Strategic Issues Table Discussion Notes

Big Meeting

March 19, 2010

Strategic Issues Table Discussion Notes

Table: 1

Issue: 1 - Many students from diverse backgrounds do not have equal access to college.

Recorder: Donna Kosloski

Demographic age 44 and over – new increases in this bracket
Age 24 – bimodal – 2 modes – younger generation of students increasing lowered average age to 24
What do the 44 yr olds want?
Are we offering skills that are needed
More students coming with bachelors and masters seen in chemistry classes
Here for ______shells
Facility issue – to project credit issues into learning centers for ex:
Bright House – IT degree, AS Horticulture at Disney
More specific AS degree programs could be used to provide shells in theater
Mature students (in 30’s) squeeze generation – they need to vent
Do we have peer support in place?
Grown children out of work coming home
Deans control production of credit programs
Can we blend goals by offering credit courses at Valencia Enterprises?
Does this blur our vision?
LifeMap – best for traditional students
What should we have in place for squeeze generation?
Chosen school & programs based on work hours
We do not grant a lot of autonomy to new students for good reason
To assist choices and guide them
Calls on environmental classes, credits, programs
Helps students choose goals. Give a purpose or a path
Are 19yr old students different than 44 yr old?
Much diversity among 44 yr olds
Seasoned professionals retraining, retooling career, or brand new to college
Change mind set
Peer designed orientation based on cohort based on age
MARS program at Osceola
Order students used social network for networking
Mature students on west are just taking a class.
Osceola mature students seem more engaged in being a student and getting involved.
MARS – Ask Melissa Pedone
Single parents group
Homeless
How do we reach them and give access to college?
You get financial aid used for books & tuition
The remainder can be used for other necessities
There are still hardships
Pathways – homeless students to us, however, there are intersections
We need to guide them and have point person that can point the students to the right area or direction
Recycling – emails
Trying to reach our students
Email files are too big
10 megabytes in student email account - They are full, can’t receive/recycle emails
Homeless students who are here – let’s reach more homeless people through emails to current homeless students
Interaction
Send texts to students w/ a link
Issue w/ cost of texts
Twitter
Who is using Twitter
UCF is using it
It is an it is an opt in type of program
The students like to text & will not open emails
GED earners
Students opt out of H.S. for various reasons
They need access and have great potential
Tap into existing programs from Orange County schools
Home schooled students
No set transcript coming in
Difficult to plan or place into interventions
Theme
Lots of kinds of diversity power
Power
Personalize, customize
How does Pathways customize w/ student’s that are diverse (homeless, poverty, etc.)
Traditional design helps our students but may begin hurting students that are diverse.
Different populations
Technically homeless
Living in cars, have cell phone
They do not consider themselves homeless so do not receive services and cannot feel connected to Valencia
NO student should feel like a number
Pathways need to be designed for many different types of students
How do we get different Pathways as an institutional initiative on all campuses not niche programs?
Look to student development
Need 10 students to start a new club
If students are not asking S.D. will not build the groups
Student’s experience is felt in the classroom.
We need to reach them there
Lots of discussion on MARS program at Osceola
Look at it
Can this be grown and used Collegewide
One challenge we face is that many of our private scholarships (and nearly all in/for Osceola) are limited to graduating seniors
It is essential for us to diversify scholarship opportunities (particularly for new funds) that reflect the diversity of our student population

Table: 2

Issue: 1 -Many students from diverse backgrounds do not have equal access to college.

Recorder: Patti Smith

Financial issues, preparation hinder students
Fees are creating burden / withdraw for refund
We are the first CC with less than 50% of funding from state
There is imbalance of funding structure, decreasing budget from state
Dual enrollment affected by funding formula
Less offerings at the schools and those from a diverse background have barriers coming to college campus
Focus a bit of discussion on Age diversity
The group supports the design of a future students website
Helping students step thru the admission process in a more sucking manner
A check list
A visual, step-by-step video
OSD seeing folks w/ psychological issues
Perhaps PTSD
Veterans – reading them is an issue
If we can no longer be all things to all people, whom should we serve
Will we come to this?

Table: 3

Issue: 2 - Many students whose stated goal is to obtain a certificate or a degree are not successful

in reaching critical milestones in their educational plans.

Recorder: Liz Gombash

Do AA students have milestones?
Yes, but sometimes not in best sequence
Example:
Prep-students often wait until end to take college level math courses
Do students understand the risk / consequence of delaying certain courses?
Is there follow up advisement?
Not for AA
Some faculty advise students
Want data re. student success if courses taken consecutively or gap in time
Math, reading, writing
If there is a difference, need to examine issues more closely
Previously did “bundles” (English, math, student success, comp), but did not examine data
Could re-do now through linked course design and add reading
Linked courses now are only for 1 semester
Needs to be more sequential
Certificates
May or may not require sequence of courses
State curriculum frameworks dictates which courses must be taken but not necessarily order
Not sure why students take courses “out of order” (does not apply to prerequisites)
Could be a money issue
Students have a plan, but no follow-up
Students toss their plans
Need intervention if students fails course for the first time, especially prerequisites
We set students on a course – how do we keep them on course?
Best students follow up themselves, so don’t need to worry about them
Can LifeMap be set up to automatically alert student and advisor when student is going off track from plan?
Can remind students of courses needed at registration time?
We have daily alert system – 2 years – 3 codes in mid-term
To get student to take responsibility, need to explain to students
Should UCF faculty come into classes to help explain to students what they need to do
Orientation is not necessarily the best time to explain this to students
Students don’t really want to hear it then
Students currently get notice that financial aid will not pay for courses not in major, but why do they get this notice before they register?
Not usually checked until after add/drop
They have no choice but to appeal

Table: 4

Issue: 2 - Many students whose stated goal is to obtain a certificate or a degree are not successful

in reaching critical milestones in their educational plans.

Recorder: Elisha Gonzalez-Bonnewitz

“Students don’t have a clear path to reach their goals”
Need to focus on students who are not performing well
We don’t collect information on outgoing students, so we don’t know they have withdrawn
Need to capture data of why students are withdrawing
Student engagement survey can probably assist us in measuring why students are not performing well.
We need Pathways not choices, we focus on students on developmental courses and do we assist in leading them to corridors
Too many choices
Don’t know where to focus
Maybe we need to focus more orientation and be specific on what outcomes are
We don’t know our student population who is disadvantaged unless they fill out a FAFSA application
How do we serve those first generational students?
Focus on when students first enroll to get to know them better
Service learning
Helpful in placing students in the workforce so they experience it and make decision on doing that career for the long run
All college employees are aware of all resources
On website
Menu on advising issues or who they should speak to
LifeMap
Students not engaged / difficult for facilitation
Work w/ classes where all students are enrolled (tackle these course & talk to students then)
Students don’t tell anyone of their changes
Students should update (their) major every term so we can assist them in the pathway
How do we tap into social network to reach-out and find out how to guide them in career choices?
How do we collaborate with workforce dept to provide access and exposure to the pathway to then improve the economic development of our community
This will provide prepared workforce
Live chat w/ your counselor
New student experience committee: focus on giving students support and advising who is supportive
Faculty members provide one-on-one counseling under a sough-out consultation level. Not part of curriculum. Maybe we should consider.

Table: 5

Issue: 3 - Gaps in student achievement exist among student cohorts related to ethnicity and

income.

Recorder: Kim Long

How helps address:
What is lacking:
Many students coming in don’t know plans
Many students don’t even know what opportunities exist
How to help them get through the maze of family pressures?
Science options often not supported by some ethnic groups – AT HOME
More mentor or modeling of possibilities needed for some of the gap students – shadowing?
More strategies need to help students make a plan and set goals
More advising in disciplines too, not just the advising office
Active exploration of fields available to students
Pathways –
Before even reaching VCC, start it in the HS
Encourage more science / math options that help w/ career choices
Create more opportunities for students to explore career fields
Family and social expectations
Need to find role models
Need to get family buy-in
Why are the numbers the way they are?
NSF may be helpful
Non institutional answers?
Family, finance other issues – need more follow-up on why students leave
College effort to find out why students leave can get more support earlier
Is it really related to poor academic standing?
Find out if it is academic or other issues
Filter the numbers – dropped or moved on (system to capture more info to answer the “why”
So many not college ready entering to VCC
Withdrawal survey? – before being able to W
Who do we need to contact?
When transcripts – before completion are requested why!
#3
UCF transfer – not doing as well
Find out from other feeder institutions what their W policy is. What do they do differently?
Follow up on why students have trouble after transferring
Is there anything we (faculty) can do not to find out why students withdraw
Why do we get to the W issue? Why so many need to withdraw?
#2
What can we do w/ the HS to help w/ the issue?
Why is the college ready student taking so long to finish?
Need to look to understand those numbers too
Share statistics on student w/ VCC F & S
Employed FT/PT, single parents, etc. (These may be impacting completion)
Run stats in dif ways, not just ethnically
May be more factors (variables) impacting it rather than just gaps in preparation
Need to address and help students background issues
Resources – not used or not aware of them by students
#5
Resources
Not used or not aware of them by students
Who else can we use as advisors?
We are missing a counseling center
More supplemental instruction pure form of S.L.

Table: 6

Issue: 3 - Gaps in student achievement exist among student cohorts related to ethnicity and

income.

Recorder: Joe Lynn Look

Closing the Gap
ATD – focused on math closing gap (SL Link) gap has been closing for gateway
Bridges – data outperforms ATD
Support: advising / mentoring / aid / midterm evals
How to expand to all students
(existing programs like Bridges target small groups
DEI brings this to a scale but still focus
SL / LinC target small groups
Try to have more small groups
Must have appropriate resources as expansion takes place
STEM focus needed
Tutoring services have been expanded
Need hard data / stats
Tutoring by nursing faculty has been successful
Part of faculty workload in nursing
Possibility; college wide mentoring
Would require extensive resources
Take Stock in Children extends mentoring to middle school
Need focus on how to best use resources
Finance influence graduation
So many try to support family / work full time / attend school full time
FinAid / Deans need to be more connected
Early alert system – find students that are going down the wrong and provide early intervention – w/ faculty & Deans

Table: 7

Issue: 6 - While the College does not control all factors that lead to student success, many students fail to complete their courses with a grade of C or better for reasons potentially under the control of the College.

Recorder: Ruth Prather

Support services – tutoring, ______, counselors have helped
Can’t control work schedule of students
Students with a plan – keeps them moving forward
We need to help students get a plan & follow it.
Find a balance of support
Need more $ for tutoring, writing center, etc.
Need to work harder to get students a plan
Firs year experience is very important
Need to know more why students fail
Can we get to students early enough so that students prepare to succeed
We agree the college we agree that college can do things that help students stay in college
Withdrawal policy should help

Table: 8

Recorder: Sunni Prevatt

Prep issues still big in math
Not where we want to be
Gaps are widening again – don’t know why
Difficult to get data due to collection
What do we do about “outside factors” (family, etc.)
Focused on looking at curriculum to address issues
Tutoring, SL, labs
Look at what is happening in classes
What should they be able to do by the time they’ve completed level classes
Some students saying not getting “enough” from instructor/classroom. They’re using labs
Are students taking responsibility for their own learning?
Expecting to “get it” without the work?
Students need to know relevance of material
Students need to be advised of course loads and commitments
One tutoring place (center) where all levels of need can be addressed
Educate students in importance of talking w/ someone prior to making decision to drop / wd [make students have to talk w/ someone prior to dropping] [professor signature required?]
Grade anticipation on issue – many students want A’s; a B isn’t good enough
Teach about motivation being a choice in the classroom
Skill not the only issue
Group of students (must have an A only do the minimum)
“First day of class sets the tone for the year”
Be clear upfront, set expectations
Many students aren’t always here because they “want” to be; they “have” to be
This affects withdrawal
Emphasis on “W” not looking good on transcripts down the road
Suggestion
Email to professors reminding about talking with students prior to withdrawal deadline
Create a new web page [@] valenciacc.edu
Withdraw with pertinent info
Send right after drop period and again at withdrawal deadline
More communication between professor on students with low grade for a discussion
On Atlas, “how to”
Tips for best practices - for faculty; for resources
Faculty use resources (workshops)
Adjuncts need training too!
Adjuncts make less time to interact with students
Pop-up for withdrawal before allowing
Don’t make withdrawal so easy

Table: 9

Issue: 4 - The composition of the group that graduates each year does not match the diversity of entering cohorts.

Recorder: Linda Vance

Continue to grow the SL program to assist students
Important to give vision of Pathways
Gap may be widening because of current economic situation
Many students returning to work or to school
Focus on college readiness – SB1908
Fewer full time students because of economy
Need to teach college success skills
Look into childcare?
Children on campus because adults are returning to school
Single parents
We need to be creative to find ways to help this population
Student engagement = Student retention
More programs like “Roadmap to Success scholarships”
Look at utilizing distance learning to increase student engagement.
IR surveys to graduating students
Asking what has been most helpful
Calls to students who have “stepped out” or dropped out to see why
Work with academic probation students
Success strategy develops “high touch” contact with students early in 1st two terms
Look at scaling up the high touch program to students in prep classes
Cohort grouping have proven successful
Could we look ad doing more of this? (LinC)
LifeMap / Me in the Making
Time to re-educate students and staff

Table: 10

Issue: 5 - Diversity is not fully utilized as a strength throughout the curriculum and the College.

Recorder: Donna Marino

Tenured program
Addressed w/ inclusion and diversity
7 essential comp of educator
Woven as a student core competency
Also TVCA
We have the goals
Woven in seven esst. Comp of educator
“value” comp for students
Now the practice
Diversity of thought
What does that look like in our hiring practice?
Gender / learning styles / age / thought and culture
Challenge
Effect thought
What are we as an institution doing to make sure our educators and leaders reflect the diversity of our students?
Is diversity encouraged?
Is constant conversation continued?
More than just a one day class
Creative, innovative, out of the box thinking is required
Committees, divisions, cognitive thought, opposing opinions should be welcome and collaborated and understood
Get beyond diversity as at threat in meetings
Especially of thought
Effective change in thought is still required
Comfortable “asks” to colleagues need to be expanded to welcome diversity (thought / discipline / culture / gender)
Invite cross discipline diversity to committees, hiring committees
Invite cross department
Change thought, teach communication for cultural competency
Need a conversation around issue of cultural competency
Define it
What does it mean?
Deans included for professional development in diversity of thought
Expanded professional and staff is an opportunity to infuse diversity of thought and culture competency
Awareness that, while there are differences, there are many similarities
Would like to see strengths based = value on skill and thought and what an individual brings to the college and meetings
Self awareness of ind bias / feelings
Need to start in self awareness
It’s not enough to bring the right “mix” to the table
Enough awareness of “self” to be able to listen to the “mix”
Faculty sometimes focus on engagement with students and forget to focus on engagement with each other
Are we stuffing 20lbs of tomatoes into a 5lb bag?
The infusion of diversity in our community affects partner with community and all of college 4 goals
How far are we including cultural competence as a core competence
As we look toward concrete prf development, infuse diversity of thought and cultural competence
So many dimensions of diversity
Should we start with the one aspect as a deeper focus?
Understanding individual / self awareness may alight w/ diversity

Table: 11