Student Success: Advising Interventions that Lead...

Student Success: Advising Interventions that Lead to

Persistence Karen Sullivan-Vance, Ed.M.

Director, Academic Advising and Learning Center

Western Oregon University

sullivak@wou.edu

Why do some students succeed in graduating from university and other students fail? Theorists from Astin to Tinto have researched this question for decades. Over the years quality academic advising has been listed as having a role in helping students persist towards degrees. This presentation will cover a case study of how one university combined academic advising, technology and educational interventions to help students persist towards academic success.

Abstract

Introductions

Overview of the state of Higher Education

Western Oregon University and Retention/Persistence Issues

Development of the Wolf Connection System

Ongoing Educational Interventions

Challenges, successes and results

Questions

Introductions and Overview

Higher Education

Academic advising is the only structured activity on the campus in which all students have the opportunity for

on-going, one-to-one interaction with a concerned representative of the institution.

Wes Habley

Academic Advising

The view then-Students failed, not institutions.

Now-recognition that there are multiple factors that impact student retention, from what the institution does to what students bring with them when they begin higher education.

Retention

Student Integration Model

Students who socially integrate into the campus increase their commitment, and are more likely to graduate.

Student attrition linked to both formal and informal academic experiences, and social integration.

Degree of success a student has in pursuit of higher education influences the level of commitment to the institution, academic and career goals.

Tinto

Students are in “a period of passage between the old and the new, before the full adoption of new norms and patterns of behavior and after the onset of separation from the old ones”

Vincent Tinto

Student Persistence

4 year public liberal arts

Founded in 1856

6200 students

52% of entering students

are first-generation

Large Latino/a population

Significant Deaf population

Western Oregon University

Shared Model

Mandatory Advising

Developmental

Advisor Training

Proactive (intrusive)

Advising

Academic Advising at WOU

Academically Underprepared

Individual Risk Factors

Familial Risk Factors

Social Risk Factors (Miller and Murray,2005)

Millennial Generation (Keeling, 2003)

Students with Academic Risk

Student Success Specialist

Wolf Connection Systems

RFI’s from staff

Collaboration across campus

to provide wrap around services

and referrals

Student Success Initiative

Wolf Connection System

Early Alert

Academic Advising

Tutoring Commun-ication

Request for Interventions

Student Success Specialist Reaches out to Students

Provides resources, referrals and helps students to make decisions about their academics

Follows-up with students

Early Alert

Academic advising that is targeted to the student is provided

Specific information on dropping courses or retaking courses

Online and in person educational interventions for students at academic risk

On-line advisor notes

Academic Advising

SSS often recommends tutoring for students that are struggling in courses

Free for students

Up to two hours a week, per subject

Tutoring

Ongoing communication with students

Communication with faculty and staff regarding the RFI’s

SSS reaches out to the academic departments and shows them the results

Communication

Students who received interventions had a success rates upwards of 10% higher

Students on Academic Warning dropped 32%

Students on Academic Probations 28%

Students on Academic Suspension dropped 30%

Financial Savings from Interventions

Results

Program expansion across campus

Hire a second Student Success Specialist

Continue assessment to determine which interventions are the most effective

Add short videos to WCS

Next Steps

There are no insignificant conversations.

Dr. Larry Roper

Final Thoughts

Habley, W. R. (1994).Key Concepts in Academic Advising. In Summer Institute on Academic Advising Session Guide(p.10). Available from the National Academic Advising Association,Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

Keeling, S. (2003). Advising the Millennial Generation. NACADA Journal23

(1&2) pp. 30-36.

Miller, M.A. & Murray, C. (2005).Advising academically underprepared

students. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web Site: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Academically-un

Tinto, V. (1975). Dropouts from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent literature. A Review of Educational Research, 45, 89-125. Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the first year of college. NACADA Journal, 19(2), 5-9. Tritelli, David. (Winter 2003) From the Editor. Association of American

Colleges and Universities Peer Review. Retrieved fromhttp://www.aacu.org/peerreview/pr-wi03/pr-wi03editor.cfm

Resources