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Student Engagement Retreat: Progress Updates

February 15, 2013

Updates from SE Steering Committee

 We are on the right track:

Presentation at AASCU academic affairs meeting (Barnett, Chang, Daffron, Romano)

Presentation at ACPA annual conference (Cammarata, Romano)

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Updates from SE Steering Committee

Process for proposing new K.P.Es established

“Paused” in looking at years to let two pilot years work through (FYE and SYE)- though next year will resume with Junior/Third Year

Used “pause” to zoom in on transfer students and how they fit into model

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Updates from SE Steering Committee

Ramapo College Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Goal 1: Advance Academic Excellence and Engagement

Objective 1.2The College will insure that students increase academic, personal, social, and civic engagement by offering enhanced curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programming.

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Outcomes for Today’s Retreat

Review two assessment instruments to get a picture of our students’ engagement (curricular and co-curricular)

Present Marketing Plan for Student Engagement and how FYE and SYE Connect

Share updates from both FYE Board and SYE Board

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Outcomes for Today’s Retreat

Review report from Transfer Student Engagement Task Force

Brainstorm ideas of ways to incorporate Transfer students into the current work of both boards

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Eric DaffronGurvinder Khaneja

NSSE & CLA Results

CLA and NSSE

Two of the most common institutional assessments

Endorsed by the VSA

Often paired to demonstrate student achievement and engagement

CLA

Tests analytic reasoning, problem solving, writing effectiveness, and writing mechanics.

Asks students to: – respond to questions about a simulated real-life

scenario, – to support a position, or – to evaluate an argument.

Does not use multiple-choice questions.

CLA

Tests incoming first-year students and graduating native students.

2011-12– 90 first-year students drawn from 5 FYS sections– 93 graduating native students drawn from capstone

courses in all five schools

Computes institutional mean scores, mean score percentile ranks across participating institutions, and a value-added score.

CLA

First-year students: high percentile rank– 88 for the total CLA score

Seniors: lower percentile rank– 59 for the total CLA score

Value-added score: near expected– -.38 for the total CLA score

CLA

Four skills:– Analytic reasoning and evaluation– Writing effectiveness– Writing mechanics– Problem solving

Best skill: writing mechanics– grammar– sentence construction– vocabulary

CLA

Three tests:– Performance Task– Make-an-Argument– Critique-an-Argument

Best test: make-an-argument– analytic reasoning and evaluation– writing effectiveness– writing mechanics

NSSE

NSSE - National Survey of Student Engagement,Engagement through Learning, Research and Service.

•Sponsored by Pew Charitable Trust in 1998, and operationalized as the “College Report” the survey was piloted in year 1999.

•Starting with 276 institutions, NSSE has been administered by up to 770 institutions in recent years.

•Based on Chickering & Gamson’s (1987) “Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education” and Astin’s (1984) Theory of Student Involvement.

•Currently, the survey also is also involved in measuring “Deep Approaches to Learning”

NSSE

NSSE at Ramapo College of New Jersey–The survey has been administered since 2000.

–Current reporting is for Spring 2012 administration. Response rate was about 20 percent for both first-year students (300) and seniors (194).

–Ramapo was featured in NSSE’s Annual Results 2012 as aninstitution that uses NSSE to inform about Student Engagement.

–The current year results also focuses on measuring “DeepApproaches to Learning” and provides evidence to the question “Whether Students have learning Experiences that are likelyto results in effective and enduring learning.”

NSSE

Five Important Benchmarks: • The Benchmarks were a result of “Factor Analysis Technique” used by NSSE research team over time, using pilot data.

• Each Benchmark has a score that is based on 6 to 12 questions from the survey

NSSE

BENCHMARKS Categories 2012 SCORES

Level of Academic Challenge (LAC) First-Year 54.9

Seniors 56.7

Active and Collaborative Learning (ACL) First-Year 44.9

Seniors 51.3

Faculty-Student Interaction (FSI) First-Year 35.3

Seniors 40.8

Enriching Educational Experience (EEE) First-Year 26.5

Seniors 40.7

Supportive Campus Environment (SCE) First-Year 59.7

Seniors 55.1

NSSE

For Full Results Go To:http://ww2.ramapo.edu//administration/oirp/reports.aspx

NSSE

Highlights of the Results – Highest Performing Benchmarks

First-year Students• Wrote more than 4 papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages (LAC).• Wrote more than 10 papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages (LAC).• Made a class Presentation (ACL).• Did a community project as part of the course (ACL).• Received prompt written or oral feedback from faculty (SFI).

Senior Students• Wrote at least one paper or report of 20 pages or more (LAC).• Wrote more than 4 papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages (LAC).• Made a class presentation (ACL).• Did a practicum, internship, field experience, clinical assignment (EEE).• Completed a culminating senior experience (EEE).

NSSE

Highlights of the Results – Lowest Performing Benchmarks

First-year Students• Spent more than 10 hours a week preparing for class (LAC).• Said the institution emphasizes study and academic work (LAC).• Had serious conversations with students of another race/ethnicity (EEE).• Participated in learning community (EEE).• Completed foreign language coursework (EEE).

Senior Students• Spent more than 10 hours a week preparing for class (LAC).• Said the institution emphasizes studying and academic work (LAC).• Had serious conversations with students of other religion, politics and value (EEE).• Completed a foreign language coursework (EEE).• Positively rated their relationships with administrative/Personnel offices (EEE).

NSSE

DEEP APPROACHES TO LEARNING

NSSE’s THEORY – “Students who participate in activities that promote higher-order thinking, integration and reflection are more likely to spend their time purposefully”.

High impact activities for first-year students include participation in learning communities, while the same for seniors include participation in service learning, internships, study abroad etc…

NSSE

Deep Approaches to Learning: A Comparison Report

Results: The first-year students are at par with their peers in the nation, while seniors lag behind their peers.

Ramapo College

Mid-East Public

Carnegie Class

NSSE 2012

First year

Average (mean) 61 60 62 61

ES 0.07 -0.02 0.02

Senior

Average (mean) 62 65 67** 66**

ES -0.13 -0.24 -0.21

NSSE

GAINS

•Over the last five administrations, there have been gains in the following benchmarks: Level of Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning and Student Faculty Interaction.

•The benchmark score for first-year students is at par or slightly better than Seniors when rating Ramapo as having a “Supportive Campus Environment.”

•For Seniors, there is a gain in the benchmark score on “Enriching Educational Experience” over the years.

•Both First-year students and Seniors spend time writing papers of various lengths.

•Both first-year and senior made presentations in front of class.

NSSE

CONCERNS

•Low Benchmark Scores for first-year students on Student Faculty Interaction and Enriching Educational Experience.

•A significant proportion of first-year (23 percent) and senior students (30 percent) felt that the institution did not emphasize studying and academic work.

•Approximately 46 percent of first-year and 51 percent of the senior students spent less than 10 hours per week preparing for class.

•Seniors at Ramapo are not as engaged on campus as their peers, when compared on “Deep Learning” Benchmarks.

Overview of Marketing & Communication Plan

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FYE Board Updates

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Joseph Connell, Director of Student Success

Meghan McDonough, First-Year Experience Coordinator

First-Year Experience Board

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First-Year Survey Comparison

2012 (719 responses) v. 2011 (732 responses)

Program/Office specific information will be shared separately

FOCUS – First-Year Survey Question 30– At this point in the semester, indicate your

agreement with the following statements– Addressed all 12 outcomes specifically

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Academic Engagement

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Social Engagement

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Personal Engagement

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Campus and Civic Engagement

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SYE Board Updates

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Transfer Student Engagement Task Force

Review Ramapo Student Engagement materials to provide context/background

Collect and review current statistics on Ramapo transfers

Identify best practices for transfer students Make recommendations to Student

Engagement Steering Committee

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Overview of Task Force Activities

Attended “Transfer Students: Assuring a Smooth Transition” Webinar

Collected data on current transfer students at Ramapo

Conducted a preliminary scan of national research on transfer students and transfer student engagement

Identified best practices Made recommendations

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Who are our current Transfer students?

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Fall 2012 Transfers

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Fall 2012 Transfers

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Fall 2012 Transfers

39*ALP defined as student 24 years or older that came through the Adult Admissions Office

Fall 2012 Transfers

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Fall 2012 Transfers by Student Level

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Fall 2012 Financial Aid Information(Native vs. Transfer)

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Research: Expectations and Needs of Transfer Students

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Transfer students can be characterized by:

Previous college experience– Has shaped attitude towards new college

experience– Presents challenges in adapting to new set of

policies and procedures Pragmatic approach to college

– Prefer objective-specific advisement, career and internship opportunities

– Timeline and plan for graduation

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Financial Concerns

Greater financial need Cost conscious Usually employed part-time

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Engagement

Express a lower sense of community in new college environment

Transfer students want programs that address time-sensitive objectives:– Financial Aid– Internship– Career and Graduate School

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Best Practices for Transfer Students

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Curricular Best Practices

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• Academic advisement• Advisors who are knowledgeable about course requirements and transfer credits• Early assignment of academic advisors

• Movement from articulation agreements to seamless transition experiences

Course Articulation

Program Articulation

Block Transfer Agreements or Degrees

Co-Admission: meeting requirements at two-year

Co-Admission and Shared Services

Co-Admission with Co-Enrollment

Degree Partnership

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Impact on Institution

Co-Curricular Best Practices

• Mandatory orientation

• Continued orientation / transition support• A transitional “course” or a series of workshops that focus on the needs of transfers • Peer mentors

• Centralized Resources• One-stop resources• Easily accessed online resources that address transition, resources and services

• Create a sense of community among transfers to help them be more successful and thrive

• A targeted and dynamic online community for new transfer students

• Financial Support• Scholarships

Group Exercise

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Group Exercise

1. Looking at the KPEs that we currently have at our institution and the information that we presented today on transfer students … Do you think that we are addressing their needs?

2. What would you do differently to better integrate our transfer students

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Success, Challenges, Next Steps

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