International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
INCREASING ACCESSIBILTY:
LESSONS LEARNED IN
RETAINING SPECIAL
POPULATION STUDENTS
IN CANADA
Susan Gottheil, Mount Royal College
Clayton Smith, University of Windsor
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Topics
 Introduction
 Who are the Underserved Populations?
 The Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM)
Framework
 Barriers to Access & Attrition Factors
 Lessons Learned
 Canadian Best Practices
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Overview
 In Canada, changing demographics & increased
competition, as well as social values based on equity,
have sharpened efforts to increase PSE participation
rates of youth from under-represented/ under-served
groups
 Provincial governments are funding a variety of
targeted initiatives
 Holistic retention programs & planning are not well-
developed at most institutions
Access to and success in PSE has become an important public issue
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Underserved/Underrepresented
Populations
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Low-Income/First Generation
Students
 58.5% of 18-24 year olds from families earning
< $25,000 participated in PSE in 2006, compared to
80.9% of youth of same age from families with an
income over $100,000 (Canadian Council on Learning)
 Parental education (& not parental income) key
driver of PSE participation in general & university in
particular (Finnie & Mueller, 2008)
 81% of 18 to 24 year olds whose parents have a
university education participate in PSE, compared to
53% for young people whose parents didn’t go past
high school (CMSF)
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
First Generation Students (cont’d)
 About half not involved in extra curricular
activities (NSSE 2008)
 Less likely than peers to earn degrees, even
when differences in high-school
preparation taken into account (College Board)
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Aboriginal Canadians
 3.8% of the Canadian population (2006 Census)
• 62% North American Indian, 30% Métis, 5% Inuit
• 1,123 communities and close to a dozen language families
 More than 70% living off reserves (54% in cities)
 Much younger than Canadian population as a
whole
• Almost half under 25 (2006 Census)
 Fastest growing segment of Canadian population
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Aboriginal Canadians (cont’d)
 Among 20-24 year olds, 40.3% have not completed
high school vs. 12.5% in non-Aboriginal population
(2006 Census)
 By age 20, non-Aboriginal youth 3X more likely than
Aboriginal youth to be in PSE (Baldwin & Parkin, 2007)
 Dropout and attrition 33-56% higher (depending
upon age of student) than among general student
population (Parkin & Baldwin, 2009)
 7.7% have a university credential vs. 23.4% of nonAboriginal population (2006 Census)
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
The SEM Framework
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Enrolment Management
Enrollment management is an organizational concept and a
systematic set of activities designed to enable educational
institutions to exert more influence over their student
enrollments. Organized by strategic planning and supported
by institutional research, enrollment management activities
concern student college choice, transition to college, student
attrition and retention, and student outcomes. These
processes are studied to guide institutional practices in the areas
of new student recruitment and financial aid, student support
services, curriculum development and other academic areas
that affect enrollments, student persistence and student outcomes
from college.
- Don Hossler, 1990
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
The Student Success
Continuum
 Traditional Enrolment Perspective
Recruitment/
Marketing
Orientation
Classroom
Experience
Co-curricular
Support
Student’s College Career
Admission
Financial
Support
Academic
Support
Attain
Degree/Goal
Retention
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
The Student Success Continuum
 The SEM Perspective
Recruitment/
Marketing
Classroom
Experience
Orientation
Co-curricular
Support
Attain
Degree/Goal
Student’s College Career
Admission
Financial
Support
Academic
Support
Retention
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Barriers to Access
 Financial
• Tuition, fees & cost of living
• Debt aversion
 Academic
• Low high school grades, wrong course prerequisites, high
dropout rate
• Lack of preparation (hard & soft skills); quality of local high
schools
• Gaps in training and certification
 Geographic
• Distance, costs of travel
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Barriers to Access (cont’d)
 Language & literacy
 Family & community: Lack of role models
• Note: Some ethnic groups have considerably higher
educational aspirations for their children than others
 Enforced cultural assimilation and legacy of
residential school system for Aboriginal students
 Aspirational
• Lack of interest/motivation
• PSE not considered necessary (for job, life)
• Lack of information about PSE benefits
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Barriers to Access (cont’d)
 Self-esteem and self-confidence
 Institutional
•
Programs don’t respond to needs, interests
•
Unknown environment
•
Admission criteria and complexity of admission procedures
•
Lack of information
•
Counseling structure
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Attrition Factors
 Academic preparation and performance
• Contributes to lack of engagement, motivation
• Questioning of abilities, confidence
 Financial support, student debt, cost of education
 Family and work responsibilities
 Language proficiency
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Attrition Factors (cont’d)
 Low level of educational aspiration/motivation; uncertain or
misdirected goals/expectations
 Well-being
• Isolation
• Stress
• Lack of understanding of culture, racist attitudes on campus
 Social/Family/Community support
 Engagement
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Conclusion
 Web of barriers to access & success
interact with & compound one
another
• Unmet financial need
• Inadequate academic preparation, motivation &
direction
• Insufficient information, guidance &
encouragement
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lessons Learned: Increasing
Retention within the SEM Framework
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lesson #1
 Access and success should not be targeted in
isolation: the barriers/obstacles are the same
• Placing too much emphasis on access can be
problematic if it results in too little focus on student
success
• Similarly, focusing primarily on policies which support
persistence could result in failure to meet access
goals
 Remember the comprehensive SEM framework
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lesson #2
 Special population students have different needs
from traditional students – the funnel & student life
cycle experience is different for different students
 Retention strategies need to be customized to meet
the needs of each special population group
 But remember, people from the same group are
often/also diverse based on SES, age, individual
experiences, etc.
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lesson #3
 There’s a need for both specialized/targeted programs &
integration of under-represented groups into regular
programming
• The latter requires outreach, cultural sensitivity & awareness of
specific historical, economic & social barriers faced by special
populations
 We need to create connectivity between our FYE
programs & campus programs/services targeted to
specific groups – e.g., holistic first-year experience
programs
• Importance of entire campus community working together to
support under-served populations & make them feel part of our
communities
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lesson #4
 Need longer term resource commitment/strategies to
have impact on both access and retention/student
success
 Need to work with communities, provide role models
& mentorship opportunities, ensure adequate
information
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lesson #5
 Assessment is key but … data is often difficult to
come by
• Targeted communities sometimes are reluctant to self-
identify
- Makes it hard to set goals
• Difficult to assess what barriers may be and whether
targeted programs and initiatives are successful
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Student Retention: Best
Practice Programs
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Elements of Best Practices
 Bridging/Transition program
 Development of a cohort with peer support
 Financial aid
 Connection to community role models
 Faculty/staff as coach or mentor
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Elements of Best Practices
(Cont.)
 Attention to special population needs and
integration into the wider campus
community
 Holistic student life cycle approach
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
University of Saskatchewan’s Student
Achievement Model: Principles and Goals
Goals:
- To teach
students habits for
academic success
- To provide
opportunities for
students to
explore and set
goals
Goals:
- To ensure
appropriate
support exists
- To develop
students’
knowledge of and
ability and
willingness to
access support
Engagement
In Learning
Access to
Support
Effective
Transition
Sense of
Belonging
Goals:
- To develop
appropriate
transition
programming
- To increase
participation
in transition
programming
Goals:
-To foster
academic
integration
- To foster
social
integration
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Pathways to Education
 Started in Toronto’s Regent Park, now in 6 Canadian
communities
• Integrated academic, social & financial support to at-risk
students through community-based initiatives
• Tackles low ambition and low marks, builds positive self-
image
• Provides mentors and tutors from Grade 9 on and $4,000
bursary on high school graduation (“learning accounts”)
- Dropout rates fell from 23%-58% in different sites
- Teen pregnancies and crime rate plummeted
- College and university enrolment almost doubled
• 80% of graduates from Pathway’s original site in Regent’s Park
have gone on to PSE (2009)
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Foundations for Success
Project
 Offers case-managed support services & financial
incentives to students at 3 Ontario colleges (Seneca,
Mohawk & Confederation)
• Assesses students after admission but before begin, identifying
those that would benefit from academic tutoring, peer
mentorship & career counselling
• Highest impact when matched with (small) financial bursary
• Has led to 6.4% increase in student retention
• Project specifically benefited low-income students, ESL
students, students entering with low (under 65%) high school
grades, & women
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Lethbridge College: First
Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI)
Transition Program
 Provides 12 students with a $12,000 scholarship to aid
with finances
 Provides 3 steps to aid in transition
•
Course on introduction to college life (August)
•
Additional course in 1st term on skills and attitudes needed for college
success
•
Class on leadership skills (January)
 Spiritual support from elders; help from mentors and
advisors
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Fisher River First Nation
(Manitoba)
 Implemented a 9-month transition program
for all students who want band to fund PSE
• Aim is to reduce drop-out rate
• Course focuses on life skills, academic upgrading & career
counseling
• Students spend time in Winnipeg to prepare for transition to
urban living
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
And Some Other Strategies …
 Specialized academic programs/courses
 Delivering courses in communities/off campus
 Reserving seats in programs
 Programs for internationally trained professionals
 Bridging & transition programs
 Community partnerships & outreach
 Financial aid workshops
 Targeted bursaries, scholarships, & work-study programs
 Dedicated space on campus
 Residence/housing
 Supportive campus environment
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Discussion,
Comments & Questions
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International FYE Conference, Montreal, July ‘09
Contact Us @
Susan Gottheil
[email protected]
Clayton Smith
[email protected]
Canadian SEM Website: www.uwindsor.ca/sem
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