the bridge over troubled waters: using si to support first ... · 1.65 3.55 3.5 3 3.21 3.49 2.92...

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Using SI to Support First-Year

Students in a Summer Transition Program

Chesney Reich

Director, Writing and Learning Commons

reich@wcu.edu

https://player.vimeo.com/video/117946686?color=592c88&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Overview

• About WCU

• Academic Support

• Summer Learning Communities

• Rationale

• Data Analysis

• Challenges

• Discussion

Discussion

About WCU

• Founded 1889

• Regional comprehensive university in Cullowhee, NC

• 600-acre campus

– 13 residence buildings

– Required on-campus housing for 1st and 2nd-year students

• 11,034 students (including part-time)

– 9,406 undergraduate

– 1,628 graduate students

• ~ 60% first-generation college students

• 17.15 to 1 student/faculty ratio

• 78.88% freshman retention rate

• 58.82% 6-year graduation rate

About Our Academic Support

Units

• Writing and Learning Commons: ~ 150 student

employees

– Writing tutoring

– Writing fellows

– Course tutoring

– Academic skills consultants

– International student consultants

– In-class workshops

– Summer SI

• Mathematics Tutoring Center: ~ 20 student employees

– Drop-in and scheduled group study

– Math workshops

Summer Learning Communities

(SLCs)

• Residential living-learning program

• 6-8 credit hours in 5 weeks

• Small class sizes (<25)

• Academic themes

– Pre-nursing

– STEM

– Business

– Teaching

• Connect students with region and community

• Flexible but structured study time

– Study hall/tutoring/faculty office hours

– Supplemental Instruction (SI)

SLC Admission Paths

• Catamount Gap: regularly-admitted students

• Academic Success Program (ASP): conditionally-

admitted students

– Commit to 7 summer credit hours (3 courses) and

fall/spring participation

– Earn grade of C or better in each course

– Earn 2.5 GPA or higher

Helpful Mnemonics

• ASP (Academic Success Program):

– Conditionally-admitted students

– ASPire to be fully admitted in the fall

• Catamount Gap:

– Regularly-admitted students

– Minding the gap between high school and college

There will be a quiz.

Rationales

• Rationale for Summer Learning Communities– Access and student success (UNC Strategic Plan, WCU Strategic

Goal 1.7)

– Expand summer school enrollment (WCU Strategic Goal 1.6)

– Improve retention and graduation rates (UNC Strategic Plan, WCU

Strategic Goal 1.7)

• Rationale for SI – Introduce students to campus resources

– Help students develop transferrable academic skills

– Take advantage of summer revenue stream

– Build faculty support for SI

– Collect data on SI effectiveness; expand the program

Coordination and Key Roles

• Professionals:

– SLC Program Director

– Tutoring Center Directors

– Faculty

– Advisors

– Residential Director

– Case managers

• Peer leaders:

– Supplemental Instruction Leaders

– Writing tutors

– Peer academic leaders (PALs)

– Resident assistants

Student Schedule

SI Leaders plan 4

sessions/week

SI Leaders

• Recruitment and hiring

– Begins in October

– Some faculty not identified until March

• Training

– ~30 hours

– Includes joint training/teambuilding with PALs and RAs

• Compensation

– $14/hour to offset summer expenses

– Tutors begin at $8

SI Supported Courses, SU

2017

Liberal Studies Course ASP Sections (Students)

Gap Sections (Students)

SI Leaders

PSY 150 – General Psychology 2 (46) 2 (21) 2

COMM 201 – Communication 1 (24) 1 (14) 1

ANTH 120 – Cultural Systems 2 (47) 1 (15 -H) 2

1 (22) 1

MATH 146 – Pre-Calculus 1 (20) 1

MATH 153 – Calculus 1 1 (12) 1

1 (13) 1

PSC 110 – Global Issues 2 (39) 2 (31) 2

HEAL 123 – Health and Wellness 2 (42) 1

Totals: 9 (198) 10 (148)

14 faculty 346 students 12 SILs

MATH 130 – College Algebra

CHEM 132 – Survey of Chemistry

Assessment

• Pre- and post-SLC student

surveys

– Shared by SLC, Res Life, SI

• Analysis of final course grades

and DFW rates

• Faculty surveys

• SI Leader surveys

Assessment Linked to

Mission

The mission of the Writing and Learning Commons (WaLC)

and Mathematics Tutoring Center (MTC) is to provide

students with the support, skills, and confidence they need

to achieve academic excellence and become independent

learners. Our peer-facilitated tutoring sessions focus on

collaborative, active, and engaged learning strategies.

Additionally, the WaLC and MTC partner with faculty to

identify qualified student tutors and provide training to

develop tutors' leadership skills and enhance their learning.

Helpful Mnemonics

• ASP (Academic Success Program):

– Conditionally-admitted students

– ASPire to be fully admitted in the fall

• Catamount Gap:

– Regularly-admitted students

– Minding the gap between high school and college

Responsibility for Learning

96% 93%98%

92%

1% 1% 0% 0%3% 6%2%

8%0 0 0 0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

ASP Pre-Term ASP Post-Term Gap Pre-Term Gap Post-Term

Who has the most responsibility for your learning?

You Your classmates Your instructors Your Tutors or SI Leaders

Pre-term response rate: 66% (83%, 43%); Post-term: 35% (35%, 36%)

Motivated to Achieve 3.0 or

Higher

64%

84%

67%

74%

32%

12%

28%

21%

1%4%

0%4%

0% 0% 0% 2%3%0%

5%0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

ASP Pre-Term ASP Post-Term Gap Pre-Term Gap Post-Term

I am motivated to achieve a high level GPA (3.0) each semester.

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Confidence Level

58%

72%

55%

62%

38%

25%

38%34%

1% 1% 3% 2%1% 1% 2% 2%2%0%

3%0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

ASP Pre-Term ASP Post-Term Gap Pre-Term Gap Post-Term

I am confident in my ability to succeed academically at WCU.

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Commitment to Study Time

23%

51%

33% 34%

54%

26%

47%51%

16%19%

9% 9%

4% 4%

9%6%

3%0% 2% 0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

ASP Pre-Term ASP Post-Term Gap Pre-Term Gap Post-Term

I am willing to study 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour spent in the classroom.

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Motivation to Graduate

82%

90%87% 89%

15%9% 8% 9%

1% 1% 0% 0%0% 0% 0% 2%2% 0%5%

0%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ASP Pre-Term ASP Post-Term Gap Pre-Term Gap Post-Term

I am motivated to graduate from WCU.

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Willingness to Seek Help

57%

65%63% 62%

36%

32%30%

32%

4% 3% 3%6%

0% 0% 0% 0%2%

0%

5%

0%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

ASP Pre-Term ASP Post-Term Gap Pre-Term Gap Post-Term

I am willing to seek help/use the academic resources available.

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Pre-to-Post Term Summary

ASP Gap

Self-Responsibility ↓3% ↓6%

Motivation to Earn 3.0* ↑20% ↑7%

Confidence* ↑14% ↑7%

Commit to Study Time* ↑28% ↑1%

Motivation to Graduate* ↑8% ↑2%

Help Seeking* ↑8% ↑1%

*Change in “strongly agree” responses from pre- to post-term survey

SI Participation by Cohort

198

148

346

107 117

224

54%

79%

65%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

ASP Gap Total

Total Enrollment SI Participants Percent Attendance

345 sessions; 1084 student contact hours; mean session size: 3.14; 60% 1-4; 27% 5-9; 13% 10+

Final Grade Comparisons by

Cohort

3.44

3.143.283.25

2.35

2.83

0.19

0.79

0.45

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

ASP Gap All

Mean Final Grades of SI Participants vs. Non-Participants

Mean Grade SI Participants Mean Grade Non-SI Participants Difference in Mean Grade SI/Non-SI

Final Grade Comparison by

Course3

.47

3.4

1

3.7

4

3.2

2

3.1

3

1.6

5

3.5

5

3.5

3

3.2

1 3.4

9

2.9

2

2.1

9

2.8

8

1.0

0

3.2

2 3.4

0.2

7

-0.1

6

0.8

2 1.0

4

0.2

5

0.6

5

0.3

3

0.1

ANTH 120 PSY 150 HEAL 123 PSC 110 COMM 201 MATH 130 MATH 146 MATH 153 CHEM 132

Mean Grade SI Participants Mean Grade Non-SI Difference in Mean Grade

DFW Rates by Cohort

2%

10%

6%

2%

16%

6%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

ASP Gap Total

SI DWF Rate Non-SI DWF Rate

DFW Rates by Course

0%

6%3%

0% 0%

50%

0% 0%

8%

3%6%

0%

5%

0%

75%

11%

0% 0%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

ANTH PSY HEAL PSC COMM MATH130 MATH146 MATH153 CHEM Total

SI DWF Rate Non-SI DWF Rate

Challenges

• Students

– High percentage of first-generation college students

– Low SI participation rate among ASP

– ASP retention drops after the first year

– MATH 130 students continue to struggle

• Faculty

– Attrition

– Little prior knowledge of SI; little choice

• SI Leaders

– Recruitment and attrition

• Time Constraints

– 5-week program

– Little time for SI Leaders to grow

– Ends just as fall begins

Discussion

• What did you find most interesting about the data?

• Five weeks is not much time! How can we convince

new students (and especially first-gen students) that SI

is worth their time, before it’s too late?

• What other questions should we be asking students on

the pre- and post-term surveys?

Improvements for 2018

• More face time with faculty

• Required participation by ASP students in week 1

• Stronger collaborations between SI Leaders and PALs

• Growth mindset training for SI Leaders

Thank YOU for joining the

conversation!For more info: Chesney Reich, reich@wcu.edu