What Matters to What Matters to Student Success in Student Success in

the First Year of the First Year of University?University?

George D. KuhGeorge D. Kuh

Pacific Rim First Year Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conferencein Higher Education Conference

QUT Gardens Point, BrisbaneQUT Gardens Point, Brisbane

July 5, 2007July 5, 2007

JavierJavier

Sarah Sarah

NicoleNicole

OverviewOverview

Why engagement matters in the first year

Lessons from high-performing institutions

Advance OrganizersAdvance Organizers

To what extent do your students To what extent do your students engage in productive learning engage in productive learning activities, inside activities, inside andand outside the outside the classroom? classroom?

How do you know? How do you know? What must you do differently -- or What must you do differently -- or

better -- to enhance student better -- to enhance student success? success?

Student Success in CollegeStudent Success in College

Academic achievement, Academic achievement, engagement in engagement in educationally purposeful educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and knowledge, skills and competencies, competencies, persistence, attainment persistence, attainment of educational of educational objectives, and post-objectives, and post-college performancecollege performance

Factors That Threaten Persistence and Factors That Threaten Persistence and Graduation from College Graduation from College

academically underprepared for academically underprepared for college-level workcollege-level work

gap between high school and college gap between high school and college part-time enrollmentpart-time enrollment single parentsingle parent financially independentfinancially independent children at homechildren at home 30+ hours working per week30+ hours working per week first-generation college studentfirst-generation college student

What Really Matters in College: What Really Matters in College: Student EngagementStudent Engagement

Because iBecause individual effort and ndividual effort and involvement are the critical involvement are the critical determinants of impact, determinants of impact, institutions should focus on institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their the ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to extracurricular offerings to encourage encourage student student engagementengagement. .

Pascarella & Terenzini, Pascarella & Terenzini, How College How College Affects StudentsAffects Students, 2005, p. 602, 2005, p. 602

Student Engagement TrinityStudent Engagement Trinity

What students What students dodo -- time and energy -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

What institutions What institutions dodo -- using -- using effective educational practices to effective educational practices to induce students to do the right induce students to do the right thingsthings

Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward channel student energy toward the the right activitiesright activities

Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)

Student-faculty contactStudent-faculty contact Active learningActive learning Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback Time on taskTime on task High expectationsHigh expectations Respect for diverse learning stylesRespect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among studentsCooperation among students

National Survey of National Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)

Community College Community College Survey of Student Survey of Student EngagementEngagement(pronounced “cessie”)

College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

AUSSIE 2007AUSSIE 2007

Australasian Survey of Student Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) is being tried Engagement (AUSSE) is being tried out by ACER for Australasian out by ACER for Australasian higher education institutions. It will higher education institutions. It will yield generalisable information yield generalisable information about university education about university education sensitive to institutional diversity sensitive to institutional diversity that will allow institutions to that will allow institutions to monitor and enhance the quality of monitor and enhance the quality of education.education.

NSSE SurveyNSSE Survey

Student Behaviors

Institutional Actions & Requirements

Reactions to People & Environment

Student BackgroundInformation

Student Learning &

Development

In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following?

1

Effective Educational PracticesEffective Educational Practices

Level of Level of Academic Academic ChallengeChallenge

Active & Active & Collaborative Collaborative

LearningLearning

EnrichingEnrichingEducational Educational ExperiencesExperiences

SupportiveSupportiveCampusCampus

EnvironmentEnvironment

Student-Student-Faculty Faculty

InteractionInteraction

Grades, persistence, Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, student satisfaction, and engagement go and engagement go hand in handhand in hand

Student engagement varies Student engagement varies more more withinwithin than between than between institutions.institutions.

Supportive Campus Environment: Seniors at Master's Institutions

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Master's Institutions

Percentile 10

Percentile 50

Percentile 90

Worth PonderingWorth Pondering

How do we reach How do we reach our least engaged our least engaged students?students?

Behold the Behold the compensatorycompensatory effects of engagementeffects of engagement

What Are Faculty Telling Us?What Are Faculty Telling Us?

Faculty Survey of Faculty Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement

(pronounced “fessie”)

FSSE measures FSSE measures faculty faculty expectations and expectations and activities related activities related to student to student engagement in engagement in effective effective educational educational practicespractices

Course EmphasisCourse Emphasis

FACULTY report very FACULTY report very much or quite a bit of much or quite a bit of

emphasis on memorizingemphasis on memorizing

STUDENTS report very STUDENTS report very much or quite a bit of much or quite a bit of

emphasis on memorizingemphasis on memorizing

29 | 14%29 | 14%

Lower Lower DivisionDivision

Upper Upper DivisionDivision

65% | 63%65% | 63%

11stst yr. yr. StudentsStudents SeniorsSeniors

Prompt FeedbackPrompt Feedback

FACULTY gave prompt FACULTY gave prompt feedback often or very feedback often or very

oftenoften

STUDENTS received prompt STUDENTS received prompt feedback often or very oftenfeedback often or very often

93% / 93%93% / 93%

Lower Lower DivisionDivision

Upper Upper DivisionDivision

64% / 76%64% / 76%

11stst yr. yr. StudentsStudents SeniorsSeniors

Faculty Priorities and Faculty Priorities and Student EngagementStudent Engagement

AVGAVG STUDENTSTUDENT

AVGAVG FACULTYFACULTY AcadAcad emicemic cchallhallengeenge

ActActiveive --ccollabollab

Diversity Diversity eexperiencesxperiences

StuStu dentdent --ffacacultyulty

AAccadademicemic challchall engeenge emphemphasisasis

ActActiveive --collabcollab practicespractices

EmphEmph asisasis on diversityon diversity experiencesexperiences

EmphEmph asisasis on on hhigherigher orderorder thinkingthinking

ImpImportanceortance enrichingenriching ededucuc eexpxp erienceseriences

What to Make of This? What to Make of This?

1.1. When faculty members When faculty members emphasize certain educational emphasize certain educational practices, students engage in practices, students engage in them to a greater extent than them to a greater extent than their peers elsewhere.their peers elsewhere.

2.2. Good things go togetherGood things go together

What does an What does an educationally effective educationally effective university look like?university look like?

Project DEEPProject DEEP

To discover, To discover, document, and document, and describe what high describe what high performing performing institutions do to institutions do to achieve their achieve their notable level of notable level of effectiveness.effectiveness.

DEEP SchoolsDEEP Schools*

Doctoral ExtensivesDoctoral Extensives

University of KansasUniversity of Kansas

University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan

Doctoral IntensivesDoctoral Intensives

George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason University

Miami University (Ohio)Miami University (Ohio)

University of Texas El PasoUniversity of Texas El Paso

Master’s Granting Master’s Granting

Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville State University

Gonzaga UniversityGonzaga University

Longwood UniversityLongwood University

Liberal ArtsLiberal Arts

California State, Monterey BayCalifornia State, Monterey Bay

Macalester CollegeMacalester College

Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar College

The Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State College

Sewanee: University of the SouthSewanee: University of the South

Ursinus CollegeUrsinus College

Wabash College Wabash College

Wheaton College (MA)Wheaton College (MA)

Wofford CollegeWofford College

Baccalaureate GeneralBaccalaureate General

Alverno College Alverno College

University of Maine at FarmingtonUniversity of Maine at Farmington

Winston-Salem State UniversityWinston-Salem State University

*Higher-than *Higher-than predicted predicted

NSSE scores NSSE scores and and

graduation graduation ratesrates

Research ApproachResearch Approach

Case study methodCase study method Team of 24 researchers review Team of 24 researchers review

institutional documents and conduct institutional documents and conduct multiple-day site visitsmultiple-day site visits

Observe individuals, classes, group Observe individuals, classes, group meetings, activities, eventsmeetings, activities, events

2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events 2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events Discover and describe effective Discover and describe effective

practices and programs, campus practices and programs, campus cultureculture

Worth NotingWorth Noting

Many roads to an engaging Many roads to an engaging institutioninstitution

No one best modelNo one best model Different combinations of Different combinations of

complementary, interactive, complementary, interactive, synergistic conditionssynergistic conditions

Anything worth doing is Anything worth doing is worth doing well at scaleworth doing well at scale

Six Shared ConditionsSix Shared Conditions

““Living” Mission and “Lived” Living” Mission and “Lived” Educational PhilosophyEducational Philosophy

Unshakeable Focus on Student Unshakeable Focus on Student Learning Learning

Environments Adapted for Environments Adapted for Educational EnrichmentEducational Enrichment

Clearly Marked Pathways to Clearly Marked Pathways to Student SuccessStudent Success

Improvement-Oriented EthosImprovement-Oriented Ethos Shared Responsibility for Shared Responsibility for

Educational Quality Educational Quality

Creating Conditions That Matter to Creating Conditions That Matter to Student SuccessStudent Success

We can’t leave We can’t leave serendipity to chanceserendipity to chance

1. Get the ideas right1. Get the ideas right

Focus on a real problemFocus on a real problem Persistence Fragmented gen ed program Poor advising Tired pedagogical practices Low academic challenge Connections to real world Under-engaged students

2. Lay out the path to student success2. Lay out the path to student success

a.a. Draw a map for student success Draw a map for student success b.b. Front load resources to smooth the Front load resources to smooth the

transition transition c.c. Teach newcomers about the campus Teach newcomers about the campus

cultureculture d.d. Create a sense of “specialness”Create a sense of “specialness”e.e. Emphasize student initiative Emphasize student initiative f.f. Focus on underengaged studentsFocus on underengaged studentsg.g. If something works, maybe require it? If something works, maybe require it?

Lessons from National Center for Lessons from National Center for Academic TransformationAcademic Transformation

If doing something is important, If doing something is important, require it (first-year students require it (first-year students don’t do ‘optional’)don’t do ‘optional’)

Assign course points to the Assign course points to the activityactivity

Monitor and intervene when Monitor and intervene when necessarynecessary

http://www.thencat.org/Newsletters/Apr06.htm#1http://www.thencat.org/Newsletters/Apr06.htm#1

SSocialization to academic ocialization to academic expectationsexpectations

Wofford first-year students read a Wofford first-year students read a common novel and write a short common novel and write a short essay connecting it to their own essay connecting it to their own lives. The eight best essays are lives. The eight best essays are published and distributed to all published and distributed to all new students, creating the first new students, creating the first class celebrities.class celebrities.

KU’s “Traditions Night.” KU’s “Traditions Night.” 3,000+ students gather in 3,000+ students gather in the football stadium to the football stadium to rehearse the Rock Chalk rehearse the Rock Chalk Chant, learn “I’m a Chant, learn “I’m a Jayhawk”, and hear Jayhawk”, and hear stories intended to instill stories intended to instill students’ commitment to students’ commitment to graduationgraduation

Intentional acculturationIntentional acculturationRituals and traditions connect students to Rituals and traditions connect students to each other and the institutioneach other and the institution

48%

5%8%

27%

19%

11%8%

10% 11%

49%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Advisor Other staff Online Catalog/Web Friends/Family

First-year

Seniors

Primary source of academic advisingPrimary source of academic advising

Intrusive advisingIntrusive advisingUniversity of Kansas University of Kansas “Graduate in “Graduate in Four”Four” advising notebook: advising notebook:

Distributed at orientation Distributed at orientation Describes to students how to make Describes to students how to make

the most of undergraduate study the most of undergraduate study Students required to meet with Students required to meet with

advisor to review progress to degree advisor to review progress to degree Section for each of the four Section for each of the four

undergraduate yearsundergraduate years““Checklist” for students to weigh Checklist” for students to weigh

choices and monitor if they are choices and monitor if they are making progress. making progress.

Redundant early warning systems: Redundant early warning systems: “Tag Teaming”“Tag Teaming”

Wheaton first-year student Wheaton first-year student advising team includes faculty, advising team includes faculty, student preceptors, librarians student preceptors, librarians and administrative staff. and administrative staff.

At Ursinus, Miami, and Wheaton At Ursinus, Miami, and Wheaton representatives from both representatives from both academic affairs and student academic affairs and student affairs serve as academic affairs serve as academic advisors. advisors.

MentoringMentoring

U of Michigan Mentorship U of Michigan Mentorship Program matches groups of four Program matches groups of four first-year students with an older first-year students with an older student and a faculty or staff student and a faculty or staff member who share similar member who share similar academic interests. The goal is to academic interests. The goal is to provide students with mentoring provide students with mentoring relationships, networking relationships, networking opportunities, yearlong guidance opportunities, yearlong guidance and support, and in general to and support, and in general to help ease the transition to college.help ease the transition to college.

3. Align initiatives with: 3. Align initiatives with:

a.a. Student preparation, ability, Student preparation, ability, interestsinterests

b.b. Existing complementary effortsExisting complementary efforts Gen ed reform Faculty development Service learning/community

service Internationalization and

diversity

Fayetteville StateFayetteville StateFaculty members “teach the Faculty members “teach the

students they have, not those they students they have, not those they wish they had”wish they had”

Center for Teaching and Learning Center for Teaching and Learning sponsors development activities on sponsors development activities on diverse learning needsdiverse learning needs

Cal State Monterey BayCal State Monterey Bay““Assets” philosophy acknowledges Assets” philosophy acknowledges

students’ prior knowledgestudents’ prior knowledge

““Meet students where they are”Meet students where they are”

Something Else That Something Else That Really MattersReally Matters in College in College

The greatest impact appears The greatest impact appears to stem from studentsto stem from students’’ total total levellevel of campus engagement, of campus engagement, particularly when academic, particularly when academic, interpersonal, and interpersonal, and extracurricular involvements extracurricular involvements are are mutually reinforcingmutually reinforcing……

Pascarella & Terenzini, Pascarella & Terenzini, How College How College Affects StudentsAffects Students, 2005, p. 647, 2005, p. 647

It Takes a Whole Campus It Takes a Whole Campus to Educate a Studentto Educate a Student

4. Promote and reward collaboration4. Promote and reward collaboration

a.a. Tighten the philosophical and Tighten the philosophical and operational linkages between operational linkages between academic and student affairs academic and student affairs

– Peer tutoring and mentoring Peer tutoring and mentoring

– First year seminarsFirst year seminars

– Learning communitiesLearning communitiesb.b. Harness available expertiseHarness available expertisec.c. Make governance a shared Make governance a shared

responsibility responsibility d.d. Form partnerships with the local Form partnerships with the local

community community

Connect campus and communityConnect campus and community

California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) requires all students to complete both a lower and upper-level service learning experience as a means to apply knowledge and connect with the local community.

5. Recruit, socialize and reward 5. Recruit, socialize and reward competent peoplecompetent people

a.a. Recruit faculty and staff Recruit faculty and staff committed to student learning committed to student learning

b.b. Emphasize student Emphasize student centeredness in faculty and centeredness in faculty and staff orientation staff orientation

c.c. Make room for differences Make room for differences d.d. Reward and support competent Reward and support competent

staff to insure high quality staff to insure high quality student support services student support services

““Difference Makers”Difference Makers”

Student success is the product of Student success is the product of thousands of small gestures thousands of small gestures extended on a daily basis by extended on a daily basis by caring, supportive educators caring, supportive educators sprinkled throughout the sprinkled throughout the institution who enact a talent institution who enact a talent development philosophy. development philosophy.

6. Put money where it will make a 6. Put money where it will make a difference in student difference in student

engagementengagement

“…in professional baseball it still matters less how much you have than how well you spend it”

6. Put money where it will make a 6. Put money where it will make a difference in student engagementdifference in student engagement

a.a. Align reward system with Align reward system with institutional mission, values, and institutional mission, values, and prioritiespriorities

b.b. Sunset redundant and ineffective Sunset redundant and ineffective programsprograms

c.c. Invest in activities that contribute Invest in activities that contribute to student success to student success

Association of American Colleges and Universities

Most Important Skills Employers Look For In New Hires

Teamwork skills

Critical thinking/ reasoning

Oral/written communication

Ability to assemble/organize information

Innovative/thinking creatively

Able to work with numbers/statisticsForeign language

proficiency 3%

9%

20%

21%

30%

33%

44%

RecentGrads*

38%

37%

37%

10%

21%

4%

6%

* Skills/abilities recent graduates think are the two most important to employers

Effective Educational PracticesEffective Educational Practices

First-Year Seminars and Experiences First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual ExperiencesCommon Intellectual Experiences Learning CommunitiesLearning Communities Writing-Intensive CoursesWriting-Intensive Courses Collaborative Assignments and ProjectsCollaborative Assignments and Projects “ “Science as Science Is Done”; Science as Science Is Done”;

Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research Diversity/Global LearningDiversity/Global Learning Service Learning, Community-Based Service Learning, Community-Based

Learning Learning InternshipsInternships Capstone Courses and ProjectsCapstone Courses and Projects

Common Intellectual ExperienceCommon Intellectual Experience

Ursinus College’s Common Ursinus College’s Common Intellectual Experience (CIE) is a Intellectual Experience (CIE) is a two-semester course for first-year two-semester course for first-year students. Common readings and students. Common readings and “Uncommon Hour” give students a “Uncommon Hour” give students a shared intellectual experience shared intellectual experience outside the classroom that outside the classroom that complements class activities.complements class activities.

Effects of Learning Communities on EngagementEffects of Learning Communities on Engagement

Standardized Standardized Regression Regression CoefficientCoefficient Sig.Sig.

Y-Y-Standardized Standardized

Effect sizeEffect size

Standardized Standardized Regression Regression CoefficientCoefficient Sig.Sig.

Y-Y-Standardized Standardized

Effect sizeEffect size

Engagement ActivitiesEngagement Activities

Academic EffortsAcademic Efforts .16.16 ****** .32.32 .12.12 ****** .28.28

Higher Order ThinkingHigher Order Thinking .20.20 ****** .40.40 .15.15 ****** .35.35

Academic IntegrationAcademic Integration .19.19 ****** .39.39 .16.16 ****** .38.38

Active and Collaborative LearningActive and Collaborative Learning .26.26 ****** .53.53 .24.24 ****** .54.54

Interactions with FacultyInteractions with Faculty .30.30 ****** .60.60 .22.22 ****** .51.51

Diversity ExperiencesDiversity Experiences .21.21 ****** .41.41 .16.16 ****** .36.36

Perception of Campus EnvironmentPerception of Campus Environment

Quality of Academic AdvisingQuality of Academic Advising .12.12 ****** .23.23 .08.08 ****** .17.17

Supportive Campus EnvironmentSupportive Campus Environment .19.19 ****** .37.37 .14.14 ****** .32.32

SatisfactionSatisfaction .13.13 ****** .25.25 .10.10 ****** .23.23

Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes

Gains in Personal and Social Gains in Personal and Social .24.24 ****** .48.48 .18.18 ****** .40.40

Gains in Practical CompetenceGains in Practical Competence .22.22 ****** .45.45 .16.16 ****** .36.36General Education GainsGeneral Education Gains .18.18 ****** .36.36 .11.11 ****** .24.24

First-yearFirst-year SeniorSenior

Diversity ExperiencesDiversity Experiences

Diversity Diversity Diversity Diversity

Density Climate In Course- Diversity Density Climate In Course- Diversity

Dependent variable Index Diversity Work Press Index Diversity Work Press

Student Engagement

Academic challenge + + + Higher order thinking + + + + + +Active and Collaborative + + + + + +Diversity-related activities + + + + + + + +Supportive Campus Env.

Supportive Campus Env. + + Interpersonal - + Support for learning + + + + + +Satisfaction - + +Gains-Interpers. Dev.

Gains - Personal/social + + + + + + +Gains-Social Awareness

Gains-Understanding div. + + + + + + + +Gains -Cont. to community + + + + + +Gains-Understand self + + + + + +

First-year students Seniors

Effective Educational Practices Increase Effective Educational Practices Increase Odds That Students Will:Odds That Students Will:

Invest time and effort Invest time and effort Interact with faculty and peers Interact with faculty and peers

about substantive mattersabout substantive matters Experience diversityExperience diversity Get more frequent feedbackGet more frequent feedback Discover relevance of their Discover relevance of their

learning through real-world learning through real-world applicationsapplications

6. Put money where it will make a 6. Put money where it will make a difference in student engagementdifference in student engagement

a.a. Align reward system with Align reward system with institutional mission, values, and institutional mission, values, and prioritiespriorities

b.b. Sunset redundant and ineffective Sunset redundant and ineffective programsprograms

c.c. Invest in activities that contribute Invest in activities that contribute to student success to student success

d.d. Document performance through Document performance through assessmentassessment!!

Using AUSSIE & Other DataUsing AUSSIE & Other Data

How well do our programs work and how How well do our programs work and how do we know?do we know?

How many students do our efforts How many students do our efforts reach in meaningful ways and how reach in meaningful ways and how

do we do we know? know? To what degree are our programs and To what degree are our programs and

practices complementary and practices complementary and synergistic? synergistic?

What are we doing that is not What are we doing that is not represented among the DEEP represented among the DEEP practices? Should we continue practices? Should we continue

to do it?to do it? What are we not doing that we What are we not doing that we

should? should?

DEEP Practice Briefs

Available: www.nsse.iub.edu

Download

the

series!Download

the

series!

7. Focus on culture sooner than later7. Focus on culture sooner than later

Ultimately, it’s all about the Ultimately, it’s all about the culture…culture…

a.a. Identify cultural properties that Identify cultural properties that impede success impede success

b.b. Expand the number of cultural Expand the number of cultural practitioners on campuspractitioners on campus

c.c. Instill an ethic of positive Instill an ethic of positive restlessnessrestlessness

Positive restlessnessPositive restlessness

““We know who we are and what We know who we are and what we aspire to.”we aspire to.”

Confident, responsive, but Confident, responsive, but never quite satisfied… never quite satisfied…

Self-correcting orientationSelf-correcting orientation

Continually question, “are we Continually question, “are we performing as well as we can?” performing as well as we can?”

8. Put someone in charge 8. Put someone in charge

When everyone is responsible for When everyone is responsible for something, no one is accountable something, no one is accountable for it…for it…

a.a. Senior leadership is keySenior leadership is keyb.b. Some individual or group (high Some individual or group (high

profile ‘think force’) must profile ‘think force’) must coordinate and monitor status of coordinate and monitor status of initiativesinitiatives

c.c. Those ‘in charge’ not solely Those ‘in charge’ not solely responsible for bringing about responsible for bringing about changechange

9. Stay the course9. Stay the course

The good-to-great-transformations The good-to-great-transformations never happened in one fell swoop. never happened in one fell swoop. There was no single defining There was no single defining action, no grand program, no one action, no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment. break, no miracle moment. Sustainable transformations follow Sustainable transformations follow a predictable pattern of buildup and a predictable pattern of buildup and breakthrough…breakthrough…

(Collins, 2001, p. 186)

9. Stay the course9. Stay the course

Scale up effective practicesScale up effective practices

If it works, consider requiring itIf it works, consider requiring it

Beware the implementation dipBeware the implementation dip

Last WordLast Word

Institutions cannot change the Institutions cannot change the lineage of their students. University lineage of their students. University cultures do not change easily or cultures do not change easily or willingly. But we can do far more to willingly. But we can do far more to shape the way students approach shape the way students approach college and what they do after they college and what they do after they arrive. arrive.

Do we have the Do we have the willwill to more to more consistently use promising policies consistently use promising policies and practices to increase the odds and practices to increase the odds that more students “get ready,” “get that more students “get ready,” “get in,” and “get through?”in,” and “get through?”

Questions & Questions & DiscussionDiscussion