Valdosta State University (VSU) is a comprehensive University within the University System of Georgia, with a fall 2017 enrollment of over 11,000 students. VSU is a welcoming, and vibrant community founded on and dedicated to serving the communities’ rich and diverse heritages. Through excellence in teaching, basic and applied research, and service, VSU provides rigorous programs and opportunities that enrich our students, our university, and our region. Our mission to students is to provide a diverse student population with an inspired education, a safe learning environment, a nurturing community, and a wealth of experience that assists students in molding their futures in a creative, conscious, and caring fashion while preparing them to be lifelong learners who will meet the needs of a changing global society.
Group |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
Adult |
802 |
832 |
826 |
814 |
834 |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
22 |
21 |
23 |
18 |
19 |
Asian |
218 |
244 |
260 |
244 |
204 |
Black |
3,405 |
3,283 |
3,099 |
3,180 |
3,255 |
Female |
5,597 |
5,355 |
5,026 |
5,056 |
5,165 |
Full-time |
8,165 |
7,720 |
7,154 |
7,074 |
7,059 |
Hispanic or Latino |
425 |
442 |
459 |
496 |
570 |
Male |
3,865 |
3,720 |
3,498 |
3,372 |
3,229 |
More than one race |
295 |
275 |
280 |
305 |
319 |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
17 |
15 |
13 |
5 |
5 |
Part-time |
1,297 |
1,355 |
1,370 |
1,354 |
1,335 |
Pell |
4,572 |
4,375 |
4,094 |
4,179 |
NA |
Unknown race |
43 |
48 |
47 |
48 |
37 |
White |
5,037 |
4,747 |
4,343 |
4,132 |
3,985 |
Total |
9,462 |
9,075 |
8,524 |
8,428 |
8,394 |
Completion Goal: CCG Goal 4: VSU Strategic Goal: 1
VSU is part of the USG’s first cohort to participate in the John N. Gardner Institute’s (JNGI) G2C study. G2C is designed to assist institutions like VSU in researching factors related to high failure rates (DFWI) in courses, developing and implementing a plan to address the identified factors, and evaluating the impact of the implemented plan on improving teaching, learning, and success in high failure rate courses.
In the fall of 2015, VSU chose in its first phase of G2C to work with faculty in the following courses: HIST 2112, MATH 1111, ENGL 2113, CHEM 1211/2, and BIOL 1107/8.These courses were selected based on the DFWI rates, the number of students serviced by the course, and departmental recommendations and approval. Therefore, it should be noted that courses selected for the study do not necessarily represent the courses with the highest DFWI rates at VSU.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, the G2C committee and those teaching within the identified course for the project have focused on student assessment of learning gains (SALG). In biology, chemistry, English, and history there was an improvement in SALG averages from spring 2016 to spring 2017. Chemistry and history also did SALGs in fall 2016. For both courses the SALG averages were higher in fall 2016 then in spring 2016 and spring 2017. Math 1111 showed no change from spring 2016 to spring 2017. The overall SALG scores seem to indicate that the course innovations that were applied had a slight positive impact or students' assessment of their learning.
Course |
SALG Categories |
Spring 2016 |
Fall 2016 |
Spring 2017 |
Fall 2017 |
Spring 2018 |
BIOL 1108 |
Class Overall |
3.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
3.7 |
|
Class Activities |
3 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
3.5 |
||
Assignments |
3.2 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
3.4 |
||
Information Given |
3.2 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
3.8 |
||
Individual Support |
3.7 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
3.5 |
||
Content Understanding |
3.8 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
3.8 |
||
Class Impact |
3.7 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.1 |
||
SALG Average |
3.4 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
3.7 |
||
CHEM 1211 |
Class Overall |
3.5 |
4.3 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
Class Activities |
3 |
3.2 |
3.4 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
|
Assignments |
3.5 |
3.9 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
|
Information Given |
3.1 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
|
Individual Support |
3.2 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
|
Content Understanding |
3.6 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
3.9 |
3.6 |
|
Class Impact |
3.6 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
|
SALG Average |
3.4 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
|
ENGL 2113 |
Class Overall |
4.3 |
4.5 |
4.4 |
4.1 |
|
Class Activities |
3.9 |
4.1 |
4 |
3.8 |
||
Assignments |
4.2 |
4.6 |
4.3 |
4.1 |
||
Information Given |
4.1 |
4.6 |
4.4 |
4 |
||
Individual Support |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.4 |
3.6 |
||
Content Understanding |
4.2 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.1 |
||
Class Impact |
3.8 |
4.4 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
||
SALG Average |
4 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
3.9 |
||
HIST 2112 |
Class Overall |
4.7 |
5 |
4.5 |
4.6 |
4.1 |
Class Activities |
3 |
3.1 |
3.6 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
|
Assignments |
4.6 |
4.8 |
4.5 |
4.7 |
4.3 |
|
Information Given |
4.6 |
4.9 |
4.4 |
4.8 |
4.1 |
|
Individual Support |
3.3 |
2.9 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
2.7 |
|
Content Understanding |
4.6 |
5 |
4.6 |
4.7 |
4.1 |
|
Class Impact |
4.2 |
4.9 |
4.4 |
4.6 |
4 |
|
SALG Average |
4.1 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
4.3 |
3.8 |
Course |
SALG Categories |
Spring 2016 |
Fall 2016 |
Spring 2017 |
Fall 2017 |
Spring 2018 |
MATH 1111 |
Class Overall |
4.1 |
4.4 |
|||
Class Activities |
3.8 |
3.8 |
||||
Assignments |
4.2 |
4.3 |
||||
Information Given |
4.1 |
4.3 |
||||
Individual Support |
3.4 |
3.3 |
||||
Content Understanding |
4.1 |
4.3 |
||||
Class Impact |
4.2 |
4 |
||||
SALG Average |
4 |
4 |
For a full report of G2C efforts and a definition of each SALG at VSU see: https://www.valdosta.edu/administration/enrollment-management/student-success-council/documents/comprehensive-report-and-plan.pdf
In the fall, there will be a continued evaluation of the impact of active learning techniques on
student success at VSU and the application of evidence-based revisions to the use of applied learning techniques in courses at VSU. There would also be the opportunity for collaboration
in relation to scholarship on the strategies used at VSU to develop, implement, evaluate, improve, and maintain active learning techniques. VSU will need to work with colleges and departments to ensure that the scholarship of teaching that emerges from the university-wide active learning application and scholarship program counts as scholarship toward promotion and tenure, regardless of the discipline.
Shani P. Wilfred, Ph.D., Professor and G2C Liaison, spgray@valdosta.edu
Completion Goal: CCG Goal: 9; VSU Strategic Goal 1
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Valdosta State University is federally funded through the U.S Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education for a 5-year grant period. The CAMP Program was established to assist migrant and seasonal farm workers, or their dependents, through their first year of college. CAMP will support these students by providing intensive academic, social, and financial support to help them succeed during their first year at VSU and continue with their postsecondary education.
Each year, the program welcomes at least 25 CAMP students who are passionate and dedicated to achieve their dreams of a college education with backgrounds including:
It is worth noting that this is the largest external grant VSU has been granted.
Students are supported by director, academic advisor, admissions recruiter and administrative support in the following ways:
Financial Assistance
CAMP will provide supplemental financial aid to cover costs during the first year at VSU. These include:
CAMP Academic Support
The CAMP program is here not only to assist you financially but to provide any resource that might be needed in order to achieve success here at VSU. CAMP will assist the students academically and provide emotion support through services such as:
Career Development:
Over the 2017-2018 academic year, the CAMP advisor has worked diligently to build campus relationships. While the CAMP students are supported by CAMP staff, the collaborative relationship with other service areas is critical to success. One example of purposeful relationship building has been developed to advisor shadowing with members of the University Advising and Transition Programs in both individual meetings and new student orientation. CAMP staff will continue to build and maintain relationships on campus that support students in the program.
Alma Young, alyoung@valdosta.edu, 229-253-2861
During new student orientation, students who indicated they were exploratory were given a list of focus areas identified by the institution. Each area was reviewed with the group. Students were able to identify at orientation a preferred focus area and register for fall courses accordingly.
During new student orientation, 4 year maps to graduation were given to students. Students registered accordingly for the fall semester. Students were told more conversations around the map would take place in the fall during advising time for spring semester.
During new student orientation, students were advised into 15 hours and appropriate math courses as the default. Additionally, 9 hours in the major, or courses needed to progress to the major were part of the advising plan for the first semester. Results of successful completion of the first year plan will be evaluated at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year.
Mindset Survey has been conducted with students. Conversations around mindset have emerged on campus through the Student Success Council. Through this body, a Faculty Success Council has been recommended to serve a conduit for communication around faculty and student success including the concepts and outcomes of the Mindset Survey.
In addition, the following 90 Day Plan and Outcomes have been achieved, in progress or on-going: