Improving Student Retention and Graduation Through the “Out in Two” Model

The Transformative Value of CUNY

•Social mobility has everything to do with one’s ability to earn a college degree. Employability and earning power increasingly correlate to the level of education one achieves.

What creates student success at CUNY?

• A cohort model

• Mandatory Academic Advisement

• Regular contact with a full time staff member

• Perks (MetroCards, priority registration)

• Academic Support (Tutoring, Counseling)

• Emergency Funds

• Faculty and Staff Advocacy

• Community!! (mixers, field trips, fun events)

What ASAP has achieved: • CUNY’s ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) model started in 2007

with the goal of doubling 3-year graduation rates. It now boasts a 3 year graduation rate that is three times (!!!) the rate for urban community colleges across the country (53% vs. 16%).

• What makes ASAP special?

• Cohort model

• Regular check-ins

• Clear paths to graduation, including degree maps and personalized semester-by-semester plans.

• Regular “college readiness” courses

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Academic Advising Matters! • Research is clear that Academic Advisement has a strong correlation with

student success.

• The statistics back this up: accelerating progress and streamlining student pathways to completion improves graduation rates.

• BMCC has seen:

• an increase in our persistence rates through sustained, intrusive interventions

• substantially improved student graduation rates.

It wasn’t always this way: • In 1990, about 25% of the full-time students who enrolled in CUNY's

two-year associate's degree programs earned that degree from CUNY within eight years; only 5% of full-time students earned a four-year bachelor's degree at CUNY in that period. (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/01/nyregion/badillo-says-community-colleges-need-to-improve-graduation-rate.html)

• By 1998, only 1% of CUNY community college students graduated with an associate’s degree in 2 years. (https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1998/02/18/23cuny.h17.html)

• Mayor Rudy Giuliani challenged then-BMCC President Antonio Perez to fix it or lose city funding.

The Out in Two Scholarship Taking up Mayor Giuliani’s challenge, BMCC President Antonio Perez created the Out in Two scholarship program in 1999. This year, we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary!

Today, I am proud to say that Out in Two boasts a 2 year graduation rate of 91%!

BMCC Out in Two!

More about Out in Two: • Housed within Academic Advisement!

• Serves as an incentive to motivate students to graduate on time

• Mandates regular contact between Advisor and cohort

• Provides intense transfer advisement

• Over 80% of students get into their first choice senior college.

• Is the most prestigious program at BMCC

Out in Two’s Success Can Be Duplicated! • Even if the details are different, every college within CUNY can create

their own unique Out in Two (or Out in Four) program following BMCC’s model.

• If we can do it, so can you!

So let’s look at BMCC:

• BMCC has a full time student enrollment of over 27,000, which makes it the largest in the CUNY system!

• At BMCC, 40% of students identify as Hispanic/Latinx, 30% identify as African American, and 15% identify as Asian (85% minority)

• At BMCC, the median family income of a student is $28,400.

• About 80% of our students need remediation upon entry.

• BMCC is ranked #4 nationally among community colleges for awarding associate degrees to all minority students.

• BMCC’s overall 3 year graduation rate is just over 20%.

How does Out in Two work? • New cohort of scholars every semester

• Advertised to targeted populations

• Select applicants invited for an in-person interview with two Academic Advisors.

• During the standardized interview, students see what their 2 year graduation plan looks like.

• Those selected sign a contract to follow the plan and meet other commitments.

• Ceremony includes “Legacy Book”, fake check, & award certificate

How does Out in Two work? • In exchange for their commitment, Out in Two scholars:

• Receive a $1600 tuition scholarship for their remaining semesters;

• Receive an additional $200 book stipend each semester;

• Are assigned to either Jonathan’s or my Advisement cohort;

• Are given priority advisement and registration;

• Are offered opportunities to go on overnight trips to senior colleges in cities like Philly, Boston, and D.C.

• Are offered opportunities to do fun things in NYC (museums, etc.)

• Become part of the Out in Two COMMUNITY!

What are the first steps in modeling Oi2? • 1. Determine the incentives.

• Perhaps you don’t have the private donors that BMCC has been fortunate to get. That doesn’t mean there can’t be incentives.

• Maybe the incentive is priority registration and advisement, plus some group outings to free public spaces or “movie nights” on campus.

• Perhaps there is some money in the college that can be reallocated:

• For “swag” like tee-shirts or baseball caps;

• For food (weekly or a few times per semester);

• For travel (in city via MetroCards or for out-of-town trips)

What are the first steps in modeling Oi2? • 2. Promote the program!

• Make it special:

• Design a logo/name/colors in house.

• Advertise it as a select new cohort.

• Utilize all on-campus resources to spread the word.

• Send emails to students who meet minimum GPA requirements and who are on track to graduate.

What are the first steps in modeling Oi2? • Select the scholars.

• Determine the application and selection process.

• I encourage you to use in-person interviews because you get a much better sense of who the person is when you can meet with them face-to-face.

• Be selective! It is important that the first few cohorts surpass expectations.

What are the first steps in modeling Oi2? • Create Community!!

• Community-building is the single most important aspect of the cohort model and it can be free!

• Ice-breakers

• Weekly “class”

• Trips to the park

• Netflix

• It’s even better if there is some money to add food and swag.

• The community you create will be the biggest selling-point to attract future scholars. The first cohort will be the “poster children” for the next cohort.

What are the first steps in modeling Oi2? • Meet with the students regularly!

• Especially with the first few cohorts, it is imperative to meet once a month at a minimum.

• Early intervention will lead to greater success; students can get the help they need when they need it.

• The advising relationship will build the rapport and trust necessary to continue the success of the program.

What are the first steps in modeling Oi2? • Boast about your success!

• Don’t be shy! Scream it from the rooftops!

• Use campus public relations to help you spread your story.

• Alumni or private donors may be inspired to donate money to help the program grow.

• With additional money, you may be able to create a true “scholarship program” to help offset the cost of education for the students you select.

• This, in turn, can create a cycle of matching funds and “paying it forward”.

In conclusion, • Programs like Out in Two can dramatically increase retention and

graduation rates!

• Specifically, what Advisement practices work?

• Advisement that is mandatory in order to register for classes

• Advisors who meet regularly with their assigned cohorts

• Advisors who provide clear paths to graduation, including both degree maps and personalized semester-by-semester plans

• Advisors who teach classes about the college process, including transfer opportunities

• Incentives to motivate students

• Community!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DbWirfHyac