Kalamazoo Valley Community College/Noel-Levitz Partnership Improvement Report February 27, 2015

Kalamazoo Valley Community College/Noel-Levitz Partnership Improvement Report

February 27, 2015

Noel-Levitz by the numbers

1,000 servedannually

2,800 partnersserved

350,000 visits to www.noellevitz.com

annually40 years of service

1,500 institutions participate in Noel-Levitz conferences

130 full-time staff & 60+ part-time consultants

600+ years of experience

800-900 downloadsper week

Noel-Levitz

http://www.noellevitz.com/

Six megatrends facing higher education

1

23

4

56

Impact of technology on communicating with students

Enrolment growth will slow

Demographic shifts

Retention and completion pressures

will intensify

Managing new learning modalities

Changing economic model

“The future ain’t what it used to be.”

Yogi BerraTransferred from en.wikipedia

Kalamazoo Valley Community College/Noel-Levitz Retention Partnership Components

SRP Model & Variable Diagnostics

Satisfaction Surveys

Retention Planning

Early Alert Surveys

CSI

MYSA

SYSA

.

Community College Career School

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

69% 66%

51%47%

31%26%

1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice

SRP model 2013

25.3%

18.9%

19.0%

10.7%

10.3%

8.3%

7.6%

Relative Strength of Model Variables

Years since HS Graduation (Optimal Binning)

High School CEEB Code

Total Income (Optimal Binning)

ACT Reading Score

Primary County Code of Student

ACT Math Score

Academic Major

Click icon to add chart

KVCC Winter 2015 Distribution

92 165 292 128 14 1

.



Retention Planning

Early Alert Surveys

CSI

MYSA

SYSA

.



0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

69% 66%

51%47%

31%26%


.



Retention Planning

Early Alert Surveys

CSI

MYSA

SYSA

.



0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

69% 66%

51%47%

31%26%


Student Perceptions of their experience at KVCC

The SSI uses three scores for

prioritizing findings

Captures three scores for prioritizing

Importance

Satisfaction

Performance

Gap

Satisfaction

Importance Importance

Satisfaction

Summary Scales SSI

Summary KVCC Nat.CC

Difference

So far, how has your college experience met your expectations?

5.14 4.84 +0.30**

Rate your overall satisfaction with your experience here thus far.

5.88 5.47 +0.41***

All in all, if you had to do it over, would you enroll here again?

6.28 5.72 +0.56***

.



Retention consulting

Early Alert Surveys

CSI

MYSA

SYSA

.



0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

69% 66%

51%47%

31%26%


• Retention Discovery

• Retention Planning

Priorities

• Targets

• Strategies

• Action Plans

• Deployment of Priorities

Retention Planning

.

The Secret of Retention

“The secret of successful retention programs is no

secret at all, but a reaffirmation of some of the

important foundations of higher education. In short, retention is no more than,

but certainly no less than, successful education.”

Dr. Vincent Tinto, Syracuse University

Retention Consulting

Stu

den

t A

ffair

s

Hum

an

itie

s

Finan

ce

Aca

dem

ic

Aff

air

s

Bud

get

&

Pla

nnin

g

Main

ten

an

ce

Sci

en

ces

Centering on Student Expectations

Building Consensus on Strategic Priorities

Using Data/information to Inform Experience

“Never under-estimate what can happen when you bring people together to talk about things that are important to them.” Meg Wheatley

Step 1:

Define Current State

Step 2:

Define Desired State

1. Overall goal: Achieve an overall retention rate of 44% for new freshmen intending to obtain an associate degree who enter the college fall 13 and 46% for new freshmen intending to obtain an associate degree who enter the college fall 2014.

2. Race: Achieve a retention rate of 28% percent for fall 13 entering Black or African American students and 30% for fall 14 entering Black or African American students.

3. Financial/Socioeconomic: Achieve a retention rate 38% for fall 13 entering Pell Eligible students and a retention rate 40% for fall14 entering students.

4. First Generation Students: Achieve a retention rate 41% for first generation students who enter fall 13 and a retention rate 43% for students who enter fall 14.

5. ACT Scores: Achieve a retention rate of 35% percent for fall 2013 entering students who do not have an ACT score and 37% for fall 2014 entering students who do not have an ACT score.

6. Transfer Students: Achieve a fall-to-fall retention rate of 33% for fall 2013 entering transfer in students and 35% for fall 2014 entering transfer in students.

7. Age: Achieve a fall-to-fall retention rate of 40% percent for fall 2013 entering students ages 19.1 to 21.0 and 42% for fall 2014 entering students ages 19.1-21.0.

Step 3:

Select Strategies

http://www.shutterstock.com/subscribe.mhtml

Consensus targets and strategies

Noel-Levitz Student Retention Practices at Two-Year Institutions

www.noellevitz.com/papers-research-higher-education/

© 2013 Noel-Levitz, LLC2013 Retention Practices at Four-Year and Two-Year Institutions

Five most effective practices at two-year public institutions

Create a comprehensive retention plan with detailed action plans for each strategy

Retention

Plan

Learning Communitie

s

First Year Experience

New Student Orientation

Advising

Part-time faculty

Additional Steps Responsibility Completion Date

Institutional Actions

1 Organize attendance for key participants at the annual FYE conference Deans Jan. 2014

2 Determine if the college will allow this to be required as it may impact credit limits President’s CouncilAcademic VP

Spring 2014

3 Develop a potential organizational structure to provide ongoing coordination, measurement, and support for successful deployment Exec. VPAcademic VPDeans

Spring 2014

4 Develop a timeline and establish a budget for implementation of both the pilot and the full scale roll-out Academic VPDeans

Spring 2014

5 Determine where this course will be placed…in which division/s? departments? Academic VP/DeansFaculty

Spring 2014

6 Establish a well-balanced (and reasonable in numbers) FYE Committee to continue the planning work; this should consist of representations from the SSC, Financial Aid, Registration, and the faculty.

Pres. CouncilExec. VPAcademic VP/Deans

Spring 2014

7 Provide team building and training to support deployment and ongoing effectiveness Academic VPDeansFYE Committee

Summer 2014

8 Measure and communicate the impact of FYE on the success of KVCC students including “return on investment” Academic VPInst. Research

Summer 2015

Detailed Action Plans for each Strategy

Steps Responsibility Completion Date

Course Development 1 Review the existing TRS 105 College Success Strategies and TRS 100 Career Decision Making courses to avoid redundancy or

overlapping of curriculum that would have a negative impact on new and existing course/sFacultyFYE Committee

Spring 2014

2 Follow the course and curriculum committee guidelines as the course is built CounselorsFacultyFYE Committee

SpringSummer 201414

3 Determine who the targeted students are…should it only be for freshmen? Students on campus? How are dually enrolled students handled?

FacultyFYE CommitteeLearning Communities Comm.

Spring 2014

4 Determine the appropriate pedagogy and class size Faculty Sum. 2014

5 Develop and implement a first-year experience seminar that provides all new KVCC students access to this national best practice inclusive of opportunities for faculty mentoring and topics such as improving financial literacy, time management, career development, and successful life management skills

FacultyFYE Committee

Sum. 2014

6 Develop the course objectives FacultyFYE Committee

Sum. 2014

7 Determine the optimum credit load for the course Faculty Sum. 2014

8 Determine the length of the course…8 weeks, 12 weeks, 15 weeks, late or early start in the semester Faculty Sum. 2014

9 Establish an engaging model; i.e. faculty mentoring; advocates assigned; service learning component; enrollment by a focus group Advocate Coord.Counselors Faculty

Sum. 2014

10 Identify shared experiences to engage students; i.e. field trips; common readings; etc. Faculty Sum. 2014

11 Determine instructor competencies Faculty Sum. 2014

12 Determine the role of the instructor as a mentor or additional responsibilities advising Faculty Sum. 2014

13 Identify resources and expertise to incorporate into curriculum; i.e. College Student Inventory, Career assessments, etc. FacultyFYE Committee

Sum. 2014

14 Coordinate curriculum with initial orientation curriculum to reinforce important concepts without creating unintentional redundancy Director of SSCFacultyFYE Committee

Sum. 2014

15 Offer several sections of the pilot course Faculty Fall 2015

Strategies: The six “vital few” strategies planning participants agreed should be implemented to attain the retention goals include:

1: Identify and develop additional learning community approaches that will expand access to the “power of the cohort” for students from targeted populations of KVCC students placed at risk.

2: Develop and implement a first-year experience (FYE) seminar that provides all new KVCC students access to this national best practice, inclusive of opportunities for mentoring and accepted “college knowledge” topics such as improving financial literacy, time management, and life skills.

3: Require all new and transfer students to participate in a required comprehensive orientation event designed to contribute to a seamless transition into the KVCC experience.

4: Develop more systematic, intentional, and seamless advising interactions for students, especially for new freshmen, that emphasize relationship building and high expectations.

5: Review and revise the academic probation policy to ensure consistency, fairness, and targeted support in order to increase the opportunity for more students to attain their academic goals.

6: Increase the opportunities for part-time faculty to make a full and unconstrained contribution to the quality of life and learning experienced by KVCC students.

Click to insert image

Learning Communities

Identify and develop additional learning community approaches that will expand access to the “power of the cohort” for students

from targeted populations of KVCC students placed at risk.


First Year Experience

Develop and implement a first-year experience (FYE) seminar that provides all new KVCC students access to this national best practice, inclusive of opportunities for mentoring and

accepted “college knowledge” topics such as improving financial literacy, time management, and life skills.


New Student Orientation

Require all new and transfer students to participate in a required comprehensive orientation event designed to contribute to a

seamless transition into the KVCC experience


Advising

Develop more systematic, intentional, and seamless advising interactions for students, especially for new freshmen, that

emphasize relationship building and high expectations.

Advising Goals and Outcomes

Require all students on academic probation (below 2.0 PGA) to meet with a Counselor before registering for future semesters.

Academic Probation is slated to take effect 2015 with “new to KVCC” students only. Counselors will work with the student to develop an individualized Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) that students will need to adhere to while on probation status.


Contact “Undecided” students with 30 or more credits. Require students to meet with Academic & Career Counseling before registering for future semesters.

“Undecided” students with 30 or more credits will first be contacted for a Career Assessment and then scheduled for an Academic Counselor to declare a program. After the student has declared a program, a Counselor will assist the student in developing an academic plan to carry the student through, to graduation or transfer.


Implement a group advising format to accommodate more students in a timely manner.

Group advising is now offered during peak times of the semester to make Counselors more accessible to students, while also accommodating more students.


Make Counseling accessible to students in multiple areas of the college.

Counseling has established satellite locations in the faculty offices and the Tech Center.


Collaborate with Recruitment and Advocates to better accommodate new students.

Students who haven’t applied to KVCC will first meet with Recruitment and/or an Advocate before meeting with a Counselor. Shifting students to these departments will allow Counselors to better serve currently enrolled KVCC students, and it will better prepare pre-enrolled students for a Counseling appointment.


Probation

Review and revise the academic probation policy to ensure consistency, fairness, and targeted support in order to increase the

opportunity for more students to attain their academic goals

Academic Probation Policy Goals

• Review the possibility of combining financial aid and academic progress into one probation policy.

• Determine the most appropriate group or categories (GPA, financial aid) of student to target for probationary support.

• Research the impact of the probation policy on enrollment.• Develop a curriculum and model for a required course/intervention for

probationary students that address their specific needs.• Develop and implement required interactions/communications with

students that connect to the probation policy and reduce the number of probationary students.

• Provide increased avenues for early feedback on academic progress (mid-semester and prior).

• Identify research questions to inform programming for probationary students.

Academic Probation Policy Outcomes

• Collected and reviewed academic probation policies from other community colleges.

• Defined Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as meeting minimum academic standards to assure successful achievement of KVCC graduation requirements.

• Developed a progressive Academic Probation Policy that addresses minimum academic standards.

• Adopted a three step process for students placed on academic probation:o Academic Probationo Academic Warningo Academic Dismissal

• Determined the need to stage implementation of the Academic Probation Policy to initially target FTIAC students.

• Acknowledged the need to collaborate with the Student Success Center.• Developed a cross-walk for each step in the academic probation process that

includes specific conditions and subsequent consequences.


Part-time Faculty

Increase the opportunities for part-time faculty to make a full and unconstrained contribution to the quality of life and learning

experienced by KVCC students


Progress Toward Goals

Noel Levitz Goal Development

Goal: Overall Retention

Fall 2012 Cohort

Fall Cohort 2013 Fall 2013 Goal Fall 2014 Goal

Winter Fall Winter Fall Winter Fall Winter Fall

Re-enrollment 71.6% 43.5% 72.0% 46.4% -- 44.0% -- 46.0%

Graduated 0.7% 1.7% 0.5% 1.1% -- -- -- --


Goal: Black or African American Students

Fall 2012 Cohort



Re-enrollment 61.6% 28.5% 60.7% 29.3% -- 28.0% -- 30.0%

Graduated 0.2% 0.5% 0.2% 0.4% -- -- -- --


Goal: Pell Eligible Students

Fall 2012 Cohort



Re-enrollment 70.4% 37.7% 71.7% 41.4% -- 38.0% -- 40.0%

Graduated 0.6% 1.3% 0.6% 1.0% -- -- -- --


Goal: Students Entering Without ACT Scores

Fall 2012 Cohort



Re-enrollment 64.3% 34.6% 63.9% 35.0% -- 35.0% -- 37.0%

Graduated 0.8% 2.0% 0.4% 1.2% -- -- -- --


Goal: First Generation Students

Fall 2012 Cohort



Re-enrollment 69.7% 41.0% 70.8% 43.3% -- 41.0% -- 43.0%

Graduated 0.4% 1.3% 0.5% 1.0% -- -- -- --


Goal: Students Transferring In

Fall 2012 Cohort



Re-enrollment 64.8% 32.4% 65.7% 37.7% -- 33.0% -- 35.0%

Graduated 0.9% 2.6% 0.6% 1.4% -- -- -- --


Goal: Students Age 19 - 21

Fall 2012 Cohort



Re-enrollment 70.4% 40.0% 69.0% 44.9% -- 40.0% -- 42.0%

Graduated 0.5% 0.9% 0.6% 1.3% -- -- -- --

Questions

Documents

Kalamazoo Valley Community College/Noel-Levitz Partnership Improvement Report February 27, 2015