Campus Plans (pdf)
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Success Strategies by Category
Success Strategies by Category
Success Strategies by Category are available from 2023
Career Milestones (Georgia College and State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
Capstone (Georgia College and State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (Georgia College and State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
Internship (Georgia College and State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
Leadership (Georgia College and State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
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Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern is a Carnegie Doctoral-Research university providing the classic residential campus experience. Georgia's largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta, every state and 86 nations are represented in the student body. The University's hallmark is student-centered education for undergraduate and graduate students alike.
Georgia Southern University Institutional Profile
Georgia Southern University Campus Plan Update 2022
Mission
Georgia Southern University is a public comprehensive and Carnegie Doctoral/R2 university offering associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in nationally accredited programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines.
The learner-centered culture at Georgia Southern University prepares the members of our university community to think, lead, teach, and serve. Faculty, staff, and students embrace the values of collaboration, academic excellence, discovery and innovation, integrity, openness and inclusion, and sustainability. Georgia Southern University promotes talent and economic development to enhance quality of life through scholarly pursuits, cultural enrichment, student life, and community engagement across three distinctive campuses. Our success is measured by the global impact of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Fall 2021 Undergraduate Student Profile
As evidenced by fall 2021 student demographic data, Georgia Southern University enrolls a primarily full-time, residential, undergraduate population. Of 27,091 students enrolled in fall 2021, 23,542 (86.8%) were undergraduates and 82% of those students were full-time. With a freshman on-campus residence requirement, the University housed 90% of beginning freshmen on campus. Consistent with its mission as a University System of Georgia institution, 91.6% of undergraduates were state of Georgia residents. The University enrolled 58% undergraduate female students and 42% undergraduate male students. Underrepresented or minoritized racial groups accounted for 42% of the total University enrollment. Only 5.2% of undergraduates were new transfer students with most of these coming from other USG institutions.
The University’s first-year retention rate for first-time, full-time, degree-seeking freshmen who entered in fall 2020 (and returned in fall 2021) was 72%, which was a 7% decrease from last year. There are two primary factors to this decrease: (1) the transitions to- and away from- online learning formats—a manifestation of pandemic fatigue—created a wider range of expectations and variance in student experience with our incoming class of students, and (2) the lack of testing requirements without a summer bridge program brought in more students who would have benefitted from developmental learning support prior to enrolling full-time at a four-year university. The six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time, degree-seeking freshmen who entered in fall 2015 and completed a bachelor’s degree is 54.7%, completing at a higher rate than the previous cohort (53.7%). It is also worth noting that the four- and five-year graduation rates also improved over previous cohorts. The four-year graduation rate for the 2017 cohort is 34.0% (compared to 31%). Table 1 provides additional demographic breakdowns regarding retention rates.
Table 1: Undergraduate Student Total Populations and One-Year Retention Rates
|
Undergraduate Student Demographics |
Retention Rates Fall 2021 (for Fall 2020 cohort)* |
Rate of Change |
|---|---|---|
|
Unknown |
54.2% |
-30.4% |
|
American Indian/Alaska Native |
66.7% |
-23.1% |
|
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
100% |
- |
|
Asian |
76.5% |
-6.9% |
|
Two or More Races |
67.0% |
-6.2% |
|
Hispanic/Latino |
68.8% |
-4.9% |
|
Black/African-American |
67.2% |
-12.7% |
|
White |
75.6% |
-4.3% |
|
Overall Population (all degrees)** |
||
|
Military & Military-Affiliated |
60.2% |
+10.5% |
|
Adult Learners |
56.7% |
+14.1% |
|
Pell Eligible |
70.1% |
-8.9% |
|
First Generation |
64.9% |
-9.2% |
|
Overall GS Retention Rate FTFTF*** |
||
|
72% |
-7% |
Source:; *Qlik Fall Enrollment by Academic Program (407a); ** CCG Retention; ***IPEDS
Georgia Southern recognizes that there are differences in both retention and graduation rates, depending upon campus and student type. Our institutional priority is to address the variance in retention and graduation rates by continuing to build and scale student success initiatives and resources across the institution. The implementation of professional academic advising and academic success coaching on all three campuses has been a promising first step towards providing individualized student support services and mechanisms to undergraduate students.
Undergraduate Student Academic Preparedness
Regular freshman admission (for fall 2021) at Georgia Southern University did not require students to have a total SAT (evidence-based reading & writing + math) score of at least 1030 or have an ACT composite score of at least 20 and meet the Board of Regents minimum requirements for each portion of the SAT/ACT. Due to COVID-19 waivers, students must only have a satisfactory grade point average on the required high school curriculum (2.6 or higher). The academic profile of beginning freshman for fall 2021 was a 3.36 high school GPA, a score of 1093 on the SAT, and a score of 21 on the ACT. New transfer students must be eligible to return to their current school, have a cumulative college GPA of 2.0 or higher on all work attempted, and have a minimum of 30 transferable semester hours or 30 transferable quarter hours.
Student Success Inventory
1.1 Student Success Inventory Tables
As part of Georgia Southern’s 2021 “Big Idea,” we introduced a grass-roots institutional approach intended to empower our base-level units and departments to build on the excellent practices and align those with the large-scale Momentum planning by promoting these with a single lexicon. Our table with a list of highlighted new or significantly revised representative examples is below—for instance, the Academic Success Center and the Department of Biology are highlighted here as examples of the kinds of work that units and departments are undertaking this year. One of the 2022 projects for Georgia Southern will be to publish a student- and community-friendly website with all Momentum initiatives listed and linked. The fuller list of more mature initiatives, programs, and projects is noted here first.
Established Student Success Initiatives
University Level Initiatives
- Mindset Focused First-Year Experience Courses
- Active Mindset Survey Engagement
- Semester One Faculty Mentoring (Conversations with Professors)
- Academic Focus Area Engagement in NSO (MyMajors)
- Cross-Divisional Enrollment Squad
- Early Academic Alerts
- Professional Advising
- Transparent Program/Major Program Maps
- EAB Navigate Academic Planning
- 15 to Finish (SOAR in 4!)
- Active Registration Campaigns
- Inclusive Environment in Classrooms, Learning Communities, and Co-Curricular Activities
- Early Academic Alerts
- Comprehensive Curricular Review & Redesign
- High Impact Practice Expansion
- Faculty Development
- USG Momentum Course
- Faculty and staff development focused on Inclusive Excellence and Mindset
Growing Student Success Initiatives
University Level Initiatives
- The Eagle Experience
- Eagle Engage
- Data-Informed Planning and Scheduling
- HERO Mental Health Campaign
College & Division Level Examples
- Revised CORE-Concurrent FYE Transition Curriculum
- Ready Day One
- Green Zone Training
Unit Level Initiative Example (Academic Success Center)
- Academic Intervention
- Learning Support
- Workshops & Consultations
- Peer Mentor Program
- Peer Tutoring with the Academic Success Center
Departmental Level Initiative Example (Biology)
- Growth Mindset Teaching Modules (PERTS)
- Learning Assistants
- Curricular Analytic Analysis of Degree Programs
- Biology Concentrations
University Level Initiatives
|
Activity/Project Name |
The Eagle Experience |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
The overarching focus for The Eagle Experience is to provide an experience that creates a successful transition for incoming students and tightly integrates key university Divisions working collaboratively and connecting the social, academic, and support elements of the student experience. This holistic experience begins at point of admission, escalates throughout the summer, reaches a crescendo through the week ahead and the first week of classes, and continues throughout a student’s first year. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Maintaining |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation plan and measures: Surveys are sent about a month to two months into each semester (to students, supporters, and university stakeholders) to assess learning outcomes and intake feedback. This data is used to assess and improve programming. The first couple of years are critical, using this information to refine the initiative and create a solid outline for the future. But regular assessment will be ongoing. Spring of 2023 will include a post survey to all first-year students enrolled in CORE 2000 focused on overall success of student transition to college. |
|
|
Baseline measure: Fall 2021 survey results from students/supporters are considered baseline. |
||
|
Goal or targets: While we have not set targets, 90%+ of students/supporters answering in the affirmative on learning outcome questions is desired. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Outbound assessments will go out each semester to new students from that term. A summative assessment will go out towards the end of each spring semester. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Total participation in the initiative increased considerably through the course of the 22AY. Total attendance at affiliated events grew 23% from baseline year. We had 291 total affiliated events hosted by 29 departments with 7884 unique participants for an incoming class of 4223 (pre-melt)—the highest attended event being growth-mindset focused Academic Affairs Convocation (4272 attendees). |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
This initiative is very successful, but Leads will effect a change to the organizational sub-committee structure to enhance ground-level organizational/planning participation. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Singular institutional budget dedicated to Eagle Experience. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Associate Vice President for Enrollment (Amy Smith), Associate Vice President for Student Engagement (Ken Gassiot), and Associate Provost for Student Success (Dustin Anderson) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Eagle Engage |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Pathways |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Student engagement online platform that captures and promotes student events, organizations, community service, and other experiential opportunities |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Scaling |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: evaluation occurs monthly through usage reports and Advisory Team meetings, bigger picture evaluation occurs at the end of each semester through an End of Term report. Discussion on platform needs also occurs in the Student Affairs Leadership Team and senior leadership meetings within the Division. |
|
|
Baseline measure: Numbers from the start of each term/academic year. |
||
|
Goal or targets: With being in a baseline year, none identified yet. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Each term/academic year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Eagle Engage continues to be built out and enhanced as a platform. An Advisory Team (13 members) helps lead this direction and progress is currently being made on various elements intended to increase engagement such as Points and Certificates as well as refinement of front-facing user interface and how to guide resources. A structural element to tie learning and engagement continues to be developed through Competencies and Skills. A Strategic Plan is also in advanced stages. Continually growing dept users and increasing student organization use for submitting student org. meetings. All students registered in FYE 1220 complete a module focused on using Eagle Engage during the first three weeks of the term. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Eagle Engage Advisory Team is focused on building out the functionality of the Prescence.io platform to provide a complete co-curricular transcript. They continue to analyze and report on attendance and participation trends to aid departments in enhancing means of belonging for students. They have targeted a growth goal of 5% for undergraduates attending at least 10 events annually, and 5% increase of unique attendees at all events. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Additional means to check students into events linked to Eagle Engage. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Associate Vice President for Student Engagement (Ken Gassiot) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Data-Informed Planning |
||
|
Momentum Area |
Pathways & Data & Communications |
||
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Provide more data and direction to department chairs and deans regarding student course needs. |
||
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Maintaining |
||
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Currently revising assessment plan by creating schedule and setting general expectations and outcomes. |
||
|
Baseline measure: Number of Chairs and College Leadership teams participating. |
|||
|
Goal or targets: 100% engagement for 50% of offered live training or opportunities. |
|||
|
Time period/duration: Each term/academic year. |
|||
|
Updates for 20222 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Through the Strategic Resource Alignment process this summer, all college leadership teams have begun using data visualization tools (primarily EAB’s APS) to map enrollment trends. All departments have been trained to use APS to identify bottleneck courses for planning purposes, and all departments use Ad Astra’s Scheduler optimizer to place courses and work through practical bottlenecks for room infeasibilities. All college leadership teams have been trained on Ad Astra Monitor, Align, and Predict (MAP) and our Pyramid dashboards to monitor enrollments. |
|
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Enhanced workshops and training to better familiarize college leadership teams with the predictive analytics from these platforms to help inform curricular changes as well as scheduling. |
||
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Time |
||
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Associate Provost for Student Success (Dustin Anderson) / Faculty Fellows |
||
|
Activity/Project Name |
HERO Mental Health Campaign |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
As part of the Mental Health Initiative by the University System of Georgia, the Helping Eagles Recognize Distress and Offer Support was created by a collaborative effort involving the Counseling Center, Athletics, Human Resources, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Office of Student Wellness & Health Promotion, University Communications and Marketing, University Housing, and University Police. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Scaling |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: JED standard review plan |
|
|
Baseline measure: accessibility and distribution to stakeholders |
||
|
Goal or targets: 100% distribution to faculty, staff, and student leaders |
||
|
Time period/duration: Each term/academic year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Refinement for stakeholder engagement through targeted subcommittees and additional marketing. All Academic Affairs Student Success staff (advisors, success coaches, etc…) received training on the initiative to provide additional points of contact for HERO issues including JED and Title IX. All Academic Affairs Student Success staff and all college leadership teams received refresher information on appropriate reporting for students in distress to our Behavioral Assessment Team. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Embedding JED and Christie Campus resources in student’s Folio (D2L) portal providing immediate, consistent access to all student support materials to everyone on campus. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Cultural aversion to open conversations about mental health. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
JED Campus Planning Team Chair/Counseling Center Director (Jodi Caldwell) |
|
College & Division Level Examples
|
Activity/Project Name |
CORE-Concurrent First-Year Curriculum Revision |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose, Pathways, & Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Georgia Southern University engages in First & Second-Year Experience course redesign processes every five years or so. Following our participation in the USG FYE Academy, we brought our FYE course much more closely aligned with our Momentum Year and Transition Improvement Plans. Over the course of this year, we will undertake the same type of redesign with our CORE 2000 course. This redesign will move the course to a concurrent model for year-one/semester-two Core courses to better focus on elements of Inform, Discern, & Affirm, reflections on academic mindset, challenges to perseverance, and highlight the importance of transitions through college (rather than just into college—i.e., meaningful choices in majors, minors, co-curricular engagements, and the like). |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Initiating |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Following previous Assessment findings on ineffective modeling, course has been redesigned and new program assessments established to align with the University’s mission and Core area designations. |
|
|
Baseline measure: Implementation |
||
|
Goal or targets: 85% bottleneck reduction. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Spring 2023. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Redesign is complete; bottleneck cleared. The 1-hour course now focuses Core course alignments with Major/Focus Area learning outcomes, Global Citizenship, and Career Readiness. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Linking our Conversations with Professors mentorship program (year-one/semester-one) faculty with the same set of students for CORE 2000. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Faculty participation in course delivery |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Director of First-Year Experience (Brenda Richardson) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Ready Day One |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose, Pathways, & Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
College-wide intentional Career Readiness curriculum built into non-Core foundation courses across Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes with specific course-based assessments for credit to enable students to engage with a professional development arc beginning during their first year. This is paired with an Opt-In Career Readiness co-curricular certification program. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Initiating |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Identify appropriate major courses, employ OPD Focus assessments, and require reflection subjective writing or presentation from students as key assessment measure. |
|
|
Baseline measure: 1 course per major or program within the college to require CR assessment. |
||
|
Goal or targets: All students in identified courses will complete the appropriate measure. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Each term/academic year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Implementing Fall of 2023. Four courses in all 10 majors offered in College of Behavioral and Social Sciences have been designated. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
College of Arts & Humanities is currently building this model. College of Public Health is exploring this model. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
None to date |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Dean of College of Behavioral & Social Sciences (Ryan Schroder) and Director for Career and Professional Development (Glenn Gibney) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Green Zone Training |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Created a Military Student Taskforce, a group that meets monthly to identify and remove barriers to military-connected students. Green Zone training has been offered to all faculty and staff to learn more about this student population. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Scaling |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Annual review based on questions posed and any new information on the demographic population. |
|
|
Baseline measure: Organizational unit engagement. |
||
|
Goal or targets: 100% organizational unit engagement. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Each term/academic year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
All Academic Affairs Student Success staff, college leadership teams, and incoming faculty have participated in this training. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
The taskforce will begin reporting on barriers and obstacles to partner units in Spring 2023. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Additional publicity. So far, this has been very successful. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Director for Military & Veterans Affairs (Col. George Fredrick [R]) |
|
Unit Level Initiative Examples (Academic Success Center)
|
Activity/Project Name |
Academic Intervention |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose & Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Placing students that fall below a 2.0 institutional GPA on academic intervention. Required enrollment into GSU 1000 course and one-on-one coaching. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Maintaining |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: (current) full data collection on AI students and EAB tracked engagement to promote 1-term Warning status. |
|
|
Baseline measure: engagement number, appointments AIP completion, meet 2.25 term GPA requirement or come into good standing. |
||
|
Goal or targets: Reduce Warning to Probation status by 15%. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Academic Year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Restructured position has allowed us to engage more in proactive intervention; team is currently working to identify and engage with at-risk populations prior to coming in on academic intervention. Team has also built out a continual contact communication plan for students on Exclusion to help facilitate re-enrollment at the end of that period. University has identified outdated barrier policies regarding standing and grade “forgiveness” and updated or deactivated those policies. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Team will participate in College Transition Collaborative toolkits programs (i.e., edX’s “How You Say It Matters” toolkit course). Division is currently in process of automating the SAP Appeal process to align with AIP for faster financial aid assistance. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
Incoming student preparation continues to be a challenge as secondary education programs continue to catch-up. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Success Coach Coordinator (Scott Taylor) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Learning Support |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Pathways, Mindset, & Data & Communications |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Learning support program |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Maintaining |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Track LS area and align with student data to identify trends in student barriers or instruction issues. |
|
|
Baseline measure: Students who successfully exit LS courses on the first attempt, completion of the courses within their first 30 credit hours. |
||
|
Goal or targets: Increase 1st LS attempt success by 10%. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Academic Year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Completed streamlining reporting processes for LS students and completed the build out a targeted orientation for LS (Fall 2023). |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Team is currently working with LS area department chairs on a closed-eco-system reporting process to help inform LS specific struggles in those courses, and develop tailored workshops for new faculty working with the LS population. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
We continue to review how the “SOAR in 4” mentality as it applies to LS students. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Academic Success Center Director (Jessica Williamson) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Workshops and Consultations |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose, Mindset, & Data & Communications |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Workshops and 1:1 consultations with educational specialists offered in-person and virtual for opt-in students |
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|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Scaling |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Capture additional demographic data to trend student needs. |
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|
Baseline measure: attendees, returning attendees, demographics of attendees. |
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|
Goal or targets: list of appropriate virtual and live workshops aligned with student needs based on demographic data. |
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|
Time period/duration: Academic Year. |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Team is currently working with LS area department chairs on a closed-eco-system reporting process to help inform LS specific struggles in those courses, and develop tailored workshops for new faculty working with the LS population. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Enhance virtual and digital support options for working and non-traditional students. |
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|
Challenges/support needed? |
None; currently implementing. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Academic Success Center Education Specialist Lead (Madison Murphy) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Peer Mentor Program |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose & Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Peer Mentor Program: students (mentees) meet 1:1, weekly, with upperclassmen (Mentors) through this student success program. Additionally, students are invited to attend program-facilitated events related to program pillars (self-efficacy; academic success; cultural competence). |
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|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Maintaining |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: On a semester and annual basis, we will track retention impacts from peer mentoring. This is will be pulled from IR as well as end-of-year impact surveys. |
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|
Baseline measure: 1% of total population enrolled in 1:1 mentoring. |
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|
Goal or targets: Increase events (virtual and live) by 10% to reach >1% of the total population. |
||
|
Time period/duration: Academic Year. |
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|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Continue with growth in mentee signups; continue with growth in mentee engagement; connect with IR to continue to monitor Mentor/Mentee retention rates. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Expanding the network to college-specific (and supported) mentoring programs. |
|
|
Challenges/support needed? |
None; currently implementing. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Academic Success Center Director (Jessica Williamson) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Peer Tutoring with the Academic Success Center |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose & Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Offer peer tutoring for students enrolled in common/core courses (i.e. Math, Science and Humanities). |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Developing |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Review trends in student attendance/engagement, including student demographics, unique students vs repeat visitors; trends in access, re: day/time, location, and subject. |
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|
Baseline measure: Key Demographics Identified |
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|
Goal or targets: Trend Data for Key Demographics |
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|
Time period/duration: Academic Year. |
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|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
We have shifted 50% of tutoring campus partners to using EAB Navigate software to assist with tracking student traffic/usage across all campus tutoring centers/services. This will allow a common data collection method and closed-eco-system reporting process to help inform pedagogical roadblocks that are consistent in content areas. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Beginning Spring 2023, all Folio (D2L) courses will have embedded links for Tutor.com. Students will be introduced to both in-person and virtual tutoring options through Eagle Experience and in FYE 1220. |
|
|
Challenges and support needed? |
None; currently implementing. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Academic Success Center Director (Jessica Williamson) |
|
Departmental Level Initiative Examples (Biology)
|
Activity/Project Name |
Growth Mindset Teaching Module (PERTS) |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
PERTS (Project for Education Research that Scales): Students watch a short video that teaches them about neural plasticity and how they need to “work to grow their brain”. Students are given a pre and post activity survey to gauge if they are “thinking with a growth mindset”. |
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|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Piloting |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Students are given a pre and post growth mindset survey. We have preliminary data for Academic years 12-20 and 20-21. Currently collecting data for 21-22 |
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Baseline measure: Currently used in a subset of BIOL 1107 lecture courses (Armstrong campus) |
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Goal or targets: Would like to make this activity available to all sections of 1107. |
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Time period/duration: Will have collected 3 years of preliminary data |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Currently in discussions with Biology department stakeholders to determine the best way to implement this effort in our gateway courses (or Area D). USG Mindset survey shared with new department chair to replace PERTS survey. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Currently in discussions with Biology department stakeholders to determine the best way to implement this effort in our gateway courses (or Area D). |
|
|
Challenges and support needed? |
Lack of buy-in from departmental stakeholders. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Biology Department Faculty (Sue Ellen DeChenne-Peters) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Learning Assistants |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Mindset |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Learning Assistants are undergraduate students who, through the guidance of weekly preparation sessions and a pedagogy course, facilitate discussions among groups of students in a variety of classroom settings that encourage active engagement. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Re-evaluating |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Developing |
|
|
Baseline measure: Shared Data Definitions |
||
|
Goal or targets: Shared Assessment Tool |
||
|
Time period/duration: Academic Year |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Currently working with the Academic Success Center to align with Supplemental Instructors. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Appropriately align with national Supplemental Instructor standards. |
|
|
Challenges and support needed? |
Project still needs a cohesive assessment plan. Funding for competitive student wages. |
|
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Biology Department Faculty (Geneva DeMars) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Curricular Analytic Analysis of Degree Programs |
|
|
Momentum Area |
Pathways |
|
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
Curricular Analytics is software that allows us to quantify degree program complexity to identify bottlenecks, and key degree program courses. Provides data to assist faculty in making evidence-based revisions to degree curriculum. |
|
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Retiring |
|
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: N/A |
|
|
Baseline measure: N/A |
||
|
Goal or targets: N/A |
||
|
Time period/duration: N/A |
||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Curriculum pathways are now mapped through EAB Scheduler and Planner. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
||
|
Challenges and support needed? |
||
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Biology Department Associate Chair (Scott Mateer) |
|
|
Activity/Project Name |
Biology Concentrations |
||
|
Momentum Area |
Purpose, Pathways, & Mindset |
||
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description |
The new Biology Concentrations are rolling out in the Fall of 2022. One feature of the concentrations is an immersive experience (HIPs) requirement. These experiences include mentored undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, service-learning, etc. |
||
|
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Scaling {Implementation (Fall of 2022)} |
||
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Track enrollment in specified courses including BIOL 4890, 4895, 4870, 3890, etc. |
||
|
Baseline measure: Current enrollments |
|||
|
Goal or targets: none |
|||
|
Time period/duration: Yearly |
|||
|
Updates for 2022 |
Progress and Adjustments |
Concentration Curriculum has been implemented. |
|
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Building enrollment. |
||
|
Challenges and support needed? |
Enrollment in concentration upper-division courses. If concentrations become popular, the biggest challenge will be finding immersive (HIP) experiences for all interested students. |
||
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Biology Department Chair (Georgianne Moore) |
||
1.2 |
For the 2021 Summit, you developed and implemented a Big Idea. What have you learned from your Big Idea? What evidence or indicators do you have? What are your plans to continue or adjust it? |
Continued communication with university constituents to develop a shared language and understanding of the purpose behind the work. Every single person at GS can talk about People, Purpose, Action and employee engagement. How can we have them talk about our shared work towards student success and Momentum in the same way? How can they understand shared responsibility and collaboration in the same way? We have seen - through The Eagle Experience - just how difficult this is.
Recent recognition by NASPA in winning a Bronze Excellence Award for The Eagle Experience is an affirmation that the concept of collaborative, holistic work towards student success (in this case orientation and transition) is the right path for Georgia Southern and to facilitate student success.
1.3 |
Global Momentum Work: In reflecting on your work above, what units on campus would have the opportunity to be more engaged in your Momentum Work? If so, in what ways and in what areas? |
We’ve made significant progress in this area over the last–one of the few “silver linings” of the pandemic was increased reliance on partner programs and offices. While we’ve done a good job of aggregating up, we’ve not closed the loop in reciprocal sharing of projects. We will be further engaging University Marketing & Communications to help drive this area. Our Division of Student Affairs has established a cross-divisional steering team for our Presence engagement platform (Eagle Engage) and First-and Second-Year Experience has also restructured their steering committee into a cross-divisional advisory council both focused on directly involving new faculty and staff in Momentum from their first-day forward.
The biggest lesson learned was in breaking habits for early student engagement that fell into well-worn patterns (majors fairs, interest group meetings, etc.). The initial roll-out for this had some truly innovative approaches to thinking about cross-divisional and cross-disciplinary opportunities for student engagement; we have elevated those partners as models while we continue to build out co-curricular events, projects, and initiatives throughout the year. During the first three weeks of the semester, we hosted 213 unique programs or events. The most attended live events were the Growth Mindset-focused Convocation (5,664 attendees at the two events) and then the Sex Signals (sexual assault awareness) events (2,783 at the live events). We hosted a number of additional high attendance events and programs, but we intentionally advertised for small-scale programming as well to provide a more direct and personal connection point for new students especially those in our lower-retention populations. In terms of opportunities, the Summit process allowed us to identify more targeted opportunities for engagement. For us, that manifests in two ways.
As the table below shows, we have done well in popularizing and initially engaging the university with Momentum; more than 80% of our respondents (representatives from Academic Affairs [staff and faculty], Enrollment Management, Information Technology Services, Student Affairs, and University Advancement—see appendix) indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with those statements. While not as strong, more 60% of our respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Momentum was embedded in their individual unit, was part of the overall culture, or were aware of other units’ work. Less than half (42-45%) of our respondents indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed they knew specifics about what other were doing. This indicates that cross-divisional communication still has room to improve. The 40+% S/SA response is a testament to the progress of the Big Idea from 2021; prior to that point, we would have seen single digit responses to awareness or details of other units. We are moving in the right direction.
The second manifestation of this centers around our university’s engagement with data. The N factor drops precipitously from Question 5 (on strategies) at 108 to Question 7 (confidence in overall retention data) at 70 and then Question 8 (confidence in FTFTF retention data) at only 6 responses. This indicates that while information might be shared, there is room to improve for contextualization and explanation.
Table 2: Responses to Momentum Surveys
|
Question #4 |
n=108 |
|
I am familiar with the Momentum Approach |
87.9% |
|
I have been involved in the Momentum Approach on my campus |
80.3% |
|
The Momentum Approach is embedded in the work of my unit |
68.5% |
|
The Momentum Approach is a part of the overall culture of my campus |
60.8% |
|
I am aware of Momentum-related initiatives in other units/programs |
62.6% |
|
I know the details of the Momentum-related initiatives, strategies and practices in other units or departments |
45.4% |
|
My institution has well-developed ways to share the strategies and activities related to Momentum between units/departments |
42.6% |
|
Question # 5 Thinking broadly at your institution, how mature are the elements and strategies of the Momentum Approach for students? |
n=108 |
|
Question #7 In the space below indicate what you believe to be the answers for the most current cohort for which there would be data as well as your confidence in your response. |
n=~70 |
|
Question #8 In the space below indicate what you believe to be the answers for the most current cohort for which there would be data as well as your confidence in your response. |
n=6 |
Reflecting on your Momentum Work & Minding the Gaps
2.1 |
What are your strengths with respect to student success? Where are you having the greatest success and making the most progress? |
- Increasing Access and Reducing Barriers: Across all areas/levels we are trying to decrease barriers to successful enrollment by streamlining communication, implementing Enrollment Services as a new department, increasing outreach from Financial Aid and strengthening need-based aid strategies, reviewing policies and procedures that complicate processes for students. Additionally, we have implemented more online orientation and transition modules for early discovery on students’ time/place and adding virtual orientation (SOAR) sessions for those unable to visit campus and decrease overall cost.
- Increasing Family Communication & Involvement: We have increased communication and engagement with family and supporters, including: monthly family Zoom sessions highlighting important things like Financial Aid, Student Support, On-Campus Housing, Commencement, Dean of Students, Wellness, Greek Life, Advisement, etc.; monthly family newsletters sent to all family members for whom we have email addresses (with opt-in options); supporter lounges sponsored by the Academic Success Center during the move-in weekend; replicating monthly Presidential messages for family audiences; and expanding our Spring Family Weekend offerings in Savannah. We are also in the process of implementing CampusESP as an online family portal for information and the Parent & Family Association.
- Supporting our Military & Veteran Students: Created a Military Student Taskforce, a group that meets monthly to identify and remove barriers to military-connected students. Green Zone training has been offered to all faculty and staff to learn more about this student population.
- Building a Cohesive and Comprehensive Transition with The Eagle Experience: Implementation of the new Eagle Experience initiative has helped us take a solid look at our orientation and transition programming for new students and think more holistically. We look at all student types and subpopulations to ensure they all have opportunities. We have set learning outcomes to guide the programming we put into place. We are prioritizing collaboration across divisions to maximize resources and engage all areas. We are communicating out to institutional partners and encouraging them all to be engaged with this work and consider their role. We are expanding orientation past a one- or two-day event in the summer before classes begin to a longitudinal process that happens over multiple semesters. We are telling students that transition is important and why they should be engaged. Our initial Fall 2022 survey had really great results, telling us that students are meeting the outcomes that we have set.
- Systematically Linking Co-Curricular Engagement with Eagle Engage: Eagle Engage logs and tracks all students who attend programs, events, and other experiences via a student check-in process initiated by the host department/organization at/after the event. Other experiences include non-academic granting Certificates that center around topical areas that help grow and build a student’s knowledge base. In addition to that, a Competencies and Skills framework created within the platform helps identify and articulate soft skills and competencies that are influenced by student development principles, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Learning Reconsidered, and the Council for the Advancement of Standards. The tracking and linking of co-curricular engagement are being done with programs/activities/events across the university, in and outside of the classroom. Additional effort continues to be given to adding more departments and organizations to Eagle Engage to capture as much engagement as possible.
- Highlighting Inclusive Excellence: Inclusive Excellence is an ongoing, collaborative process uniting Georgia Southern students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni in the work of embedding diversity and inclusiveness throughout University life. This is a part of the fundamental fabric of our university demonstrated not only through Offices of Inclusive Excellence and Multicultural Affairs or the President’s Student Advisory Council (PSAC) and Diversity Advisory Council (PDAC), but through the living Action Plans housed in the Office of the President, Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs, all Academic Colleges, Honors, Libraries, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, Athletics, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Business and Finance, Advancement, Office of the Chief Information Officer, and University Communications and Marketing. All units make quarterly reports.
- Eagle Mentoring Program: The Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD), in partnership with the Office of Alumni Relations, has launched a high-impact mentoring program using Georgia Southern alumni as mentors. After a fall 2021 pilot, we now have 55 mentoring pairs this spring.
- Internship Scholarship Program: The OCPD created and administers our Internship Scholarship Program (ISP) which provides up to $3,000 for GS students who face financial barriers to completing summer professional internships. The ISP was established in summer 2019 and has grown each year. In summer 2022, we will award $60,000 in scholarships to GS students across all eight academic colleges and all three campuses.
- GSU 2131/2132: The OCPD teaches two three-credit professional development classes in fall/spring/summer that provides career development training for our students. GSU 2132 Professional Development seminar, for juniors and seniors, teaches students critical “soft skills” using the EQ-I 2.0 emotional intelligence framework.
- Providing University-wide Mentoring Opportunities: ASC Peer mentor program: students (mentees) meet 1:1, weekly, with upperclassmen (mentors). Additionally, students are invited to attend program-facilitated events related to program pillars (self-efficacy; academic success, cultural competence); Eagle Mentoring Program (Alumni & the OCPD); OMA (various affinity mentoring groups); Peer Leaders embedded in First-Year Experience courses.
- Providing Equitable Access to Career & Professional Development: The OCPD is reimagining the role of career services on campus, shifting from a building where students visit by choice or compulsion, to the center of career readiness expertise for faculty to draw on. Beginning this fall, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS), in partnership with the OCPD, is integrating career readiness learning modules into curricula in each year of study. In parallel, the OCPD has created a Ready Day One career readiness certificate. Through purposeful choice, students in CBSS can become “career ready” by completing a series of career readiness experiences.
- Embracing “Complex” High Impact Practice Courses: In addition to Living-Learning Communities, on-site Field Work, Capstones, and Collaborative work, Georgia Southern continues to develop “complex” HIPs that blend two or three impact practices into a seamless experience for students and faculty with:
- Systematic Internship/Practicum experiences are “baked into” college pathways: such as CBSS, COE, JPHCOPH, WCHP
- Mentored undergraduate research: First-Year Experience Research Communities engaging first semester students with shared research interest areas; course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES); university, college, and departmental research symposiums, such as COSM’s COUR, CAH’s CURIO, Paulson CEC’s Research Symposium; and university-wide limited support for undergraduate RAs
- Common Intellectual Experiences in First-Year Seminars with the university selected Community Read and shared engagement with introductions to Inclusive Excellence
- Publication and Scholarship Opportunities: such as the ETAPH program, the Reflector, student presentations at local and regional conferences
- Experiential Learning: Junior Achievement Scholars; Eagle Academy (participants and mentors); service-learning; internships and co-ops
- Service-Learning and Community Based Learning: There are funds available to support students' service-learning projects. Every college offers at least one service-learning opportunity consistently (both at the undergraduate and graduate level), and many departments integrate Service-Learning into their Program of Study. Students also participate in collaborative community learning with places like the Georgia Film Academy Partnership, the Annex (for local businesses), the Industrial Expo
- Diversity/Global Learning: Sponsored DEI co-curricular workshops, on-site Study Abroad opportunities, virtual Study Abroad programs (COIL), and global-focus courses in colleges from Arts & Humanities to Public Health. All students take Global Engagement courses in Area B and have a shared intellectual experience with Global Learning in CORE 2000
- Supporting Success Focused Professional and Pedagogical Development: The Faculty Center supports student success by delivering faculty development programming in Effective Teaching Practices that lead to the creation and development of learning environments (all modalities) conducive to student learning and retention. Faculty Development opportunities include:
- 75+ faculty enrolled in the ACUE Effective Teaching Practices Certification program (yearlong - nationally recognized certification program).
- Faculty teaching online have completed the Teaching Online Courses (TOC) training.
- The Faculty Center offers regular faculty development opportunities in the form of webinars, self-paced courses in Folio, tutorials, and videos on topics that support student success, such as effective teaching practices, student rapport, Folio tools, etc.
- To support student engagement/belonging in courses, the FC acquires and/or provides training on tech tools such as Perusall, Fligrid, Nearpod, Yuja.
- To support equity and access to course materials for all, the Faculty Center collaborates with University Librarians and Affordable Learning Georgia providing awareness, training, and funding on Open Education Resources and No-Cost /Low-Cost course materials.
2.2 |
What are your priority areas for continued improvement and why? Where do you have gaps in performance among student subgroups? What are your plans for understanding and closing these gaps? |
Understanding and Coordinating All Student Success Efforts: We have so many efforts happening across the institution and initiatives may be duplicated simply because we don’t all know what is happening and by whom. A better understanding/documentation of everything happening can help us combine efforts/resources for better service. There are also multiple definitions of student success and assigned task forces to do this work.
More Fully Engaging Non-Traditional, Adult, Part-Time Learners: To better serve our current students and prepare to increase enrollment of these non-traditional populations (not full-time, direct from high school), we need to have more part-time, evening, weekend pathways - with degree pathways - to degree completion as well as fully online options in high-demand programs. What are the top areas that adults with some credit, and no degree need to advance in their careers?
Increasing Student Participation: Nearly all areas are experiencing a decrease in student interest/participation. Many students are choosing jobs off-campus that can pay much more than on-campus opportunities. Also, many programs paused or changed during the pandemic and student exposure was limited - like being an orientation leader. Students aren’t familiar with the work and its potential impact on their development and peers.
Better Assessing Learning Support: Students enrolled in LS for math and science simultaneously are at-risk for higher attrition rates for those courses
Additional Career & Professional Development: Eagle Mentoring Program: We have invested in a software mentoring platform, Xinspire, to improve the mentoring expertise and scale the program to 100 mentoring pairs each semester. Internship Scholarship Program: We will continue to grow the ISP each year with the near-term goal of expanding the scholarship awards to students completing professional internships in fall and spring. Integrating career readiness into academic curriculum and Ready Day One: After piloting this program with CBSS in AY23, we are poised to offer these two initiatives to all students in all academic colleges. Our team is currently building out career readiness curricula and will provide a site for faculty to pull learning modules to use at their pace and their time.
Expanding and Consistently Communicating on Undergraduate Research: We are building additional research mentorship programs; collecting student feedback, sharing funding and presentation opportunities.
High Impact Practice Expansion: Building on Successful HIPs to Bring them into New Areas - we need to expand internships, CURES, Mentored research experiences, Study Abroad, etc. The Biology Department, for instance, is implementing Concentrations that will require immersive experiences. Identifying Student Populations not engaged with HIPs - we need a better understanding of which groups of students are and not widely engaging with HIPs courses/experiences. We will need the help of departments, colleges, The Registrar, and institutional research to assess this. Modernizing Old HIPs - we are rethinking Capstones and developing ePortfolios, engaging undergraduates in faculty research systematically, broadening service-learning and community-based learning.
Responsive Development: We are expanding Faculty Development programming opportunities to support priority areas.
2.3 |
What support from the System Office would be most helpful in advancing your work? |
- Increase Shared Services: There are many things that all USG institutions are required to work through using standard policies that could be centralized to streamline processes for students - especially those that apply to and attend multiple institutions: financial aid verification; tuition classification, residency, and waivers; transcript and test score repository; credit articulation, etc. Additionally, many institutions use the same third-party software systems where resources could be shared or contract negotiations could be centralized. The upcoming move to a central ERP may be the opportunity to do this since we will be blowing up all the current systems and processes.
- Clarity on Momentum: Need to explicitly define the terms that are used so that we can properly assess and track these efforts properly
- Affirmation/Recognition: It is helpful to hear from USG that our work is affirmed and meets the expectations of system leadership. Are we using best practices? Are we leading the way in certain areas? Frequent feedback - outside of annual Momentum Summits - is also helpful.
- Additional RAC Groups: Ensure that groups are formed/facilitated for like-departments or initiatives to share information/best practices.
- Online Engagement: Explore how HIP can be incorporated into online degree programs/Courses
- Additional Faculty Development Courses: in support of Effective Teaching Practices/Momentum Approaches to the USG MomentumU platform
2.4 Goal Setting
Reviewing your recent data, what are your overall goals/targets for:
|
Area |
Baseline (year) measure |
Time period/Time from now |
Goal/Target |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Enrollment & Diversity |
|
|
Our goal is to continue to monitor the racial and ethnic diversity of our enrollment and compare it to our regional diversity to ensure we are adequately serving our state. We continue to expand/improve recruitment and retention practices to ensure representation and success across all groups. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The % are show as part of the total institutional population. For example, GS had a total of 15,936 White students in fall 2018 which is 60% of the total population. In looking just at Bachelor Degree students, there were 13,252 White students which is 50% of the total population. However, White students were 60% of all Bachelor Degree students. Bachelor Degree students made up 84% of the total GS enrollment in Fall 2018. Data Source: https://em.georgiasouthern.edu/ir/enrollment_interactive/ |
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|
Retention & Closing Retention Gaps |
Fall 2017 and Fall 2018 first-year retention = 78% Fall 2017 and Fall 2018 second-year retention = 65% |
Fall 2020 cohort first-year retention = 72% Fall 2019 cohort second-year retention = 63.6% |
Fall 2025: IPEDS (first-time, full-time) freshmen retention rate to 85% Fall 2025: Increase sophomore to junior persistence and progression rate to 70% |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Fall 2025 goal was set before the full-scale of the pandemic was something we understood. While it is still a lofty goal, we feel that it is important to recognize both the current enrollment roadblocks that all USG schools are experiencing as well as the looming demographic changes facing all universities. A more realistic goal would be to first return to our 78% IPEDS retention point, and revise the 2025 goal to 80%. |
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|
Graduation & Closing Graduation Gaps |
Fall 2014: 4-year graduation rate = 29% Fall 2012: 6-year graduation rate = 50.4% |
Fall 2017: 4-year graduation rate = 34.0% Fall 2015: 6-year graduation rate = 54.7% |
Fall 2019: 4-year graduation rate = 36% Fall 2017: 6-year graduation rate = 56% |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Completion of Area A courses in the first year |
Area A1 – 6hrs (ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102) Area A2 – 3-4hrs (MATH 1XXX) Additional – 3hrs (FYE 1220, FYE 1440) |
Area A1 – 6hrs (ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102) Area A2 – 3-4hrs (MATH 1XXX) Additional – 3hrs (FYE 1220, CORE 2000) |
Area A1 – 6hrs (ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102) Area A2 – 3-4hrs (MATH 1XXX) Additional – 3hrs (FYE 1220, CORE 2000) |
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|
We’ve followed the G2C course pattern since 2018 with a 100% completion target for first-year students. We do not systematically track this completion. In 2022, we will begin tracking this and using the Qlik delimiters to measure gaps in the full-time first-year population. |
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|
Credit Intensity for full-time students and closing disparities |
14-16hrs per semester (30 hrs in 1st year) |
14-16hrs per semester (30 hrs in 1st year) |
14-16hrs per semester (30 hrs in 1st year) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
We’ve held the 15-to-finish standard since 2018, but we have not to-date measured the disparities between first-year students. In 2022, we will use the Qlik delimiters to measure gaps in these full-time populations. |
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Lessons from the Pandemic
The Pandemic has changed both the context in which students learn and our institutions operate and the students that we serve, in some ways that we can recognize, and others that we still are struggling to understand. We want to understand a bit more about what you have learned from the Pandemic, what the unanticipated consequences of the many changes and adjustments you have made have been, and what we can carry forward from this experimentation and adaptation into common practice.
3.1 |
What changes that you have made in your practices/programs/operations because of the Pandemic improved your effectiveness and you plan to maintain or build upon? |
Variety in Methods of Communication and Meetings: We saw consistently positive responses to the convenience and access that virtual meetings and events provide. While these will not wholly replace in-person events, those will be more targeted instances allowing the regular meetings to remain virtual. This has been particularly helpful at a multi-campus university.
Expanded Flexibility in Course Modality and Delivery: The pandemic has required us to rethink course modalities--online, hy-flex, hybrid, and seated. Even our most technology-resistant faculty have been forced to embrace new course delivery technologies and modalities. This has also highlighted the need for more systematic and regular emergent pedagogical training.
Paperless Processes: We've significantly reduced the number of paper forms that should have been phased out years ago. Those range from intra-departmental forms to promotion and annual review materials.
Recognition of Individual Contact Points and Distributed Intervention Strategies: Where virtual meetings and learning environments are more convenient, they are largely not as conducive to genuine connection. To help reinforce a sense or feeling of belonging, we've seen the need for individual (not necessarily in-person) points of connection. That has resulted in a more widespread sense of ownership and responsibility for proactive intervention (as opposed to the traditional model of crisis-based intervention). We've long said retention is everyone's responsibility; this is the first time that we've been able to operationalize that notion.
Focus on Mental Health: Mental Health in students has been an issue long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic highlighted in ways that we've never seen before. The university has pulled together in a truly phenomenal way to support our students and each other as more than just colleagues. The ways in which we are able to more effectively communicate students' educational needs while absent for more extended periods has helped our students progress.
3.2 |
How has your communications with students shifted since the Pandemic? How did that go? What did you learn? |
The focus has shifted to virtual communication using different technologies and platforms and increased availability for our students. Providing additional online services such as advisement, tutorial, coaching and workshops has proven to engage more students when offered as an additional means for attendance. For instance, virtual academic advising worked well for some students. This was implemented before COVID-19 but is an example of a change in communication that students are comfortable with to a limit that it will stay. The same has already proven true of email communication, which expanded the hours of potential communication compared to office hours.
The flexibility of forms of meetings (f2f and virtual) has allowed us to have greater flexibility in scheduling as a multi-campus institution. For example, we will keep virtual fairs as some presenters and many students enjoyed the convenience and reduced expenses of those. We had more students attending our virtual fairs than our in-person, probably because we have more than one campus. No matter which campus you are on, you can participate in the virtual career chat. We also will keep a mix of in-person and virtual appointments for students for similar reasons. Many students prefer not to take the time to walk over on a rainy day to make their appointments but will get on their computers in their rooms to meet career specialists.
3.3 |
In what ways, if any, are the students you serve today different from the students you were serving before the Pandemic? What are the implications for your success work and for campus functions in general? |
Today’s students are dealing with more mental health concerns and crises. They have experienced trauma and loss at a high level. They are juggling many responsibilities and caring for family. They are both resilient and adaptive, but they need more encouragement, understanding, support, and flexibility.
Students tend to want immediate and constant access to online resources/materials in the classroom and outside, and many seek virtual options for all meetings - faculty, advising, financial aid, etc… This has led some to struggle with in-person interactions including classroom attendance and co-curricular engagements. In some cases, they have been less likely to participate in activities, clubs, or sporting events—this is true of participation in class, tutoring, and faculty meetings as well.
We hear regularly that students have lost content and knowledge that was learned prior to or should have been learned during the pandemic. This is anecdotal but has been part of the larger narrative of pandemic and post-pandemic education nationwide. While we haven’t seen marked increases in overall DFW rates, retention is down, and we have seen many more students fail to complete assignments more frequently. To better support these students and facilitate student success, we need more consistent—perhaps standard—expectations of how to train on and engage in new teaching and communication technologies. Our IT staff and CTE training have allowed for a high-floor for quality control of online instruction, but that should be something that is part of our ongoing development.
Likewise, we need to have better ways of identifying and serving disengaged students quickly. Like enrollment, student well-being is everyone’s business. Being able to quickly direct or shepherd students to the appropriate resources is vital to their success. We have made demonstrable progress with our processes (particularly in Proactive Academic Intervention and our HERO Mental Health initiative), but that need is set to outpace our support structures. That beyond all else has highlighted the need to be fully-staffed to fully meet the growing needs of students. The recent loss of staff across the board makes success initiatives difficult as needs (and students) have increased.
3.4 |
What are the questions you are still working on about supporting students in the Pandemic? |
Communication: We are in a constant state of improvement regarding consistent and comprehensive communication at the University and department levels, but this remains a moving target. How can we best communicate with all stakeholders about student services, University events, updates to policies and procedures, etc…?
Policy Review: Do we have truly consistent efforts to review policies and procedures to ensure equity across stakeholders (students, staff, faculty, etc.)? Can there be a structured review process (“quality control”) for online course content and delivery? How are departments considering faculty load and expectations and how it impacts their ability to fully support students?
Student Support Resources: How can we more fully create and/or promote accessible training opportunities for faculty, staff, and students on how to quickly identify struggling or disengaged students (academic and/or socially), as well as resources to immediately triage and assist in these areas? How can we be more Accessible? Are academic departments critically analyzing various modes and times of learning (in-person and online; evening and weekend resources/opportunities) to further engage all students in opportunities? Are student services units, likewise, analyzing campus programming, tutoring services, on-campus employment, support service appointments/meetings, etc…? How much have we considered the impact on the adult learner population with these services (including but not limited to graduate students, students who are primary caretakers, etc.)? What are we prepared to do differently to help students regularly engage with financial aid resources and support?
Appendix
|
Momentum Summit V 2022 Capstone Representatives |
||
|
Name |
Title |
|
|
Anderson, Dustin |
Associate Provost for Student Success |
|
|
Haddad, Rami |
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering |
|
|
Payne, Malerie |
Assistant Director of the Academic Success Center |
|
|
Reiber, Carl |
Provost |
|
|
Smith, Amy |
Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management |
|
|
Momentum Summit V 2022 Participants |
||
|
Name |
Organizational Unit |
Division |
|
Adkins, Amelia |
Middle Grades & Secondary Education |
Academic Affairs |
|
Aiken, Karelle |
Chemistry & Biochemistry, HIP Fellow |
Academic Affairs |
|
Anderson, Dustin |
Office of the Provost |
Academic Affairs |
|
Andrews, Urkovia |
Leadership & Community Engagement |
Student Affairs |
|
Balleck, Barry |
Political Science & International Studies |
Academic Affairs |
|
Beebe Novotny, Theresa |
Academic Success Center |
Academic Affairs |
|
Brimeyer, Ted |
Sociology & Anthropology |
Academic Affairs |
|
Brooks, Donna |
Rehabilitation Sciences, Office of the Provost |
Academic Affairs |
|
Calamas, Breanna |
Advising |
Academic Affairs |
|
Clines, Amy |
Admissions |
Enrollment Management |
|
Cone, Diana |
Office of the Provost |
Academic Affairs |
|
DiGregorio, Nikki |
Human Ecology |
Academic Affairs |
|
Edwards, Ava |
Alumni Relations |
University Advancement |
|
Fredrick, George |
Military & Veterans Affairs |
Enrollment Management |
|
Gassiot, Ken |
Office of the Vice President |
Student Affairs |
|
Gatch, Delena |
Institutional Effectiveness & Accredition |
Academic Affairs |
|
Gibney, Glenn |
Career Services & Professional Development |
Student Affairs |
|
Haddad, Rami |
Electrical and Computer Engineering, HIP Fellow |
Academic Affairs |
|
Hart, Sandy |
Learning Technology Support |
Information Technology Services |
|
Herringer, Carol |
History |
Academic Affairs |
|
Hessinger, Sabrina |
Mathmatical Science |
Academic Affairs |
|
Ji, Yiming |
Information Technology |
Academic Affairs |
|
Johnson-Cameron, Gabriell |
Academic Success Center |
Academic Affairs |
|
Kalaani, Youakim |
Electrical and Computer Engineering |
Academic Affairs |
|
Kelly, Jacque |
Geology and Geography |
Academic Affairs |
|
Kennedy, Jodi |
Leadership & Community Engagement |
Student Affairs |
|
Koehler, Brian |
Office of the Dean, Science and Mathematics |
Academic Affairs |
|
Lewis, Michelle |
Advising |
Academic Affairs |
|
Lynch, Will |
Chemistry & Biochemistry |
Academic Affairs |
|
Maeweather, Dantrell |
First & Second Year Experience |
Academic Affairs |
|
Marshall, Nandi |
Office of the Dean, Public Health |
Academic Affairs |
|
Mateer, Scott |
Biology |
Academic Affairs |
|
McKay, Britton |
Office of the Dean, Business |
Academic Affairs |
|
Mercer, Katie |
Office of the Dean, Public Health |
Academic Affairs |
|
Miller, Melanie |
Office of the Vice President |
Student Affairs |
|
Myers, Mary |
Human Ecology |
Academic Affairs |
|
Payne, Malerie |
Academic Success Center |
Academic Affairs |
|
Pease, Scott |
Office of the Dean, Arts & Humanities |
Academic Affairs |
|
Richardson, Brenda |
First & Second Year Experience |
Academic Affairs |
|
Rolling, Virginia |
Human Ecology |
Academic Affairs |
|
Schmutz, Amy |
Geology and Geography |
Academic Affairs |
|
Schroeder, Ryan |
Office of the Dean, Behavioral & Social Sciences |
Academic Affairs |
|
Siddiqui, Salman |
Electrical and Computer Engineering |
Academic Affairs |
|
Simpson, Kimberly |
Advising |
Academic Affairs |
|
Smith, Amy |
Office of the Vice President |
Enrollment Management |
|
Syno, Jennifer |
Advising |
Academic Affairs |
|
Taylor, Audra |
Advising |
Academic Affairs |
|
Vlcek, Brian |
Mechanical Engineering |
Academic Affairs |
|
Walker, Deborah |
Faculty Center |
Academic Affairs |
|
Walker, John |
Support Automation |
Information Technology Services |
|
Warren, Caysi |
Advising |
Academic Affairs |
|
Willerton, David |
Writing & Linguistics |
Academic Affairs |
|
Williams, Leigh |
Writing & Linguistics |
Academic Affairs |
|
Williamson, Jessica |
Academic Success Center |
Academic Affairs |
