in this session, participants will learn what assessment of student engagement has shown st. louis...

“Cycling Toward Greater Student Engagement and Learning

Outcomes”Lawrence J. McDoniel

Professor of EnglishSt. Louis Community College

St. Louis, Missouri

IARC ‘08 Proposed Outcomes

In this session, participants will learn what assessment of student engagement has shown St. Louis Community College (STLCC) about transfer success and retention of students from one term to the next. Specifically we will examine the impact of: perception of college’s support for success; counselor / advisor advice; early selection of a major; career planning; student and first term experience.

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Mission-Based Assessment at STLCCAssessment is a mission-based, continuous improvement process involving the systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and use of data by faculty and staff to improve student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness.

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STLCC Mission-Based Assessment Model

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St. Louis Community College Assessment Vision

STLCC collects and uses assessment data to improve student learning, academic achievement, and institutional effectiveness. When combined with thoughtful interpretation by faculty and staff, assessment supports the overall decision-making needs of the College and the specific decision-making needs of individual units, departments, and programs.

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2007-2008 STLCC Assessment Theme: Student Engagement & Student Learning Outcomes

2007-2008 STLCC Assessment Theme:Student Engagement & Student Learning Outcome

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STLCC Assessment Processes

I DID Process INQUIRE — What Do We Want To Know? Define the

specific area or student learning outcome to be assessed.

DISCOVER — What Do We Know? Identify data sources and methods of assessment, and collect assessment data.

INTERPRET — What does the information tell us? Analyze and share the results of the data.

DEVELOP — What actions do we plan to take? Use results to design strategies to improve student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness.

LAASIE Process Listen, Look & Learn — Specify what needs to be

examined. Act — Determine how to address the issue under

examination. Another Look — Examine the data collected and

analyze results. Share The News — Report what was learned. Improve & Celebrate — Use the data to make

improvements. Excel — Integrate changes into the unit or

program’s ongoing operation.7

Multiple Measures

‘07 – ‘08 Theme:

STLCC Student Engagement

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STU

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SS CCSSE data on STLCC students.

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St. Louis Community College Overall CCSSE Benchmark Scores

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Student Perception of College’s Support for Success

How much did STLCC emphasize providing the support you need to help you succeed in college?

• Very Much, 30.3% Quite A Bit, 42.7%

How much did STLCC emphasize encouraging contact among students from different economic, social and racial/ethnic backgrounds?

• Very Much, 16.4% Quite A Bit, 30.5%

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Student Perception of College’s Support for Success

How much did STLCC emphasize helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities?

• Very Much, 8.6% Quite A Bit, 16.9%

How often did you use the academic advising/planning services?

• Very Much, 30.3% Quite A Bit, 42.7%

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Student Perception of College’s Support for Success

How often did you use the career counseling services?

• Often, 5.5% Sometimes, 21.6%

How much did STLCC emphasize providing the support you need to thrive socially?

• Very Much, 9.4% Quite A Bit, 21.0%

How much did STLCC emphasize providing the financial support you need to afford your education?

• Very Much 23.4% Quite A Bit, 23.4%

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Counselor / Advisor Advice

“Thus, it appears that this year the Transfer Education Committee will focus on the degree to which students are using advisors, counselors, and teachers to help them make the transition from STLCC to a four-year institution.”

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Counselor / Advisor Advice

Inquire• How might STLCC to UMSL transfer students

more fully engage in their transfer experience and make better use of STLCC and UMSL counselors and advisors?

Discover

• Hold focus groups sessions with three groups of STLCC to UMSL transfer students: new transfer students; transfer students with 30-45 UMSL credit hours; and transfer students who will graduate from UMSL in Spring 2008.

Interpret

• Students do not use advising services as much as we would like, but a good portion of those who did transfer sought advice at both the community college and at UMSL.

• Students perceive themselves to be just as prepared if not better prepared than native students at UMSL, a finding consistent with last year’s assessment of GPA’s.

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Counselor / Advisor AdviceInterpret (cont’d)

•Some students reported that even though they heard differing stories about what would transfer, even from the same department, they still “found their way.” •Students who perceive themselves as having a successful transfer are self-motivated.•it seems that (Gen Ed) articulation agreements are sometimes not honored.

Develop #1

• Require all first-time , degree-seeking students to participate in orientation training that provides them with information about what is involved in the transfer process and how they can they become their own advocate.

Develop #2

• Place a “Registration Hold” on student records so that students may not register until they have satisfied the advising requirement (above) according to one of several prescribed means.

Develop #3

• Offer a mentoring program with successfully transferred UMSL students helping or advising STLCC students.

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Inquire“What factors affect retention in CTE programs and how

can we best improve retention in CTE programs?”  17

Early Selection of Career Major

Q33. Please think back to the first semester you enrolled with St. Louis Community College when answering the following questions.

“When you first enrolled at STLCC, did you receive information regarding the programs that were available?”

Count Percent

141 72.68% Yes

33 17.01% No

20 10.31% Uncertain

194  Respondents

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Early Selection of Career Major

Q34. Please think back to the first semester you enrolled with St. Louis Community College when answering the following questions.

“When you first enrolled at STLCC, did you think you were academically prepared to do college-level coursework?”

Count Percent

157 80.93% Yes

15 7.73% No

22 11.34% Uncertain

194  Respondents

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Early Selection of Career Major

Q35. Please think back to the first semester you enrolled with St. Louis Community College when answering the following questions.

“When you first enrolled at STLCC, were you encouraged to select a major?”

Count Percent

52 26.80% Yes

100 51.55% No

42 21.65% Uncertain

194  Respondents

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Student Perception of Satisfaction and Success

Using CCSSE data to explore STLCC students’ engagement with vital services.

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Student Satisfaction Level

Service Area Not At All Satisfied

Somewhat Satisfied

Very Satisfied

Not Applicable

Academic Advising 10.7 47.1 27.4 14.9

Career Counseling 14.3 26.7 15.0 44.1

Job Placement 12.4 15.3 7.1 65.2

Peer of Other Tutoring 9.3 23.0 19.8 47.9

Academic Skill Labs 7.0 29.0 26.4 37.6

Child Care 8.4 7.6 6.1 77.9

Financial Aid Advising 13.1 25.5 26. 35.4

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Satisfaction Level (continued)

Service Area Not At All Satisfied

Somewhat Satisfied

Very Satisfied

Not Applicable

Computer Lab 5.0 27.2 43.6 24.2

Student Organizations 10.0 19.7 9.6 60.7

Transfer Credit Assistance

12.1 24.7 17.0 46.1

Disability Services 7.7 9.5 8.6 74.3

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Selected Student Services: Student Perceived Importance & Student Satisfaction

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FIRS

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“Student Voice” & STLCC’s “New To College” Survey are used to discover what students’ first-term experience is like.

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First-Term Student Experience: During your first four weeks on campus, did you meet with an academic advisor?

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Yes No

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First-Term Student Experience: Did you participate in a new student orientation program?

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66

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Yes No

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Interpret First-Term Experience Data

“Analyze and share the results of the data.”

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First-Term Student Experience: How satisfied were you with the new student orientation program (participants only)?

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Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied VeryDissatisfied

Perc

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First-Term Student Usage of Services During First Semester

Service Very Often

Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never

AcademicAdvising

4% 11% 23% 38% 24%

CareerCounseling

2% 5% 7% 20% 66%

Peer or OtherTutoring

6% 5% 11% 8% 70%

AcademicSkill Labs

9% 7% 12% 14% 58%

TransferAdvising

3% 5% 8% 13% 71%

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First-Term Student Satisfaction (users only) With Services During First Semester

Service VerySatisfied

Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied VeryDissatisfied

AcademicAdvising

32% 33% 24% 5% 6%

CareerCounseling

28% 30% 33% 4% 5%

Peer or OtherTutoring

38% 23% 32% 4% 2%

AcademicSkill Labs

33% 33% 28% 3% 3%

TransferAdvising

24% 25% 38% 7% 6%

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First-Term Students: To What Extent Does STLCC Encourage You To Spend Significant Amounts of Time Studying?

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31

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Percentage of Students

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First-Term Students: To What Extent Does STLCC Provide The Support You Need To Succeed?

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35

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0 20 40 60 80 100

Very Much

Quite A Bit

Somewhat

Very Little

Not At All

NA

Percentage of Students

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First-Term Students: To What Extent Does STLCC Help You Cope With Your Non-Academic Issues?

10

8

16

8

17

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0 20 40 60 80 100

Very Much

Quite A Bit

Somewhat

Very Little

Not At All

NA

Percentage of Students

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First-Term Students: To What Extent Does STLCC Provide The Financial Support You Need To Afford Your Education?

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17

16

6

7

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0 20 40 60 80 100

Very Much

Quite A Bit

Somewhat

Very Little

Not At All

NA

Percentage of Students

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First-Term Students: Outside of Class Time, How Much Time Do You Spend On Campus In A Given Week?

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First-Term Students: How Many of Your Instructors Do You Think Know Your Name?

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First-Term Experience

DEVELOPUse results to design strategies to improve student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness.

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Developing at STLCC …

Newly instituted “Office of Enrollment Management”

“New Student Enrollment Orientation,” a collaborative effort to provide students

with a smooth transition to STLCC

More sections of College 020: College Orientation and Study Skills

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Questions?

Lawrence McDonielSt. Louis Community College

lmcdoniel@stlcc.edu

John CosgroveSt. Louis Community College

jcosgrove@stlcc.edu