College Connections: A
Mandatory Intervention Program
for Academically Under-Prepared
Students
Patrick Clarke
Brian Heuett
Jill Wilks
Southern Utah University
www.suu.edu
Overview of Presentation
Introduce the College Connections
Program Concept and Components
Tie in Learning Theory and Design for
Learning Concepts
Question and Answer
Relevant Issues
 Students admitted who do not meet minimum
admission’s criteria, or barely meet admission’s
criteria
 SUU needs to embrace a proactive stance
 Unique perspectives regarding math and writing
 Implement strategies that are informed by
learning theory and substantiated by effective
models
Program is a Pilot
Retention rates and index scores
– Students admitted below SUU’s index score of
80 (3 year average retention rate of 55%)
– Students admitted with indexes between 80
and 84 (3 year average retention rate of 41%)
– Similar retention numbers exist for students
with index scores between 84 and 90
Potential for expansion
Components
Three-week summer bridge
program
Required living & learning
experience throughout the academic
year
Peer mentors
Inspiration for Design
The Eckerd College “Autumn Term”
Various Summer Bridge Models
Changes in the way developmental
math is taught at SUU
Success with mandatory writing lab
for low index students at SUU
Assessment of Developmental Math
New approach implemented fall 2004
– Major focus on out-of-class support activities
– Collaboration with Student Support Services
– Math 0900 (Pre-algebra)
• Before new approach: 68% pass rate for math 0900
• After new approach: 80% pass rate for math 0900
– Math 0990 (Introduction to Algebra)
• Before new approach: 62% pass rate for math 0900
• After new approach: 88% pass rate for math 0990
Assessment of Developmental
Writing
Students with low ACT and SAT scores in
English must take ENGL 1000 with ENGL
1010 (Intro. to Academic Writing)
– Significant increase in the use of the SUU
Writing Center among these students
– Active participation in ENGL 1000 correlates
to pass rates for ENGL 1010
Basic Components of Summer
Bridge
UNIV 1015 – Three credit hour course
beginning August 8th
Serves as admission requirement
Unique focus regarding developmental
math and writing
Community building & success skills
Extended orientation to campus
Math in UNIV 1015?
 Revisit Multiplication
 Work with Student Support Services to address:
– Math anxiety, perceived math disability, and stress
management
 Address math phobia
 Make it fun!
 The idea is not to teach new concepts, but to meet
students where they are and prepare them for
entry into developmental math courses.
Writing in UNIV 1015?
 Address fears related to writing
 Go over basic writing skills
 Make writing projects fun! Groups of students
will write comics
– Fears about writing will be personified in the form of
“villains”
– Using what they are learning in the class, students will
write storylines about how they beat the “villains”
with the skills and strategies they are learning
 The intent is to attempt to break down fears and
increase confidence about writing
Focus on Connecting Students to
SUU
Connecting to faculty, staff, and other
students
Developing presentational skills
Focus on confidence
Focus on wellness issues
Connecting to the university through clubs
and organizations
Extended orientation to campus
College Connections Learning
Community
 Students required to live on designated floors and
attend activities and programs on those floors
throughout the year
 Building a new computer and academic resource
lab where peer mentors will work with students.
 College Connections students will enroll in
designated sections of UNIV 1000 (FYE) with
Jill Wilks, SUU Learning Specialist
Academic Rigor Essential
 Summer connections about relaxing the student and gaining trust
– Handshake history
– Authorities are consultants, facilitators, not judges or labelers
 Learning communities & my FYE class: Academic rigor
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Require and expect same as Honor student
Require authentic learning and honesty.
Must believe in and model value of higher education.
Must hold standards high and model the value of facing challenge.
Must believe all can do it…no matter past.
Time line on learning? Yes
 Empower disenfranchised to know how to learn, how to architect brain.
– Roger’s unconditional positive regard
– Learning theory
– Quantum approach
Basic Learning Theory
 New definition of Intelligence
 Nature of Knowledge
 Dendrites
 Disequilibrium: Fight Flight
 Filters
 Neurotransmitters
 Voice
 Directive thinking: medical examples
 Learning and thinking take time
Design for Learning
 Train Faculty/Peer Leaders/Tutors in Learning
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Believe in learning and potential
De-emphasize labels and judgment
Know self and biases
Allow brain-based learning to occur: integrate in curriculum and
assignments
 Design elements
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Focus on habits vs. skills
Teach self evaluation: authority vs authoritative
Create rich environments, expansive opportunity
Create learning communities: seminar and Output
Use peer mentors
Provide testing support
Your Input?!
After this I realize…
I was wondering…
Comments, questions, concerns,
complaints, compliments, emotional
outbursts