuses. 68-P A Discrete-Time Survival Analysis of the Temporal Dimensions of Student Departure From College Mark McCallon Associate Professor Abilene Christian University (325)674-2348 mccallonm@acu.edu Duration of college enrollment is of the upmost importance to college educators. Pinpointing times when students are at the most risk of leaving college permits policymakers to employ intervention strategies to help students reach graduation. This study analyzed the departure patterns exhibited by students enrolled in a large, private church-related university over a six-year period using survival analysis methods. Three student variables were considered: ethnicity, religious preference, and matriculation status. Survival and hazard functions were calculated to determine when departure was most likely to occur. Risk for departure varied across time periods. The highest departure rates were found among students enrolled during the second, third, tenth, and eleventh semesters. Risk for departure was found to be consistently higher for minority students. Also, students expressing a preference for the Churches of Christ were found to exhibit much lower risk for departure. However, examination of the hazard functions revealed that the effect was evident only during the first five semesters of the study. No consistent difference in risk profiles was found for students matriculating with or without a declared major. The study documented the need to consider time-to-departure as a variable in retention studies. It is not enough to explore whether student departure occurs, but also a consideration of when departure occurs should be an integral part of such studies. Survival analysis incorporates time as a component of the dependent variable and proved to be an effective procedure in studying student retention. 70-P Religion: The Silent Support System for African-American First-Year Students Odelet Nance Graduate Student University of Illinois at Chicago (219)931-2297 onance@uic.edu Involvement in traditional mentoring programs, support programs, and student organizations strengthens a student’s commitment to the campus and may strongly influence students’ decisions to remain at a university. Therefore, first year African American students are encouraged to participate in campus activities in order to gain a sense of belonging. This presentation will discuss the silent support system of the African American student, religion. This roundtable discussion will illustrate the importance of helping students feel connected to their university while maintaining positive relationships and involvement with their religion and religious institutions. The paper will include the following information: a brief review of literature, discussion of research design, methodology, and research results. Implications for further study will also be discussed. Further strategies and ideas will be generated that will benefit all roundtable participants. Participants will have the opportunity to: Identify the role of religion in the life of the first year African American student. Understand specific practices in developing and implementing programs to assist students in maintaining positive on-campus and off-campus relationships. Obtain new knowledge as to the best strategies for increasing retention and academic achievement of first year African American students. Receive strategies to enhance the African American students’ college experience, academic achievement, and persistence. 71-P Integrating Service-Learning in a First-Year Seminar Kay Tronsen Freshman Seminar Coordinator Washington State University (509)335-5507 kaytron@wsu.edu Erika Kroll Undergraduate Peer Facilitator Washington State University (509)335-7212 erikakroll@another.com Background about the Washington State University Freshman Seminar program: We co-enroll a group of 15 students in a section of the Freshman Seminar course and one other general education or introductory major course, the “shared course.” In the Freshman Seminar course, students research a topic from the discipline of the shared course. Each semester 19 to 26 seminar sections are offered serving 250 to 300 students. Each of the seminars, offering participating students two elective credits, is typically led by two undergraduate facilitators. The WSU Freshman Seminar program operates from a belief that students are responsible for their own learning and that students should be actively engaged in the learning process through active and collaborative work. The Freshman Seminar Program piloted three service learning sections in the fall of 2003. This presentation will not only present what we discovered about the challenges and rewards of implementing service learning, but present how such innovations affect the engagement of our students. The students in these three sections became involved in gardening a plot of land that was used to provide food for the local Food Bank or volunteered at the Food Bank itself. Each FS section focused their research is a slightly different way: for example, one centered on poverty; another, on volunteerism in America and enlisting people for the Plant-a-row Project. One student wrote, “Putting our research into action makes it more personal and something we can relate to and feel passionate for.” Our presentation will be given by the coordinator of Freshman Seminar and by one of the undergraduate peer facilitators who implemented the course. Our poster will include an overview of the assessments we used throughout the semester. 72-P A National Survey of Career Exploration in First-Year Experience Courses Mary Hildenbrand Academic Advisor Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (618)351-0680 mhildenb@lycos.com Paul Gore Dir. Career Transitions Research Dept. ACT, Inc. (319)337-1540 paul.gore@act.org Previous research has indicated that a college student’s commitment to educational and vocational goals is increased or decreased depending on how successfully the student integrates into the social and academic environment of the college (Tinto, 1975,1993). Choice of an academic major may facilitate both the academic and social integration of students by providing them with an academic home and by introducing them to individuals with similar interests. Thus, career development would seem to be an integral component of college student development. Instructors of First Year Experience courses also seem to value the importance of career exploration activities, which is evidenced by the inclusion of such activities in widely used FYE textbooks (Gardner & Jewler, 2003; Feldman, 2000). Five elements have stood out in the research as being critical and necessary components of a successful career intervention (Brown & Krane, 2000). These five elements include written exercises, individualized interpretations and feedback, information on the world of work, modeling, and building support/networking within a chosen career field (Brown & Krane, 2000). The purpose of this study was to compare the content of career-related material, and how it is covered in FYE classes around the country to the empirically supported guidelines described by Brown and Krane (2000). In other words, how close are actual career development interventions to the ideal intervention? Attendees of the 2003 National Conference for the National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition, as well as members of an FYE list-serve were surveyed. Although the majority of respondents did include some type of career-related material within their FYE classes, the results of the survey indicated that these career interventions could be improved by including under-utilized components, which were identified in this study. A more comprehensive coverage of our findings will be presented in the poster. This study provided an indication of the degree to which current career development interventions are empirically based. This information can be used both to improve the effectiveness of current career development interventions within FYE classes, and to guide the development of new interventions. Ultimately, these improvements would lead to increased retention of freshman college students and a more informed approach to maximizing student development. 73-P Raising GPAs or Promoting Student Learning and Development? Implications for Program Planning and Assessment Phame Camarena FYE Coordinator Central Michigan University (989)774-5600 camar1pm@cmich.edu Erin Barkow Student Research Assistant Central Michigan University (989)953-4493 barko1el@cmich.edu Megan Cattrell Student Research Assistant Central Michigan University (989)779-0649 cottr1mm@cmich.edu Although raising the Grade Point Averages of new students is often touted as an indicator of success for First Year Experience programs, this project presents the argument that promoting student learning and development is largely independent of, and may be in conflict with, an emphasis on grades in FYE programming and assessment. To illustrate the major issues, assessment data from 400 FYE students are compared to data collected from a similar number of first semester students enrolled in English composition courses. Both sets of students responded to a survey about first semester experiences in the college environment and personal goals for their future college careers. Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses revealed significant differences between the two groups with FYE students consistently scoring higher on student development related indicators (e.g., the value of General Education, comfort with diversity). Most importantly, consistent with program objectives, an analysis of both the manifest and latent content of FYE students’ college goals revealed that they were less preoccupied with GPA and more concerned with “higher level” learning and student development related goals as compared to the contrast group. The categories of response for the two groups are presented to highlight the distinction between these levels of objectives. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of both the programming and assessment choices made by FYE professionals. The significance of real student learning and development is highlighted with discussion explaining how and why GPA is so often used as a false indicator of more highly valued FYE goals. The FYE program at Central Michigan University is briefly described and used to illustrate how an institutional charge to “raise academic standards” might be inconsistent with programming to raise GPA. 74-P An Evaluation of the Post-Exam Group Learning Experience for First-Year Engineering Students Tammy Pratt Assistant Director University of Missouri-Rolla (573)341-6655 tpratt@umr.edu Chris Ramsey Assoc. Prof. for Metallergical Engineering University of Missouri-Rolla The presentation will describe the factors considered in forming this pilot effort. The objectives of the Post-exam group learning experience will be presented and include: 1. To provide a post-exam group-learning experience in which students will be introduced to individual learning styles and techniques that can assist them in developing more effective study skills. 2. Link BE 10 (Introduction to Engineering) course with experiences in Math courses so as students have an increased awareness (and at least one experience) demonstrating the application of information from the BE 10 course to other courses. 3. Additionally, this experience provides an opportunity for students to work problems, review, and gain a better understanding of the math concepts while working in groups using a common exam. The design of the program and coordination challenges including the investment of time from faculty and staff will be provided. Over 80 hours of staff and faculty hours were devoted to this effort during the one week of implementation. Evaluation of the cost effectiveness of this pilot program will also be discussed. The design of the survey and outcomes will be presented. Outcomes have not been gathered yet since this pilot program was implemented September 2003. Surveys will be distributed, collected and assessed in November. Data will be recent and informative. Handouts including the objectives, design, and outcomes will be provided. Open discussion regarding the outcomes and possible transferability of this program will be welcomed. 75-P Cognitive Learning Styles and Academic Performance of Students at an Urban Land Grant University Bertha Minus Professor and Assistant Dean University of the District of Columbia (202)274-5557 bminus@udc.edu Vernise Steadman Coordinator of Retention University of the District of Columbia (202)274-6151 vsteadma@udc.edu This session will discuss a pilot project that was begun during the 2003 Spring semester. Initially, the audience will be given background information that formed the impetus for this project through an extensive review of the literature that focuses on (1)the shift in higher education from teacher-center to student-centered learning; (2)national trends including declining student retention rates and rising education costs, and the (3)need for higher education institutions to increase productivity and improve student outcomes. Information will then be provided regarding the motivation for the project and the innovation of the project. Many studies of student outcomes have focused on learning styles and academic performance of science majors, with a paucity of research on learning styles and performance of students in allied health sciences. Therefore, the goals of the present project will be shared: (1) to investigate cognitive learning styles and academic performance in speech-language pathology majors, and (2) to use the resulting data to modify existing pedagogical practices to best serve the needs of the students. The hypotheses and methodology for the project will be presented with detailed discussion of the prediction of higher semester GPAs and final course grades following the change in pedagogy; and the assessment instrument used to determine learning styles (Solomon & Felder’s Index of Learning Styles). The Evaluation of the project will be discussed along four dimensions - outcome (with-in and between- group comparisons of GPAs), process (feedback from students and faculty), impact (implications for changes in other disciplines) and data (statistical analysis). Finally, the results of the project will be shared. 76-P Opening the Gates: Supplemental Study Program for Underprepared Students Cathy Leist Director of REACH University of Louisville (502)852-8105 cwleis01@gwise.louisville.edu This presentation will describe a new initiative offered by REACH, an academic support unit, to place first-time freshmen with borderline ACT or SAT Reading scores into special course sections of general education courses rather than to place these students in developmental Reading courses. A hybrid between Supplemented Instruction and recitation, the Supplemented Study Program attempts to improve students’ transition to college and persistence in college by immediately introducing students to entry-level courses while providing intrusive instructional support. The pilot in Reading is ongoing for the 2003-04 academic year for students with ACT Reading subscores of 19 and below. This fall, 9 sections are being offered to supplement entry level Biology, Geography, Political Science and Sociology. A Graduate Student Assistant and a professional instructor in study strategies work as a team to provide instruction. This instruction includes course-specific study strategies as well as content tutoring to encourage successful completion of assignments and exam performance in the general education course. In general, all students taking a supplemented course section must sign a contract to attend the lecture class for 3 hours each week and additionally to attend a recitation style class connected to the lecture for 2 hours a week. Students will attend a total of 5 hours of class each week. Students will have no additional tuition charged for a supplemented course section, and students will receive only 3 credit hours towards graduation for successful completion. This presentation will discuss the rationale and organizational structure of the Supplemented Study Program. Handouts and examples of the Reading contracts, syllabi and instructional activities used will be provided to participants. Evaluation data will be shared from this pilot. The data will include course grades, student evaluations, and student persistence rates for the following spring semester. The program chair will focus the dialogue on alternative methods of remediation asking participants to question the pedagogy currently being used to address the issues of remediation in four-year, public institutions and the extent this instruction contributes to campus retention and persistence efforts. 77-P Service Learning and the FYE Peer Leader Janice Lung Assistant FYE Coordinator Central Michigan University (989)774-1561 lung1jl@cmich.edu Julia Anne Roberts FYE Mentor Coordinator Central Michigan University (989)854-3394 rober1ja@cmich.edu Based on the literature that established the value of service-learning as an engaged pedagogy premised on experiential education (Zlotkowski, 2003), and the goals of the FYE Mentor Program, the Mentor course at Central Michigan University requires a service-learning project. Students work with the FYE Coordinators and other mentors to identify needs in the FYE Program and then draw from course content, campus resources, and individual coursework to design a project that meets a need of the program. Past “FYE Program Projects” have typically addressed one of five themes: (a) assessment, (b) recruitment, (c) policy, (d) promotion, and (f) curriculum. One student developed a “Policies and Procedures Manual” that included the recruitment process, a formal job description, and training and development for the Mentors and a Mentor Coordinator. Another student developed an FYE promotional brochure for incoming students do be distributed at orientation sessions in which scheduling was a part. Two students worked together to design and implement assessment materials for FYE program following its first year at Central Michigan University. The service-learning project has benefited both the FYE program and the mentors who have participated. The tangible benefits that the Mentors have contributed to the program (e.g., policy manuals, promotional brochures, assessment tools) have enabled it to grow far beyond what could be expected in its first year given the resources available. At the same time, the projects that the mentors have taken on have required that they explore the purpose of FYE and the process of student development so intently, that the students gain a much deeper level of understanding than what could be expected from any other assignment. This session offers powerful implications for practice at other institutions that include peer leaders in their FYE programs. 78-P College Adjustment and Sense of Belonging of First-Year Students: A Comparison of Learning Community and Traditional Students Jennifer Ann Morrow Assistant Professor Old Dominion University (757)683-4448 jmorrow@odu.edu Approximately one-quarter of all new students nationally do not return for their sophomore year (ACT, 1999). Two common reasons that students give for not returning are: 1) ‘lack of fit’ between them and the university, and 2) lack of student involvement (Astin, 1984; Tinto, 1975). One way a university can increase the sense of belonging and involvement on their campus is to decrease the psychological size of the university (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). Learning communities are one way to do this. Old Dominion University currently enrolls approximately 600 students (out of 2000) each Fall in learning communities. Thus far, the long-term adjustment and retention of students in learning communities has not been addressed at this university. For this project, one hundred and fifty six (75 learning community and 81 non-learning community) students were compared during the summer of their first academic year. Students filled out a web-based survey that contained a variety of validated measures. Adjustment to college was assessed using measures of attitudes towards the university, academic confidence, and academic and social self-concept. Academic achievement was assessed using first and second semester cumulative and major GPA as well as self-reported questions such as approximate number of classes missed per semester and average number of hours spent studying both semesters. Sense of belonging (faculty/peer support, classroom comfort, perceived isolation) was also assessed. Intention to persist was measured by two self-report questions: Intention to return in Fall 2003 (3rd semester) and intention to graduate from ODU. Students also responded to open-ended questions that asked about their experiences during their first two semesters and their overall opinion about Old Dominion University. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were utilized to compare learning community and non-learning community students on the above dimensions. Results of the analyses and suggestions for future research will be discussed. 79-P Bring It On! Taking Learning Skills to Specific Campus Populations Steven Bradley Chief Operating Officer Success4Students (979)764-0080x202 sbradley@1questlearning.com Certain student populations have intense demands on their time, which exacerbate the difficulties of transition to college. The Corps of Cadets and ROTC program at Texas A&M University have attempted to smooth this transition by initiating an early engagement time management and study skills orientation program prior to the first day of class that was then reinforced throughout the semester in an ROTC course. The Success4Students materials were used due to the concise presentation of key concepts and the ability to follow-up with and monitor the students on line through weekly evaluations. Faculty monitored students in each course section and encouraged the application of concepts by providing a grade for completion of online evaluations. The presentation will demonstrate the key components of the program and the follow-up support. We will also present the results of GPA changes as a result of the program compared to prior year averages. The effect of key elements taught in the program and their impact on overall GPA changes will also be presented. There will be a time for participation at the end of the program to share ideas for those working with similar populations. In particular, the concepts of early engagement, reinforcement, faculty involvement and integration into a core course will be discussed. 80-P A Greener Small Liberal Arts Campaign Troy Ruland Residence Hall Director Illinois Wesleyan University (309)556-3729 truland@iwu.edu After receiving a challenge from our Dean of Students to put focus on greening our residence halls a group of students working with our Office of Residential Life staff developed greening campaigns geared to change student behavior and increase knowledge regarding environmental friendly practices within the residence hall communities. These programs focused primarily on first-year students but quickly grew into campus wide programming. Included in this program session is a summary of First-Year Experience programs occurring during our fall festival activities, passive materials, a week long program developed by students and a discussion about working with faculty, physical plants, and other outside resources. 81-P Integrating Peer Leadership into First-Year Programs William Oakes Assistant Professor Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Allison Craddock Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu James Doty Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Nicole Mattson Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Jennifer Piening Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Marcella Schmidt Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Christina Tucker Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Justin Wheeler Peer Leader Purdue University (765)494-3892 oakes@purdue.edu Peer leaders can be a tremendous asset to first-year programs. They can be used to provide more personal contact with incoming first year students. The perspectives of the upper division students are beneficial to first year students, who often readily listen to a peer leader. At Purdue University, peer leaders have been integrated into a variety of programs within engineering to improve the first year experience. These include: 1. First year seminar course led by peer leaders. This course is an optional supplement to a required lecture series taught by department faculty. The supplement is taught in a small group (14-20) format led by peer leaders. The curriculum for the small group meetings is determined by the Purdue Student Engineering Foundation, a student organization in engineering, under consultation with a faculty member in the department. 2. First year seminar course for women in engineering. This course is an optional class for first year female engineering students. A small group (10) class is led by two peer leaders which complements a lecture portion course taught by faculty or staff members. 3. Peer tutors and mentors. The Minority Engineering Program utilizes undergraduates as peer tutors for first year students in engineering. Programs through the MEP also include mentoring programs which pair first year students with upper division students. 4. Honors leadership board for the Honors Learning Community. The Honors program has its own learning community consisting of two linked classes each semester plus a residential component. A student leadership board was initiated to help manage the planning and implementation of co-curricular activities. This poster session will present models for peer involvement in the first year in engineering at Purdue University and will provide opportunities to discuss the programs with the peer leaders themselves. 82-P Starting from Scratch: Creating and Sustaining a Successful Learning Communities Program at a Large, Public Research University Andrew Koch Dir. of Learning Comm. & Retention Projs Purdue University (765)496-3618 akkoch@purdue.edu Natalie Rausch Asst. Dir. of Learning Comm. & Ret. Projs Purdue University (765)494-0969 narausch@purdue.edu This session will include a general overview of Learning Community definitions, formats, and characteristics. This will be followed by an overview of the Learning Communities effort at Purdue University. Purdue’s Learning Communities began with grant funds from Lilly Endowment, Inc. in 1999-00 and initially enrolled forty-six students in one community. This year, the program enrolls slightly less than 1,100 first-year students in twenty-five different communities. Purdue’s approaches for student recruitment and course registration, coordination with housing and residence life; faculty recruitment, roles and expectations; and program assessment and evaluation (both methods and outcomes) will be discussed. The successful strategies associated with beginning the program with grant funds and then supporting it with recurring University monies will be also be shared. Finally, an overview of the effort’s future directions, including entrepreneurial efforts that are being linked with Purdue’s Learning Communities, will be provided. This session will be of interest to practitioners and scholars who desire to learn more about and share insight on learning communities, externally funded projects, higher education-linked entrepreneurial efforts, program assessment and evaluation, thematic learning, efforts that connect the curriculum and programs that lead to intentional institutional change. 83-P The Picower Embark Program (PEP) First-Year Seminar Initiative Augustus Colangelo Director of First Year Seminars Pennsylvania State University (814)865-0381 axc31@psu.edu Noela Haughton Research Assistant, Picower Embark Prg Pennsylvania State University (814)965-9310 noelah@psu.edu Husra Gursoy Research Assistant, Picower Embark Prg Pennsylvania State University (814)965-9310 hgursoy@psu.edu This presentation is to share with the First-Year Experience community a four-year initiative being undertaken by The Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business and funded in-part by the Jeffrey and Barbara Picower Foundation. The purpose of this project is to revise the First Year Seminar curriculum for business students. The Picower Embark Program will include an active research component whose data will be used to conduct research-based enhancements to the program. The new curriculum will serve as a model for educating first-year college students in business across the nation. The proposed curriculum will link experiential learning with classroom instruction creating a synergy that: • Improves successful transition and retention from high school to college, and later into a profession in the business field • Provides personal development in the areas of diversity, ethical behavior, leadership and teamwork, and community service • Enhances the inclusion of female and underrepresented minority students in the full spectrum of business majors and careers The Picower Embark Program will enable us to enhance the current freshman course around critically important skill areas including: • Diversity in the workplace, with special emphasis on race and ethnicity • Community service including tangible opportunities for service participation • Ethical behavior in academic life and business decision making • Leadership and team building PEP participation will improve opportunities for students to meet senior faculty in a conversational setting exploring academic values, interests and career ideas. Since this project reaches every first-year business student with the College of Business, the impact is expected to be vast and far reaching. As a model to other business programs, this impact will be further extended as successes and best practices are shared at a national level Starting in the 2004 academic year, the FYS will be expanded from one credit to two as new curricular modules are added. In the Spring 2004 semester, two new modules (Diversity and Business Ethics) will be tested. This presentation seeks to provide initial results of this process, as well as share lessons learned and best practices determined thus far. 84-P “The Fictional Adult”: An Insight for Students and Faculty Alike Thomas Carskadon Professor of Psychology Mississippi State University (662)325-7655 tomcar@ra.msstate.edu We consider Robert Hudson’s little-known article, “The Fictional Adult,” to be the sweetest three pages in psychology. Hudson posits that we form our perceptions of adulthood when we ourselves are children; when we grow up, it can be a shock when the adult that we really are does not match our childhood perception of adults. The same can be said of roles and stature, like “student,” “teacher,” “parent,” “successful,” etc. How do we get our students to realize that they are “real” young adults and “real” college students -- when they still feel like kids? And are we “real” teachers, or are the “real” teachers the ones who taught us? If we do not realize the fictional nature of our image of adult and the various roles we play as adults, we may experience anxiety, inadequacy--even the impostor phenomenon. College students, first sampling young adulthood, may be especially prone to this. With a realization of Hudson’s insight, however, these feelings can be channeled into something more realistic and productive. We will share some ways to present this material to students, including a couple of classroom demonstrations to make it vivid. Unlike some of our other presentations, this one is a “one trick pony”; we will not have to go at breakneck speed to try to cover one thing after another. Expect a smaller, more informal session that proceeds at a more comfortable pace. Also expect to take home one really good insight that you can use with your first-year class -- and your colleagues and friends, too! 85-P Promoting Success, Service, and Scholarship: View of a Scholarship Program Driven By FYE Initiatives Larry Sparkman Manager of Leadership Programming The University of Southern Mississippi (601)266-6405 larry.sparkman@usm.edu Wynde Fitts Director, Freshman Year Experience The University of Southern Mississippi (601)266-6405 wynde.fitts@usm.edu With the excitement of receiving the largest single gift in The University of Southern Mississippi’s history, The Office of the Freshman Year Experience truly had its “Luckyday.” The Luckyday Foundation, based in Jackson, MS, gave the equivalent of an 18 million dollar endowment to provide a four-year scholarship program for qualified students. Our first class of scholars joined the campus is fall 2002. This scholarship program has given the FYE Office the opportunity to collaborate with faculty, staff, and community partners. The Luckyday Foundation Citizenship Scholars Program provides 100 entering freshmen with $1,000 a semester for four years, plus the opportunity to apply for an additional $4,000 study abroad scholarships. Components of the program include: University 101 & Luckyday Seminar: Students in this scholarship program must take University 101 (2 credit hours) and the Luckyday Seminar (1 credit hour). While the University 101 course teaches study skills and living skills, the Luckyday Seminar provides orientation to the scholarship program; connection between students, staff and faculty; motivation for service and involvement; defines service-learning; and promotes citizenship. Learning Community: Students are required to live in designated residence life hall areas with other scholarship recipients. This is required the first year and optional for their second year of enrollment. Leadership Development: Students will begin leadership training and providing program direction in their second year. Students will also be selected to become part of the program leadership. Service: Students will be required to complete service hours with community partners designated by the Office of Community Service Learning each semester they are enrolled in the program. Peer Mentoring: As student progress through the program, they will become peer mentors, teaching assistants, and residence hall assistants. This places students in key areas for being effective mentors. Senior Capstone Experience: Students will complete a senior capstone project which could include writing a self-evaluation report, starting a new program at a community agency, planning and going on an alternative spring break, helping compose a grant application, participating in a senior level servant leadership course, etc. Study Abroad: Ten students per year will receive an additional $4000scholarship to study abroad in their program of choice. Our conference presentation will focus on the key components of the program and the implementation of these components. 86-P Leadership Development Through Residential Colleges Tommy Sanchez Graduate Assistant Texas State University - San Marcos (512)245-2060 tommy@txstate.edu The Residential College Program at Texas State University-San Marcos consists of primarily freshman who participate in block courses, volunteer hours, and active in-hall programs. Since the programs inception, students have had the support of live-in faculty, experienced resident assistants, and full time hall directors. Thanks to the block courses, such as freshmen level English, Math, History, Philosophy and Communication Studies, students have higher GPAs. Professors say students provide feedback during class discussion, are willing to ask questions, and are generally more engaged. The block courses and in-hall experience allow students to form study groups that create strong social groups which in turn give them the opportunity to become involved in campus organizations. These students bring more innovative ideas to the hall that assist the staff in creating strong community environments as well as exciting and active hall programming. Some of the programs that Residential College staff host to produce well rounded students are taken from Hettler’s Wellness Model and also include diversity, drugs and alcohol, and health education. One instance of leadership development is the variety of Residential College students that become resident assistants (RAs). Many of these returning students felt that “Res[idential] College gave them the option to know many people so it helped in growth and involvement.” This helps to form bonds that foster leadership and in turn were responsible for the decision to become a RA. Many students return to the program because of the large social bond that exists with friends from the year before. Returning students serve as mentors to the freshman to assist with their transition to college. The returning students also believe that Residential College was the stepping-stone in becoming student leaders at the collegiate level. Ultimately, Residential College develops future leaders through academic engagement and social involvement. 87-P Targeting Mentoring Efforts: Identifying Clusters of Black Male Students Alexei Matveev Associate Director Norfolk State University (757)823-8375 agmatveev@nsu.edu Nuria Cuevas Assoc. VP for Academic Affairs Norfolk State University (757)823-2143 ncuevas@nsu.edu According to American Council on Education (ACE) (King, 2000) study on the state of gender equity in higher education, Black, Hispanic, and low-income young men lag behind their female peers in terms of educational attainment and far outpaced by white, Asian American, and middle-class men and women. Mentoring has been identified as an effective strategy to assist first year Black males in “negotiating the enormous intricacies of the higher education pipeline” (Spradley, 2001; Wilson, 2000). Nutt (2000) advocates one-to-one advising as student-centered mentoring at its best. However, individual mentoring is not always logistically practical or financially feasible and many institutions practice various forms of group mentoring. The question arises, how to balance student-centered tailored approach to mentoring on one hand and group mentoring on the other hand. One of the solutions is to divide students in clusters that exhibit high withincluster homogeneity and high between-cluster heterogeneity. Thus, mentors will be able to efficiently use their expertise and resources and tailor mentoring strategies to specific students’ needs. Moreover, clustering students with similar needs builds a foundation for establishing effective peer groups. The purpose of this poster is to report progress in a study of an application of cluster analysis for identifying mentoring groups of Black male students in one urban minority serving university. College Student Inventory (CSI) –an instrument that identifies the leading cognitive and affective indicators that may lead to student attrition – was used for data collection. Eleven CSI scales and items are used for the cluster analysis. Cluster analysis is a group of multivariate techniques whose purpose is to identify similar entities from the characteristics they possess. The K-means method is used as the clustering algorithm for the study since we have a given number of available mentors and, consequently, predetermined number of clusters. K-means clustering algorithm begins with the partition of students into a specified number of clusters. Students then are reassigned by moving them to the cluster whose centroid is closest to that case. Our preliminary results show that interpretable subgroups could be identified using cluster analysis when considering academic and counseling needs of Black male students. Mentoring clusters provide a foundation for developing tailored and efficient student-centered mentoring strategies. 88-P Brain-Based Learning in the First-Year Experience James Berry Professor of Psychology Oakland Community College (248)522-3552 jjberry@oaklandcc.edu Timothy Walter Dean of Academic & Student Services Oakland Community College (248)522-3812 tlwalter@oaklandcc.edu For the past thirty years, Dr. James J. Berry and colleagues have been interested in the relationship between the human brain and applications to the classroom setting. The decade of the 1990’s was labeled the decade of the brain by The American Psychological Association and the decade of the 2000’s was labeled the decade of behavior. The FYE setting provides the perfect opportunity to integrate these two decades. This session will use strategies such as priming, modeling, and critical thinking to allow the participants to later engage learners in more efficient and effective classroom learning and social development. The participants in this session will work through a series of exercises in which they can test the efficacy of these strategies to determine those with which they are most comfortable and believe will have the most favorable impact on their students learning. 89-P Academic Achievement and Emotional Intelligence: Predicting the Successful Transition from High School to University Jim Parker Research Analyst Trent University (705)748-1011x1283 jparker@trentu.ca Jon Duffy Research Analyst Behavioral Health Strategies (877)700-3305 jduffy@bhspes.com A common pattern throughout Canada and the United States is that the majority of high school students who enroll in a specific post-secondary institution will withdraw before graduating from the program (Geraghty, 1996; Gerdes & Mallincrodt, 1994). Since the greatest proportion of these students drop out in the first year (Geraghty, 1996; Gerdes & Mallincrodt, 1994), it is critically important to understand the factors that influence the successful transition from high school to university. The range of variables that appear to influence the transition is quite extensive. Students often drop out because of problems forming new relationships, modifying existing relationships, learning new study habits, adjusting to increased academic demands, and learning to live with increased independence (Pancer, Hunsberger, Pratt, & Alisat, 2000; Parker, Summerfeldt, Hogan, & Majeski, in press; Pratt et al., 2000). There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that mastering most of these tasks are linked with a broad range of emotional and social competencies. In a recent study examining the transition from high school to university, Parker et al. (in press) found that various emotional and social competencies were strong predictors of academic success in 372 first year students at a small Ontario university. The Parker et al. (in press) study used a model of emotional intelligence developed by Bar-On (1997, 2000, 2002), consisting of four related social and emotional competencies that influence a person’s capability to cope with environmental demands and pressures. The related dimensions consist of intrapersonal abilities (e.g., recognizing and understanding ones feelings), interpersonal abilities (e.g., empathy), adaptability skills (e.g., being able to adjust one’s emotions and behaviors to changing situations and conditions), and stress management skills (e.g., resisting or delaying impulses). The present study sought to extend the work of Parker et al. (in press, 2003) by examining the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement in a broader range of post-secondary students. To this end, the relationship between academic achievement and emotional and social competencies was examined in several different groups of first-year students attending several universities. The sample consisted of 1426 young adults (501 men, 916 women, and 9 who did not respond) attending one of four American universities located in Mississippi, North Carolina and West Virginia. All of the students were in their first year of post-secondary study and all were 21 years old or younger (within 2 years of completing their high school degree). The mean age of the participants was 18.36 years (SD = 0.55). Seventy-one percent of the participants identified themselves as White, 25% as Black, 1% as Asian, 1% as Hispanic, 1% as Other, and 1% did not indicate their ethnicity. Participants completed the short form of the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i:Short; Bar-On, 2002), a self-report measure designed to assess the core features of emotional intelligence using 5-point Likert scales for each item (ranging from 1 being very seldom true of me to 5 being very often true of me). The EQi:Short consists of 51 items that assess four broad dimensions: intrapersonal (10 items), interpersonal (10 items), adaptability (7 items) and stress management (10 items). The sum of the four dimensions indicates total emotional intelligence. Students’ GPA was used to identify two groups of students. Those students with a GPA of 3.0 or better were placed in a “successful academic group” and those students with a GPA of less than 2.0 were placed in an “unsuccessful academic group”. There were 590 students (168 men, 418 women, and 4 who did not respond) in the successful group (41.4% of the sample) and 289 students (122 men, 165 women, and 2 who did not respond) in the unsuccessful group (20.3% of the sample). The interaction between academic group and type of emotional and social competencies was significant [F(3, 2607) = 4.18, p < .01]. To understand this interaction and the main effect for academic group, separate univariate F-tests were conducted comparing successful and unsuccessful students on each of the four EQi:Short scales. The successful students scored significantly higher than the unsuccessful students on the interpersonal [F(1, 877) = 30.31, p < .001], adaptability [F(1, 877) = 14.80, p < .001], and stress management [F(1, 877) = 25.53, p < .001] scales of the EQ-i:Short. Overall, the results of the present study were very consistent with those reported by Parker et al. (in press). When academic achievement (first-year GPA) was treated as a continuous variable the relationship between academic achievement and emotional intelligence variables was non-existent or weak at best. This finding is consistent with past research (Newsome, Day, & Catano, 2000) that found little association between academic success and emotional intelligence among post-secondary students when both variables were treated as continuous variables. 90-P Reaching the Hearts and Minds of Students: Timing is the Key Brian Griffith Assistant Clinical Professor Vanderbilt University (615)322-8486 brian.griffith@vanderbilt.edu Students often enter college in moratorium, that state of psychological flux where individuals begin to question and explore options regarding personal and interpersonal definitions. According to Erikson (1959), the transition between adolescence and adulthood is the time when a mature identity is formed, upon which the future developmental milestones of intimacy, generativity and integrity are dependent. Adolescents are constructing a “personality within a social reality which one understands… that his individual way of mastering experience is a successful variant of the way other people around him master experience” (p. 89). These are formative years as students gain physical and emotional distance from parents and family and attempt to answer the big questions of life such as: Who am I? How do I connect with others? and What should I do with my life? Since 1981, the Human and Organizational Development Program have sought to “to produce competent and caring leaders for organizations and communities that are the essential building blocks of a competent and caring society.” As Vanderbilt’s largest major, the program has pioneered a four-year integrated curriculum using a Deweyian model of experiential education. Students are challenged to identify and clarify their own values, to explore their responsibilities to other people, and to participate in a vibrant learning community. 91-P Assessing the Use of a Reality Video Presentation in First-Year Orientation Sessions John Kerwin Assistant Professor of Communication Penn State University, Erie (814)898-6056 jik3@psu.edu Penn State Erie’s data on first-year retention show that failure to engage in college life, especially among commuters who remain in a family environment, is a major predictor of retention failure during the first year. Our project explored the first-hand experiences of fourteen first-year students in a videographic format. We focused on issues surrounding the high-school to college transition as these relate to academic progress, social maturity, part-time employment, and extracurricular activity involvement and residence hall life. The film is a vehicle for communicating the student perspective during first year orientation and seminar programs not only at PSU but in other settings as well. Peer reports of the first year experience should have a powerful impact and improve the ability to communicate transitional issues concerning college life to incoming students. Six males and eight females were selected from enrollees in the first-year seminars at PSU-Erie. The students include individuals of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, commuters and on-campus residents and those decided and undecided about a major field. Each student was filmed originally in an on-camera interview after six weeks at PSU-Erie. Students were queried about their early experiences of college life, their expectations regarding their first year, academic, social and activity concerns and plans. Additional filming took place the week before fall semester 2002 final exams, the week before 2003 spring semester break, and the week before spring 2003 final exams. Several on- and off-campus settings and filming formats were used to provide a portrait of each student as a unique individual. Six hours will be edited into a 20-30 minute final version with completion by May, 2003. PSU-Erie’s communications program has state-of-the-art digital filming and editing equipment and a faculty member with over twenty years experience in television and video production. The film is of the highest professional quality. 92-C Peer Leaders in the FYE Classroom: How Peer Leaders Are Engaging First-Year Students Mary Kay Skrabalak Lecturer University at Albany (518)442-5185 mskrabalak@uamail.albany.edu This session will explore the role of the peer leader inside both the FYE classroom and the peer leader seminar. Using student development theory as a springboard for discussion in the peer leader seminar has lead to an enriched experience for both the peer leaders and the students in the FYE class. The peer leader program provides peers with a rich developmental experience. As a part of the program students interpret their own behaviors and those of their FYE students based on the student development theories of Chickering, Schlossberg, Perry and Kohlberg. Richard Light’s qualitative study Making the Most of College and the results of our own FYI benchmarking survey are also used. This has lead to unique approaches in the peer leader’s teaching style. One of the major outcomes is their urgency to bring the first year student voice into the classroom. During the session a presentation of how this assessment and reflection happens will be presented. Exercises from the peer leader seminar will be presented. These exercises include assessment derived from the theories. Also, examples of how they turn this knowledge into lessons will be presented. Two of the post popular type of activities peers use includes one minute surveys and case studies. One minute surveys require getting information from students before the day of the lecture. It’s a great way to incorporate all voices in the discussion. It gives students something to invest in. They all are part of the conversation. They can see what their behaviors are like in comparison to others. Peer leaders also write their own case studies to provide students with the opportunity to evaluate situations similar to those that many of them will have to deal with during their college years. It will allow them to actively evaluate options and arrive at solutions. Many examples will be used during the presentation. 93-C Summer Reading: Engaging Students Before, During, and After They Arrive Catherine Andersen Director of the First Year Experience Gallaudet University (202)651-5804 catherine.andersen@gallaudet.edu During the spring semester, The Director of the First Year Experience convenes a small group of faculty, first year students and staff to review no more than three texts for consideration for the fall’s entering students. (The books have first been chosen for their connection to larger institution or FYE goals). For example, in an attempt to address the need to improve students’ understanding of diversity an identified in the following years FYS evaluation, The Color of Water was chosen. This years selection, Tuesdays With Morrie was selected in response to the faculty’s’ desire to enhance student-faculty connections. Consideration is also given to the readability of the text (we want to “hook” students immediately) as well as the cost and availability of the author. After the book is chosen, The Director of the First Year Experience sends a letter home to the admitted students explaining the summer reading and providing some guided questions for students. They are also directed to the web site where the previous year’s events have been archived. When new students arrive, the New Student Convocation highlights parts of the book in scenes acted by students and faculty on stage. Many curricular and co –curricular events are then planned. Events for the past two years have included panel discussions hosted by the library about the book (our president and his wife are on the panel), A Movie Night (since this years book was a made for TV movie) hosted by the Social Work Department, students attended a graduate seminar on Death and Dying (death is obviously a theme in Tuesdays With Morrie), linked course and Learning Communities shared common related readings and discussions, as well as an essay contest hosted by the English Department. The culminating event is a visit by the author. Assessment (as described above) is a critical component of this initiative. Resources (books, other universities that use a summer reading and assessment ideas) will be shared. 94-C The Assessment of Cognitive Development and Writing Aptitude in Learning Communities Mimi Barnard Director of Residence Life Education Abilene Christian University (325)674-2784 barnardm@acu.edu (This research has been presented at several national conferences, including the Perry Network, the Conference of College Composition and Communication, and the Southern Learning Communities Network Conference, yet I have not presented it to my peers who work in first-year initiatives.) I will use PowerPoint and handouts to explain my findings. I matched two sets of student groups for SAT scores, gender, and ethnicity. One group was enrolled in learning communities, and the other was enrolled in the same courses, but not connected with the learning community pedagogy. Students experienced the same curricula, but the non-LC group did not experience the added benefits experienced by the LC group. Students were pre-and-post-assessed for cognitive development and writing aptitude, using William Perry’s Measure of Intellectual Development and a standard writing aptitude scale. The data showed gains in both variables, but not statistically significant enough to make a difference. However, this model has proven to be an excellent example of how to assess learning communities. It is suggested that a longer period of time be allowed to discern a statistical difference. Retention, student satisfaction, and typical benefits were acknowledged. 95-E Utilizing Current Events and Case Studies in First-Year Programs Joyce Winterton Associate Dir. of Education Programs USA TODAY Education (703)854-5641 jwinterton@usatoday.com First year students are impacted by current issues and daily events. A national program has been implemented that helps college students understand current issues and trends. College students at 242 campuses are involved with the College Readership program that offers USA TODAY and other newspapers at residence halls and other campus locations. The USA TODAY Collegiate Academic resources support the College Readership program by providing relevant and timely information to use in courses and First-Year Experience programs. The interactive workshop will provide an overview of the Web site resources (www.usatodaycolle ge.com). These resources include weekly articles with discussion questions, polls and case studies developed in cooperation with professors in five areas--First Year, Business, Education, Health and Science and Political Science. Case studies will be presented with examples of how they are used in First Year programs. Workshop participants will recommend new case study topics and explore the potential to be case study experts. Feedback on the newly develop career feature will be sought and ideas on how it can meet the needs of First Year programs. Information obtained at the First Year Experience conference was instrumental in the development of the Collegiate Academic Web site. USA TODAY Education is committed to developing online resources that continue to meet the needs of First Year programs. This workshop will provide the two-way communications necessary to meet that goal. 96-C Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year Betsy Barefoot Co-Director Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)966-5310 barefoot@brevard.edu Stephen Schwartz Visiting Senior Fellow Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)966-5313 schwarsw@brevard.edu Randy Swing Co-Director Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)966-5312 swingrl@brevard.edu Following an introduction explaining the nature of the Foundations project and its funding, the presentation will explain Phase I, in which colleges and universities from the AASCU and CIC sector revised 6 Dimension statements and listed sources of evidence for validating these statements on their campuses. The remainder of the presentation will focus on Phase II and the 24 colleges and universities selected as Founding Institutions. We will explain the process of validation of Dimensions by comparing NSSE data to CSHE-collected data as well as locally collected data. Discussion will center on the utility of the Dimensions and Foundations process for measuring and evaluating an institution’s first year and for planning for future improvements. 97-C Teaching Critical Thinking in the First-Year as a General Education Attribute Timothy Walter Dean of Academic & Student Services Oakland Community College (248)522-3812 tlwalter@oaklandcc.edu James Berry Professor of Psychology Oakland Community College (248)522-3552 jjberry@oaklandcc.edu Over the past twenty years, Dr. Timothy L. Walter and his colleagues have developed a validated instructional program of basic critical thinking strategies that are viewed as general education attributes by many institutions. These critical thinking strategies are typically taught across the curriculum. Between 1985-2003, hundreds of students received instruction in the basic critical thinking strategies while enrolled in Freshman Year courses, academic support courses, and traditional courses at colleges and universities. The critical thinking strategies that these students have learned are those basic strategies upon which much higher level critical thinking is based. One of the problems that freshman students face is that much of what they are expected to do requires what are called “higher order” thinking skills-but most students haven’t had the opportunity to learn or refine some of the basic “lower” and “mid-level skills” upon which higher levels build. Without systematically learning these basic strategies, students struggle or fail to learn higher level skills. The presentation will initially focus on introducing participants to the intellectual model upon which these strategies are built. The participants will then see how instructors in the classroom can engage students in interactive classroom exercises which facilitate the learning of basic critical thinking strategies that are viewed as general education attributes and applicable across the curriculum to all courses. Participants will leave this presentation with the skills to teach students in all courses, including the Freshman Seminar, basic critical thinking strategies upon which higher level thinking is built and which make the thinking process more orderly and effective. Participants will learn how to teach students to apply these strategies to any information, whether written or spoken. They will specifically learn how to teach students to apply these strategies to their texts, readings, lectures, and class discussions. With the increased emphasis on the teaching of general education attributes such as critical thinking in our colleges, we have found that the freshman year course at many colleges is the perfect point at which to introduce the students to basic critical thinking strategies. This experience provides students with an opportunity to learn the strategies in a “user friendly” environment and then apply the strategies across their curriculum. 98-C Reflections on a First-Year Composition Class Darcy Schultz Lecturer University of Nebraska at Kearney (308)865-8291 schultzd@unk.edu This proposed engenders discussion from the primary mechanisms of our First Year English 101 course, Expository Writing. Since the objectives of the First Year Program emphasize students’ engagement in their university education and experiences, our discussion focuses on those components to which students actively responded. Thus, we divide our presentation into the following categories: 1) Textual Approach, Assignments, and Student Response, 2) Co-Curricular Activities, Group Presentations, and Student Response, and 3) Class Administration, Planning, and Student Response. I open by addressing a few select essays from our course anthology *Constructing Literacies*, edited by Susan Belasco, that resulted in dynamic class discussions. We will highlight passages from student papers regarding Mike Rose’s “I Just Wanna Be Average,” Paulo Freire’s “The Banking Concept of Education,” and Clara Sue Kidwell’s “The Vanishing Native Reappears in the College Curriculum.” Since the essays in this text enable students to analyze their past, present, and future literacy goals, they readily respond to the immediate relevancy of the various subject matters and approaches. The next topic concerns students’ approaches to co-curricular activities on campus that they are required to attend in small groups and then connect to the FY objectives and course readings, that they ultimately present to the class. We will provide visual aids and excerpts from some of the presentations, as well as subsequent class commentary. A sampling will include responses to Chief Richard Piociotto, a NYPD firefighter who talked about his experiences during the 9/11 attacks and a theatre performance of In the Gloaming, which dramatizes a family’s reaction to a loved one dying from AIDS. The last section includes our classroom management and administration, which was significantly enhanced by our student peer leaders, who also plan to attend and reflect on their involvement. Our peer leaders managed electronic discussion boards, served as liaisons to the student governing boards, facilitated peer critiques, organized and chaperoned social outings, and held office hours tangential to the professors. 99-C University College Models In Support of Entering Students Barbara Jackson Associate Dean IUPUI (317)274-8923 bjackson@iupui.edu Scott Evenbeck Dean of IUPUI University College IUPUI (317)274-5032 evenbeck@iupui.edu Maggy Smith Dean of the University College University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-5151 msmith@utep.edu Dorothy Ward Director, Undergraduate Learning Center University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-8439 dpward@utep.edu IUPUI and UTEP have each developed university college structures to support entering students, recognizing that their earlier approaches in entering students were not resulting in appropriate support for students, reflected in low attainment rates for students. Each institution reorganized its academic and support units for entering students, centering on the student in ways that made college entry more seamless for the students and in ways that have resulted in greatly increased student learning outcomes. The session will begin with participants articulating and sharing their expectations for their learning about a university college model, the issues with which they deal on their campuses. The presenters will then share their models for university college and highlight several features that have resulted in increased student outcomes as follows: Close collaboration with K-12 systems Close collaboration between enrollment and admissions offices and the units serving students once they arrive on campus Faculty involvement Joint positions across units and programs (centering resources on collaboration to serve the students) Curricular approaches to enhance the learning of entering students, including out-of-class experiences focused on learning Strong focus on assessment and sharing of outcomes data The UTEP and IUPUI models are different, and the presenters will share their reflections on similarities and differences in their approaches. The two campuses will also share their challenges in continuing to improve work with students. Participants, given their reflections early in the session, will be asked to articulate their vision for work on their campuses and to outline strategies for their next steps in improving work with students, particularly as that might be related to organizational alignment in serving entering students. 100-I Integrating a Library Component into a First-Year Seminar Program Joy Gambill Reference/Instruction Librarian Appalachian State University (828)262-2824 gambilljm@appstate.edu Jeff Church Instructional Technology Consultant Appalachian State University (828)262-7095 churchjw@appstate.edu We will discuss the development of the library component over the past three years. The session will begin with a description of the need for this component and the steps that were taken to address this need. The development of the library research tutorial will be described and its features demonstrated. This open source tutorial is based on the theory of reusable learning objects and can be used and customized by other institutions. In response to student feedback, a major revision of the tutorial was introduced in the fall of 2003. Students are required to complete the tutorial before coming to the library’s electronic classroom for a library instruction session. In order to assure that the students have acquired a base level of knowledge before coming to the classroom, a formative evaluation is done by using an online course management tool that allows for tracked assessment. This tool will be discussed. As the final piece to this component, students are given an assignment to reinforce library skills. Freshman Seminar faculty are encouraged to work with librarians to develop an activity tailored to the needs of the class. Examples of activities include discovery exercises, research papers, annotated bibliographies, PowerPoint presentations, etc. Library instruction sessions are designed around the class assignments. The library provides faculty training for new and returning freshman seminar instructors. Librarians use the training time to demonstrate the tutorial and to talk about how to develop effective library assignments. Some of the resources that are used for developing effective library assignments will be shared. The results of a pre-test post-test study looking at the effectiveness of the tutorial portion of this component will be given. In addition, the findings of an attitudinal survey of both faculty and students using the component will be shown. 101-I Collaboration: The Key to First-Year Initiatives Jodi Webb Director, Orientation & First Year Programs Bowling Green State University (419)372-9646 jwebb@bgnet.bgsu.edu The session will include the following: Overview of program objectives •Provide an overview of first year initiatives at Bowling Green State University •Offer examples of collaborative efforts between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs •Assist group in identifying key departments and individuals for collaborative efforts •Highlight lessons learned in relation to collaboration on first year initiatives •Provide an opportunity for idea sharing amongst participants Provide an overview of First Year Initiatives at BGSU •UNIV 100 Course •Orientation & Registration •Welcome Programs •First Year Success Series •First Year Summit •Common Reading Experience •New student publications Discuss Collaborative Efforts •Identification of key individuals and departments •Division of responsibilities for collaborative programming •The role of committee work Lessons Learned •Positive outcomes of collaboration •Challenges of collaboration •Assessment of collaborative efforts Idea Sharing and Participant Q&A Conclusion & Evaluation 102-I Developing a Comprehensive Orientation Program for a Diverse Community Mark Picus Director, Title V Houston Community College (713)718-8720 mark.picus@hccs.edu Fena Garza Associate Vice Chancellor Houston Community College (713)718-5041 fena.garza@hccs.edu Judy Cantwell Library Department Chair Houston Community College (713)718-7032 judy.cantwell@hccs.edu This presentation discusses how Houston Community College System developed and implemented a comprehensive orientation program for over 50,000 students. A Pre-registration Information Seminar (PRIS) was developed in 1998 which enabled students to complete an online admissions form and be introduced the basic information necessary to successfully complete the registration process. In 1999, HCCS received a Title V grant from the US Dept. of Education, the purpose of which was to improve the delivery of student services through the use of technology. Funds from the grant were used to develop specific orientation curriculum, which was then incorporated into an established course—College Study Skills. This course was made mandatory for entering students who were determined to be highly at-risk on a state mandated college readiness test. The course was renamed Orientation and Study Skills. Finally, using grant funds to enhance a Student Success Model implemented by HCCS, a one-credit hour course—Student Success Seminars—was developed for all students who could benefit from an orientation but did not need the developmental focus of the Orientation and Study Skills course. A series of twelve seminars focusing on such topics as “The Classroom Experience,” “The College Experience,” “Reducing Math Anxiety,” and “Returning to College” were developed as short seminars. Students enrolled in the course were assigned to a Success Team which included two instructors, an administrator, and a staff person. In consultation with the Success Team, students put together their own course from the offered seminars and received mentoring and counseling services. This program was phased in over a period of 5 years, and the five individual colleges of the HCC System were able to make adjustments to the program to meet the needs of their student population. Pitfalls in the implementation of such a large program, along with unexpected successes encountered, will be discussed. 103-I University-Endowed Freshman Center Regina Largent Dir, Shepard Freshman Resource Center University of Poland (503)943-7895 largent@up.edu Lindsay Hinton Student Coordinator, Shepard Freshman Res. Ctr University of Poland (503)943-7895 lhinton@up.edu Discuss gaining funding & preparing the donors: The University has long been aware of the importance of the first year as the key aspect; discuss public relations to donors. Developing a sell-able program: The Shepard Freshman Resource Center’s objective is to assist freshmen students in finding all the academic and student activities available to them. The Center’s purpose is to direct freshmen to the many resources currently managed by a variety of offices on campus. The Shepard Center oversees counseling and academic advising for freshmen, assists students in exploring interests in major academic areas, and works closely with those freshmen who might find adjustment to college difficult in their first days. Gain buy-in from (1) faculty by picking up onerous tasks, for example, training for advising and speaking with unhappy parents; (2) student service departments by bridging programs between academics and student services; and (3) parents providing them with someone to call. Some examples: --Freshman Alert Program: Working one-on-one with freshmen identified as “at-risk” by faculty, hall directors, resident assistants, parents, or students themselves. --Mentoring program: Upper-class students to assist first-year frosh, especially those who are first in their family to go to college. Mentors answer questions and resolve problems; focus is mainly academics: time management & organization, reading comprehension, note taking, and registration assistance. --One-to-one weekly assistance program for freshmen on academic probation. --Freshman Seminar Workshop Program: Workshops on college success skills by sophomores who assist & mentor first-year students to University culture & procedures that are frequently misunderstood or unknown. --Newsletters: Bi-weekly newsletter for freshman and a monthly newsletter to freshman parents piloting them through events and milestones. --Undeclared Students’ Advisor program: Training and assistance to designated Undeclared Advisors 104-I Strategies for Supporting Students in Mathematics/Statistics Classes Jillian Knowles Assistant Director of the Learning Center University of New Hampshire at Manchester (603)641-4155 jillian.knowles@unh.edu In this presentation I will present a short history of the development of the UNHM Comprehensive Mathematics Support Program and its theoretical rationale. I will then walk participants through a typical cycle of in-class Learning Center assessment and course exam, Learning Center analysis of these materials, in-class workshop based on assessment and course exam results, and an individual mathematics counseling session also based on assessment and course exam results. After a short report of outcomes observed to date, we will conclude with a discussion of possible adaptations of this program to other campuses. The UNHM Comprehensive Mathematics Support Program began with my analysis of the benefits and failings of our traditional mathematics support efforts and observations of the benefits of class-linked support of writing classes. This analysis led to my doctoral study where I class-linked and offered individual relational mathematics counseling to students in an introductory statistics in psychology class. Ongoing collaboration with the class instructor and frustration with poorly attended Learning Center workshops led to the development of our comprehensive program that now provides every Algebra I at UNHM and some introductory statistics students support in class and offers them multiple opportunities to access individual support. My research findings suggest that student’s sense of mathematics self develops as he/she learns mathematics in a relational context. Mathematics pedagogy interacting with relational experiences with teachers parents, peers, and mathematics affects the development of his/her basic self-esteem. Most students taking developmental courses and some taking introductory college courses suffer from low mathematics self-esteem, expressed in under or overconfidence. Our task is to help these students become conscious of their erroneous beliefs, negative automatic thoughts, and conflicting motivations (e.g., to succeed in the course but also to protect their vulnerable mathematics selves), and to devise ways to change the patterns of helplessness and failure they are embedded in. 105-I Implementing the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education - Revisiting the Process Tammy Pratt Asst. Dir., Academic Support Programs University of Missouri-Rolla (573)341-6655 tpratt@umr.edu Ron Bieniek Associate Professor for Physics University of Missouri-Rolla (573)341-7070 bieniek@umr.edu A description of the scope of academic assistance available to engineering students at UMR before the emergence of the Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines (LEAD) Program will be provided. A description of LEAD will be given explaining the learning venues offered to students through course-specific learning centers and drop-in tutoring. LEAD incorporates the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, is a campus wide directive, and is an effective example of collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. Results and outcomes, since the inception of the program 2.5 years ago, will demonstrate the effectiveness of the program for improving student/faculty interaction, collaboration, and student satisfaction and retention. Challenges in establishing new course learning centers and tutoring will be discussed which will include suggestions for improving collaborative efforts between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. Handouts will include a statistical summary of the outcomes from several of the LEAD learning centers and LEAD tutoring. Also, an outline of the multiple approaches that LEAD engages in will be shared including a detailed description of the learning center parameters, faculty involvement, and methods of collaboration and communication used. A summary of the seven principles will be distributed and discussed. 106-C Learning from “Institutions of Excellence”: A National Case-Study of Comprehensive Best Practice in the First College Year Michael Siegel Research Fellow Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)877-6009 siegelmj@brevard.edu This session will examine the findings of the “Institutions of Excellence” project, a national study conducted in 2002 by the Policy Center on the First Year of College, supported by grants from The Atlantic Philanthropies and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Drawing on case studies of colleges and universities selected to participate in the project, this session will highlight excellent practice in the first college year and provide attendees with a wealth of information on current first-year practices in a variety of institutional milieus. Thirteen schools, representing a broad spectrum of institutional types, were selected from among 130 nominees by a national panel of evaluators; the schools were identified as demonstrating “comprehensive best practice” in their approach to the first year, as supported by assessment. To assist in identifying potential Institutions of Excellence, the Policy Center developed the following criteria for selection: An intentional, comprehensive approach to first-year student education; continuous improvement driven by meaningful assessment; broad impact on significant numbers of first-year students; strong enduring institutional support and leadership for first-year initiatives; an involvement of a broad range of faculty, student affairs professionals, administrators and others in first-year programs. Lessons learned from institutional site visits, interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis, will be explored, and attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the key elements of comprehensive best practice in the first college year and the methodological approach used in conducting a study of the first year. The thirteen Institutions of Excellence that form the backdrop for this discussion are: Appalachian State University; Ball State University; Community College of Denver; Drury University; Eckerd College; Elon University; Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI); Kalamazoo College; LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York; Lehman College, City University of New York; Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; United States Military Academy; and the University of South Carolina. 108-C Impact of E-mentoring on Career Awareness and Exploration Doreen Kinkel Professor of Animal Science Texas A&M University-Kingsville (361)593-3948 kfdds00@tamuk.edu Many students in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences at Texas A&M University- Kingsville (TAMUK) come from populations that have been historically underserved. The majority are Hispanic (>60%) and are first generation college students. While students may participate in school-based career programs, they enter college with limited career awareness. Because of socio-economic constraints, many are experientially naive about geographic regions of the United States and are reluctant to relocate from South Texas. Employers have often expressed concerns about succession planning and workforce diversity. Given the background of students at TAMUK, student interest in and willingness to explore career options is very limited. E-mentoring was employed in a first semester freshman course to engage students in career awareness and exploration and as a portal to further career development (job shadowing). E-mentoring was incorporated into a career portfolio compiled as a course requirement. An online training program was used by both students and mentors. Students wrote “their story” detailing the events and influences in their lives that led them to be enrolled as animal science majors at TAMUK as an initial class assignment. This assisted in pairing students with mentors. Once students completed the training, they were provided contact information for their mentor and forwarded their story as the initial contact. Mentoring was conducted one-on-one for an academic semester. Mentors represented government agencies (e.g. USDA), industry, and private enterprise and were recruited and selected by the Program Coordinator. Periodic guidance was provided to students and mentors throughout the semester and intervention, if necessary. Three students had the opportunity to visit and job shadow their e-mentor for several days. Reflective papers indicated a high degree of impact on student career awareness. Additionally, four students sponsored to attend a professional organization conference/career fair also reported a notable impact on career awareness. 109-E The Seven Habits of Highly Effective College Students Suzanne Hays Senior Consultant FranklinCovey (252)493-0078 lynda.wilms@franklincovey.com Deciding on classes, studying for next week’s finals, choosing a major, and holding down a job to pay for it all. Balancing activities, course work, and social lives. Being away from home and adjusting to a new campus environment. Today’s college students are busy with many demands competing for their time. Are they prepared? Help your students focus on their end in mind. Provide them with the skills to succeed in college and become effective leaders—for life. Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits workshop—based on Stephen Covey’s best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—has transformed the lives of thousands of people worldwide. Now FranklinCovey Company will offer the same content specifically designed for college students. A Yale University longitudinal study showed that students who start their freshman year with a plan – an end in mind – are much more likely to complete their education and be successful for life. Touching upon several aspects of college life, the Collegiate 7 Habits builds a framework of empowerment and personal responsibility. See, Think, and Act Differently to Achieve New Results The Collegiate 7 Habits workshop helps students change their approach to their responsibilities, relationships and even problems and opportunities by: Learning to balance all aspects of college life through time management skills Uncovering and exploring a personal mission and setting goals Increasing trust levels and proactive behaviors Developing strong relationships with other students and faculty Better understanding and more effectively meeting needs and expectations of professors, family, and those people most important to you Setting priorities to achieve what matters most By accepting responsibility for their own actions, students learn to tap into their “fire within,” the motivational fuel that will enable them to create and execute a vision for their lives. Workshops that Work for You The Collegiate 7 Habits workshop is not merely a motivational event. This workshop can be used within a college curriculum course, as part of a student leadership program, for freshmen orientation and the First-Year Experience program, by residence hall counselors, and for student athletic programs. The workshop is an unforgettable experience that will have a lasting impact that will extend to post-collegiate successes. It consists of one-hour modules that can be used as a stand-along workshop or adapted to fit within an existing course. There are two ways to share this content with your students: Internally Facilitated Workshops You can be licensed to train your own students on-site. After attending a 7 Habits program and certification, your facilitator can adapt the material as needed to reflect the unique culture of your campus and can certify other staff within your organization to deliver the content to students. Custom On-Site Workshops Experienced, dynamic FranklinCovey training consultants can present these workshops at your location and customize them to address the particular needs and challenges of your group. The Message for Students – 7 Lifelong Habits The Collegiate 7 Habits workshop is based on seven foundational principles. The result: A message with impact and staying power. Habit 1: Be Proactive Take on new challenges. Commit to your college career. Initiate important contacts on your campus. Make responsibly decisions Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind Define your mission and goals in life. Plan and execute a schedule. Habit 3: Put First Things First Prioritize and take action. Don’t procrastinate on major projects. Learn to balance all aspects of your activities, course work, jobs and social life. Learn time management skills. Habit 4: Think Win-Win Have an everyone-can-win attitude, even in debates. Work effectively with faculty and roommates. Learn conflict resolution skills. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Sincerely listen to others. It will make you more effective and helps you build trust among others. Habit 6: Synergize Celebrate diversity. Discover options that are better than “your way” or “my way”in the college community. Commit yourself to service learning opportunities. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Take down-time. Renew yourself regularly in mind, body, and spirit. 110-C Academic Advising Through the University Seminar: What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been Charles Mattis Dean of the First-Year Program Abilene Christian University (325)674-2212 mattis@acu.edu Effective academic advising is undeniably linked to student persistence, improved GPA, positive influence on educational goals, and satisfaction with the college experience. In response to a Noel-Levitz assessment in the late 90’s and the work of two committees on our campus, a collaborative intake advising model between academic departments and First-Year Seminar faculty was proposed. After the implementation of the model, the number of first-year students who reported being either “satisfied or very satisfied” with academic advising rose from 64% in 1999 to 86.1% in 2000, and rose further to 93.9% in 2001. Additionally, student satisfaction with academic advising on the YFCY survey was 7% higher in 2002 than other private 4 year institutions. There were a complex array of tasks involved in implementing this intitiative including training First-Year Seminar faculty to advise multiple majors, developing sample first-year schedules for all majors to assist in the advising process, increasing the First-Year Seminar faculty stipend to include compensation for additional duties, encouraging departments to relinquish the advising task to seminar faculty, and restructuring of current departmental advising models. Other subsequent changes included modifying the seminar curriculum to more fully integrate developmental advising issues, and modifying the advising component of orientation programs. Participants will receive information to guide them in designing and implementing a first-year advising strategy which incorporates First-Year Seminar faculty. Specific topics which will be addressed are: developmental advising models, institutional challenges to implementation, promotion of institutional buy-in, reasons for the increase in student satisfaction, advisor/faculty training and development, relationship of advising to retention, rewards and recognition for faculty/advisors, utilization of peer leaders in the advising process, variations to our model which could be adapted to other institutions, and criteria for assessment. 111-C The Potential of Required Out-of-Class Experiential Activities in FYE: Promoting Knowledge, Engagement, and Empowerment Phame Camarena FYE Coordinator Central Michigan University (989)774-5600 camar1pm@cmich.edu Janice Lung FYE Assistant Coordinator Central Michigan University (989)774-1561 lung1jl@cmich.edu Andrew Saltarelli Graduate Teaching & Research Asst. Central Michigan University (989)772-9872 salta1aj@cmich.edu Kathryn Smith Student Research Assistant Central Michigan University (989)953-4449 smith1km@cmich.edu Drawing from the literature that established the value of experiential education as a transformative learning tool, Central Michigan University’s First Year Experience courses required out-of-class experiential activities as a core component. Instructors were free to modify the requirement based on individual teaching styles. However, a “Student Development Project” was generally structured so that students were required to (a) complete a range of out-of-class activities across the semester and (b) document their explorations in short written reports or portfolios. Across a two-year period, general course assessment data were collected from all FYE 101 sections. Students listed “completing out-of-class activities” as the “most valuable” experience of the course more frequently than any other single dimension of the course content, structure, or process (~ 40%). Simultaneous assessments of a similar “Personal Development Project” required in an “FYE infused” general education course confirmed students’ perceptions of the value of this out-of-class experiential activity strategy. Content analyses of student reactions to the project revealed that the structure of the activity promoted gains in knowledge, engagement, and empowerment -- consistent with the goals of both FYE 101 and the infusion FYE course. The essential conclusion from both sets of analysis is that a carefully designed out-of-class experiential component of FYE can help to (a) meet the specific learning objectives of FYE and (b) promote student development more broadly. In this session the specific rationale and structure for the “Student Development” and “Personal Development” projects will be presented. The potential value of these projects from the perspectives of the program coordinator, instructors, and student mentors will also be discussed. 112-C Preparing American-Indian Students for Successful College Experiences Jean Ness Project Director University of Minnesota (612)625-5322 nessx008@umn.edu The 1990 census reported 42,945 American Indians between the ages of 16-65 currently reside on Minnesota reservations. Only 14.5% of Minnesota’s adult American Indians have completed a postsecondary education program. Few postsecondary education and training programs effectively reach American Indian students. Major barriers exist such as poor preparation, high drop out rates from high school, living in poverty within poor communities (85% of tribal college students are estimated to live below the poverty level). Students are also often very involved by family responsibilities (Boyer, 1997). At the very least, it is fair to say that, in most cases, families do not support or encourage family members to pursue postsecondary education (Garrod & Larimore, 1997). In light of these issues, what is typically thought of as a simple problem (i.e. no child care; no gas for the car, the car won’t start) quickly becomes an insurmountable one because there is no back-up support plan. Some of the major obstacles in attending postsecondary school for American Indians are psychological in nature. The college experience is foreign and intimidating and, consequently, enormous fear is attached to attending postsecondary school (Boyer, 1997; Garrod & Larimore, 1997). These issues and more place all American Indians “at risk” in educational and employment settings. The presenter will briefly describe this statistical data on the transition, attrition and retention of American Indian high school and tribal college students in the US. She will share the history of the students with whom she has worked in the eleven Minnesota reservations and communities. She will then share a model that has been developed at the University of Minnesota-Institute on Community Integration (ICI) in collaboration with the Minnesota American Indian tribes, tribal elders and community members, the tribal colleges, and the Minnesota Department of Education-Division of Indian Education. This model has evolved into a curriculum that has been implemented in college and high school settings across the country. She will describe how the effectiveness of the model is being assessed with students as well as how the model can be implemented and/or incorporated into current freshman year experience programs nationally. 113-C Core Content for the First-Year Experience Course: Substantive, Sequential, and Student-Centered Joe Cuseo Director, First-Year Seminar Marymount College (310)377-5501ext235 jcuseo@marymountpv.edu Summary: None. 114-I Creating a Model for Student Success in Gateway Courses Ellen Belton Dean of Undergraduate Studies Brooklyn College, City University of New York (718)951-5771 ebelton@brooklyn.cuny.edu Kathleen Gover Assoc. Dean of Undergraduate Studies Brooklyn College, City University of New York (718)951-5771 kgover@brooklyn.cuny.edu Large enrollment gateway science and mathematics courses have become a major barrier to success for underprepared students at the City University of New York, and similar hurdles are faced by students nationwide. This problem takes a high toll on students’ confidence, on faculty morale and on institutional costs, as students repeat courses and change majors. At Brooklyn we realized that solving the gateway issue would require significant intervention. One of seventeen institutions of the City University of NewYork, Brooklyn has 12,000 undergraduates who represent many cultures and languages: 38% speak English as a second language, 42% estimate their family income to be less than $35,000, and 59% work regularly while they study for a degree. These students are often the first in their families to go to college, and earning a degree is a life changing event for them. Over the past three years, we have made significant progress in analyzing the gateway problem and implementing strategies to improve student performance. By bringing together faculty from introductory courses with high student attrition, we collaborated to develop a menu of practices to improve student success. Students are now provided, prior to enrollment, with information on what gateway courses will require; a bank of on-line instructional resources has been created to promote student mastery of course content, and enhanced communication between those teaching gateway and upper division courses brought about more integrated planning. Additional strategies that brought about change were a new prerequisite for the introductory course in biology; an hour a week of supplemental instruction in gateway chemistry; a contract describing computer science course content and requirements; gateway peer tutoring ; a summer science and math bridge program, freshman blocked programs that paired math and chemistry, and new on-line supplemental resources to assist students in learning course content (including SmartTutor, developed with NSF funding). 115-I Evolving Efforts: The First-Year Connections Program at Northern Illinois University Christopher Kubic Assistant Director of Orientation Northern Illinois University (815)753-1933 ckubic@niu.edu Denise Rode Director of Orientation Northern Illinois University (815)753-1535 drode@niu.edu The First-Year Connections program at NIU has evolved over the years to include new initiatives that reach more students than ever. The mission of FYC is to help students make a successful transition into life at Northern. The program includes the first-year seminars (UNIV 101 and 201), a new leadership course (UNIV 102), a phone-calling initiative, and a mentoring program. The courses and the calling program will be the focus of this presentation. The first-year seminar course has experienced steady development over the past several years, growing from 300 students in 15 sections in 1995 to 89 sections with 1,700 students in 2003. Along with that growth came additions to the curriculum, changes to the assessment process, and enhancement of instructor recruitment and training. Also in that time, the course coordinators added a peer instruction component, experimented with a UNIV class in a lecture hall with 100 students, and designed a custom-made textbook and instructor manual. Most recently, a separate course was created for transfer students, and a leadership class was approved as a follow-up to UNIV 101. From 1999 to 2002, First-Year Connections included an involvement-incentive program called Passport to Success. New students could participate in activities and win prizes through drawings. Upon assessment of the program, it was determined to be not cost effective and was replaced by the REACH program, a phone-calling initiative in which callers contact freshmen twice in the fall semester to offer encouragement and referrals to resources. This presentation will outline the UNIV courses and the REACH program with the purpose of providing participants with enough theoretical and practical information to establish or enhance similar programs. A video component will allow attendees to see UNIV classes in action and hear a REACH phone call, and relevant documents will help participants understand the approaches taken to serve students through First-Year Connections. Open discussion and questions will be encouraged. 116-I A Change For The Better: Using An Academic Seminar And First-Year Orientation to Meet FYI Outcomes at Cardinal Stritch University Debra Meuler Coordinator for the First Year Exp. Prog. Cardinal Stritch University (414)410-4136 dameuler@stritch.edu Connie Borowicz Assistant Dean of Students Cardinal Stritch University (414)410-4186 crborowicz@stritch.edu Previously incoming freshmen in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Cardinal Stritch University were required to take a college transition course called Freshman Seminar. Students found this course uninteresting and a waste of time. In response to these negative attitudes, a new college transition experience was created. Beginning in 2000, all in-coming freshmen in the CAS are required to enroll in a First Year Experience (FYE) course and participate in a mandatory weeklong orientation program. The FYE course is an academic seminar with variable content with each course designed around a specific theme or topic taken from a liberal arts discipline. In general topics evolve from any discipline offered in the liberal arts and often include societal issues. Topics are chosen by faculty who teach the section, but each course must include common outcomes such as improving students analytical and critical thinking skills, developing their communication skills and advancing their understanding of the importance of the liberal arts in their personal and professional lives. The second component our first year experience program is a weeklong mandatory orientation program. Here incoming freshmen are oriented to campus resources and facilities, learn about campus rules, regulations, policies and procedures, and through various activities begin the transition to college life. Also during the orientation students are introduced to alcohol and drug education, sexual assault education, the Myers-Briggs personality inventory, library use, computer use, as well as time management and basic study skills. During orientation students also participate in a common reading experience designed to meet goals of the FYE program. Assessment data indicate students are much more satisfied with this format, consider it a valuable experience and generally feel the program helps them in their transition to college life while improving their communication and critical thinking skills. 117-I Preparing Students for Their First Class Jon Enriquez Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Hanover College (812)866-7003 enriquez@hanover.edu Hanover College is a small liberal arts college serving a traditional-age residential population. In 2001, assessment feedback from students and faculty about Hanover’s orientation program conveyed a strong desire to improve preparation for academic work. Unsurprisingly, few resources were available, and few faculty volunteered to provide such a program. Within those parameters, the orientation team sketched out an exercise to simulate a typical classroom discussion. Two committed faculty members were asked to refine the idea and lead the discussion. Students were assigned to read two texts of representative length when they arrived, and gathered the next evening to discuss questions raised by the readings. Because the typical first-year class at Hanover enrolls 14-20 students, the students were divided into small groups, and upper class student advisors were assigned to lead those discussions. The two faculty oversaw large sessions immediately before and after the small group meetings to reinforce the pedagogical message. The experiment was successful. Assessment results indicated that most students found the program good preparation for the classroom. In 2002, the program was revised to incorporate faculty as discussion leaders. Few faculty accepted the invitation to participate, but one volunteer, the academic dean, was energized by the results. In 2003, largely because of the dean’s enthusiasm, the program was expanded further. A film on a similar theme was included, and faculty were invited to lead discussion after the readings, the film, or both. Faculty involvement increased considerably. Another expanded version of the program is slated to be the core of an extended orientation experience in 2004. The presentation will include an overview of the program and its development as well as a review of the process for leading effective change, including creating a program with limited resources, building outward from a core of committed individuals, and responding to assessment results. 118-I Bringing the Mission Into the Community: Creating a Learning Community to Promote Learning and CrossCultural Dialogue J. Michael Allen Associate Dean, Col. of Arts & Sciences Brigham Young University (808)293-3794 allenm@byuh.edu William Neal Assistant to the President Brigham Young University (808)293-3457 neal2@byuh.edu Chad Compton Chair, Dept. of Int’l Cultural Studies Brigham Young University (808)293-3627 comptonc@byuh.edu Amber Clark Student Brigham Young University ac031@byuh.edu Brigham Young University-Hawaii is a comprehensive college on the north shore of Oahu, with a student population of approximately 2500 students. The most distinctive feature of the school is its international student body, with approximately 45% of our students coming from outside the United States. BYUH’s decision to launch a Learning Community initiative emerged from two years of discussions and research about student success factors. It is also part of an institutional effort to more intentionally align resources and curriculum, driven by our mission statement. In the 2003-2004 academic year, we put together our first Learning Community experiment. It was based on many of the standard elements that characterize Learning Communities elsewhere: linked sections of classes across disciplines, small class size, experienced full-time faculty, attention to assessment of outcomes (something to which we will pay careful attention). We also decided to do something different that would make our Learning Community both reflect our student body and directly address our institutional mission by creating the conditions for cross-cultural dialogue, interaction, and understanding. We engineered the enrollment of our first Learning Community so that half the students were native English speakers from Hawaii and the US mainland, while the other half were international students—either students who were just transitioning from our English as a Second Language (EIL) program into the mainstream curriculum, or students who had come to BYUH with sufficient command of English to test out of EIL. We also hired a student of advanced class standing as a community mentor. Her task is threefold: serve as an academic mentor for all students, serve as an English-language mentor for the EIL students, and organize events that will bring students and faculty together outside of class. The response to the experiment so far has been positive—sometimes in surprising ways. 119-I The Proof is in the Puddin’ - A Mandatory Seminar Can Be Successful Shelly VandePanne Coordinator, FSU Seminar Ferris State University (213)591-2360 vandepas@ferris.edu The freshman seminar course at Ferris State University became a mandatory one-credit course for all new college students in the fall of 2002. The objective of this presentation will be to share Ferris’ challenges and successes in implementing this university-wide directive. The session will begin with a brief background of the freshman seminar program at Ferris State University and a review of the transition from voluntary course (70 sections) to a University wide mandated course for all FTIACs (128 sections). In addition to background information, there will be an overview of FSU’s diverse seminar types – general sessions offering extended orientation to the university, program-specific sections, honors sections, and infused courses – as well as the function of each seminar type. The main focus of the presentation will answer the question, “What makes a university wide mandated seminar work?” We will begin with a discussion on the challenge of training a large group of faculty, some of whom were excited to teach a seminar course, and others who weren’t. Next, we will take a look at the methods and resources used across campus, and in the community, to achieve course objectives; classroom activities as well as large group presentations were used to convey information on topics that were considered to be out of the comfort zone of many faculty members (alcohol awareness and sexual responsibility). Finally, our findings will be shared – 98 and 99% compliance rates for the first and second year of mandated course enrollment; which delivery format had the most favorable results; the effect of having academic advisors as course instructors, and what we learned from our students while making a mandated freshman seminar work at Ferris State University. 120-C On the Edge of Success: A Class for Students on Academic Probation Marmy Clason FYE Instructor, Assistant Professor Concordia University (262)243-4535 marmy.clason@cuw.edu John Beck First-Year Experience Director Concordia University (262)243-4260 jack.beck@cuw.edu What are we going to do with our students on academic probation? Concordia University Wisconsin has developed an intervention for transitioning students off academic probation. We view them as students on the edge of success. As educators and student service personnel, we have a tendency to attribute a student’s probationary status to an internal deficit such as poor work ethic or inadequate intellectual horsepower. For many students on probation, this explanation is inadequate. This presentation will discuss the philosophy which drives this intervention and briefly outline the course. Plenty of time will be given to discussing this unique group of students. Anyone interested in student success will find this presentation both practical and interactive. 121-C What’s Wrong with Nice? 250 Not-So-Random Acts of Kindness Toward Students to Build Cohesion and Community In and Out of the Classroom Thomas Carskadon Professor of Psychology Mississippi State University (662)325-7655 tomcar@ra.msstate.edu Alexander Astin’s extensive research showed significant positive correlations between faculty-student interaction and student satisfaction. Students at small colleges tended to be more satisfied with their overall experiences than students at large universities were; but the difference in satisfaction disappeared when the variable of faculty-student interaction was controlled. These data suggest that if we could come up with ways of ensuring a similar quality of faculty-student interaction, then those of us at large universities could achieve levels of student satisfaction similar to those at much smaller (and more expensive) institutions. Mississippi State University is a comprehensive research university, yet we also have a long tradition of being an unusually friendly university with a personal touch. Thus, efforts to increase faculty-student interaction and personalize its nature were a natural extension of our mission and goals. Many specific techniques can create good, personal, “family” feelings. Such an atmosphere is not merely pleasant; it also helps students respond positively to heavier than normal workloads and learn significantly more. The best methods we have found are basically simple, and not terribly new; more than once, we have had that “Ozzie and Harriet” feeling. Yet student (and even parent) response has been so positive that it is almost bewildering. Clearly, many students have some otherwise unmet needs or desires for relatively personal faculty-student interactions, and a surprisingly intense appreciation of kindnesses large and small. The good news is that such interactions and “random acts of kindness” are neither difficult nor expensive to provide, and they are very rewarding for the faculty and staff involved. In our session we share a list of “250 Random Acts of Kindness Toward Students” gleaned from our own experience and from the suggestions of colleagues and students. Conference participants are invited to make their own contributions to this list. 122-C The Role of Ethics, Character, and Academic Integrity in Student Development Robert Sherfield Professor Community College of Southern Nevada (702)260-1222 rsherfield@aol.com Some would argue that it is not the place of college professors to “teach ethics” because students should come to college with a clear sense of character and personal integrity. In a perfect world, this may be true. However, national reports and surveys show that we do not live in a world where ethics carry the day. Many students seem to be lost when faced with decisions regarding character, personal judgment, and integrity. In a recent survey (Curriculum Review, 2003), three in four high school students admitted cheating and 43% suggested that cheating “is sometimes necessary for success.” Astoundingly, 75% of college students admitted cheating, and in one survey, 58% of medical students admitted cheating during medical school (Rennie, 2001). Students rationalize and justify cheating citing circumstances such as uncaring professors, useless assignments, time pressures, extra- and co-curricular activities, and immense pressure for good grades to keep scholarships, visas, and remain in good graces with family. One of the earliest surveys on cheating (Bowers, 1964) suggested that students who cheat are much more interested in good grades than knowledge acquisition and another survey found that men are more likely to cheat than women (Thorpe, 1999). Regardless of the circumstance, justification, or sex, we know that cheating is rampant on our campuses and our role as professors is becoming increasingly important in addressing the issue. Further, our role is becoming increasingly more difficult as we watch politicians and public figures fall, executives from Enron, Worldcom, and Tyco justify their actions in high-profile indictments and trials, and religious leaders maneuver through scandals by shifting personnel. This interactive session will focus on The Ten Canons for Teaching Ethics and Integrity. Handouts will focus on practical, effective strategies for helping students make ethical decisions in and out of the classroom. 123-C Surviving the Crunch - Being Authentic Ralph Anttonen Dir. of the Undecided/Exploratory Prog. Millersville University (717)872-3483 ralph.anttonen@millersville.edu Jay Chaskes Dir., Center for the Study of Student Life Rowan University (856)256-4822 chaskes@rowan.edu In an upcoming chapter entitled “Advocating for the First Year: A Guide for Practitioners”, two former advocate winners, Dr. Ralph Anttonen and Dr. Jay Chaskes discuss the process involved in bringing about lasting change in first year programs. This work will be in the upcoming 2004 Jossey-Bass book: “Meeting Challenges and Providing Support: Creating a Climate for First Year Student Success” co-edited by John Gardner, Betsy Barefoot, and M.L. Updraft. Based on their research of 64 previous advocate winners who developed and maintained first year programs, the authors will share the common set of strategies employed by these individuals. These findings include the art of: “playing politics, working across boundaries, having a well articulated plan, co-opting the opposition, getting faculty on your side, and gathering data and information on the first year experiences.” In addition, the personnel advocate traits of being: “persistent, patient, flexible, creative, and capable of taking risks” will be highlighted. With the current budgetary constraints in higher education nationwide it is imperative that campus leaders find innovative ways to build programs for first year students that will endure in spite of insufficient funding. This session will give concrete examples of how the two presenters have been able to maintain their efforts for first year students in the face of decreasing financial resources. Workshop participants will be encouraged to give their examples of how they have managed to continue their efforts in the face of dwindling support. The session leaders will discuss the maintenance of their beliefs and values about first year programs when confronted with an environment that challenges these highly internalized set of beliefs and values. Again, workshop participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences so that other examples can be added and encouragement generated for all who attend this session. 124-E Using Student Planners to Address a Myriad of Campus Issues Jane Hix Director, US Special Markets Premier-A School Specialty Co. (800)866-8776 jhix@premieragendas.com Lynne Sherwood-Parker Director, Higher Education Markets Premier-A School Specialty Co. (360)756-5495 lsparker@premieragendas.com Student planners are becoming more utilized on campuses as a tool to address issues of student retention and success, student engagement, and to communicate student activities. This session will provide 8-10 case studies of interviewed colleges and universities. These are schools reporting student success using planners in a variety of programs including but not limited to first-year seminars, new student orientation, housing and residential life, as well as for fund-raising projects. Funding examples will include sponsorship advertising and partnerships, with examples of form letters, contracts and pricing. Questions will be encouraged, and opportunities will be given for the presenters to brainstorm with participants on possible solutions for their campuses. 125-C A FYE Course for Provisionally Admitted Students Thomas Gibbon Academic Liaison Shippensburg University (717)477-1145 tcgibb@wharf.ship.edu The initial discussion will center on the format for the presentation and include a brief overview of the demographics of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania as it relates to institutional size, location, political climate, and diversity of student population. We will explain how the course fits into the university graduation requirements as a 3 credit free elective. Next we will discuss the rationale for the development of the course entitled “ ASP 101, Student Voices: Identity and Connections”; we will include the curriculum design, sample course syllabi, and sample assignments. For this course the main goals are values and beliefs development, social skills development, and study skills development. Participants will learn how our assignments help students to develop a support network with each other while exploring the campus community. Assignments require students to interact with Academic Affairs and Student Affairs personnel in departments such as the Learning Center, Women’s Center, and Career Center. Of note is the fact that we have integrated peer mentors to facilitate some of these assignments. The course syllabus and sample assignments will be distributed. We will describe how this FYE course underscores our holistic approach to student support and provides the unique opportunity to continue the transition that was begun in our summer bridge program. We can intervene more effectively because we learn earlier in the semester when our students are struggling. We gather this information through conversations before and after class, journal entries about the readings from our texts, and from peer mentors. Next, we will share the findings of the assessment efforts conducted to date. Finally, we will summarize the key points of the discussion and ask for audience questions. 126-C Developing and Implementing a Career Awareness Course for First-Year Students Martha Johnson Lecturer Texas A&M University (979)458-0689 martha@tamu.edu This session will provide the assessment data from Texas A&M University’s distribution of the NoelLevitz College Student Inventory (CSI). This data shows that career related issues are a major indicator of academic difficulty for freshmen at our university. Then I will link the objectives for my career course to the issues indicated by the CSI and provide the rationale for these objectives. Objectives include: To lead students to evaluate and assess current job market trends and conditions; To give students experience in researching career opportunities using campus resources, media sources, and networking skills; To help students assess their own career skills and aptitudes; To acquaint students with the necessary education and marketable skills needed to be competitive in the job market; To increase the student’s ability to use effective job search methods and personal presentation skills; To increase the student’s ability to use personal leadership skills as they apply to career and life planning. I will also discuss the theoretical framework for how I structure my course to meet these objectives. My approach consists of three units of study: a unit on self-discovery and career research, a unit on transferable skills, and a unit on job search methods. I will provide the specific assignments I give and classroom instructional materials I use for each of the units. Additionally, I will discuss the books and supplemental readings I assign and how they are used in the course. Finally, I will share student comments about the course from my course evaluations. A participant should leave this session with a template for a career course and ideas for how they could offer a similar course at their institution. 127-C A Comprehensive Strengths-Based Approach to the First-Year Experience Laurie Schreiner Prof. & Chair, Doctoral Studies in Educ. Azusa Pacific University (626)815-5322 lschreiner@apu.edu Edward Anderson Professor of Educational Leadership Azusa Pacific University (562)463-9927 eanderson@apu.edu This session will focus on the implementation of a strengths-based approach to the first-year experience, with a particular emphasis on the first-year seminar and the advising of first-year students. Our premise is that awareness of one’s strengths, along with the knowledge to apply those strengths to new situations or to overcome obstacles, gives students a foundation for navigating new environments and succeeding in college. This foundation is both affective and cognitive; that is, strengths awareness has motivational properties that can lead to increased engagement with the academic environment and thus result in student success, but it also has the cognitive capacity to increase a student’s range of intellectual behaviors that can be applied to the academic arena. The session will begin by introducing participants to the strengths-based philosophy and contrasting it with the deficit-remediation approach that often describes higher education. Participants will be introduced to the StrengthsFinder, an online instrument published by The Gallup Organization, and its use with the first-year student text StrengthsQuest, as one method of identifying students’ strengths upon entrance to college. Other methods of identifying strengths will also be discussed, with evidence of their success and impact presented as well. Following this introduction, we will demonstrate how to design the first-year course to be strengths-based, emphasizing aspects of the curriculum and of the student assignments that facilitate this process. Examples of syllabi and course activities will be given. We will also demonstrate a strengths-based approach to first-year advising. Specific examples of questions advisors can use, as well as advising activities, will be provided. This is an approach that has been successfully implemented across a variety of institutions and has been funded by a FIPSE grant. Evidence of the effectiveness of the approach will be emphasized throughout the presentation, along with specific suggestions for adapting the program to other campuses. 128-I Assessing the Impact of First-Year Programming: One Institution’s Experience Thomas Winter Associate Provost Abilene Christian University (325)674-2024 wintert@acu.edu In an era of declining resources, all programs in institutions of higher education are being pressed to demonstrate their effectiveness and efficiency. First year programs (FYPs) must anticipate and expect the same scrutiny as any other academic programs. How can one demonstrate that FYP activities accomplish identified outcomes, and determine their contribution to the institution’s economic well-being? Assessment of first year programs at a macro-institutional level is critical to enabling them to survive and flourish in times of economic scarcity. Regardless of the change that such programs create in individual students, if they do not yield increases in retention and graduation of students, FYPs face a difficult future. This presentation reviews how one southwestern university has attempted to document the impact of its FYP on institutional enrollment, and concomitantly, its bottom line. Through use of a quasi-experimental approach known as single system design, administrators at Abilene Christian University have attempted to estimate both the enrollment and fiscal impacts of its FYP. The application of this methodology suggests that the impact of the FYP in its first three years of existence is a significantly increased rate of retention from the freshman to sophomore year (approximately a three standard deviation increase over that expected without the implementation of the program). The presentation will give an overview of the university’s implementation of a FYP (including a review of the program’s components), describe the methodology used to assess its impact, and summarize the changes in enrollment attributable to the implementation of the FYP and its economic impact on the university. 129-I Bringing Academics Home: An Academic Affairs, Residence Life, and Institutional Advancement Partnership at Johnson C. Smith University Gail Summerskill Dir., Freshman through the SYE Johnson C. Smith University (704)378-1114 gsummerskill@jcsu.edu Tanika Howard Math Lab Coordinator Johnson C. Smith University (704)378-1383 thoward@jcsu.edu Fernanda Tate-Owens Writing Center Coordinator Johnson C. Smith University ftowens@jcsu.edu Wanda Middleton Residence Assistant Coordinator Johnson C. Smith University wmiddleton@jcsu.edu Jihad Muhammad Peer Mentor Johnson C. Smith University (704)378-1002 jmuhammad2@jcsu.edu According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities Diversity Digest from Summer ’02, “Research is beginning to reveal that comprehensive institutional change addressing both campus climate and the curriculum is the right strategy to ensure learning success for all students.” In its “Bringing Academics Home Program,” Academic Affairs, Residence Life, and Institutional Advancement at Johnson C Smith University are partnering to enhance the academic success of first-year students. Through tutorial services, study buddies, study halls, inspirational alumnae speakers, and academic rap sessions in the residence halls, faculty, staff members, alumnae, peer tutors, and peer mentors are conveying the message of “Becoming Educated About Your Education” in the hearth of students! First-year students arriving at Johnson C. Smith University are often inexperienced when it comes to navigating the terrain of higher education. They are not fully aware of the power they have over their educational experience. This is evident in their inability to seek academic or advisory assistance at critical points of matriculation. In an effort to promote a culture of academic discourse and inquiry on campus, the Office of Academic Affairs, Residence Life, and Institutional Advancement have teamed up to bring academic services to the residence halls. These academic sessions are designed to promote an academic discourse to help students become educated about their educations. This presentation will provide the theoretical rationale for promoting academic discourse and inquiry on campus, the data used to create the “Bringing Academics Home Program,” the program models, and student outcome data as a result of program participation. Presenters include the Math Lab Coordinator, the Writing Center Coordinator, a Residence Hall Coordinator, the Director of the Freshman through Senior Year Experience, and a Peer Mentor. 130-I Ongoing Assessment and Academic and Affective Programming for the Non-Traditional College Student Phyllis Curtis-Tweed Director, Freshman Year Program Medgar Evers College (718)270-4960 ptweed@mec.cuny.edu Janice Zummo Director, SEEK Program Medgar Evers College (718)270-4973 jzummo@mec.cuny.edu Doris Withers Vice President Medgar Evers College (718)270-5020 doris@mec.cuny.edu Juollie Carroll Director of Counseling Medgar Evers College (718)270-5170 jcarroll@mec.cuny.edu There is a growing population of non-traditional students nationally and a need for programming that specifically addresses their needs. Our response to this emerging sector in higher education is embryonic because we are in the process of learning about their needs and how to best provide services to address them. Even the conceptualization of the non-traditional student varies depending on the institution and the characteristics of the students served. Most people think of the older student, who attends college a few years after completing high school. However, the term ‘non-traditional’ belies a number of interrelated factors that may impact students. For example the nontraditional students may be older, but an older student may also be married or a single parent with one or more children, considered financially independent, working part-time or full time or to some degree dependent on public assistance. In addition, the older student may have other dependent family members, such as parents, siblings, or older relatives. In actuality, there are a number of factors that affect the non-traditional student. To list the factors does not tell the story of the stressors/challenges or coping processes required to meet the challenge of pursuing a college degree under these circumstances. This is important because these factors constitute increased risks to the student’s successful completion of the college degree. Risk and resilience literature shows that the presence of multiple risk factors negatively influences resilience. Therefore, institutionally we must be even more intentional in developing ways to support students who as non-traditional students, are ‘at risk’ in order to increase their chances of college success. In this presentation, we will present initiatives at an historic northeastern college, with a highly non-traditional student population (50%), to address the needs of non-traditional students through mission-related planning, programming, and assessment. We will specifically discuss assessment as an ongoing evaluative tool for programming, post secondary developmental programs designed to meet the needs of students who enter the college with basic skills deficiencies, mental health and related programs designed to assist students with affective concerns, and the use of collaborative learning communities. 131-I BOLD Beginnings: A Challenging Start to College Katherine Powell Freshman Center Director Berry College (706)236-1707 kpowell@berry.edu Mike King Director, BOLD Berry College (706)238-7806 mking@berry.edu During orientation at Berry College, all freshman seminar students, along with their instructor and freshman mentor, participate in BOLD Beginnings, a two-and-one-half hour, low elements, outdoor initiative course. Each class chooses from a selection of fixed elements, games, and problem solving activities, and classes are awarded points in a friendly competition. The primary objective of the program is to accelerate first-year students’ adjustment to college. To this end, the program strives to: · Build college success skills. Through games and problem solving activities students practice cooperation, communication, critical thinking and decision-making. Each activity is followed by a guided discussion during which students are encouraged to reflect on what they have learned and how it might apply to future challenges in college. · Create community. Through working and playing together, students become better acquainted with each other, their instructor and their freshman mentor. · Encourage self-discovery. The activities and reflections encourage students to draw on individual strengths as well as to challenge themselves in new ways. Working with classmates to achieve goals, students begin to find a place for themselves within the college community. A secondary goal of the program is to assist instructors and mentors in creating a successful entry stage for their class groups. Because a professional facilitator leads each session, instructors and mentors are able to participate with students, which allows students to see the class leaders in a different role than they might experience in the classroom and helps to build a sense of trust and friendship. Instructors are given a custom notepad on which they record the group’s reflections after each activity, as well as observations about individual students and group dynamics. They receive these notes after the session. At the end of each session, instructors meet together with the BOLD director to process the event as a whole, reflect on ways to carry the lessons learned into the freshman seminar classroom, and provide feedback and suggestions for next year’s program. In this interactive session, we will examine the costs, benefits, and basic steps for creating such a program and introduce some of the games, activities and materials used. We will also consider how Berry’s program might be adapted for other campuses. 132-I Clustered Courses, Curriculum Cohesion and Critical Mass: Purdue University’s Multicultural Learning Communities Project Andrew Koch Dir. of Learning Comm. & Retention Proj. Purdue University (765)496-3618 akkoch@purdue.edu Funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education in August 2002 and launched one year later, Purdue University’s Multicultural Learning Communities Project (MLCP) started a number of new Learning Communities that intentionally bring multicultural topics and issues into the curriculum and cocurriculum. While special efforts were made to enroll minorities in these Learning Communities, the goal of the effort is to enhance levels of learning and satisfaction and, as a result, increase retention rates for all MLCP participants regardless of background. It is believed that through their participation in a MLCP, students will: · Report higher levels of satisfaction with the college learning experience when compared to comparable nonparticipants; · Possess greater appreciation and respect for different perspectives and cultures when compared to comparable non-participants; · Exhibit higher levels of academic and social integration in the Purdue community when compared to comparable non-participants; · Earn significantly higher semester and cumulative indexes than comparable non-participants, and; · Record higher first-to-second year and cumulative retention rates and, ultimately, graduation rates, than comparable students who do not take part in the program. In its first year, the effort created learning communities in three of Purdue’s academic Schools – Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Science. Each School offered its own thematic variant of a Multicultural Learning Community, with each version enrolling 20-30 students. This session will include an overview of the theory and research that guided the creation of the program. Faculty recruitment and support approaches, curriculum development efforts, assessment and evaluation strategies, and student recruitment and registration strategies also will be discussed. Practitioners and scholars who are interested in learning communities, programming for underrepresented students, curriculum transformation efforts, education focused on diversity topics, program assessment, and/or successful approaches for using external funding to achieve institutional change will find this presentation beneficial. 133-I Education Without Boundaries: Development, Implementation, and Training for an Online Student Success Course Mimi Tschida Program Coordinator Western Governors University (605)348-5897 mtschida@wgu.edu Connie Keogh Faculty/Mentor Liberal Arts Western Governors University (307)684-2627 Robin Yucus Faculty/Mentor Liberal Arts Western Governors University (877)439-9339 Education Without Boundaries (EWB) is an online student success course developed for Western Governors University (WGU). This presentation will discuss, in particular, the issues related to development and implementation of a successful online student success program. These issues and considerations include why and how EWB was developed, where EWB is now, and what the future will bring. Issues that may be of interest to audience members include descriptions and discussion concerning development of content, to choice of course platforms, to technology considerations, to the administration of the course. Budgetary considerations will also be addressed. Along with a discussion of the implementation of EWB as a success course, the ADEPT training model will be presented. EWB is based on the ADEPT model developed in conjunction with the EWB project. Each letter of the ADEPT model denotes a necessary factor to address when initiating students into an academic environment over the distance. ADEPT is simply: Academics, Distance Education, Personal, and Technology. This model is based on the belief that students and/or faculty, for that matter, need to have certain issues addressed as they begin a new undertaking through the distance to aid in their success. A description of each point in the ADEPT model will be presented and discussed. Current practices in EWB will be explored including choice of facilitators and their training. Actual course content including instructional techniques and facilitator training methods will be discussed. Evaluation procedures and testing of the curriculum has resulted in changes in the course design and delivery. Development of communities of learners is an ongoing practice that is begun during EWB. As growth at the university continues, and evaluation results are reviewed, EWB is required to be constantly adjusting as it has grown to be a vital program at the university. 134-C What Young Adults Need to Know about Money Celia Ray Hayhoe Family Financial Management Specialist Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (540)231-3497 chayhoe@vt.edu Melissa Chase Graduate Research Assistant Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (540)231-2333 mechase@vt.edu Barbara O’Neill Interim Extension Specialist Sussex County Rutgers Cooperative Extension (973)948-3040 oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu This curriculum teaches basic financial concepts to young adults through a newspaper insert covering the following topics: 1) Purchasing a Car, 2) Time Value of Money 3) Credit Tips and Traps, 4) Predatory Lending Practices, and 5) Identity Theft. The curriculum includes relevant content, puzzles, quizzes and additional resources. Web-based curriculum materials for faculty, using the materials in a classroom setting, including computer and/or Internet activities, are available through the Web site http://www.ext.vt.edu/niemoney. The use of both newspaper inserts and technology are effective outreach methods during a time that educational resources are dwindling in higher education. Consumer education is the best method of enhancing the financial literacy of young adults. However, since few states mandate consumer education between kindergarten and 12th grade, students often enter college without appropriate skills to avoid serious financial errors. Without these mandates, alternative educational approaches are vital. The insert is formatted in short paragraphs with bullets for easy reading. First-Year Experience program faculty can easily incorporate the materials into their curricula that can be used as newspaper inserts in college newspapers, textbooks, or as classroom activities and dialogue. Copies of the printed insert will be available for participants to see. This project was originally developed through joint collaboration between Newspaper in Education, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the New Jersey Financial Education Coalition. 135-E Tau Sigma: Recognizing and Promoting the Academic Excellence and Involvement of Transfer Students Lee Colquitt Executive Director Tau Sigma National Honor Society (334)844-3010 colquitt@business.auburn.edu In a recent article in Change, Dr. George D. Kuh, the director of the National Survey of Student Engagement, states that “Forty percent of all seniors responding to NSSE began their college at an institution other than the one they currently attend.” After noting that transfers are “generally less involved in educationally engaging activities at the school from which they are about to graduate,” he then poses the question, “Who is responsible for the quality of educational experience of the transfer student?” Finally, Dr. Kuh states that, “One group that has taken up [this challenge] is the Tau Sigma National Honor Society.” Although transfer students make up a substantial percentage of new incoming students at many universities, anecdotal evidence suggests that this is a particularly difficult group of students to recruit and successfully assimilate into the university population. This session will introduce Tau Sigma, an honor society designed specifically to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students. Because of the difficulty that universities traditionally have had in recruiting and assimilating transfer students along with the underrepresentation of transfer students in many honor societies and other organizations on campus, Tau Sigma as an organization is uniquely well-positioned to serve universities and their existing and future transfer students. 136-C First Contact: Using Technology to Prepare Students for Class Jeff Church Instructional Technology Consultant Appalachian State University (828)262-7095 churchjw@appstate.edu This session will look at the use of online course management tools to help prepare students in Freshman Seminar for class. This will start by looking at Behaviorist learning theory and relating that to a model of the chronological steps and spatial relationships in student learning. Next, the session will look at potential changes to that model and what online course management tools can be used to enable theses changes. Specifically discussed will be the strategic use of self-tests, threaded discussion, and structuring online content in such a way as to allow students to maximize their preparation before attending class. This will be followed by examples taken from real Freshman Seminar classes and a discussion on problems encountered and solutions offered. The presentation will emphasize sound pedagogical practice, as well as the associated online tools for achieving it. 137-C Entry Assessment Testing as a Predictor of Student Success Cindy James Assessment Centre Coordinator University College of the Cariboo (250)828-5471 cjames@cariboo.bc.ca Attrition studies indicate that providing accurate placement may be an effective strategy for reducing attrition rates. One of the most common approaches for diagnosing the educational needs of learners for placement is to administer a battery of tests. This prompts the questions: Can student success be predicted by entry assessment testing? To answer this question, I conducted a study involving 94 participants to determine if student success in College Preparation mathematics and English courses could be predicted by utilizing student scores from the Accuplacer system at the University College of the Cariboo. The results from this study indicated that student scores from the Accuplacer Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra tests were strong predictors of student success in the College Preparation mathematics courses. However, student scores from the Accuplacer Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills tests were only moderate predictors of student success in the College Preparation English courses. Specifically, using a placement system involving cutoff scores, it was possible to predict success for almost 80% of the math students, but only for 64% of the English students. It is worth noting that the results for the English sample may be due to the smaller sample size (only 34 students) and other confounding variables that could not be controlled in this study. Based on these results, I highly recommend educational institutes use the information from entry assessment testing primarily in terms of advising or as a part of a placement portfolio that would include other measurements such as motivation, maturity, financial security, level of interest, course load, and learning styles. Such information would have the potential to mitigate student attrition by anticipating which students are at a high risk of not completing their academic studies and thus provide the institutes with an a priori opportunity to intervene. 138-C Mapping the First-Year in an Honors Program James Caron Director, Undergraduate Honors Program University of Hawaii at Manoa (808)956-8391 jec@sas.artsci.hawaii.edu Christine Kirk-Kuwaye Director, Leadership Development Prog. University of Hawaii at Manoa (808)956-9981 In 2002, the director of Honors Program, an academic unit, invited the director of the Leadership Development Program in student affairs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to collaborate on the design of the First-Year Honors Experience, a program for incoming freshmen that would provide students with a smooth transition to an undergraduate career at UHM. At special orientation sessions in the summer, “Manoa as Text,” and then continuing through multiple sections of “Manoa Campus and Its Neighborhoods” in the fall and “Research at Manoa” in the spring, students explored and researched the new communities they had joined--an Honors community, a Research One university community, the campus community itself, the neighborhoods that surround the campus, and the classroom community that the students and the courses’ peer mentors and instructors would create over the duration of the semesters. By introducing students to research early in their college experience, the designers hoped to increase the probability of students joining the upper division portion of the Honors Program to undertake an individual research project, and as a result of the freshman research experience, having the skills and confidence to complete their research projects and to graduate with honors. Although it is too early to tell whether a freshman research experience encourages students to pursue research in their junior and senior years, Dr. James Caron of Honors and Dr. Christine Kirk-Kuwaye of Leadership Development do have insights to share about UHM’s First-Year Honors Experience after completing nearly two full cycles of the program. They will talk about the rich possibilities and challenges of course design (and redesign), of working with peer mentors in and out of the classroom, of maintaining a sense of equilibrium in the face of freshmen students’ sometimes rocky first-years, and of maintaining a partnership across divisional lines. 139-C Bloom’s Taxonomy - How It Relates to College Exams Priscilla Dunn Director, Student Support Services Bloomsburg University (570)389-3606 pdunn@bloomu.edu Developing critical thinking skills should be the first priority of college instructors. Many entering college students have difficulty in testing situations because they have never encountered exams requiring more than knowledge and repetition. Teaching students how to deal with college level exams is part of the process of teaching higher level thinking skills. In order to accomplish this, college instructors need to be aware of the hierarchy of thinking skills and make a conscious effort both to require higher level thinking in class work and to construct exams which involve higher thinking skills. This session will be opened by a review of Bloom’s Taxonomy of thinking skills – recognition, knowledge, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. A series of text passages will be presented on overhead (longer passages in handouts). Examples of exam questions on these passages will be solicited from the audience and others will be presented on overhead. Examples will demonstrate questions at several different levels of the taxonomy. Discussion will focus on how to model techniques to lead students in moving from memorizing facts to being able to process information and reason through to the answers to more complex questions. Passages used will be from a variety of different disciplines: history, economics, biology, for instance. If time permits, participants will be given one additional passage and asked to construct exam questions on at least three different levels on Bloom’s taxonomy. Examples of these questions will be transferred to overhead for discussion. This is only one venue for helping students to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills, but it is one where students will see a real payoff and, more important, it will help develop general reasoning skills useful in any situation. 140-E The FYI Benchmarking Survey: How It Can Help to Improve Your Program Darlena Jones Vice President for Research & Dev. Educational Benchmarking, Inc. (417)831-1810 darlena@webebi.com Summary: None. 141-C A Beginner’s Guide to Using Technology in Traditional and Online FYE Courses: Choices and Challenges Robert Feldman Professor & Dir. of Undergrad. Studies University of Massachusetts at Amherst (413)545-0130 feldman@psych.umass.edu It is no longer a case of “if,” but rather “when” and “how” technology will have an impact on the way that we teach first year students. Designed for those with little or no technological expertise—and perhaps some degree of wariness about technology—this presentation will discuss the scope of technologies now available for use both within traditional classrooms and in online, distance learning FYE courses. In the presentation, we provide an overview of the technological transformations taking place in and outside of classrooms. These innovative technologies are changing the nature of classroom dynamics and requiring the development of new skills, both on the part of students and instructors. The presentation begins with a discussion of in-classroom technologies that can enhance first-year experience courses. Specifically, we examine the use of “smart” presentation media such as electronic whiteboards and computer presentations, as well as addressing the use of the Internet and World Wide Web for instructional purposes. We consider how instructors may place course material on the web, including course syllabi, assignments, class outlines, and grades. Finally, we consider the use of interactive classroom technologies. These technologies, which consist of student response units and receivers, permit instantaneous feedback from students during classes. We then will examine the use of distance learning for FYE courses from the perspective of both students and instructors. The pros and cons of online venues will be discussed, and issues regarding student involvement and personalization will be considered. Finally, we will consider the overall benefits and disadvantages of the use of technology, addressing the practical—and philosophical—issues of whether the use of technologies will improve educational outcomes. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of technology for student success. 142-C Building a Successful Peer Leader Program Scarlett Stewart Graduate Assistant for U101 University of South Carolina (803)777-1941 stewarsb@gwm.sc.edu Ali Caraway Graduate Assistant for U101 University of South Carolina (803)777-3801 carawaya@gwm.sc.edu The principle behind the Peer Leader (PL) program at USC is that first-year students relate particularly well to exceptional upper-class students. Our PLs are encouraged to excel both academically and as campus leaders. Moreover, it is hoped that Peer Leaders will be inspired to consider pursuing careers in higher education, teaching, and administration. Each PL has his or her own insights and brings to the course a unique experience that ultimately may shape a new student’s future. The Peer Leader Program at the University of South Carolina has been an important component of the University 101 course since the 1993-94 academic year. The program consistently recruits outstanding rising juniors and seniors to serve as role-models for the incoming first-year students. Each PL has been approved through a challenging selection process. During our session we will explain our selection process. Students must also complete a two-day training workshop to fulfill the requirements to be accepted into the program. Through an informal reception, students meet potential instructors with whom they would like to work, and also attend team-building workshops with their chosen instructor in order to get a better understanding of their role as a PL. Also during our session we will cover the ins and outs of our PL training program as well as how we match up our teaching teams. During the semester that they co-teach University 101, Peer Leaders are enrolled in a three credit-hour academic course, EDLP 520, The Teacher as Manager. We will share with our audience tactics we use in teaching EDLP 520. 143-I Criminal Justice to Chemistry: Funding Activities with Students Linda Cain Associate Provost University of Cincinnati (513)556-2097 linda.cain@uc.edu Jonathan Breiner Assistant Professor of Chemistry University of Cincinnati (513)556-0713 jonathan.breiner@uc.edu National research shows, and Harvard Professor Richard Light’s research confirms, that students who get to know a faculty member tend to be more successful in college. The University of Cincinnati (UC) has created a mini-grant program intended to provide funding for faculty and departments to create activities to facilitate a closer connection between faculty and students. While the quality of interaction within the classroom, studio, or laboratory constitutes the most important element in the student/faculty relationship, connecting with faculty as individuals through learning, cultural, and social experiences outside of the classroom enriches the student’s college experience and helps to establish bonds with the institution. This is especially important at a large university, such as UC. The goal is to fund meaningful activities that will increase this “face-time” among faculty and students. This presentation will provide an overview of UC’s program from start up to present day providing examples of how the mini-grant program is used. Examples include: review and study sessions; attendance at and discussion of movies, plays and performances; weekly small group lunches over the course of a quarter; field tips (prisons, zoo, art museums); welcoming picnics and socials. The presentation will also include a detailed assessment of the funding of food for study groups in a General Chemistry class populated mostly by at-risk students. Students in the General Chemistry class who took advantage of funded activities greatly outperformed their peers who did not. Many students found it a great way to practice and reinforce their chemistry knowledge in an atmosphere that was less threatening to them than a typical lecture. 144-I Getting Ahead in First-Year Mathematics College Courses Helmut Knaust Chair and Associate Professor The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-7002 hknaust@utep.edu Benjamin Flores Dir of the Model Institutions for Excel. Prg The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-6961 flores@ece.utep.edu Nancy Marcus Assistant Dean, College of Science The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-6750 nancy@math.utep.edu Dorothy Ward Director of the Entering Students Prog. The University of Texas at El Paso (915)747-8439 dpward@utep.edu The University of Texas at El Paso is the largest Mexican-American majority university in the nation. Serving the El Paso region, the eighth poorest city in the United States according to median family income, UTEP has adopted an inclusive, open admission policy, which has led to a high student acceptance rate of over 90 percent. Many engineering and science students at UTEP are first-generation college students. They are under-prepared for college and they do not have a good understanding of what is necessary to be successful at a university. We will report about two very successful initiatives designed to help science and engineering students make as much progress in their mathematics course program during the first year at UTEP as possible: 1. A mathematics review program was implemented in 1998 and made a part of the Summer Orientation for all pre-science and pre-engineering students. The goal of this intervention is to improve mathematics placement scores and to increase the number of students who take college-level mathematics during their first semester. More than one third of the incoming students use this opportunity to place at least one course higher. 2. Starting with a pilot program in 1994, the Pre-Calculus has become a “modular” course: The semester is broken up into 4 time periods. If the students do not successfully complete a module during a time period, they immediately repeat the module with which they were unsuccessful. This strategy, together with a short course offered between long semesters, has considerably decreased the average length of time it takes students to complete the course successfully. 145-I University College: Bringing Academics “Home” Lettie Raab Executive Director Prairie View A&M University (936)857-4448 lettie_raab@pvamu.edu Mark Pearson Associate Executive Director Prairie View A&M University (936)857-4449 mark_pearson@pvamu.edu Juanel Sippio UC Advisement Administrator Prairie View A&M University (936)857-4449 juanel_sippio@pvamu.edu David Anderson UC Student Life Administrator Prairie View A&M University (936)857-4449 david_anderson@pvamu.edu The Kellogg Commission report, Returning to our Roots: The Student Experience, discusses universities as “genuine learning communities” that are “student centered,” and that “(put) students first.” This report concludes that there is a need to reform undergraduate education in these directions. An increasing number of universities are establishing structures that effectively contribute to promoting the qualities of a student-centered university. University College (UC) is such a structure. It is the physical embodiment of Prairie View A&M University’s commitment to its freshmen. UC provides freshmen with effective advisement, intense academic enhancement, accessible, centralized support services and a structured, academically-focused residential learning community. Freshmen are assigned to a University College Academic Team (UCAT) that is housed in a specific residence hall. The UCAT includes the 102 live-in residents (and a small number of commuter students), a professional advisor, live-in residential staff and a Faculty Fellow. The professional staff and faculty assigned to a residential hall work together to provide a supportive, academically-focused environment for the students. In this presentation we will discuss the collaboration and interaction of these units that facilitate student success. Academic, major and career advisement for freshmen is provided by the professional advisors in the UC Division of Advisement. The advisors are also the initial points-of-contact for students needing support services/referrals. The advisors work with the Learning Community Managers, the adults living in the residence halls and the Community Assistants, the live-in student staff. This residential staff comprises the UC Division of Student Life. The UC Academic Enhancement Division supervises all developmental education and provides academic support for the entire university that includes bringing tutorials into the freshman residential environment. UC’s mission is to improve matriculation, retention and graduation rates, increase student academic success and facilitate a smooth transition into and through higher education. 146-I Student Reflections of Curricular and Co-Curricular Integration to Enhance Learning in the Thematic Learning Communities Sharon Hamilton Associate Dean of the Faculties Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (317)278-1846 shamilto@iupui.edu Frank Ross Associate Dir., Campus & Comm. Life Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (317)274-3931 frross@iupui.edu Carmon Weaver Hicks Asst. Dir., Office for Integrating Learning Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (317)278-4604 cwhicks@iupui.edu The Program Chair will set the context for the presentation by providing a brief history of the TLCs at IUPUI. The processes for promoting faculty-developed themes for each learning community and developing reflective writing skills in the classroom will be discussed. Details about students’ writing experiences will be shared. In addition, the evolution of curricular and co-curricular integration will be described. Speaker 2 will expand on the discussion about the curricular/co-curricular integration process. Information about potential co-curricular activities and ways to illustrate their connection to the classroom will be highlighted. Strategies to assist faculty when integrating reflective writing, co-curricular, and curricular activities will be shared. Speaker 3 will provide information about assessment of the TLCs. Results from open-ended retrospective interviews, focus groups, electronic portfolios, and other data that require reflective thinking will be shared. Ways to use this information for program improvement will be highlighted. Evidence from the student interviews and focus groups suggests that their behavior has changed toward becoming a better student due to their participation in a learning community. On-going analysis of data will provide an important perspective for improving student learning at IUPUI. 147-I Starting at Colgate: A First-Year Life Skills Program Beverly Low Dean of First-Year Students Colgate University (315)228-7368 balow@mail.colgate.edu This program is intended to showcase a new approach to “packaging” the first-year experience at Colgate University. The format of the program will include a brief overview of Colgate’s new strategic plan in which the four years of college are examined and the corresponding initiatives for each year explained. Information on Colgate’s First-Year Seminars will be provided and the academic advising structure discussed. The focus of the program will be on the five key components of the First-Year Life Skills program. A more detailed summary follows. The first year experience at Colgate is structured to support a student’s transition to higher education and independent living within a community. Students live in designated residence halls with pre-assigned roommates, where they are expected to adhere to clear university standards. The academic program is similar. They are enrolled in small, focused first-year seminars. They take Core classes, fulfill distribution requirements, and populate introductory classes, which mostly tend to be more structured courses. The year focuses on helping students transition to college by acquiring the important individual skills needed for a successful college experience. The year also provides a foundation for helping students grapple with many of the personal issues that confront 18-22 year olds and identifies support services and appropriate resources to assist them when they are experiencing difficulties. 148-C Writing Assignments to Encourage Critical Thinking Christopher Cronin Professor Saint Leo University (352)588-8285 christopher.cronin@saintleo.edu Valerie Wright Assistant Professor Saint Leo University (352)588-8906 valerie.wright@saintleo.edu Many first year programs strive to improve students’ critical thinking skills. This concurrent session will provide participants with a hands-on experience for developing writing assignment prompts that elicit specific cognitive levels, a crucial component of developing critical thinking skills. The cognitive levels are based on Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Cognitive Domain (1956) and include (1) Knowledge, (2) Comprehension, (3) Application, and (4) Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation. The first half of the presentation will focus on helping participants develop skills to teach first-year seminar instructors and students the four cognitive levels. Concrete definitions and examples of the levels will be provided and discussed. We will also provide a list of verbs used in writing-assignment prompts to elicit each of the four cognitive levels. We will discuss the basics of developing grading rubrics focusing on assessing each of the four cognitive levels. Participants will then receive several generic writing assignments and actively participate in developing a grading rubric to assess cognitive levels. Examples used in the First-Year Program at Saint Leo University will also be provided. As part of the First Year Program’s assessment, 380 participants completed a pre-test writing assignment. Students and instructors were then taught the four cognitive levels and instructors were trained in assessing cognitive level. Writing prompts clearly specified the desired cognitive level and students were reminded to focus on achieving specific levels in their assignments. A post-test writing assignment was administered at the end of the semester. Pre and post writing assignments were graded ‘blindly’ by instructors. Post test scores for cognitive domain were significantly higher than pre-test assignment scores. Participants will be offered other assessment ideas to assess the development of critical thinking skills in the first-year seminar. A packet of handouts will be provided. 149-C Preventing a Mid-Life Crisis: Five Tips to Help Your First-Year Seminar Remain Vibrant and Innovative Stephanie Foote Associate Director Stony Brook University (631)632-6711 stephanie.foote@stonybrook.edu Kathleen Gillon Academic Advisor Stony Brook University (631)632-8439 kathleen.gillon@stonybrook.edu Program purpose and rational: First-Year Seminars and extended orientation courses have been an integral part of campus culture for decades. Over 70% of college and university campuses report having a First Year Experience course (2000 National Survey of First-Year Seminar Programming). One of the challenges of administering, teaching, or advocating for such a course is keeping it vibrant and innovative. Conceptual and Theoretical Bases for Program: In the Freshman Year Experience (1989), Lee Upcraft and John Gardner indicate “there is evidence that a freshman year movement is underway” (p. xiv). Twenty-one years later, the movement has been actualized as more campuses are focusing on the First-Year Experience. At this point, colleges and universities are considering first-year program refinement as they celebrate the success of their courses, but wonder how to move forward from here. Intended Learning Objectives: To help participants gain tips to consider as they refine their course goals and intentions; to share innovative and practical ideas to promote the success of first year programs; to put the tips into practice through case studies. Intended Learning Outcome: Attendees will be equipped to promote the enhancement of the First-Year Experience on their campuses. 150-C The Connections Team: How to Utilize Second-Year Students in FYE Events and Programs Steve Crawford Program Coordinator The Ohio State University (614)247-6412 crawford.303@osu.edu Laura Lembo Kraus Associate Director, UA/FYE The Ohio State University (614)292-3320 kraus.47@osu.edu The Connections Team (CT) was developed with two main purposes. First, the group provides assistance with FYE initiatives. For example, more than 220 sessions are housed in the First Year Success Series, and many require multiple staff members to implement. Second, UA/FYE does not have a budget for FYE initiatives, so cultivating donor relations is a priority. CT members give the student perspective that professionals cannot give. Only second-year students were selected, and most of these students participated in FYE events during their first year on campus. Participants needed to have a professional demeanor and good communication skills. The goal was to keep the group small and manageable. CT members were selected at the end of their first year and had limited expectations during the summer. A mandatory half-day training program was held prior to the start of classes. Session topics included how to mingle, how to be on a student panel and how to introduce speakers. The benefits of using such a group continue to be discovered. Initially, the goal was to relieve some staffing demands, yet it created many other staffing expectations. These competent students are self-motivated, but they still require a certain amount of handholding. The group has provided a better understanding of first-year students and offered valuable insight into future programming projects. In addition, greater recognition for FYE is being generated across campus. Volunteer students are not cheap, but the extended value is worth it. Currently, no budget dollars are allocated for CT members, yet the office has prioritized dollars for shirts, buttons and the assorted selections of pizza, bagels and doughnuts!! 151-C Facilitating Change: Preparing Students for a Diverse and Complex World Zaide Pixley Assistant Provost for the First-Year Exp. Kalamazoo College (269)337-5755 pixley@kzoo.edu Danny Sledge Dean of Students Kalamazoo College (269)337-5755 How do we teach a generation of students struggling with feelings of hopelessness and impotence to become engaged, activist citizens in a diverse world? Such education does not happen by accident but must be carefully structured. We will consider the relationship between intellectual and identity development and multicultural education and the intentional structuring of course assignments and readings to educate students about diversity (thus helping them to develop as critical thinkers). We will discuss proven strategies for building an educationally effective program and for using fiction, all forms of media, and experiential learning to help facilitate student development. The first part of this presentation will set the terms of our conversation. Arthur Levine and Jeanette Cureton (When Hope and Fear Collide) conclude that today’s students need to have hope (a sense of conviction), social responsibility (a willingness to give back), appreciation of differences (intercultural understanding), and efficacy (a sense that one can make a difference). L. Lee Knefelkamp (in a National Briefing Paper for the AAC&U Greater Expectations Project) makes the case that education about diversity goes hand-in-hand with the development of the cognitive and critical thinking skills needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. She draws compelling parallels between theories of racial identity development (as described by Helms and Tatum) and cognitive development (as outlined by Perry). Being in “the vicinity of experience is not enough,” Milton J. Bennett (Director of the Intercultural Communication Institute) reminds us. We need to help students understand and interpret their experiences. How can we best respond? In an age of limited resources, how can we identify opportunities and allies on our campuses and within the community? What works, and how do we know it works? We will share best practices from over a decade of experience in Kalamazoo’s intensive First-Year Seminar program. A graduated series of assignments--including work on white privilege and racial identity development, “Multicultural Action Plans,” the “It” simulation, multicultural media journal assignments, the stereotype exercise, and a number of interactive exercises--will be explained and discussed (available in a detailed handout at the session). We’ll consider strategies for incorporating such films as “Pushing Hands,” “The Wedding Banquet,” and “Smoke Signals,” and the documentaries “Ethnic Notions,” “Skin Deep,” and “True Colors.” Reading and discussing the stories of James Baldwin, the plays of August Wilson, the novels of Sherman Alexie, E. Lynn Harris, and Sandra Cisneros have helped students learn to see the world from new perspectives. Ellen Summerfield’s Survival Kit for Multicultural Living, Janet Helms’ A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have, Beverly Daniel Tatum’s “Stages of Racial Identity Development,” and Peggy McIntosh’s work on white privilege all lead students to a deeper understanding. Carlos Cortez’s The Children Are Watching reframes media messages about multiculturalism. Barbara Ehrenreich’s study of living on minimum wage, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, describes the reality of living on too little. Finally, we will look at assessment tools and student comments that demonstrate the efficacy of these strategies and the transformational changes students have experienced. 152-C Successful Partnerships in New Student Orientation Frank Ross Assoc. Dir., Campus & Community Life IUPUI (317)274-3931 frross@iupui.edu Participants will be engaged in an exploration of collaborative efforts in the first year experience between student affairs and academic affairs at IUPUI, a large urban institution designated as an “Institution of Excellence in the First College Year” by the Policy Center on the First Year of College. Specific programmatic developments will be discussed and supporting data will be provided. With new leadership and a newly organized student affairs division on campus, as well as the development of a staff position (that of the presenter) designed to serve as a faculty liaison and to work with academic affairs initiatives, a change of culture - that of collaboration was necessary. University College (UC), the academic college that coordinates the first year experience on our campus was chosen as our primary strategic partner in collaborative efforts. Rationale why UC was chosen will be provided, as well as strategies employed in collaboration. The presenter will describe components of “FLASH.” (First year students Learn & Achieve Socially Here). This was developed as a guiding framework to begin that cultural transformation on campus - beginning with first year students. There are four components to FLASH: (1) Outreach/ Pre-admission: educating undergraduate admission staff and high school guidance counselors about opportunities for campus involvement (2) First Year in a FLASH: the co-curricular component of new student orientation (3) FLASH reports: Encourages co-curricular learning in the first year seminar/ learning communities with special emphasis on Weeks of Welcome activities designed for first semester students, as well as diversity and leadership programs. (4) FLASH-L: an electronic listserv for second semester students where they receive updates on upcoming campus activities and opportunities for co-curricular involvement on campus The majority of the presentation will focus on one component, “First Year in a FLASH,” which is offered during new student orientation. This innovative, experiential learning experience has already made a tremendous impact in at the university in helping new students learn about campus life - both in and outside of the classroom. The concept for “First Year in a Flash!” was developed based on best practices from student life orientation programs from other similar urban universities. An orientation simulation such as “First Year in a Flash!” is an excellent way for any institution to make newcomers feel welcome and create appropriate expectations for college life. Goals of “First Year in a FLASH” include helping new students to: (1) Learn about college life and campus involvement (2) Build a sense of community between themselves and with IUPUI (3) Learn about programs and services of the Division of Student Life & Diversity (4) Experience the emotions new students at IUPUI face. Rationale for program development, including results from an extensive campus-wide orientation review, will be provided. Also, participants will receive specific tools to take parts of our program back to their campuses. Additionally, institutional research data will be supplied to demonstrate program success. 153-C Helping Hispanic At-Risk First Time Freshmen Succeed: An Evolution of a Retention Model Gustavo Salazar Counselor Texas A&M International University (956)326-2135 gsalazar@tamiu.edu Programs for First Time Freshmen (FFR) are primarily designed with the mantras of time management, study skills, and connectedness (social interaction and academic support). Research has indicated that successful use of these concepts has resulted in higher retention for the first time freshmen. Such a model, successfully used by Texas Christian University, was implemented Texas A&M International University in the fall of 2001. TAMIU did not alter The TCU model despite the difference in the population (TAMIU has a 95% Hispanic population) and academics (TAMIU average ACT admission score is 19). Admission to the program was restricted to FFR who scored 18 and below on the ACT and 860 and below on the SAT. Compared to previous terms, results indicated that FFR participating in the program improved retention and academic GPA. However, a longitudinal comparison of the first-year and second-year FFR cohorts have shown negligible improvements in GPA and academic standing (probation and suspension) over their counterparts who did not participate in the FFR program. Although the population TAMIU is dissimilar from TCU in race and culture, the pressures of academic life and the necessity of skills in time management and studying and the issue of connectedness remain essential to the success of both student population. However, three critical issues affect the success of the Hispanic student: connectedness, critical thinking, and motivation. The issue of connectedness has been found to positively affect all students regardless of race and culture. However, Hispanics are more acutely sensitive to the issue of support and sense of family community. Hispanic FFR students have poor coping skill (and maladaptive behaviors) when they perceive a lack of social support (both personal and academic). Critical thinking might be the most important issue that directly affects the success of the Hispanic (in this case Mexican Americans) in the FFR program. In the border region, it is hypothesized that poor mastery over the English language due to culture-bound code switching (alternating between both English and Spanish) might undermined their critical thinking skills. Preliminary data collected on Hispanic FFR students indicate that external motivators are a predominant factor for attending college. Data on motivation indicates that internally motivated students perform better than students who seek external rewards. 154-C Why Should I Go To Class? How Pedagogy and Classroom Practices Affect First-Year College Students Ellen Bara Stolzenberg Research Analyst University of California (310)825-7079 estolze@ucla.edu The transition to college is often a complex and multi-faceted experience. Past research (e.g., Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Upcraft, Gardner, & Associates, 1989) has demonstrated the importance of various interventions that encourage student success during the first year of college. One goal of this presentation is to discuss the distinct effects of instructor-selected pedagogies and measures of student engagement and disengagement on various student outcomes. Key topics include the extent to which certain pedagogies are incorporated into classes, the hours per week students spend doing academic work, and other measures of academic engagement. Additionally, out of class practices related to coursework will be discussed (e.g., using the Internet for research/homework; working with a professor on a research project; the number of hours per week spent studying). Associated measures of student disengagement, such as feeling bored in class, skipping class, and turning in course assignments late, will also explored. A primary objective of this session is to engage the audience in a dialogue about how certain pedagogies, classroom practices, and student behaviors impact student development. Data for this presentation are drawn from a sample of 12,716 first-time, full-time first-year students at 81 institutions who completed both the 2001 Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey and the 2002 Your First College Year (YFCY) survey. The presentation will begin with a brief discussion of the transition to college, followed by an introduction to two of the CIRP surveys: the Freshman Survey and YFCY. A discussion of the results of descriptive and multivariate analyses will focus on the effects of instructorselected pedagogies and measures of student engagement and disengagement on three important student outcomes: self-confidence, self-assessed cognitive development, and overall academic success. Throughout the session, the audience will be encouraged to discuss the implications for faculty and student affairs practitioners. 155-C Fostering Critical Thinking and Diversity Through Analysis of Advertising Dominique DeSpain Coordinator of Services New Mexico State University (505)646-3136 despain@nmsu.edu The session will open with an introduction to the connection between teaching critical thinking and diversity in the Freshman Year Experience classroom. Participants will be walked through the DECKs, also known as the albatross, activity. This activity establishes that most of us have a particular perspective of reality, and by thinking critically, we can start to open up our view to more diverse approaches on life and values. Following this activity, I will briefly outline the critical thinking skills the students practice during the advertising unit and how exploring advertisements builds a safe environment or context for students to discuss the sometimes difficult topic of diversity. I will also show how the unit incorporates the application of critical and analytical skills to explore advertisers’ method of targeting particular audiences with imagery based upon already existing social structures. Participants will then be given advertisements and a chance to do the exact activity the FYE students do in class. Working in groups, the participants will analyze the chosen advertisements and answer a question sheet. The question sheet asks participants to identify the specific audience of the ad, including race, class, gender, sexual preferences, age, relationships and/or status in life. The sheet also asks them to find a theme or overall story in the ad and to be able to argue which details in the ad support their above answers. Finally, participants are asked to comment on what the ad says about our culture through how the ad targets the specific audiences. Participants will be given a full lesson plan, corresponding handouts, worksheets, and sample advertisements, as well as guidelines for how to select the most effective kind of advertisements for the lesson. 156-C Critical Thinking in FYE Courses: A Framework for Student Success Eldon McMurray Student Success Coordinator Utah Valley State College (801)863-8550 mcmurrel@uvsc.edu Marni Sanft College Success Instructor Utah Valley State College (801)863-6183 sanftma@uvsc.edu Four aspects of critical thinking are metacognition, analysis, synthesis, and application. These aspects lead to important questions that an instructor needs to ask when developing curriculum for an FYE course. Metacognition involves asking the question “why?” when considering various topics, activities, or assignments. The answer leads to a realization or understanding of the importance of the effort. The question associated with analysis is “what?” Answering this question helps instructors identify essential elements of course content. Synthesis requires that an instructor answer “how?” This aspect involves aligning the parts identified during the analysis stage into a meaningful sequence. Finally, application raises the question “what if?” This stage involves creative application in the FYE classroom to bring the curriculum into student reality. These critical thinking skills correlate with predominant learning styles and can be introduced to FYE students as a process to enhance learning and understanding. According to David Kolb’s research, students generally perceive and process by feeling, watching, thinking, and doing. Combining these modes of learning translates into learning practices or characteristics that strongly correlate with the critical thinking skills introduced above. For example, a student who learns using a combination of feeling and watching is a student who will also grasp the metacognitive aspects of learning. While significant learning experiences most often happen within a student’s preferred learning style, if the student is taught to process that learning experience by answering the questions related to each aspect of critical thinking, they will be empowered to make better learning decision and become a more balanced learner. The application of this critical thinking “cycle” applies not only in the classroom, but in curriculum development, instructor training and evaluation, and peer-mentor development. This presentation includes best practices for implementing a critical thinking framework in all aspects of your FYE program. 158-E The Ultimate Road Trip: An Orientation Experience for First-Year Students Crystal Vitagliano Marketing Specialist Monster’s Making It Count (513)772-1188 crystal.vitagliano@monster.com Catherine Bernier College Program Coordinator Monster’s Making It Count (513)772-1188 The GOALS of this program are: 1) Explain the concept that has allowed Making It Count to help guide the futures of over 8 million students across the country. 2) Demonstrate part of the Ultimate Road Trip program. 3) Give a forum to ask questions and get answers about our program and our company. INTRODUCTION: - Introduce relationship between Making It Count and colleges/universities DISCUSSION: - Discuss concept behind Making It Count and why program is free - Highlight how our program can positively impact college retention rates - Emphasize how The Ultimate Road Trip is effective and can fit within any college setting PROGRAM OVERVIEW: - Description of topics covered in The Ultimate Road Trip 1. Career Opportunities of the Future 2. What Employers and Grad Schools Want 3. Benefits of Networking 4. Utilizing Campus Support Resources 5. The Power of Work Experience 6. Tips for Getting Great Grades and Managing Time 7. The Importance of Starting Now (Program Overview cont...) - Explain the logistics of how to bring the program to any college campus - Sample of The Ultimate Road Trip interaction QUESTION AND ANSWER: - Participants are given the opportunity to ask more questions about how The Ultimate Road Trip can fit into orientation on their college campus. From this session, we are hoping to connect with college orientation directors, student activities personnel, and first-year experience leaders to help them better prepare their students for the college years that lie ahead. 159-R Spirituality and Higher Education: Sustaining Authenticity, Wholeness, and Self-Renewal Mary Stuart Hunter Director University of South Carolina (803)777-4761 stuarth@gwm.sc.edu John N. Gardner Executive Director Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)966-5309 gardner@brevard.edu Betsy Barefoot Co-Director Policy Center on the First Year of College (828)966-5310 barefoot@brevard.edu Summary: None. 160-I The Discovery Program: Engaging Students in the Process of Career Development C. Dewayne Miller Career and Academic Counselor Abilene Christian University (325)674-6400 wayne.miller@acu.edu Jeff Reese Dir., Career and Academic Development Abilene Christian University (325)674-6400 jeff.reese@acu.edu The Discovery Program actively engages students in the process of career development. We believe students need to know their personalities, interests, talents and values; understand the keys to good decisionmaking; have specific information about different careers; and “try on” different careers before committing to one. We try to help students understand that a career is not merely a job but can be a reflection of your dreams, gifts and values. Participation in this program begins in the student’s first semester. All entering freshmen will complete course work in their University Seminar in self-assessment, occupational research, critical decision-making and college career planning. Students also will have the chance to connect with ACU alumni working in the careers they are considering. These activities will culminate in a Discovery portfolio that will help them track their equipping process from their freshman year through graduation. After one semester, they will have an on-time graduation plan in a targeted career field that aligns their strengths, interests and values with alumni network connections. All second-semester freshmen who do not have a major are then strongly encouraged to take a Career Life and Planning course. The course delves deeper into the career development process, focusing on assessment of personality, interests, gifts and values, conducting occupational research, networking and informational interviews, and understanding decision-making styles. Speakers from various professions and alumni will provide information about their careers and integrating their faith with their career. Finally, individual career counseling, which is freely available for all students, is required of sophomores who have not yet selected a major. The focus of counseling will be to assess areas where more career information is needed and to develop an individual plan that meets the student’s need. 161-C Academic Affairs and Student Affairs: Building a Strong Co-Sponsored First-Year Experience Program Nancy Sacks Director, First-Year Experience Program State University of New York College at Old Westbury (516)876-3460 sacksn@oldwestbury.edu I would begin with a quick brain-storming session asking the participants in the session to list 3 reasons why they think it might be a good idea to have a joint academic/student affairs sponsorship for First-Year Experience Programs (FYEPs) and to list 3 problems they think might emerge from a combined program. I then will present three reasons I believe an academic/student affairs partnership is valuable and explore three operational issues (expounding a bit more than this summary allows): Philosophy: · FYEPs should include academic and student affairs components, each directed by the campus experts from those two domains. Academics (faculty or academic administrators) should oversee curricular, pedagogical and faculty issues. Student affairs personnel should be responsible for non-academic course topics and out-of-class first year experience programs and services. · Combined programs have greater campus strength, support, and visibility. Joint programs can draw on more people to contribute to the program and can provide combined funding to allow the programs to be broader and stronger. · To build a strong campus community that can most effectively meet the needs of their students, faculty and student affairs professional staff need to communicate and interact more closely, and FYEPs can be a vehicle to enhance integration of these two important constituencies on campus. Operations: · There needs to be one Director. Co-directors are cumbersome, and non-efficient, often resulting in continuously negotiated compromised programs. Ideally, there then would be two Associate Directors, one each from Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. · Funding is generally not equal. Appropriate fiscal resources need to be clarified and negotiated in advance. · The President needs to be strongly supportive of this structure and be willing to reinforce its merit and the need for both divisions of the college to work collaboratively and cooperatively with each other. I will close with using Old Westbury as a case study, and dissect the pros and cons of our joint sponsorship. 162-C Much More Than a Tour: Librarians and the First-Year Experience Linda Cain Associate Provost University of Cincinnati (513)556-2097 linda.cain@uc.edu Barbara Macke Instruction Librarian University of Cincinnati (513)556-1851 Libraries and librarians are in a unique position to connect with first year students and help them not only gain research skills, but also begin to become comfortable with the institution. This session will focus on the role of librarians in the following: • First Year Experience planning • Orientation and Welcome Week • College Success Skills Courses • Learning Communities • Introductory courses • Understanding and connecting with freshmen Library programs particularly appropriate for freshmen will be outlined. • FYE Librarian • Information Commons • Peer Mentors Examples of the librarian as a partner with faculty and student affairs professionals in creating and delivering an enriching first year experience will be discussed and the audience will be asked to contribute examples from their institutions. The session will include practical advice and first hand experiences for engaging first year students and redefining the “library research process.” The two speakers represent very different institutional perspectives on the library and FYE. Linda’s role, as an academic administrator, is to encourage and facilitate FYE program development. Barb, as a front line librarian, works with freshmen every day and collaborates with colleagues to create and enhance library programs for all students. 163-C Teaching Around a Topic: Using the F.I.R.E. Model to Enhance Learning Karla Braig Instructor, English Loras College (563)588-7239 karla.braig@loras.edu At the beginning of the session, we will read aloud an article from Newsweek magazine by Hugh Thompson, called “The Massacre at My Lai” and also read a brief overview of the FIRE model, as developed in the Teaching for Thinking project, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, coordinator, Dr. Joel Peterson. Then, in small groups, participants will apply the FIRE model to the essay, using the “questions to begin thinking:” FACTUAL thinking, or thinking clearly; INSIGHTFUL thinking, or thinking broadly; RATIONAL thinking, or thinking logically; and EVALUATIVE (ethical) thinking, or thinking deeply. Using this paradigm, we will generate questions about My Lai, Viet Nam, or even the year 1968: what we need to know. Then we will gather together in a large group and report our findings to each other. Since this exercise is so fast-paced and interactive, it is hard to predict where the discussion will take us. All the “teacher” or “presenter” does is start the process. At the end, we will take about 15 minutes to evaluate what we learned, how we learned, how we liked this method of inquiry, and how we could adapt it to our first-year experience classes. 164-E Navigating College Kimberly Nolting Vice President of Marketing & Research Academic Success Press, Inc. pnolting@aol.com Presentation opens with an overview of the research on which the Navigating College curriculum package is based: student engagement and persistence, socio-psychological factors and persistence, personality and learning styles and how they relate to active learning in and out of the classroom, math study skills and student success in mathematics. After this 15 minute overview, participants will review the Learning Styles Inventory, the Personal Empowerment Training, and the Math Study Skills Evaluation which help students frame who they are and can be as learners and members of their college communities. In addition, these inventories establish the foundation for students to either re-examine or explore career choices. Many first year experience seminars ignore one of the most difficult challenges students face in completing their general education courses---mathematics. Winning at Math imbeds the common freshman year curriculum— time management, goal and priority setting, study skills, learning styles, etc.--- into the framework of learning mathematics. This textbook is often used when freshman year seminars are linked with math classes as learning communities. Other freshman year instructors use it as either the primary or secondary textbook for their courses. Finally, participants will review the Navigating College activities which lead students through deeper reflection and application of concepts and topics covered in the curriculum. When finished with the Navigating College activities, students have a portfolio with the following: learning profile and personal learning strategies for the different academic disciplines; strategies for managing their lives ---values, short and long term goals, daily schedule management, crisis management; career information; college resources; and reflection journal. 165-C Communication Apprehension and the First-Year Student Suzanne Walker Director of First Year Program Marietta College (740)376-4628 walkers@marietta.edu The first ten minutes of the presentation will provide an overview of current research on the topic of communication apprehension (CA). First, we will examine why CA is an important topic for first year students. Causes of communication apprehension will be discussed. Participants will be given data on the impact of CA concerning student success, satisfaction, and persistence. A summary handout will be distributed to help participants justify requests for institutional support for developing programs to assist students with communication apprehension. The second ten minutes of the presentation will be dedicated to helping instructors learn how to identify students with communication apprehension. McCroskey’s Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA) will be distributed and scoring techniques explained. Daly and Miller’s Writing Apprehension Test will also be distributed as an example of other anxiety issues that can affect first year student success. The next 20-30 minutes of the presentation will focus on techniques for helping students reduce and manage communication apprehension. A variety of proven methods will be demonstrated, explained, and opportunities for participant interaction will be provided. Pedagogical strategies included will be: techniques for rational thinking/cognitive restructuring, goal setting, visualization, systematic desensitization, experiential activities/ skill training, and relaxation exercises. Finally, an opportunity will be provided for participants to ask questions and share experiences, or teaching tips that they have used in assisting students with communication apprehension. 166-C Structured Learning Assistance: A Pathway to Academic Success Mark Minglin Director of Academic Support Programs Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (317)274-0231 mminglin@iupui.edu Brian Thomas Operations Coordinator Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis bsthomas@iupui.edu Ryan McKay SLA Coordinator Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis ramckay@iupui.edu Angie Swift SLA Coordinator Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis aswift@iupui.edu April Malone SLA Coordinator Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis admalone@iupui.edu Introduction to the Bepko Learning Center and Structured Learning Assistance – Participants will receive an informational timeline of how the Bepko Learning Center has evolved from its inception. Expanding on its philosophy in which highly successful academic students can play an integral role in the academic development of their peers, IUPUI has developed a program from a Ferris State University model entitled Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) which focuses on support for first-year students. Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) Overview – Participants will understand that offering all students the opportunity to improve their study and learning skills is the premise behind the Structured Learning Assistance program, a unique academic support program at IUPUI. This hour per week directed study and practice session model combines study and learning skills with content background enhancement and collaborative learning to support first-year students enrolled in high risk-for-failure “gateway” courses. Selected courses require students to attend guided study practice sessions focused on learning content of the course while also empowering students to become more independent learners. Mentor Recruitment and Scholarship– Participants will be lead through the Learning Center’s recruitment process and how the mentors are compensated in the form of a scholarship. Mentor Training – Current Mentors will explain training material to session participants. Each participant will receive a copy of the training manual, which covers such topics as: mentor scholarship responsibilities, a mentor’s typical week, professionalism, faculty interactions, collaborative learning techniques, etc. Accutrack Software – Participants will be led through the Learning Center’s Accutrack software program which is a powerful database software designed specially for academic centers and learning labs. Some of the features of the program include: track student attendance, feedback on services from students, program assessment and messaging center. 167-C Peer Power: Maximizing the Benefit of the First-Year Seminar Through the Use of Peer Instruction Christopher Kubic Assistant Director of Orientation Northern Illinois University (815)753-1933 ckubic@niu.edu Denise Rode Director of Orientation Northern Illinois University (815)753-1535 drode@niu.edu Alexander Astin has stated that “the student’s peer group is the single most potent source of influence on growth and development during the undergraduate years.” He goes on to assert that “students’ values, beliefs, and aspirations tend to change in the direction of the dominant values, beliefs, and aspirations of the peer group.” The peer instruction component of the first-year seminar (UNIV 101 and 201) at Northern Illinois University is built on the belief in the importance of the peer group and has been proven to be effective in enhancing the UNIV courses. The coordinators of the First-Year Connections program at NIU have implemented a comprehensive peer instruction program which includes recruitment, training, placement, supervision, and assessment of undergraduate peer instructors in the UNIV 101 and 201 courses. More than two-thirds of the UNIV instructors make use of peer instructors, relying upon them for assistance in planning and leading class activities, identifying campus resources, and serving as a link between the students and the instructor. This presentation, led by one of the coordinators of the first-year seminar at Northern, will describe the peer instructor program, highlighting the theoretical foundations of the program; the mechanics of recruitment, selection, training, placement, supervision, compensation, and assessment; the roles of peer instructors; and plans for the future of the program at Northern. The session will also cover assessment data which confirms the value of peer leadership in UNIV 101 and 201 and will conclude by offering participants suggestions on how to implement and enhance a peer instruction program. A video component will allow attendees to hear from current peer instructors and see them in their roles. Open discussion and questions will be encouraged. 168-I First-Year Experience Across the Campus Glenn Blalock Co-Director, University Core Curriculum Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (361)825-2640 glenn.blalock@mail.tamucc.edu Carlos Huerta Co-Director, University Core Curriculum Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (361)825-2640 jhuerta@falcon.tamucc.edu Debra Wilson Director, Academic Advising Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (361)825-2640 debra.wilson@mail.tamucc.edu Our presentation will describe the several different components of our First-Year experience. We’ll begin with a brief overview of our university and its growth over the past decade, growth primarily due to the increase in our first-year student population. Following that, the Director of Academic Advising will discuss the initiatives implemented by our admissions and advising units, initiatives that begin to engage students before they arrive on campus and continue to engage them after they are here. We’ll spend considerable time explaining the First-Year Learning Communities Program, not only its configuration and the logistics of enrolling all first-year students in learning communities, but also the principles that inform our approaches to learning communities. One important focus of this part of our presentation will be the role of the seminar and the way we link our seminars with writing courses. We’ll follow this part with an explanation of the ways we integrate student activities and “campus orientation” activities into our first-year experience, the ways we strive to make these connections via academic inquiry and student interests/needs. We’ll close our presentation with a candid overview of the challenges our program faces in the next few years as our University continues to grow and as it matures. We want to leave significant time at the end to engage the audience in a dialogue about what we have been doing in our program and about our plans/challenges for the future. 169-I Aggie Access: An Interdisciplinary Learning Community Retaining Targeted First-Year Students Laura Wimberly Program Coordinator Texas A&M University (979)845-5916 lwimberley@tamu.edu This program will highlight the development and success of the Texas Aggie Access Program, a learning community built around the offering of core curriculum courses to targeted students. It will also offer a glimpse into what some of the pitfalls of serving the average, not honors-level, student can be. Aggie Access serves a more diverse, and more likely to be first-generation, student population than the campus norms. Many are selected from small rural high schools or extremely large metroplex schools that are targeted by the university for admissions. The program includes students from almost all colleges -- only those with cohort-based curricula are excluded from Aggie Access. Aggie Access began in 1999 strictly as a registration program to assist freshman students from small (less than 100 in the graduating class) in transitioning to a large university campus. Students may take 2 3-4 hour courses (in classes of 25-30 students) each semester in the program, with a 2-hour success class in the fall; the rest of their schedules are filled with basic courses from their majors in non-Access sections. After monitoring the success of these students, some of whom were not predicted to do well at college, the program expanded into a full learning community. The transformation occurred by adding a residential livinglearning cluster for one-third of the participants, adding a peer and faculty/staff mentoring system, instituting regular programming to address social and academic topics, offering excursions to museums and other sites around the state, and joining other learning communities for an optional Spring Break trip to Europe. Technology has played a role, as well; the students regularly utilize an online forum and listservs to bridge the gaps across their respective colleges. The previously established intrusive academic advising by the program coordinator, use of an academic skills enhancement course (Succeeding in College), and careful selection of faculty and courses from the core curriculum remained in place. This year, academic achievement recognition and reunion events for sophomores through seniors have been implemented to extend the learning community throughout the four years and graduation cards are sent to those who have finished their degrees. Aggie Access has grown from serving 120 students loosely chosen to apply for the program based on high school rank, high school class size, ACT and SAT test scores, and predicted GPR, to serving 180 students per year as freshmen. At present, almost 800 students have been involved as freshmen. Additionally, Aggie Access serves as a faculty resource for those teaching in the program’s classrooms and works closely with the deans and academic advisors in the colleges to keep the courses and students on track. Parents are invited to seek information or intervention from the Aggie Access staff and remain one of the constituencies served. Funding is provided for the program from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Services and the staff has recently expanded from one-person to include support from a full-time secretary, a graduate assistant, and a student assistant. Collaboration across university divisions has been critical in keeping this program functioning and made it possible for it to succeed. Aggie Access has achieved a retention rate higher than the campus average during the past two years (9395% for the program, 88% for the campus). This retention success cannot be traced to one single facet of the program, but reflects, instead the provision of some needed service or contact for each of those students. Likewise, students who have been selected for the program based on an indication for transition assistance, have acquired the grades to join the university honors program at a rate of 20-30% each year. Aggie Access provides a personal, small college-like base for students who have the very real potential of being overwhelmed by the large university. While the students are never told that they are “at risk”, and not all of them ARE “at risk,” many are predicted to have difficulty in making the transition. The presentation will show not only how the program was formed, but also how courses are arranged with the colleges, how students are selected, and how to set up and use a living-learning cluster in the residence hall as a base for those living elsewhere. The development of Aggie Access has not been completely smooth, so foibles and issues encountered along the way will be mentioned (for example, convincing faculty that these students are not provisional but are fully admitted, convincing colleges that the integrity of their courses would not be compromised because the courses would be as difficult, if not more so, in the smaller classroom, and convincing students that learning as a community can improve their experience). Aggie Access has the potential to be adapted at other campuses (and has been replicated at Texas A&M by the College of Engineering this year). Access is unique in serving the regular student in an interdisciplinary corecurriculum approach. 170-I A Campus Welcome: Making a First Impression Laura Lembo Kraus Associate Director The Ohio State University (614)292-3343 kraus.47@osu.edu Steve Crawford Coor. for First Year Experience Program The Ohio State University (614)292-3343 crawford.303@osu.edu Ohio State faces a distinct challenge as it seeks to provide a universal “first impression” program for new students. Some new students have collegiate experience, others have no experience, and still others have attended one of our regional campuses and thus are already Ohio State students. The goals of the First Year Experience Program revolve around helping students navigate the university, getting students into the campus “conversation”, and helping students become cognizant of the tradition that runs strong through the Buckeye community. Through the President’s Convocation for traditional freshman and through Buckeye Welcome, a program for new transfer and regional campus change students, we take a first step toward the realization of these goals. At the President’s Convocation, students view their first academic procession, receive tokens of their membership in the Ohio State family, learn the alma mater, and are greeted by various university dignitaries as well as the Ohio State Marching Band. At Buckeye Welcome, students are also greeted by the President and other university dignitaries, but we also provide specific information which is valuable for more experienced college students as well as focusing on Ohio State traditions, like the “buckeye”. These programs are university-wide collaborations, though they are spear-headed by FYE. This presentation will focus on the basics of the programs: who is invited and why, how students are invited, which campus constituencies we involve in the programs, and what sort of “feelings” and first impressions we hope to convey to students. Various handouts, including sample programs and invitations, will be available.