Albany State University 2024

First Year Experience

Tutoring

Strategy/Project Description:

Study table is an opportunity for students to have access to our faculty for assistance in various academic subjects. This is designed to help students clarify subject questions and enhance their understanding of course materials. This is offered to students 3 nights a week from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. During this time learning may be provided to students in a group or one on one sessions. Different learning strategies are introduced to help aid students in the learning process.

In alignment with our ASPIRE efforts, Study Table is strongly suggested for all first-time freshmen taking ENGL 1101, 1102, MATH 1111, and MATH 1001 and is made mandatory in University College’s freshmen learning communities. This is a new addition to the study tables programming.

Activity Status:

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

The key performance indicators used to assess the success of the Study Table include student usage of the services. There has been an increase in student usage from 2022 through 2024 indicated below.

	Fall 2022	F 2023	F 2024 (as of October)
Total Support Use	2766	5175	1789
Study Tables	976	2476	858
Math Center (East)	44	204	45
Math Center (West)	1088	1045	173
Writing Center (East)	550	707	365
Writing Center (West)	108	716	348
Peer Tutors	0	25	0

Progress and Adjustments:

Moving forward, we will revisit the KPIs to include students' midterm and final grades utilizing Study table. This approach would demonstrate the direct impact of the services provided to students. Additionally, we will focus the Key Performance Indicators specifically on students who actively use these services. We will also report on any changes to ENGL and MATH grades resulting from the mandatory nature of study tables in those classes.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

Each Semester to increase awareness of our programs and services, our department initiated a “Walk it Out Wednesday” where we walk the campus to inform students about our services. Moving forward we will continue to print flyers, use stand up banners, send email and texts messaging through EAB program to bring awareness of our program. In addition, we have added various workshop in Math and English to help aid students in their learning. The workshops are offered at different time and on both campuses. The workshop are entitled AI in the classroom, How to add Fractions, Time Management and starting strong to name a few.

Challenges and Support:

A challenge that may affect our ability to do this activity is the pool of Faculty Tutors. While every effort is made to increase the awareness of the program and services, human capital is an issue. Our services may not be able to accommodate the large influx of students in terms of human capital and instructional space.

We are able to provide this service due to the funding of a grant. When the grant is exhausted, we will need to find additional resources.

Contact email:

Natalie.knox@asurams.edu

Primary Contact:

Natalie Knox, Director of Academic Support Services

Lead and Peer Tutors (Albany State University-2024)

Strategy/Project Name:

Lead and Peer Tutors

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Category:

Peer and Supplemental Instruction

Tutoring

Strategy/Project Description:

Lead tutors, professionals within the community, play a crucial role in the Writing and Math Centers, providing expert assistance to students. Peer Tutors, currently enrolled students who have excelled in their subjects with an A or B+, are well-equipped to confidently assist students in various subject areas. The goal of Lead and Peer Tutors is to help build confidence with the student learners and equip them with learning strategies that will enable them to complete a class assignment, test, mid or final exams. They are able to accomplish these goals by one-on-one or group setting depending on the number of students needing assistance.

Lead and Peer Tutors are housed in the Math and Writing Centers on both East and West Campus Monday-Friday. In an effort to increase our visibility tutors are available on Sunday evening from 7:00 pm -9:00 pm in Hall 5 of the Residence Hall for our weekly “Sunday Night Scholar Session”. This is another service provided to our students to help them become successful in their courses. The student engagement has been limited but we will continue until the end of the semester.

Activity Status:

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

The key performance indicators used to assess the success of the Peer Tutors include student usage of the services. There has been an increase in student usage from 2022 through 2023. Additionally, another indicator of performance is that students utilizing these services regularly visit the Centers for support.

Progress and Adjustments:

Moving forward, I propose revising the KPIs to include students' midterm and final grades utilizing Lead and Peer Tutors. This approach would demonstrate the direct impact of the services provided to students. Additionally, we will focus the Key Performance Indicators specifically on students who actively use these services.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

We have added various workshop in Math and English to help aid students in their learning. The workshops are offered at different time and on both campuses. The workshops are entitled AI in the Classroom, How to add Fractions, Time Management and Starting Strong to name a few.

Challenges and Support:

A challenge that may affect our ability to do this activity is the pool of Academic Peer and Lead Tutors. While every effort is made to increase the awareness of the program and services, human capital is an issue. Our services may not be able to accommodate the large influx of students.

We are able to provide these services due to the funding of a grant. When the grant is exhausted, we will need to find additional resources.

Contact email:

Natalie.knox@asurams.edu

Primary Contact:

Natalie Knox, Director of Academic Support Services

Freshmen Learning Communities (University College) (Albany State University-2024)

Strategy/Project Name:

Freshmen Learning Communities (University College)

Momentum Area:

Pathways

Category:

Career/Major Exploration

Early Alerts

Faculty Development

First Year Experience

Focus Areas

High Impact Practices

Learning Communities

Mindset

Peer and Supplemental Instruction

Transition to College

Tutoring

Strategy/Project Description:

The Learning Communities (LCs) in which two or more courses are linked thematically with collaborative instruction and co-curricular activities. These courses, and their faculty, focus on core areas as well as areas of academic performance, retention, student mindset, and degree progression. LCs at ASU will provide an easier platform of transition to ASU students while providing a supportive network of peers, mentors, professors, success services, and more. The learning community courses also require students’ use of ASU’s various Academic Support programs including, but not limited to, Study Tables and Tutoring outlined elsewhere in this report.

Instructors within the learning communities have been chosen based on their experience working with first-year students, prior performance, ability to engage students, interest in support this effort, and having Chair approval. Once they agree to serve as a LC instructor, faculty must undergo a series of HIPS training sessions designed to increase instructors’ knowledge of pedagogical practices in order to improve student learning and their teaching.

To achieve our objectives, we have developed SOPs, a training schedule for UC Teaching and ASU 1101 Fellows, designed, implemented, and revised the UC assessment plan, discussed academic success plans with at-risk students identified bi-weekly; coordinated co-curricular activities for learning community students, and developed guidelines for designated faculty within learning communities. All that we seek to do is in alignment with HIPs and other instructional best-practices.

Our current learning communities are structured around USG’s focus areas as well as some affinity groups such as Entrepreneurship, First Generation, and Reading and Math Readiness. The courses include ASU 1101 and two other courses located in the Core.

Activity Status:

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Our current objectives currently include increasing the numbers of students attempting ENGL and MATH classes during their first-year; increasing the number of students earning end of course grades of A, B, or C by 3% annually. Increase the fall to spring persistence rate of first year students by 3%, and to increase the number of students completing the AA/AS core curriculum pathway to the associated Bachelors program by 3%. We also seek to increase the number of learning communities available.

Baseline Data for the number of freshmen attempting ENGL and MATH during Fall 23:
- ENGL 1101-- 1297
- MATH 1111—802
- MATH 1001—755
- ENGL 1102—678
Baseline Fall to Fall persistence is 66.3%
384 students received their Associates degree in FY 2023.
The number of Freshmen learning communities in fall 2023 was eleven.

Progress and Adjustments:

Due to issues with course fill-rates in ASU’s three colleges, there have been some difficulty reserving the number of sections needed to fulfill the course alignment needed for the learning communities. As such, we are moving towards having faculty interested in leading learning communities to propose their own and obtain their Chair’s approval. This should decrease the number of problems scheduling classes.

We continue to work with Career Services to refine the career development programs that students experience during their first year. We also collaborate with Summer Success Academy to ensure we continually refine our structure to achieve desired impact on students’ retention and timely progression.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

As AY 24-25 is the first year that we can measure impact, we are looking forward to using data to improve our efforts by refining what is currently working and to pivot away from strategies that are not proving useful.

Challenges and Support:

Challenges: Students pre-collegiate dispositions, awareness, and academic preparedness challenge faculty’s ability to engage students in learning. These same issues create obstacles in creating programming that students are willing to attend.

Support Needed: Additional funding to cover programming to promote student belonging and mindset, which includes scholarships, student travel, food, and promotional items would help us achieve our goals.

Primary Contact:

Director of First Year Experience, Dr. Steve Transou

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Tiffany Pogue

Campus-Wide Advising Model (Albany State University-2024)

Strategy/Project Name:

Campus-Wide Advising Model

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Category:

Advising

Strategy/Project Description:

The Campus-Wide Advising Model activity is designed to effectively communicate to students the requirements to earn a degree. Implementing this campus-wide model will position Professional Advisors (PA) as the first point of contact for admitted students who are interested in any program at ASU. PA’s understanding of the programs allows them to clearly, succinctly, and thoroughly inform students of course overviews, petitioning deadlines, prerequisite courses, GPA minimums, and if applicable clinicals, internships, and program specific standardized exams. PA’s will attend department and college meetings and meet with chairs regularly to stay informed and up-to-date on advising specific majors in the college they represent. For departments whose degrees lead to a licensure, they will keep the current model that includes a faculty advisor at the greater than 30 credit hour mark.

Activity Status:

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluate Common Data Points each semester.

Average Credit Intensity: each semester

Caseload Average: each semester

Academic Standing: Each semester

Total Fall Headcount: Fall Semester

Degrees Awarded: Fall & Spring Semester

Special Population Return Rate from Fall to Spring: Spring Semester (Freshman, Transfer, Athletes, Probation, Professional Advised, Faculty Advised)

Baseline established Fall 2022:

Average Credit Intensity: 12.1

Caseload Average:

Academic Standing: Good Standing: 3534, Probation: 305

Total Fall Headcount: 6351

Degrees Awarded: · 456 Total Fall 22 Associate (174) and Bachelor (282) Degrees awarded · 627 Total Spring 2023 Associate (339) and Bachelor (288) Degrees awarded · 146 Total Summer 2023

Special Population Return Rate from Fall to Spring: · Freshman: 1290 à 1109 (86%) · Transfer: 623 à 498 (80%)

· Athletes: 291 à 264 (91%) · Probation: 302 à 102 (34%) · Professionally Advised: 4691 à 3735 (80%) · Faculty Advised: 1496à 1146 (76%)

Goal:

Average Credit Intensity: 15

Caseload Average: <300

Academic Standing: Good Standing: increase, Probation: decrease

Total Fall Headcount: increase

Degrees Awarded: Increase

Special Population Return Rate from Fall to Spring: ·

Freshman: Increase ·

Transfer: Increase ·

Athletes: Increase ·

Probation: Increase (in return of those the following term) ·

Professionally Advised: Increase ·

Faculty Advised: Increase

Current Fall 2024

Average Credit Intensity: 12.275 (Freshman 12.57)

Caseload Average:

Academic Standing: Good Standing: 4987, Probation: 205

Total Fall Headcount: 6769 Degrees Awarded: · 513 Total Fall 23 Associate (203) and Bachelor (310) Degrees awarded · 595 Total Spring 24 Associate (285) and Bachelor (310) Degrees awarded

Special Population Return Rate from Fall to Spring: ·

Freshman: 1403 à 1239 (88%) ·

Transfer: 638 à 511 (80%) ·

Athletes: 284 à 260 (92%) ·

Probation: 200 à 58 (29%) ·

Professionally Advised: 4966 à 4021 (81%) ·

Faculty Advised: 1469à 1134 (77%)

Progress and Adjustments:

Increase in overall enrollment, but not a significant increase in progression has occurred. We have done concentrated efforts in advising to push 15 to finish and encourage 30 hours in the first year and the average case load only went up .175 credits with the average freshman load being 12.57. -Adjustment – revisit the initiative and establish freshman advisors with smaller caseloads that have a focus on getting a student through their first year. Upon earning 30 credits, transition to a professional advisor for their major to assist with the graduation plan and advising through senior year.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

Refocus to freshman advisors -Continue to push 15 to finish -Add additional training to assist with best practices -Revise job descriptions and model to support freshman advising and help build a corps of advisors.

Challenges and Support:

Challenges: Student motivation Time Lack of clear onboarding process (so worried about getting a dorm that they skip all important steps and end up not being prepared)

Support Needed: The knowledge of what’s working at other institutions and receiving positive outcomes. Administrative support

Primary Contact:

Sarah Rogers, Director of Advising

Summer Success Academy (Albany State University-2024)

Strategy/Project Name:

Summer Success Academy

Momentum Area:

Pathways

Category:

Credit Intensity

First Year Experience

Learning Communities

Mindset

Transition to College

Strategy/Project Description:

The Summer Success Academy is a 6-week residential learning opportunity that provides incoming freshmen with the ability to get a jump start on their ASU experience. Student participants are enrolled in 7-9 hours depending on their cohort. Working closely with expert faculty and supported by a network of peer advisors, learning specialists, and tutors, Academy scholars learn together as a community within and beyond the classroom. Focus of the program is to enable students to develop into owners of their educational experiences and leave strong and ready for the challenges of a first year in college.

Activity Status:

Kimberly.burgess@asurams.edu

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

KPI’s and Baseline:

% of SSA Scholars who agree/strongly agree that SSA sufficiently prepared me to begin my journey as a Golden Ram Baseline: 75%

% of SSA Scholars with a GPA of 2.5 or above at the end of the program. Baseline 81%

% of SSA Scholars who complete Area A by end of Spring · Fall – to Fall Retention

Baseline: 50%

Goals:

80% of SSA Scholars who agree/strongly agree that SSA sufficiently prepared me to begin my journey as a Golden Ram ·

85% of SSA Scholars with a GPA of 2.5 or above at the end of the program. ·

75% of SSA Scholars who complete Area A by end of Spring ·

80% Fall – to Fall Retention

Evaluation Plan

Survey at the end of the program (August) and survey at the end of the first year of the same cohort (May) ·

Review of performance data at end of program (August) ·

Review of grades of SSA participants in ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102, MATH 1001, and MATH 1111 the end of the first year (May) ·

Review of retention data in Fall of every year (October)

Progress and Adjustments:

Overall assessment: We are moving satisfactorily toward most of our stated goals): ·

Satisfactory Progress:
- 80% of SSA Scholars agree that SSA sufficiently prepares them for their journey: We are currently at 100% agreement but we need to increase our response rate significantly.
- 85% of SSA Scholars with a GPA of 2.5 or above at end of program: We are currently at 77% for the 2024 cohort but average 83% over the last four cohorts (2021-2024). The current curriculum format, instructor selection, and scheduling seems to be working well for our students.
- 80% Fall-Fall Retention: We are currently at 81% for the 2023 cohort but average 79% over the last three cohorts (2021-2023). The current rate is a 10% increase over the first reported cohort for Momentum Year (71% for 2021). ·

Mixed Results
- 75% of SSA Scholars completing Area A by the end of Spring: Overall, 35% of the 2023 cohort passed Area A by Spring 2024. We have mixed reviews but are observing that passing ENGL 1101 on the first try, passing ENGL 1102 on the first try, and enrollment in MATH 1001 performance overall seems to be related to success in this area.
  - ENGL 1102 performance: ·
    - With the 2023 cohort, only 38% of students who passed ENGL 1101 during SSA passed ENGL 1102 on the first try; 78% of those that did pass on the first try completed Area A by the end of Spring, regardless of performance in the math class. This is a significant decrease from our first cohort reported in Momentum Year (2021), where 64% of the students passed ENGL 1102 on the first try. Once again, 78% of those students completed Area A by the end of Spring, regardless of performance in the math class.
  - ENGL 1101 performance after MATH 1001: MATH 1001 students who do not take ENGL 1101 until after the summer program are not fairing as well as we would like. ·
    - In the 2021 cohort, 100% of the students taking either MATH 1001/1111 passed, with 50% of those students passing Area A by the end of Spring
      - MATH 1001: 100% of the students passed
        
        4% (1 student) of this group transferred in ENGL 1101; no other student passed ENGL 1101 on the first try
        
        The 1 student who transferred in ENGL 1101 passed Area A
      - MATH 1111: 100% of the students passed
        
        100% of this group transferred in or passed ENGL 1101 on the first try
        
        100% of the students passing ENGL 1101 on the first try passed Area A
    - In the 2023 cohort, 89% of the students taking either MATH 1001/1111 passed, with 46% of those students passing Area A by the end of Spring
      - MATH 1001: 89% of the students passed
        
        59% of this group passed ENGL 1101 on the first try
        
        18% of the students passing ENGL 1101 on the first try passed Area A
      - MATH 1111: 88% of the students passed
        
        88% of this group passed ENGL 1101 on the first try
        
        68% of the students passing ENGL 1101 on the first try passed Area A
    - Advising/Registration: Students who are not scheduled for ENGL 1101 in the summer or in the fall have 0% chance of passing Area A. Students who are not scheduled for ENGL 1102 in the Spring have 0% chance of passing Area A. It is critical that schedules be audited to make sure that the sequences are part of every student's schedule in Fall and Spring.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

Satisfaction: Survey data will be collected on the last class meeting of ASU 1101 to increase the response rate.
Area A (now Communication and Mathematics areas): We are considering two options:
- Option 1: Requiring students who are enrolled in MATH 1001 to also enroll in ENGL 1101 in the summer program. While this would improve ENGL performance overall for these students, we risk a dip in satisfaction as students may feel that their schedules are not as imaginative as their peers.
- Option 2: Work with University College to place students in specific learning communities for the Fall that include ENGL 1101 w/support and ENGL 1102.
Fully executing a previous plan to extend the faculty-student relationship into the first semester to assigning students with the most challenges to SSA faculty as mentors.
We conducted intensive auditing of Fall schedules to ensure that students were adequately placed.
Proposing two learning communities for Fall 2025.
Focus groups comprised of all six SSA cohorts (2019-2024) to get a better understanding of support systems necessary to sustain satisfactory academic performance after the program has concluded.

Challenges and Support:

Challenges:

Staffing: A continued increase in participants will require additional full-time, part-time and student leader support.
Funding: Despite a positive fundraising from alumni that has yielded over $4000 for experiential learning and personal items for eligible students, and grateful partnerships with Student Engagement and Campus Housing to sponsor specific activities, funding continues to be a primary area of concern. There are currently no scholarships, book vouchers, or completion incentives as part of the program. This makes it difficult to increase the number of participants annually, as it competes with summer income opportunities prior to the start of Fall.
Community: The increase in the number of students may be leading to a decrease in community among the students. We observed that more students in this cohort than in any other completed the program without having engaged significantly with every other member.

Supports Needed: Reviewing the requirement in Momentum Year of all students completing Area A (Communication and Mathematics) within the first 30 hours. This forces advisors to place students in classes with high failure rates and where they may not be developmentally ready to engage with the course. For instance, it may be in the students’ best interest (non-STEM or non-traditional) to take math as a solo course in the summer or when the GPA is higher so that the stress of a potential failure is lessened.

Contact email:

Primary Contact:

Dr. Kimberly Burgess, Executive Director of Student Success

Office of Career Services (Albany State University-2024)

Strategy/Project Name:

Office of Career Services

Momentum Area:

Pathways

Category:

Career/Major Exploration

Strategy/Project Description:

The Office of Career Services supports the following initiatives through Student Access and Success by targeting all students, specifically underrepresented students, that will benefit from informed career planning efforts, using resources such as Focus 2 Career.

Inform students’ career planning efforts through identification of pathways to career fields that align with majors that begin when students arrive on campus through Focus 2 Career assessment. The assessment is included in the ASU 1101 (First-Year Experience Pathway to Success) course and is also supported by a Career Exploration assignment which instructs students to do research on their future career goals.

Activity Status: