Beyond Orientation Week:
Reconnecting Students at
Critical Success Points
34th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience
Presentation Overview
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Institutional profile
Purpose and goals of Reconnect Program
Program design
Lessons learned
Questions and discussion
Missouri University of Science & Technology
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Founded in 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines
Became part of the University of Missouri System in 1964
In 2008 University of Missouri-Rolla became Missouri S&T
Located along the I-44 corridor, 100 miles west of St. Louis
Campus Demographics
2002-2014 Missouri S&T Enrollment Trends
6146
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
6522
5843
1984
5672
1804
5504
1850
5205
1610
4912
2002
3000
2000
1459
4753
1343
4515
1289
4313
1287
4120
1370
4089
4000
3849
5000
1391
6000
1414
7000
1702
8000
2120
9000
1000
0
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students
2014
Campus Demographics
Fall Semester 2014 First Time Freshmen
Enrollment: 1291
Average ACT: 28.4
Average HS GPA: 3.85
Gender: 23% Female, 77% Male
Engineering & Computing Majors: 82% of
undergraduate population
Retention Rates
1st-2nd year (FS2013): 86%
• up 3% from previous year
2nd-3rd year (FS2012): 73%
Retention Challenges
Missouri S&T surveys students not planning to return to the university after
their first year. Of those students surveyed, here are the top reasons for not
returning:
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Academic (challenging curriculum, low grades, lost scholarship, falling
behind, repairing GPA)
Financial aid/price (lack of financial aid, cheaper at community college)
Closer to home (family)
Connection and Atmosphere (didn’t connect with people, socially awkward
campus, small town, nothing to do)
Problems with faculty (lack of help, communication)
Unprepared (wasn’t ready, lack of confidence)
Lack of majors outside of engineering
University’s Strategic Plan
Achieve Sustainable Growth To Ensure
Best Return On Investment
• Undergraduate student enrollment (Fall Semester 2012
Baseline: 5,843; Fall Semester 2020 Target: 6,343)
• First-to-second year undergraduate student retention
rate (2012 Baseline: 85%, 2020 Target: 88%)
Reconnection Program
• Grounded in Astin’s (1984) Theory of Involvement, Tinto’s
(1993) Integration Framework, and Pearson’s (1986) Social
Support Model
• Intended to supplement existing first year programs
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Comprehensive Opening Week orientation program
Two year on-campus residency requirement
Campus lacks a common freshman curriculum
Retention data suggested a need for extended orientation
programs
• Aims to “Reconnect” students with resources introduced
during Opening Week
– “Just in time” learning (Marquardt, 2011)
Reconnection Program
• Pilot program
– New Student Programs
– Undergraduate Studies
– Undergraduate Advising
– Residential Life
– Student Diversity, Outreach, and Women’s
Programs
Reconnection
Program
• Reconnection I
– Scheduled during the fourth week of classes
• Shortly after first exams to address academic resources
• Two hour program
– Meetings with Opening Week mentors
• Small group facilitated discussions
• Campus resources, time management, “checking in” with
students
– Students moved to a large group session featuring
• Goal setting activity
• Faculty and student success panels
• “I Commit” Pledge
Reconnection Program
• Reconnection I
Reconnection Program
• Reconnection II
– Scheduled near midterms
• Address campus involvement and connections to the S&T
community
• Key offices/departments participate in the Resource Fair
– “Conference Style” programming format
• Students select two sessions (20 minutes each)
• Career Center, stress management, faculty advice, student
involvement panels, financial assistance, information to help
them move forward to the next semester
Reconnection Program
• Communication & Outreach
– Student Success Programs
– Greek Life
– Residential Life
– Parent & Family Programs
– Athletics
– Faculty
– Student Life
Reconnection Program
• Involvement of student mentors
– Opening Week mentors
• Support from other student mentors
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Greek Life
Residential Life
Athletics
Student Diversity, Outreach,
and Women’s Programs
Outcomes
Average GPA of students who participated in Reconnection
(First Time College)
4
3.5
3
3.2
2.98
3.15
3.4
3.3
3.16
3.05
3
2.95
3.04
2.81
2.79
Reconnection II
Reconnection I & II
Did not attend
Average GPA FS2013
Average GPA FS2014
3.066
2.967
3.078
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Reconnection I
Average GPA FS2012
Overall Average GPA
Outcomes
FTC First Semester to Second Semester Return Rate
100.0%
99.0%
99.0%
98.0%
98.0%
97.7%
98.6%
99.0%
98.1%
97.7%
97.3%
96.6%
96.4%
96.0%
95.5%
94.0%
94.0%
92.9%
90.0%
88.0%
Reconnection 1
Reconnection 2
Both
Did not attend
*2014 data is not confirmed until 4th week.
FTC Frist Semester to Second Semester Return Rate
Total FTC FS2014 N=1291; Total FTC returning SP2015 N=1216
Total FTC FS2013 N=1263; Total FTC returning SP2014 N=1221
Total FTC FS2012 N=1119; Total FTC returning SP2013 N=1040
2013
2014*
92.0%
92.0%
2012
Overall Total
Outcomes
RECONNECTION 1 - Student Success Secrets
2012, 2013, & 2014 comparison
2012 N=242; 2013 N= 366; 2014 N=455
Most Helpful or Helpful
100%
90%
76%
80%
70%
92% 93%
88% 89%
67%
70%
68%
71%
66%
60%
60%
91%
83%
82%
85%
72%
77%
66%
60%
66%
50%
2012
40%
2013
30%
2014
20%
10%
0%
0%
Learned something
that will help me
be more
academically
successful
Small group
activities w/
mentor were
helpful
I enjoyed
connecting again
with my mentor
group
Large group
activities (goal
setting, panels)
were helpful
Information was
clear and easy to
understand
I know how to
apply what I
learned to my
situation
This event met my
expectations
Outcomes
2014 RECONNECTION 2 - Tools for Moving Forward
100%
97%
100%
90%
Most Helpful or Helpful
97% 97% 97%
96% 95%
89%
87%
89%
91% 90%
84%
82%
100%
94%
96%
98%
95% 94%
89%
82%
80%
70%
63%
60%
50%
2012
40%
2013
30%
2014
20%
10%
0%
Academic
Resource Fair
(n=39/38/73)
Student
Registrar BreakCareer
Financial Aid
out Session
Opportunities
Break-out
(n=36/34/73)
Break-out
Session
Session
(n=30/12/50)
(n=56/21/73)
Counseling and
Disability
Support Breakout Session
(n=27/11/30)
Information
Technology
break-out
Session
(n=0/18/44)
Faculty Panel
Break-out
Session (n=
47/35/47)
Student Panel
Break-out
Session
(n=47/20/64)
Where We Are Today
• Continue to reassess and evaluate the
Reconnection program for improvement
• Creation of a Student Success Center
• Targeted “At Risk” student population
• Piloted a “Sophomore Summit” in Fall
2014
Lessons Learned
• Student involvement lends credibility to the
program
• “Just in time learning” is crucial
• Embrace opportunities to normalize common
freshman transition issues
• Programming must support a culture of
student success
References
Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010).
Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.).
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Marquardt, M. J. (2011). Building the learning organization: Achieving strategic
advantage through a commitment to learning (3rd ed.). Boston, MA:
Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Pearson, J. E. (1986). The definition and measurement of social support.
Journal of Counseling and Development, 64, 390-395.
Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student
attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
Tinto, V. (2012). Completing college: Rethinking institutional action. Chicago,
IL: The University of Chicago Press.
Questions?
Patty Frisbee
Student Success Programs
[email protected]
Rachel Morris
Office of Undergraduate Studies
[email protected]
Kristi Schulte
Department of Residential Life
[email protected]