Admissions Committee Draft Report May 2008

The charge of the Admissions Committee is to come up with evidence based recommendations regarding admissions. The Committee’s report will also address evidence based recommendations regarding enhancement of student success. We feel that admissions policy and policy regarding the management of students need to be considered together since they interact to affect the rate of student success. Furthermore, in their draft report, WASC addresses the need for UH Hilo to develop a comprehensive enrollment management program with involvement of various stakeholders including faculty, staff, students and administrators.

A crucial underlying assumption of the above directives is that UH Hilo has a clear mission, and that that mission has the support of most organization members. UH Hilo’s mission statement is lengthy and can be interpreted in varying ways, depending on what piece is chosen for emphasis. The second paragraph starts with what appears to be a topic sentence: “The primary mission of UH Hilo is to offer high quality undergraduate liberal arts and professional programs.” But what does that imply in terms of admission policy? Does “high quality” mean that admission standards should be raised in order to improve outcomes such as graduation rates and field exam scores, which are correlated with incoming GPA and SAT scores? Does it mean that the faculty should engage and mentor their students on a more individualized and time-intensive basis, which would require smaller class sizes? Does “liberal arts” mean that we should continue to emphasize small class size and student-faculty engagement at the undergraduate level and perhaps limit growth?

In the course of interviewing various stakeholders both inside and outside of the organization, and even within the Admissions Committee itself, it became clear that there is no unified sense of mission. UH Hilo’s mission statement as written provides little guidance for the Admissions Committee in making recommendations related directly to admissions standards.

Nevertheless, the members of the Committee feel that they can provide some input of value concerning current efforts on campus to increase student engagement and retention. Regardless of how (or whether) the question about institutional mission is resolved, we believe that addressing the issues of (1) institutional information about students and (2) enhancing student success will constitute an improvement for all stakeholders.

1) Information.

UH Hilo’s average class size of first-time new freshmen over the last 4 years is 437 students. The average retention rate the past four cohorts (those to return for their second year) is 65.5% In the last three freshmen cohorts, half of the class does not return for their third year. Currently our six-year graduation rate is reported as 31% (as an average for the 1991-2001 entering cohorts).[1]

In terms of attrition, we lose over a third of the freshmen in the first year. We lose over half the class by the end of the second year. Only a third actually graduate by the sixth year.

There is no one-clear-reason to explain the high attrition rate, rather, there are many issues that affect different populations of students that have to be addressed. These include geographical, cultural, academic and social elements of individual students.

A 2007 survey of 159 BUS 100 students indicated that the top reason these students were thinking about leaving UH Hilo was conflict with childcare and family responsibilities. Nearly 12% of all students in this lower-division sample indicated that they were seriously considering leaving UHH for this reason.

According to the NSSE survey, there appears to be a large percentage of freshmen who report a lack of meaningful connection to the institution. In the survey of Hawaii Counselors, a large number reported that students they know who’ve transferred out of UH Hilo did so due to lack of social activities. A survey of faculty reported poor writing ability of students and general lack of individual responsibility in academic preparation.

Fall 2007 survey of incoming students indicated that 54% intend to complete their degree at UH Hilo, 16% intend to transfer to another institution, and 30% are not sure. Our actual six year graduation rate of 36% indicates a significant gap between initial stated intention and reality

Complete the degree at UH Hilo? / Transfer to another institution to complete the degree? / Do not know / Total
First time freshmen / 22% / 15% / 25% / 61%
Transfer student / 32% / 1% / 5% / 39%
Total / 54% / 16% / 30% / 100%

A 2008 survey of 80 high school and community college counselors from throughout the State of Hawai`i administered by the UHH Admissions office found that “51.4% of the respondents often recommend UH Hilo as a testing ground or stepping stone.”

More students go to the mainland for college than all the 4-year colleges in Hawaii combined (IRO Residence and Migration of first-Time New Freshmen 2002) In many cases the counselors are simply trying to keep the student from going to the mainland and having a difficult transition. They commonly see students go to the mainland only to return in a year with a negative experience. We would like to point out that for students who want a mainland experience, the NSE program allows them to have that and still graduate from UHH on schedule. This program needs to be promoted more widely in order to give prospective students an alternative to leaving Hawaii altogether.

It should be noted that although our retention/graduation rate is comparatively low, the rate for students who enter as first-time freshmen (FTF) is improving overall, as evidenced by the analysis posted on the IRO website and summarized below. Retention rates for incoming transfer students also seem to be going up.

Retention rates for First-time Freshmen from Fall to Fall

Enter Date / Retained Fall / Semester of / Retained or
Fall Semester / Graduated
of
Year 2 / Year 3 / Year 4 / Year 5
Fall 2003 / 61.8% / 44.1% / 38.2% / 36.6%
Fall 2004 / 69.2% / 49.5% / 44.2%
Fall 2005 / 64.5% / 52.8%
Fall 2006 / 64.7%

Over half of our students are transfers, including a large number of students who transfer in from community colleges and are not counted as first time freshmen. Community college students who transfer in with an AA degree are not required to take placement exams or introductory math or English courses. Such students are exempt by UH executive policy on transfer articulation, E5.209. An exception is if the student’s major requires additional math classes, he or she may be required to take the Math Placement Test.An analysis of CC transfers is needed to understand their particular needs.

At this time we are unable to track students at the level of detail that we need in order to fill in the rest of this story. We cannot say how many of the remaining 69% of students transferred to and graduated from another institution, how many of those intended to transfer all along, and how many dropped out, etc. While a high attrition rate is usually taken as a sign of needed improvement, some of the attrition at UHH may be deliberate and functional, such as students who complete a pre-engineering curriculum at UH Hilo and then move to another institution to complete the engineering degree.

We recommend that resources be allocated to more comprehensive student tracking. Only then can we evaluate whether UH Hilo is being viewed and used by students in a way that is consistent with our mission, once that mission is clarified.

2) Enhancing student success

The Admissions Committee supports the efforts of the First Year Planning Committee to improve student socialization and engagement. We are aware that other committees and workgroups on campus are supporting the following efforts and we would like to add our support for these:

A) Mandatory, accessible and complete placement in math, reading and writing. Currently many students do not take the placement exams because they cannot come to campus before the term begins. One suggestion for improving access to the exams is to put them online so that all entering students can do them before they register for classes.

Writing is foundational to all majors, and it appears to be the issue most under consideration at present. It was a major concern according to the survey of faculty.

71 respondents indicated that their primary contact with students is teaching. Among these, the issues where the modal response was “this is a major issue” were:

Major Issue / Occasional Issue / Mostly not an Issue / Not an Issue
Demonstrate appropriate levels of critical thinking and analytical skills / 45.5% / 36.4% / 16.7% / 1.5%
Writing assignments lacking proper sentence structure / 41.3% / 33.3% / 15.9% / 1.6%
Writing assignments free of grammar and spelling errors / 42.9% / 41.3% / 7.9% / 0.0%

Currently fewer than half of our students take ENG 100 in the first two years and a second semester of composition (ENG 209/215/225) is required in some but not all majors. We strongly support ongoing efforts to improve and centralize the placement infrastructure and to ensure that students take ENG 100 within the first year and ENG 2XX within the first two years.[2]

We recommend that attention be directed to level of reading comprehension as well. Currently incoming students are not tested for reading comprehension, nor is attention given to ability to read efficiently although it is a critical skill for college success.

We recommend that the new Learning Center offer centralized, accessible placement and tutoring resources for students.

B) Acknowledging the day-to-day nonacademic needs of our students, and clearing away nonacademic barriers to success. Students may drop out for reasons that have little to do with their level of academic preparation or ability.

C) The issue of socialization into the UHH community was addressed in the recent on-campus discussion of student engagement (facilitated by George Kuh) generated many suggestions. In particular, the Admissions Committee supports the following:

1. Improve socialization of incoming students to the university through a mandatory orientation session and a mandatory first year seminar (Univ 101) for first-time freshmen to help them learn the academic expectations of the university, how to manage their time, how to take advantage of the resources available to them, and so on.

2. Institute “learning communities” for freshmen in which the same group of students attend a set of courses in order to improve student engagement with each other in a conversation that is both socially and academically beneficial. The learning community cluster of courses might profitably include Univ 101, and perhaps English 100 and a discipline-specific course, but there are many possibilities.

3. Improve campus life by making it more hospitable to students. This would include more spaces for student interaction, as well as accommodating the children of students with a day-care center.

4. Encourage faculty to make their introductory-level courses more challenging. Students indicate they are not challenged enough intellectually in the first two years. Incentives and resources for faculty need to be aligned to support this.

Attached to this document are materials that some or all members of the Admissions Committee have reviewed or compiled in the course of the past academic year. These materials have not been approved or necessarily reviewed by the committee as a whole, but have been included for the reader’s information as they have helped to inform our ongoing discussion.

1. George Kuh Student Engagement Session

Summary of Group Recommendations, April 22, 2008 (George Kuh session)

  1. Early socialization of students
  2. New student orientation: let students know what college is about, set high expectations for themselves, bring students and faculty together in informal and comfortable settings, introduce students to the notion of research with professors
  3. Make orientation mandatory
  4. Involve more faculty in more aspects of orientation
  5. First Year Seminar/University 101: in addition to study skills, university resources, a stronger academic component
  6. Involve more faculty in teaching University 101 in collaboration with student affairs
  7. Use student mentors in all Univ 101 classes
  8. Embed Univ 101-type activities/experiences into introductory courses and in other sites—orientation does not end when classes begin
  9. Make Univ 101 mandatory for all students, ideally as part of a cluster of courses that constitute learning communities
  1. Early socialization of faculty
  2. New faculty orientation: strong component on the uniqueness of UH Hilo, understanding of native Hawaiian and local culture, diverse student backgrounds, adapting to different learning styles
  3. Emphasis on setting high expectations plus providing support so that underprepared students can meet those expectations
  1. Learning communities or course clusters
  2. Use student mentors in learning communities
  3. Begin small: a few clusters of Univ 101+Eng 100+discipline-specific course (Natural science majors, Humanities, etc.)
  4. Design and offer one-credit introductions to disciplines (natural science, humanities, social science, etc.) that can be one course in a learning community cluster of courses
  5. Cluster two or more GE or core courses: natural science cluster, humanities cluster, social sciences cluster—that will bring students together and prepare them for majors
  6. Bring together students majoring in different fields into interdisciplinary courses where they can address complex issues together from different perspectives
  1. Sense of belonging to a larger community
  2. Develop a freshman experience that is relevant, practical, problem-based and that takes students into the community as a group. Example: “intensive first week,” where students work together on a project off-campus, followed by get-togethers later in semester to nurture friendships begun in the first week.
  3. Cultivate community-university networks so that students can do service learning, internships, and feel a sense of belonging and contribution to the larger community
  1. Easing the transition into college
  2. “Every office should be the right office.” Train student helpers and professional staff to respond to students positively, courteously, and with the right information.
  3. Put placement tests online so students can do them before they come to campus and can participate in early advising and early registration
  4. Strengthen faculty training in advising and in working with students
  5. Staff the Learning and Success Center, which is intended to serve all students in high-risk courses and which will work closely with academic departments to provide needed student support
  6. Have more summer bridge programs

6. Improving campus life

  1. Establish day-care center—where students can drop off their kids while they are in class
  2. Establish a farmers market on campus, run by and for students

7. Cultivating special academic strengths of the campus

a. More collaborative, cross-disciplinary courses that involve problem-solving and real world issues

7. Celebrating and drawing on the special features of Hawaii island/community

a.Make it easier for students to access the natural environment and cultural environment

b. Develop a signature UH Hilo course that will fulfill the Hawaii-Asia-Pacific requirement

8. Written communication: learning to write well is a lifelong process in which all departments have an active role

2. Faculty Survey qualitative comments

Approaches suggested by faculty to improve student performance

Raise standards at admissions or within program : / Provide remediation: / Provide more resources e.g. FYE, housing: / Make curriculum less challenging
1.have a library where reading can take place, instead of having a permanent construction zone. Fri, 11/2/07 12:37 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2.I would support more stringent admissions policies along with strong First Year and Summer programs. Wed, 10/31/07 6:21 PM / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0
3.I would like to see higher expectations of basic skills required for entrance and/or remedial coursework required prior to advancing to regular college courses. First-year programming could also do a lot to foster a sense of responsibility and realistic grasp of how much initiative is needed to get the most out of the college experience, even for those whose basic skills are in place. Tue, 10/23/07 10:07 AM / 1 / 1 / 1 / 0
4.Raising admission standards will help turn away students who cannot apply themselves to college, but it will also turn away students who can rise to the occasion for college academics. I suggest institute first year programs "University 101" sort. Fri, 10/19/07 4:23 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
5.raising SAT would help Fri, 10/19/07 3:31 PM / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0
6.do not admit low quality students Fri, 10/19/07 3:12 PM / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0
7.Invest resources in programs to engage students, esp in first year Fri, 10/19/07 2:44 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
8.Students need a reality check. They need to be made aware that they cannot do a four year program in four years if they work and have a family. They need to have access to working computer labs 24/7. They need to be taught how to read and study effectively. Or screened out with admissions standards. We should not be accepting students who cannot read/write/speak effectively. We should not be accepting students who cannot do basic algebra. I feel like I'm teaching high school students, not University level students. We have a Community College system, let unprepared students use that system to become prepared. Let us toughen our standards and produce a better product! Fri, 10/19/07 2:35 PM / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0
9.I don't support changing admissions policies, and am more inclined to put resources towards remedial courses and adding course requirements. Fri, 10/19/07 2:16 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
10.I fear a lot of the mismatch comes from "distractions" such as jobs, family issues, etc. that really cannot be avoided. Fri, 10/19/07 2:15 PM / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
11.Need to invest more resources before they get to college... Failing that first year is better than not. more emphasis on tutoring and peer support may help. Fri, 10/19/07 2:07 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
12.I think we first need to identify what is causing these differences. Is it an admissions policy? That is, are we attracting students with the right mind set and work ethic? Is it a function of what is going on in other classrooms? How can I expect students to be actively engaged in problem based critical thinking activities if other instructors are teaching based on straight lectures and multiple choice exams? Thu, 10/18/07 12:58 PM / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0
13.More curricula to stimulate critical thinking. More extra curricular activities to provide intrinsic motivation. Thu, 10/18/07 12:03 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
14.First Year programs have a high rate of success. Fellowships so students didn't need so much outside work would help. More dormitory space so students could live close -- lots of them commute in from Pahoa, which often results in delays and absences -- and concentrate on their work would be good. Wed, 10/17/07 10:01 PM / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0