First-Year Experience

Review, Benchmarking and Best PracticesFall 2015

Assess First-Year Experience• Review data • Review past recommendations• Benchmark best practices

Engage Campus Leadership• Student Government Association• Faculty Senate Executive Committee• Student Services Collaborative• Provost’s Academic Leadership Council• Associate Deans• Student Affairs Leadership Team

Recommend and Implement Changes

Our Charge

90% First-Year Retention

Measured by

A Successful Student Experience

Goal

UVM Comparator

Data

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

William and Mary 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 96

Boston College 95 95 95 95 96 96 95 96 95 95 95

George Washington U 92 92 92 92 92 91 91 92 93 93 93

UCONN 88 89 90 91 92 93 93 93 93 93 93

Boston University 88 89 90 90 91 91 91 91 91 91 92

Syracuse University 91 92 92 92 92 91 91 91 91 92 92

SUNY Binghamton 91 92 91 91 90 90 90 90 91 91 91

SUNY - Stony Brook 86 86 87 88 88 88 89 89 89 90 90

UMASS – Amherst 84 84 84 84 83 84 85 87 88 88 89

UVM 83 84 85 85 86 86 85 86 86 86 87

U of Colorado – Boulder 83 83 83 84 84 84 84 84 84 84 85

Factors that Impact

Retention

Retention Factors: Student Characteristics

• Academic Prep

• Residency

• Gender

• Motivation/Grit

• Financial

• External (family, behavioral)

Retention Factors: Institutional Experiences

• Level and quality of engagement

• Integration (academic, co-curricular, social)

• Academic challenge

• Supportive campus environment

UVM Data

Retention Rates: All FTFY StudentsFall 2009 - Fall 2013

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Re

ten

tio

n R

ate

FTFY Cohort Fall Term

One-Year Rate

Two-Year Rate

Three-Year Rate

One-Year Retention Rates by Ace ScoreFall 2009-Fall 2013

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

FTFY Cohort Fall Term

ACE Score: 1

ACE Score: 2

ACE Score: 3

ACE Score: 4

ACE Score: 5

ACE Score: 6

ACE Score: 7

ACE Score: 8

ACE Score: 9

Retention Rates – By Residence

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

FTFY Cohort Fall Term

Vermont, One-Year Rate

Vermont, Two-Year Rate

Vermont, Three-Year Rate

Out-of-State, One-Year Rate

Out-of-State, Two-Year Rate

Out-of-State, Three-Year Rate

Recommendations from Previous Reports• Central oversight and coordination of FYE efforts• Provide FYE training for advisors and instructors • Develop a first-year seminar • Recognize outstanding faculty, students, and staff

regarding FYE

Our Current Practices

Academic Initiatives

Co-Curricular Initiatives• Orientation and Pre-arrival communication

• Career + Experience HUB

• myUVM content

• Centralized opening weekend programs

• New residential communities

• Free subject-area and learning skills tutoring

• Universal screening in the Student Health Center and Counseling Center

• Housing master plan

• Wellness environment

Best Practices and

Benchmarking

BenchmarksWilliam and Mary Stony Brook Northeastern UVM

Central Coordination of FYE Efforts✓ ✓

Coordinated FY Course✓ ✓ ✓

FY Programmed Housing100% 100% 100% 30%

Common Reading✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Peer Advising and Mentorship✓ ✓

• Centralized First-Year Seminar and FY academic course (similar to TAP)

• Small groups from FY Seminar incorporated throughout welcome week

• Undergraduate Fellows Program

• Undergraduate mentors for FY students

• All First-Year Students Live in Programmed Housing

• Professional Advising for First-Year Students

• First-Year Read Incorporated Throughout FY

• FY Retention Rate: Class of 2013, Retention 90%

Three Major Themes• Centralized Coordination for

First-Year Experience

• Common First-Year Course(student success, University 001)

• Programmed Housing

What We Heard…Opportunities• Leverage Programmed Housing

to improve student engagement• Programmed Housing should

be easier and more transparent• Programmed Housing + FYE Course

= Successful Transition• Consider health & wellness

in planning• Interest in results of peer

mentor pilot

What We Heard…Challenges

• We are behind in comparison to other campuses in FY experience

• FYE Course could be difficult to integrate into professional curriculums

• FYE experience should include two or more high-impact practices

TimelineNovember:• Draft recommendations from

feedback and research• Gather additional feedback from

schools/colleges

December:• Final recommendations to

President and Provost

Questions?