Student Success through Service: Creating Connections with the Community

Dr. Waded CruzadoPresident

Campus Compact Presidents Leadership Summit 2010October 13, 2010

Montana State UniversityOne University

– 4 campusesBozemanBillingsGreat FallsHavre

- 7 Experimental Agricultural Centers- 55 Extension County Offices

American Indian Communities

Student Success

74.2% FTFTFTF, 2009 cohort

47.1% 6-year grad for 2004 cohort

2122 Students in 2010 cohort (up from 1801 last year)

2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th2001 22 63.6 54.5 40.9 18.2 9.1 9.1 4.5 4.5 0.02002 23 65.2 52.2 43.5 34.8 8.7 13.0 13.0 8.72003 23 52.2 39.1 39.1 21.7 8.7 4.3 13.02004 48 64.6 47.9 43.8 33.3 10.4 8.32005 29 65.5 51.7 51.7 41.4 24.12006 36 44.4 36.1 41.7 27.82007 38 57.9 44.7 44.72008 43 69.8 46.52009 39 76.92010 24

First Fall Class Size Percent Enrolled Each Subsequent FallPersistence of American Indian First-Time, Full-Time Freshmen

“Designing Our Community” Program Goals

• Goal 1: Recruitment– Increase the motivation and pre-entry academic preparation

of Native American students.

• Goal 2: Retention– Help shape the engineering, engineering technology, and

computer science workforce by increasing the number of Native American students graduating from the College of Engineering.

• Goal 3: Professional Development– Improve access to quality engineering and technology to

rural and underserved populations by returning highly educated professionals to these communities.

“Designing Our Community”Seminar Background

• 1-credit seminar

• Building community (same place and time/week)

• Encouraging mentoring

• Highlighting support programs

• Engaging in professional development

Problem: redundancy for upper classmen

“Designing Our Communities”Seminar Objectives

• Utilize the skills of each team member to deliver a one-of-a-kind product.

• Refine the ability to communicate, plan, execute, and resolve conflict in a team.

• Have a better understanding of how engineering/computer science can meet society’s needs.

• Network with peers, professionals and mentors.

• Evaluate professional/personal strengths and weaknesses.

Why American Indians and service learning in engineering?

• Service learning encourages responsibilityengages students with their community provides leadership developmentpromotes further education

• Service learning in engineering enhances motivationdevelops meaningful connections with peers, faculty, staff broadens citizenshipfosters design experience, teamwork, communication skills

Service Learning Projects• Spring ‘06 - Develop an engineering related activity for 8th grade math

• Spring ‘07 - Participate as a project team in one of four community projects

• Spring ‘08 – Research and write unfunded, undone Indian Health Service Projects for senior design capstone courses

• Spring ‘09 – Feasibility study for new reservation high school on alternative energy investment

• Spring ‘10 – Boys and Girls club energy and utility assessment on Northern Cheyenne reservation

Persistence for American Indian students in service learning

Fall 2007

Fall 2008

Fall 2009

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

SLNo SL

• Persistence: American Indian students retained in engineering from Fall to Fall semester.

• Service Learning (SL): students successfully passing a service learning course.

• No SL: students not taking or not passing a SL course.

Engineers Without Borders at MSU

Next steps:

Better tracking of student service

service learning

how these activities impact retention rates of students in all demographics