Armstrong State University-[node:field-date:custom:Y]--Timely Interventions, -15-to-Finish, Other/Undefined

High Impact Strategy

Centralization of 1^st and 2^nd year advising to normalize caseloads and provide targeted advising and coaching/intervention services to specific student populations (freshman, transfer, adult, military and secondary-admit programs)

Goal

4. Implement and expand improvements in advising services for FTFTF and at- risk students to improve freshman and sophomore retention rates

Summary of Activities

Prior to centralization, we piloted having the academic advisors pre-register all freshmen for 15 hours prior to their attending orientation, and we discussed the need to take 15 hours with all students during their orientation sessions. Beginning January 1, 2016, our 13 professional academic advisors will be housed under one director who will be able to develop a campus-wide vision and mission for advising of the freshmen and sophomore students. The new structure will provide better coordination of advising, mentoring and coaching services and improved advisor professional development, so that we can better focus on freshman and sophomore retention. The new advising team will run our supplemental instructor (SI) program so that the SIs can be appropriately trained and assessed. We have expanded our SI program in freshman and sophomore classes, which has contributed to a 1-2% higher retention rate in courses with SIs than in courses without SI. Implementation for the 2015-2016 academic years also includes revising 15-to-Finish initiatives, pilots of appreciative and intrusive advising training and SAP training for advisors.

Baseline Status

As of Fall 2015, our freshmen retention rate, for associate and bachelor seeking students, is currently 71.8% (70.1% for FTFTF bachelor seeking only; Table 8). Our sophomore retention rate (bachelor seeking only) currently stands at 54.1%.

Interim Measure of Progress

Progress is measured by an increase in freshmen (bachelor and associate seeking) retention rate (Table 8), which hovers on average at 69% year to year, but currently stands at 71.8% for Fall 2015 (ahead of CCG target by 0.3%). A reduction of students on SAP, a decrease in DFW rates and an increased number of credits completed in the first two years will show that we are headed in the right direction (Table 9). Finally, increasing our sophomore retention rate, currently 54.1% for Fall 2015 (ahead of CCG target by 1.5%), will significantly increase our overall retention and graduation rates.

Measure of Success

We expect to achieve an institutional 80% retention rate for FTFTF students and a sophomore retention rate of 59% by 2020. We are also targeting an increase in the ratio of earned to attempted hours (90%), as shown in Table 11 and an increase in the number of students in the freshman and sophomore years taking 15 credits each semester (by 1% per year, See Table 9).

Lessons Learned

Professional advisors are key to student retention, especially in the early college years. Professional advising and counseling take a significant investment of time and resources to be successful. The complicated curriculum, financial aid rules, and the many stresses that accompany the transition from high school to college are best managed by a dedicated professional advisor who is responsive to students and knows the resources available to the student. Students can and should be mentored by faculty to pursue their academic and professional dreams and engage in their academic discipline. Students often need additional support and coaching to realize their full potential. Pre-registration of all freshmen is best accomplished with teamwork and cross training. Most students and parents expressed satisfaction with their student’s schedule. Data will be acquired at the end of fall 2015, to measure the impact of this component of the strategy.