Update on Selected Strategic Plan Student Success Initiatives

May 2014, University Senate

Auburn University Strategic Plan, 2013-2018

• Strategic Priority 1: Enhance Student Strategic Priority 1: Enhance Student Success and Diversify EnrollmentSuccess and Diversify Enrollment

• Strategic Goal 1: The University will Strategic Goal 1: The University will emphasize student retention and emphasize student retention and achievement by encouraging and expecting achievement by encouraging and expecting timely degree completion and by clearing timely degree completion and by clearing pathways to student success.pathways to student success.

Related Strategic Goals

• Improve retention and graduation rates to Improve retention and graduation rates to surpass regional averages for flagship surpass regional averages for flagship public universities. public universities. (SG1.A)(SG1.A)

• Develop a Freshman Advising Center for Develop a Freshman Advising Center for undecided students. undecided students. (SG1.D)(SG1.D)

Related Strategic Commitments

• Regularly assess the effectiveness of academic Regularly assess the effectiveness of academic advising. advising. (SG1.SCA3)(SG1.SCA3)

• Revise first-year orientation programs to Revise first-year orientation programs to emphasize not only academic success, but also emphasize not only academic success, but also career and professional development. career and professional development. (SG1.SCB2)(SG1.SCB2)

• Establish interdisciplinary degrees between Establish interdisciplinary degrees between various departments that focus on various departments that focus on ““gapsgaps”” in in existing degree options. existing degree options. (SG1.SCB5)(SG1.SCB5)

Related Working Groups/Standing Committee

1.1. Ad Hoc First Year Advising Center Ad Hoc First Year Advising Center CommitteeCommittee

2.2. Ad Hoc Orientation Review Committee Ad Hoc Orientation Review Committee

3.3. Ad Hoc University College CommitteeAd Hoc University College Committee

4.4. University Retention Committee University Retention Committee

Ad Hoc First-Year Advising CenterCommittee Membership

Melissa Adams, Incoming Chair, Academic Advisors and Counselors CaucusMelissa Adams, Incoming Chair, Academic Advisors and Counselors Caucus

Melissa Baumann, Asst. Provost for Undergraduate Studies & Director of the Melissa Baumann, Asst. Provost for Undergraduate Studies & Director of the Honors College (Chair)Honors College (Chair)

Nancy Bernard, Director, Auburn University Career CenterNancy Bernard, Director, Auburn University Career Center

Jim Carroll, Architect, FacilitiesJim Carroll, Architect, Facilities

Steve Duke, Associate Dean, Samuel Ginn College of EngineeringSteve Duke, Associate Dean, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

Susan Hubbard, Chair, University Undergraduate Advising Council Susan Hubbard, Chair, University Undergraduate Advising Council

Kathryn Jarvis, Director, Academic SupportKathryn Jarvis, Director, Academic Support

Joni Lakin, Assistant Professor, EFLT; member, Senate Retention Committee Joni Lakin, Assistant Professor, EFLT; member, Senate Retention Committee

Harrison Mills, Student Government AssociationHarrison Mills, Student Government Association

Bret Smith, Associate Dean, College of ArchitectureBret Smith, Associate Dean, College of Architecture

Ruthanna Spears, First Year Experience OfficeRuthanna Spears, First Year Experience Office

Major Recommendations – Ad Hoc First-Year Advising Center Committee

• Permit Students to choose to be Permit Students to choose to be ““ExploratoryExploratory”” on their on their application to Auburn or at CWEapplication to Auburn or at CWE

• Do not align these students with an existing College/ Do not align these students with an existing College/ School or a School or a ““University CollegeUniversity College””

• Provide intensive advising and career counseling for these Provide intensive advising and career counseling for these students. students.

• Students should be required to select a college/major and Students should be required to select a college/major and transition into a College or School by the time they have transition into a College or School by the time they have completed 30 hrs.completed 30 hrs.

Ad Hoc Orientation Review Committee Membership

Mark Armstrong, Director, First Year Experience OfficeMark Armstrong, Director, First Year Experience Office

Nancy Bernard, Director, Auburn University Career CenterNancy Bernard, Director, Auburn University Career Center

Tracy Donald, Director, Office of AccessibilityTracy Donald, Director, Office of Accessibility

Jeremy Downes, Professor and Chair, Department of EnglishJeremy Downes, Professor and Chair, Department of English

Andy Gillespie, Assistant Provost, Office of International ProgramsAndy Gillespie, Assistant Provost, Office of International Programs

Beth Guertal, Professor, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental SciencesBeth Guertal, Professor, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences

Kathryn Jarvis, Director, Academic SupportKathryn Jarvis, Director, Academic Support

Katie Lackey, Chair, Advisors and Counselors CaucusKatie Lackey, Chair, Advisors and Counselors Caucus

Amy Hecht Macchio/Lady Cox, Division of Student AffairsAmy Hecht Macchio/Lady Cox, Division of Student Affairs

Will McManus, Treasurer, Student Government AssociationWill McManus, Treasurer, Student Government Association

Stacey Nickson, Assistant Director, Biggio CenterStacey Nickson, Assistant Director, Biggio Center

Paul Patterson, Associate Dean, College of AgriculturePaul Patterson, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture

Constance Relihan, Associate Provost, Undergraduate StudiesConstance Relihan, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Studies

Susan Villaume, Associate Dean, College of EducationSusan Villaume, Associate Dean, College of Education

Major Recommendations–

Ad Hoc Orientation Review Committee

• Provide consistent messaging, emphasizing major selection, career Provide consistent messaging, emphasizing major selection, career preparation, and timely degree completionpreparation, and timely degree completion

• Require completion of a program such as Alcohol.Edu/Haven to provide Require completion of a program such as Alcohol.Edu/Haven to provide students with heightened awareness of alcohol/drug/sexual assault students with heightened awareness of alcohol/drug/sexual assault informationinformation

• Require all students (including transfer students) to complete an orientation Require all students (including transfer students) to complete an orientation course. course.

• Increase emphasis during orientation programs on academic issues, high Increase emphasis during orientation programs on academic issues, high impact practices, and major selection/career planning.impact practices, and major selection/career planning.

• Explore the possibility of creating a credit-bearing Explore the possibility of creating a credit-bearing ““BridgeBridge”” program for program for students deemed to need extra support to succeed during their first year of students deemed to need extra support to succeed during their first year of college.college.

• Implement the Provost's expectations for advising (7/2013)Implement the Provost's expectations for advising (7/2013)• Implement a Implement a ““finish in fourfinish in four”” program program

Academic Advising—Provost’s Expectations

• All colleges should strive to reduce their student to advisor ratios so that they are able to require one All colleges should strive to reduce their student to advisor ratios so that they are able to require one meaningful advising session per semester for first-year, sophomore, and transfer students. meaningful advising session per semester for first-year, sophomore, and transfer students. Recommended ratio: 400: 1Recommended ratio: 400: 1

• All colleges are expected to collaborate in developing advising practices across campus so that All colleges are expected to collaborate in developing advising practices across campus so that advising practices are as standardized and predictable across colleges as possible.advising practices are as standardized and predictable across colleges as possible.

• All advisors are expected to maintain electronic contact notes of their interactions with students All advisors are expected to maintain electronic contact notes of their interactions with students (either in SARS or Degreeworks) so that students have an easily transferable record of their advising (either in SARS or Degreeworks) so that students have an easily transferable record of their advising experience.experience.

• All colleges are expected to require their advisors to participate in campus-wide advising training All colleges are expected to require their advisors to participate in campus-wide advising training activities sponsored either by the Academic Counselors and Advisors Caucus, the Office of activities sponsored either by the Academic Counselors and Advisors Caucus, the Office of Undergraduate Studies, or HR.Undergraduate Studies, or HR.

• All students on Academic Warning should be required to meet with an advisor each semester while All students on Academic Warning should be required to meet with an advisor each semester while they are on warning. Students who are returning from a Suspension should be required to meet with they are on warning. Students who are returning from a Suspension should be required to meet with an advisor during the first semester of their return.an advisor during the first semester of their return.

Ad Hoc University College Committee Membership

Joseph Aistrup, Dean, College of Liberal Arts (Chair)Joseph Aistrup, Dean, College of Liberal Arts (Chair)

Melissa Baumann, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Studies & Director of the Melissa Baumann, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Studies & Director of the Honors CollegeHonors College

Raj Chaudhury, Interim Director, Biggio CenterRaj Chaudhury, Interim Director, Biggio Center

Chelsea Crooks, Executive Vice President of Initiatives, Student Government Chelsea Crooks, Executive Vice President of Initiatives, Student Government AssociationAssociation

Joyce de Vries, Director, WomenJoyce de Vries, Director, Women’’s Studies Programs Studies Program

Xing Fang, Chair, Academic Standards Committee Xing Fang, Chair, Academic Standards Committee

Joe Hanna, Associate Dean, Harbert College of BusinessJoe Hanna, Associate Dean, Harbert College of Business

Kathryn Jarvis, Director, Academic SupportKathryn Jarvis, Director, Academic Support

Katie Lackey, Chair, Advisors and Counselors CaucusKatie Lackey, Chair, Advisors and Counselors Caucus

Daniel LaRocque, Associate Dean, College of Liberal ArtsDaniel LaRocque, Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Paul Patterson, Associate Dean, College of AgriculturePaul Patterson, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture

Chris Roberts, Dean, Ginn College of EngineeringChris Roberts, Dean, Ginn College of Engineering

Judith Sanders, Coordinator of Retention ProgrammingJudith Sanders, Coordinator of Retention Programming

Marlon Simon, Member, Senate Retention Committee Marlon Simon, Member, Senate Retention Committee

Ad Hoc University College Committee– Major Recommendations

• The University College should be led by a Director, not a Dean. It should not have The University College should be led by a Director, not a Dean. It should not have faculty.faculty.

• Interdisciplinary Studies, the distance Interdisciplinary Studies, the distance ““completercompleter”” degrees (as appropriate), and new degrees (as appropriate), and new interdisciplinary programs (both majors and minors) should be housed in the interdisciplinary programs (both majors and minors) should be housed in the University College.University College.

• The graduates of the University College (e.g., IDSC Students) should sit together at The graduates of the University College (e.g., IDSC Students) should sit together at graduation, and be recognized from the platform by the Director of the University graduation, and be recognized from the platform by the Director of the University College.College.

• Exploratory students and the Freshman Advising Center should not be housed in the Exploratory students and the Freshman Advising Center should not be housed in the University College.University College.

• The University College should not become a The University College should not become a ““dumping grounddumping ground”” for either marginal for either marginal students or weak academic programs.students or weak academic programs.

• The University College should not include the Honors College, the First-Year The University College should not include the Honors College, the First-Year Advising Center, remediation or retention centers, or distance education pedagogical Advising Center, remediation or retention centers, or distance education pedagogical support units.support units.

University Retention Committee – Retention Plan11. . Develop First Year Advising Center for Undecided/ Exploratory StudentsDevelop First Year Advising Center for Undecided/ Exploratory Students

  

2. Use BCSSE Data to provide early intervention and support for students predicted to 2. Use BCSSE Data to provide early intervention and support for students predicted to be be ““at riskat risk””

3. Institute a mandatory first-year seminar experience (either through the FYE Office 3. Institute a mandatory first-year seminar experience (either through the FYE Office or through individual colleges) to provide extended orientation to academic and or through individual colleges) to provide extended orientation to academic and campus lifecampus life

  

4. Use the Early Alert Grade program to identify, and reach out to, students 4. Use the Early Alert Grade program to identify, and reach out to, students experiencing academic difficulty; increase tutoring support on campus to support such experiencing academic difficulty; increase tutoring support on campus to support such studentsstudents

5. Implement Provost5. Implement Provost’’s Advising Expectations s Advising Expectations

Questions?

Constance RelihanConstance Relihan

Associate Provost for Undergraduate StudiesAssociate Provost for Undergraduate Studies

Professor of EnglishProfessor of English

209 Samford Hall209 Samford Hall

844-4900844-4900

relihco@auburn.edurelihco@auburn.edu