First Year ExperienceFirst Year ExperienceHurdles and successesHurdles and successes

Netiva CaftoriNetiva Caftori

Northeastern Illinois Northeastern Illinois UniversityUniversity

www.netiva.netwww.netiva.net

Northeastern Illinois Northeastern Illinois UniversityUniversity

• is one of the 12 is one of the 12 public colleges in public colleges in the state of Illinois. the state of Illinois. Located in Chicago Located in Chicago

• NEIU serves 12,000 NEIU serves 12,000 students, both full students, both full and part-time and part-time

• the most diverse the most diverse university in the university in the Midwest Midwest

• Hispanic Serving Hispanic Serving Institution Institution

Student successStudent success

• A six-year graduation A six-year graduation rate is a common rate is a common statistic in American statistic in American education. It measures education. It measures the percent of those the percent of those students who enroll students who enroll full-time as freshmen full-time as freshmen who graduate after six who graduate after six year from the same year from the same institution.institution.

• Using this standard, Using this standard, NEIU is not successful NEIU is not successful with those students with those students who start as full-time who start as full-time freshmen freshmen

• FY 2007-08, only 8% of CPS students FY 2007-08, only 8% of CPS students were white and for FY 2006-7, 84.9% were white and for FY 2006-7, 84.9% of CPS students were members of low-of CPS students were members of low-income families (CPS, 2008). NEIU is income families (CPS, 2008). NEIU is not a selective college, although many not a selective college, although many students attend who exceed the students attend who exceed the entrance requirements. The university entrance requirements. The university mission emphasizes both access and mission emphasizes both access and excellence, and these two values are excellence, and these two values are often difficult to reconcile. often difficult to reconcile.

• Traditional support for under prepared Traditional support for under prepared students has existed at NEIU in the form of students has existed at NEIU in the form of writing, math, and tutoring centers, and writing, math, and tutoring centers, and developmental courses. In addition, there is a developmental courses. In addition, there is a special support program for some special support program for some Latino/LatinaLatino/Latina students called Proyecto Pa’lante and one for students called Proyecto Pa’lante and one for some African American students called some African American students called Project Project SuccessSuccess, both of which are equipped to admit , both of which are equipped to admit students who do not meet the NEIU admission students who do not meet the NEIU admission requirements. requirements.

• For the 2001 freshman class, the six-For the 2001 freshman class, the six-year graduation rate for general year graduation rate for general admission students was 21.6%; the admission students was 21.6%; the rate for Proyecto Pa’lante students rate for Proyecto Pa’lante students was 13.6%; and the rate for Project was 13.6%; and the rate for Project Success students was 7.5%.Success students was 7.5%.

The Innovation: The First-Year Experience at NEIU

FYE Colloquium

“Diversity & Chicago”

Anthropology 109: Skeletons in Chicago’s Closets

Art 109: Art Architecture & Urban Design in Chicago

Music-Dance 109: Stepping Out—Dance in Chicago

Computer Science 109: The Information Age: Its Impact on Chicago’s Culture

Education 109: Schooling Chicago: Communities, Public Education, and Change

Education 109: School’s Out: Chicago’s Nontraditional Education Programs

Earth Science 109: Chicago Rocks! Geology in the City

English 109: Chicago’s Literary Diversity: Reading in the Neighborhoods

English 109: Drama & Diversity in Chicago

Geography 109: Chicago Geographies: Global Chicago

Environmental Science 109: Chicago Geographies: Environmental Chicago

Justice Studies 109: Justice in Chicago

Linguistics 109: Language and Diversity in Chicago

Music 109: Chi-Tunes: Music in Chicago

Psychology 109: Growing up in Chicago

Sociology 109: Investigating Chicago: Immigration and Migration

Physical Education 109: Chicago Body Works

Latino and Latin American Studies 109 Art, Thought, and Revolution in Chicago

• A lot of work goes into preparing a First Year A lot of work goes into preparing a First Year Experience (FYE) course but the rewards are great Experience (FYE) course but the rewards are great once you start with enthusiasm.once you start with enthusiasm.The students are even more excited than you are.The students are even more excited than you are.

Check-in Check-outCheck-in Check-out

The hurdlesThe hurdles

• A A first first struggle involves struggle involves getting getting beyond the introductionbeyond the introduction. There is so . There is so much to do that one may not see the much to do that one may not see the trees from the forest. trees from the forest.

The curricular component: The FYE Colloquium

•The general education contentCollege makes the difference

Learning styles

Skills for academic success

Time management

Critical thinking

& Four-year planning

•The discipline content

A solutionA solution

• A solution is not unique: Just plan A solution is not unique: Just plan carefully every meeting time leaving carefully every meeting time leaving ample time for bonding.ample time for bonding.

• ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE CLEARLY ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE CLEARLY EXPLAINED AND DUE DATES EXPLAINED AND DUE DATES CLOSELY ASSIGNED. CLOSELY ASSIGNED.

Main hurdleMain hurdle

• Integrating the core subjects into Integrating the core subjects into one's disciplineone's discipline is a is a mainmain struggle struggle not easily resolved.not easily resolved.

A 3A 3rdrd hurdle hurdle

• A A thirdthird struggle involves the struggle involves the peer peer mentormentor and how to get her busy and and how to get her busy and helpful. helpful.

Another hurdleAnother hurdle

• Another struggle has to do with Another struggle has to do with handling 24 freshmen all at oncehandling 24 freshmen all at once. .

• It may be easier for a freshman to It may be easier for a freshman to make the transition to college when make the transition to college when in a regular class and not all-in a regular class and not all-freshmen class. freshmen class.

• This is another thesis altogether. This is another thesis altogether.

The grading hurdleThe grading hurdle

• GradingGrading is yet another struggle as you is yet another struggle as you may be tempted to correct students' may be tempted to correct students' errors and show them the way more errors and show them the way more than in a regular class.than in a regular class.After the midterm students get relaxed, After the midterm students get relaxed, don't listen as much, start missing don't listen as much, start missing classes without any warning, and don’t classes without any warning, and don’t care as much about getting good care as much about getting good grades. grades.

• A feeling of A feeling of sinking back into high sinking back into high schoolschool is hard to combat. is hard to combat.

• How far do you How far do you get involved in the get involved in the lives of your studentslives of your students?  ? 

• In a FYE class it seems you do get In a FYE class it seems you do get much more involved so the struggles much more involved so the struggles mount, and so do the euphoria and mount, and so do the euphoria and the rewards as well.the rewards as well.

ReferencesReferences• Terry Stirling: Innovations in the Freshman Terry Stirling: Innovations in the Freshman

Year Experience: Enrichment or survival?Year Experience: Enrichment or survival?• U.S. News and World Report U.S. News and World Report • The education trust: The education trust: http://http://

www.collegeresults.orgwww.collegeresults.org// • Allensworth, E. (2007). Allensworth, E. (2007). Update to: From Update to: From

high school to the future: A first look at high school to the future: A first look at Chicago Public School graduates college Chicago Public School graduates college enrollment, college preparation, and enrollment, college preparation, and graduation from four-year collegesgraduation from four-year colleges. .