Valdosta State University Campus Plan Update 2018

Institutional Mission and Student Body Profile

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.

Degree Seeking Undergraduates

Institutional Completion Goals, High Impact Strategies & Activities

High Impact Strategy 1: Gateways to Completion

Completion Goal: CCG Goal 4:  VSU Strategic Goal: 1

Demonstration of Priority or Impact:

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.

Summary of Activities:

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.

Measures of Progress and Success

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.

SALGs for G2C Courses

SALGs for G2C Courses, Cont.

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

Lessons Learned

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.

Primary point of contact:

Shani P. Wilfred, Ph.D., Professor and G2C Liaison, spgray@valdosta.edu

High Impact Strategy 2: College Assistance Migrant Program

Completion Goal: CCG Goal: 9; VSU Strategic Goal 1

Demonstration of Priority or Impact

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:

• 96% are first generation college students
• All qualify for Pell Grant, 85% receive the maximum award.
• Students come from 9 counties in Georgia and 4 in Florida
• 26 of 27 students self-identified as Hispanic. Since the inception of the program, the Hispanic and Latino population of our first-time, full-time freshmen has increased by nearly 50%. See Appendix Table 1.

It is worth noting that this is the largest external grant VSU has been granted.

Summary of Activities:

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:

• Tuition and Fees
• Housing
• Meal Plan
• Book Loan Assistance
• Health Services
• Students will receive a modest stipend

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:

• Academic Counseling and Follow-Up
• Tutoring
• Learning Communities
• Research Opportunities
• Course Selection and Registration Assistance
• Skill Development Workshops
• Study Abroad Information
• Social and Cultural Events

Career Development:

• Job Search Training Skills
• Mock Interviews
• Employment Referrals

Measures of Progress and Success

• 23/27 students completed the academic year with 24 earned hours (88%)
• 20/27 continued to the second year of college (87%)

Lessons Learned

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.

Primary point of contact

Alma Young, alyoung@valdosta.edu, 229-253-2861

Momentum Year

Goals:

• Academic Focus Areas for all exploratory students—see appendix
• Each major aligns with a focus area

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.

• All students make a purposeful choice of major or focus area prior to registration

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.

• Guided pathways (first year plans) for all majors and focus areas
• Consisting of 30 hours—9% increase in FTFTF enrolled in 15+ credits from fall 2016 to fall 2017—see Appendix: Table 2
• Including mathematics and English composition
• Including 9 hours in the major or focus area

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.

• Faculty and staff aware of student mindsets

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.

90 Day Plan and Outcomes

In addition, the following 90 Day Plan and Outcomes have been achieved, in progress or on-going:

• Launched guided pathways for College of Business Administration, College of the Arts and College of Nursing and Health Sciences—Completed
• At least preliminary pathways for COEHS and COAS—In progress
• Start discussing FYE courses; utilize John Gardner (AA)—In progress
• Student mindset surveys (Student Success)—Complete
• Plans for addressing mindset (You Belong Here campaign) in Orientation and Freshman Convocation, new faculty orientation (AA and Student Success)—Ongoing
• Existing Faculty mindsets (Tisha Edwards speaking at Convocation)—refocused effort to faculty learning communities within the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
• Work study (Student Success)—Ongoing
• Make sure we have adequate capacity in F2F classes (AA)—Ongoing
• Orientation: Before you drop a class, here are some things to consider… Train advisors to spot this and to react, advising some students to drop, others to stay (AA and Student Success)—Ongoing