Partnering with
Your Institution to
Increase TRIO
Student Success
Colorado Chapter of ASPIRE Conference
April 12, 2017
Reflections…..
How would you assess your
current partnership with your
institution? What is working /
not working?
Overview of Session
 Examine the value and necessity of TRIO Programs
becoming mission critical to the university or college
 Identify strategies for using Policies, Process, and Practice
to make your TRIO Program more mission centered
 Discuss the challenges of becoming mission centered
valued
 Brainstorm possible strategies for addressing the identified
challenges
Our Responsibility
To influence the
possibilities and outcomes
of TRIO students
To become integrated into
and influence the host
institution in ways that
increase success outcomes
for TRIO students and students
from similar backgrounds
Some Definitions…
 Mission – Is a statement that schools or other educational organizations use
to describe their founding purpose and major organizational commitments—
i.e., what they do and why they do it.
 Mission Critical – Refers to any factor, program, activity, personnel, etc. that
is essential for an organization to function successfully or for the operation of
an organization
 Mission Centered and Valued Operation - Means aligning one’s program to
the core values of the grantee institution and adding value to their mission
and priorities
 Alignment – Refers to the condition when two or more things are positioned
in a straight line or parallel to each other; an agreement between programs or
organizations who want to work together because of shared interests or
goals
Mission Critical
Important to not only fulfill
the mission of your program,
but it is imperative to
demonstrate that your
organization is critical to the
mission of your institution.
Framework for Becoming Mission Critical
Align the mission of your project with the mission of
your institution (share the same focus)
 Philosophy (mission and purpose)
 Policy
 Process
 Practice
What partnerships would be critical to influence?
Philosophy: Mission and Purpose of
Institutions of Higher Education
All institutions of higher education have one primary mission: Service to the
public. They achieve that mission through teaching and research.
In pursuit of three key missions:
 Research
 Teaching
 Service
Missions valued by their stakeholders primarily in that order.
Focus on Learning: The Core Mission of Higher Education
http://www.jsu.edu/redballoon/docs/1O_BanionFocus_on_Learning_Final.pdf
8
The Mission or Purpose of TRIO Programs
The Federal TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs
designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged
backgrounds.
§1070a–11. Program authority; authorization of appropriations
(a) Grants and contracts authorized
The Secretary shall,… carry out a program:
1. To prepare students for postsecondary education,
2. To provide support services for students pursuing postsecondary education,
3. To motivate and prepare students for doctoral programs, and
4. To train individuals serving or preparing for service in programs and projects….
9
The First Step…
Define the Purpose of your TRIO program(s) as
it relates to your institution’s mission.
Mission of Colorado State University and
TRIO SSS Academic Advancement Center
Colorado State University
Inspired by its land-grant heritage,
CSU is committed to excellence,
setting the standard for public
research universities in teaching,
research, service and extension
for the benefit of the citizens of
Colorado, the United States and
the world.
TRIO SSS Academic
Advancement Center
The TRIO Student Support
Services Academic Advancement
Center at Colorado State
University is committed to
providing a transformative
undergraduate experience and
supporting students from lowincome, first-generation, and
disability backgrounds succeed
from orientation through
graduation.
Influencing Policies
Definition: A policy is a deliberate system of principles
to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A
policy is a statement of intent, and is implemented as a
procedure or protocol. (Wikipedia)
TRIO
Policies for the Institution
Partnership Scholarships – SSS and EOC Awards
Investment of financial assistance and strong student
support services
Policies for the Program
SSS and EOC Partnership recipients:
 Are required to apply for TRIO SSS Academic
Advancement Center
 Must have completed Math and Comp
requirement
 Participate in AAC Arrive Program (6 week
seminar series)
Influencing Process
Definition: Process refers to a series of actions or
operations conducing to an end (Merriam Webster)
Process for the Institution
Focus on…
Preparing the pipeline and assuring access
Assuring successful transitions
Interventions with specific populations to ensure
retention, success, and completion
Influencing Institutional Process
 Partnering with the Orientation
and Transition Programs (OTP)
o Provide the First Generation
Student session for Ram
Orientation
Share with a partner what your
TRIO Project currently does to
influence institutional process.
Strategies for Influencing Institutional Process
Your role in your partnership then involves educating the
leadership at your institution
 Become involved in strategic committees
 Participate in meetings, seminars, trainings, and other
professional development activities
 Contribute to the development of the Strategic Plan for your
institution, division, or department
 Informal conversations and processes
Process for the Program
Focus on…
Early identification and targeted outreach to eligible
student populations
Holistic program application and selection process
Community building focused orientation program
Comprehensive and holistic programs and services
to ensure retention, success, and graduation
Reflections…
Share an example of how your program supports
a process at your institution.
Influencing Practice
Definition: Best education practice
activities are behaviors or policies by
faculty, staff, and administrators that
result in positive changes in student
attitudes or academic behaviors.
([email protected])
AAC: Intrusive Advising Model (model
adapted by C4E Scholar Contacts)
Institutional Practice
Requires…
 All college support professionals, faculty, and peer
supporters to adopt a mentoring perspective (It takes a
village.)
 Competent, caring, and conscientious faculty and staff
 Student-centered policies, procedures, and programs
Program Practice
Share an example of how your program impacts a
practice at your institution.
Partnering to Support the TRIO Pipeline
Access
Collegiate Success
Post-Collegiate Success
Partnering for Access
Why?
 Ensure your institution is recruiting and supporting first-generation, low-income
students, and other underrepresented populations in the admissions process
 Ensure students from underrepresented backgrounds recognize and realize they
do belong at your institution and have a variety of support networks
How?
 Visitation days for pre-collegiate programs
 Collaboration with pre-collegiate summer programs
 Collaboration with summer Bridge programs
 Partnering with Financial Aid for Access Scholarships
 Partnership Awards @ CSU (EOC, SSS, Alliance, Pre-Collegiate Programs)
 Partnering with Admissions
Partnering for Collegiate Success
Why?
 Ensure TRIO students are not only supported within our individual programs, but
also across campus
 Meeting program outcomes (persistence, academic success, graduation)
How?
 2-way campus-referral process
 Identifying essential campus liaisons
 Creating partnerships for student success
 Training for campus advisors and student services staff about how best to support
underrepresented student populations
Partnering for Post-Collegiate Success
Why?
 Success after graduation is important to our programs and our
institutions
 Value of having a connected alumni base
How?
 Building partnerships with campus career center
 Attending career/graduate school fairs
 Partnerships with graduate schools at your institution and regional
institutions
 Partnership with Alumni Office
Barriers to and Solutions for Strengthening
Partnerships
Work with a partner to:
 Identify a specific barrier that is impacting your
Project’s partnership with your institution.
 Identify strategies in which TRIO and the institutional
staff can improve working together to increase the
access and success of students (through coordination,
collaboration, and integration of programs and
services).
Questions and Comments
Thank you!
Marilyn Thayer, M.Ed.
TRIO SSS Academic Advancement Center
(970) 491-1065
[email protected]