Creating a “No-combat Zone”: Maneuvering
Institutional Change, Sustaining Program Relevance
Dr. Dorothy Ward, Director, Entering Student Program, UTEP
Dr. Maggy Smith, Chair, Department of English, UTEP
Presentation Overview
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The University of Texas at El Paso
The Entering Student Program (ESP)
Creating for Sustainability
Maneuvering Institutional Change
Sustaining Relevance
Recommendations
© The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas
at El Paso
•  Public, RU/H Research University
(high research activity)
•  70 bachelor’s degrees
•  76 master’s degrees
•  20 doctoral degrees
•  Emerging Tier One University
© The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Student Profile
Fall 1999
•  14,696 students
Fall 2014
•  23,079 students
•  12,471 undergraduates
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68% Hispanic
83% from El Paso County
99% commuter
54% receive financial aid
•  19,817 undergraduate
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80% Hispanic
84% from El Paso County
97% commuter
75% receive financial aid
78% employed
53% first generation
© The University of Texas at El Paso
UTEP Entering Student Program
Program Design/Components
•  UNIV 1301: Seminar in Critical Inquiry
•  Peer Leader Program
•  Learning Communities
•  Global Learning Communities
•  UNIV 2350: Interdisciplinary Technology and
Society
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Entering Student Program (ESP)
Fall 1999
•  Administrative Staff
Fall 2014
•  Administrative Staff
•  Director
•  Administrative Assistant
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2 ESP Employees
18 Peer Leaders
18 Sections of UNIV 1301
13 Learning Communities
(190 students)
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Director
Associate Director
Peer Leader Manager
Office Supervisor
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20 ESP Employees
94 Peer Leaders
87 Sections of UNIV 1301
14 Learning Communities
(317 students)
•  2 Global LCs
•  5 UNIV 2350
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Entering Student Program
Recognitions
•  2003 Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board Star Award
•  2006 Finalist for Examples of Excelencia
•  2011 Educational Policy Institute
Outstanding Retention Program Award
•  Highlighted in several publications
•  Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That
Matter
•  Challenging and Supporting the First-Year Student: A
Handbook for Improving the First Year of College
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Creating for Sustainability and Relevance
How do you create a program that will have
long-term sustainability while continuing to
have relevance?
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Creating for Sustainability
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Review the national landscape (what works in what
context)/critically examine local needs (based on
student demographics, fiscal strengths, and staff/
faculty availability)
Build on institutional disciplinary strengths
Work for campus buy-in
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Form a university-wide committee to strategize program
needs & structure
Include all who need to be there, all who want to be, and the
nay-sayers
Locate program strategically in campus organizational
structure (academic vs. student affairs)
Review potential funding streams
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Creating for Sustainability (con’t)
•  Assess on an ongoing basis
•  Part of the design
•  Part of the program
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For programmatic improvement
For programmatic defense
And for garnering programmatic support
•  Predict institutional responses to program
changes
© The University of Texas at El Paso
UNIV 1301: Seminar in Critical
Inquiry
•  3-Hour Core Curriculum Course
•  Discipline-Based, Theme-Driven
•  Small Class Size = Hands-on Work with Students
•  Instructional Team
― Instructor
― Peer Leader
― Librarian
― Advisor
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UNIV 1301 Goals
Students will
•  examine the roles and responsibilities
crucial for success in college.
•  practice essential academic success skills.
•  build a network of faculty, staff, and peers.
•  assess and understand their interests,
abilities, and values.
•  become involved in UTEP activities and
utilize campus resources.
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Peer Leaders Support
•  Serve as role models for the students
―  Model
ideal classroom behavior
―  Attend all class sessions
―  Arrive to class on time
•  Make department referrals when appropriate
•  Meet with the students outside of class during the
semester
•  Maintain 2-5 office hours per week
•  Serve as an intermediary between the student
and the instructor
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Librarian Support
•  Partnership – Librarian & Instructor are assigned by area
of expertise (theme is matched to reference area)
•  Contact information on syllabus
•  Planning meetings (guided)
•  Library Trainings
–  Online tutorials and quizzes
–  Library tour or scavenger hunt
–  Activity (or activities) in library computer lab
–  Follow-up assignment(s)
•  Lib Guides
•  Follow up visits
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Advisor Support
•  Assigned to course based on discipline
•  Contact information on syllabus
•  Visits class at least once to present:
–  Requirements of the core curriculum
–  Academic standing/probation/reinstatement
–  How to calculate GPA
–  Degree plan(s)
–  How to navigate “What If” degree plan
•  Available for group advising for majors
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Borders Textbook
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Low cost
Greeting from UTEP President and ESP Director
History of UTEP
Testimonials/success tips from UTEP students
Authors from AA and SA (who teach or work with ESP)
address:
— academic skills, study strategies
— transitional issues (family, work, time management)
— financial aid
— career opportunities
— healthy lifestyle
— campus safety
•  Library and other campus unit information
•  Locations for computer labs, study areas
© The University of Texas at El Paso
Maneuvering Institutional Change
What happens when a change in institutional
leadership is accompanied by a significant
shift in philosophical assumptions about what
is important?
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Maneuvering Institutional Change
•  Maintain agility and flexibility in the face of
change (is that opposition?)
•  Accept criticism and put it to work to your
advantage
•  Don’t be defensive; don’t go on the offensive
•  Look critically at your program all the time:
don’t ever say “all is going well”
© The University of Texas at El Paso
Retention and GPA for UNIV 1301
One Year Retention (2003-13)*
Two Year Retention (2003-12)*
1st Term GPA (2003-13)**
n = 13,873
n = 1,558
n = 13,581
n = 1,467
n = 12,784
n = 1,315
n = 12,907
1st
Year GPA (2003-13)**
2nd Year GPA (2003-2012)**
n = 1,332
n = 12,665
n = 1,254
*First-time, full-time, freshmen with fall semester entry term;
** Adjusted to exclude UNIV 1301 Grade
UNIV 1301
Never enrolled in UNIV 1301
UTEP Risk-Level Determinants
•  High School Rank
•  Math Placement
•  Anticipated Hours Spent Working
•  Direct Matriculation from High School
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2003 - 2013 One Year
2003 – 2012 Two Year
n=
3,835
UNIV 1301 and Retention*
*
n= 3,613
n= 399
n= 6,633
n= 733
n=
329
n=
n= 3,627
329
n= n= n= n=
5,4805,480 328 328
n=n=
n=n=
2,386
2,386 125
125
n= 426
n= 3,541
n= 375
n= 6,534
n= 702
n= 3,506
n= 390
UNIV 1301
Never enrolled in UNIV 1301
*First-time, full-time, freshmen with fall semester
entryofterm.
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Texas at El Paso
GPA for UNIV 1301, First-Term and
First-Year (2003-13) and Second-Year (2003-12)*
High Medium Low
Risk
Risk
Risk
st
1 Term GPA**
High Medium Low
Risk Risk
Risk
st
1 Year GPA**
n= 342
n= 376
n=
n= 3,582
3,448
n=
n= 610
578
n= 6,169
n= 6,460
n= 268
295
n= 3,048
n= 3,324
n= 5,198
n= 3,564
n= 534
n= 410
Never Enrolled in UNIV 1301
n=
n= 732
639
n= 7,642
6,244
283
n= 425
n= 3,099
n= 4,260
n= 3,551
n= 530
n= 407
n= 723
n= 633
n= 5,181
n=
n= 7,572
6,189
410
n= 275
n= 4,174
3,044
UNIV 1301
High Medium Low
Risk Risk
Risk
nd
2 Year GPA**
*First-time, full-time, freshmen with fall semester
entryofterm;
**ElAdjusted
to exclude UNIV 1301 Grade
© The University
Texas at
Paso
UNIV 1301 End-of-Semester Feedback, 2010-2012
As a result of taking UNIV
1301, I believe that I feel an
increased sense of
belonging to UTEP.
% Agree + Strongly Agree
As a result of your UNIV
1301 experience, to what
degree did your skills
improve in managing time?
% Some + Very Much
n= 1,482
n= 976
Low Risk
n= 733
n= 1,439
n= 950
Medium Risk
n= 719
n= 1,447
n= 972
n= 710
High Risk
UNIV 1301 helped me learn
how to succeed at UTEP.
% Agree + Strongly Agree
Honors and Top 15% Learning
Communities
Created 7 learning communities designed to
academically challenge and engage low risk
students
•  Included strong research component
•  Provided opportunity for students to earn
honors credit
•  Established expectation that students would
work toward having a research project
accepted for the Showcase
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Learning Community Themes
•  Inventing America: UNIV and RWS
•  Thinking Historically, Research and Writing
Academically: UNIV and HIST
•  Social Justice and Activism: UNIV and
RWS
•  Imagining Nations, Imagining Regions:
UNIV and RWS Global Learning
Community
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Student Comments
•  Research is to be willing to make
connections and try something new, to take
on a new perspective.
•  This project required my work to be at a
much higher level than in high school. I
had to learn how to collect and analyze
information independently. Your evidence
doesn’t always give you the answer you’re
looking for.
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Sustaining Relevance
How do you sustain first-year program
integrity AND relevance while responding to
changing institutional demands and
changing student demographics?
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Sustaining Relevance
•  Critical nature of leadership: big picture/
little picture
•  Importance of maintaining a dynamic
program
•  Respond to changes in institutional focus
•  Focus on student need
•  Consider programming for un(der)served
student populations such as veterans,
transfers, international, online, honors
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Global Learning Community
•  GLCs link UNIV 1301 with comparablythemed first-year course at another
institution
•  Students participate in a collaborative
learning experience
•  Interactions include shared readings and
lectures, discussion forums, video
conferences, and videos
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Global Learning Community Themes
•  Imagining Nations, Imagining Regions: The Making of
Cultural Diversity in Australia and on the U.S.-Mexico
Border: UTEP and Victoria University
•  Stories Across Cultures: Mobile Worlds and the Politics of
Belonging Amongst Communities in Australia and the
United States: UTEP and Victoria University
•  Exploring Racial and Ethnic Borders in American Colleges:
UTEP and John Jay College of Criminal Justice
•  Society Through Graphic Novels: UTEP and John Jay
College of Criminal Justice
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Why GLCs?
Students gain
•  a deeper understanding of different regions
and cultures
•  a more global perspective
•  expanded social and academic networks
•  a collaborative learning experience
•  an interest in study abroad and travel
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Entering Student Research and
Creative Projects Showcase
•  Videos, Poster Sessions, Creative Projects
•  Instructor Nominated; Committee Selected
•  Intended Purpose
•  Challenge and engage students
•  Integrate students into university community
•  Inform El Paso and university community
•  Unforeseen Effect
•  Inspire and reinvigorate faculty
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Research and Creative Projects
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Recommendations
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Engage in comprehensive, ongoing assessment (databased changes & decision making)
•  Create a flexible structure for serving students
•  Collaborate across campus for entering student success
•  Engage in holistic support for learning
•  Engage with the undergraduate curriculum in a dynamic
way
•  Manage resources strategically (both campus-based and
external resources)
(based on Evenbeck, S. E., et al. (2010). Organizing for
Student Success. Columbia, SC: University of South
Carolina.)
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Recommendations
•  Carefully review student needs
•  Establish institutional support at all levels
•  Create solid core components that can be
responsive to changing needs and change
•  Be responsive to criticism
•  Assess, assess, assess and use the
assessment data to make changes
•  Maintain engagement with relevant
professional communities
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Questions ?
Contact information:
Dr. Dorothy Ward: [email protected]
Dr. Maggy Smith: [email protected]
© The University of Texas at El Paso