th
17
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE
International Conference on the
First-Year Experience
Maui, Hawaii
June 16, 2004
“FRONT LOADING THE FRESHMEN YEAR”
AGENDA
I.
GROUP DISCUSSION/FEEDBACK – Maria & Rose
(30 mins.)
II.
RETENTION RISK FACTORS – Maria
(5 mins.)
III.
FACTORS THAT INCREASE RETENTION – Rose
(5mins.)
IV.
FRANKIE: A GROUP EXERCISE – Rose
V.
HOW DO WE FRONTLOAD THE FRESHMEN YEAR - Maria (10 mins.)
VI.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & SURVEY – Maria & Rose
(15mins.)
(5mins.)
Bloomfield College
17th International Conference on the
First-Year Experience
GROUP DISCUSSION
Based on the first year student retention risk factors discussed, it is imperative that colleges and
universities frontload the First Year Experience Program so that new students have access to
resources and services that will ensure their success.
What First Year Students should know:
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Ideal Programs without Money
Constraints:
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Reality Program with Money Constraints:
List and prioritize the top 5 key components that contribute to first year student success and
retention:
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First Year Students
RETENTION RISK FACTORS
 Nationally, fewer than half of all first-year
college students return to the same institution
as sophomores.
 The American college student population is
more diverse than ever and is overwhelmingly
“non-traditional.”
 Risk factors that can influence student
retention:
 Part-time enrollment
 Care-taking of family
 Financial independence/difficulties
 Parenting responsibilities
 Full-time/Part-time employment
 Personal instability/hardships (i.e.
depression, addictions, relationships, peer
pressure, environment, etc)
 Lack of academic preparation
 Students from low/moderate income
families
First Year Students
FACTORS THAT INCREASE
RETENTION
Sense of belonging/campus community connection
 Positive teacher/student relationships and campus networks
 Challenging academic curriculum
 Quality resources and services

Peer-to-peer relationships and support
 Mentoring
 Multicultural activities, programs and events
 Targeted financial aid strategies and support
 Social/Personal Counseling
 Childcare Services/Initiatives
 Disability Services
 Job Placement/Career Development
 On Campus/Student Employment (Work-study)
 Course and major advising
 Academic Affairs/Student Affairs campus-wide student
collaborations/initiatives
 Quality on-campus housing/residential life improvements
 Family support system
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE
17th International Conference on the
First-Year Experience
FRANKIE: A GROUP EXERCISE
Time Frame: 10 minutes
Directions:
In small groups, discuss the following case scenario.
Select a member of your team, who will provide a brief summary to the larger
group, regarding strategies, services and resources discussed to support and direct
the first year student.
STUDENT CASE
Frankie is a recent high school graduate, who is a freshman/resident student
enrolled at your college/university. You met Frankie at New Student Orientation and
noticed that he isolated himself from other students and Orientation Leaders.
You are now in the middle of the Fall semester and you have received information
from Frankie’s roommate about Frankie.
The roommate informs you that Frankie’s mother recently died of Cancer. Frankie
and his father are now consumed with grief, medical bills and household
responsibilities. The father has asked Frankie to secure employment so he can pay
for most of his college expenses/tuition.
Frankie has missed a lot of Math classes and course assignments during the final
weeks leading up to his mother’s death. When in class, Frankie is distant and
withdrawn from class and group discussions.
QUESTION: Based on this scenario, how would you approach Frankie and what
services and resources would you recommend?
“How do we frontload the freshman year?”
The Six Hallmarks of Excellence established by the Policy Center for the
First Year
1. We approach the first year in ways that are intentional,
explicit, and based on a clear philosophy for students’ first year
*Bloomfield College First Year Experience Goals
Level of academic challenge for the first-year student
*Introduce students to the world of the scholar inside and outside of the
classroom
Exposure to active and collaborative learning
*Engage students in rich discussions on standards, expectations, values
and perceptions of academic, professional and community life.
Interaction with faculty, administration, staff and peers
*Provide opportunities for students to gain a greater sense of self within
the Bloomfield College community
Value of their educational experience
*Introduce students to campus resources and services that will enable and
empower them to succeed.
Supportiveness of their campus environment
*Create a supportive atmosphere that minimizes anxiety, maximizes
positive attitudes and behaviors, and stimulates an excitement for learning
2. We seek to engage students in the collegiate experience both
in and out of the class
Student engagement promotes intellectual curiosity and excitement. The
foundation of critical thinking, lifelong learning, and civic involvement is
dependent on the habits of mind fostered at the very beginning of their college
experience.
3. We ensure that all first-year students encounter diverse ideas,
viewpoints and people
Since many students have not been challenged to examine their own beliefs and
assumptions in their prior educational experiences, higher education presents the
opportunity to recognize complexity and provides a forum for re-evaluating
biased and prejudiced views.
4. We serve all first-year students according to their needs
Through a partnership with other administrative units, the special needs of all
first-year students are attended to. Since we have first year students who are in
EOF, STAR, and EAP programs, the students who are not members of these
programs can get a similar kind of attention through personal coaching,
mentoring, and tracking of all students who are in their first year of study at the
college level.
5. We have organizational structures and policies that provide a
comprehensive, coordinated approach to the first year.
Through the First Year Experience program and the First-year Task Force, a
partnership of academic and student affairs and other administrative units
provides a collaborative, interconnectedness for planning and development.
6. We use a variety of assessment designs to examine all aspects of the
students’ experience in their first year of college.
Assessment is not limited to measures of student persistence and/or satisfaction
but also investigates student learning and change in areas and goals articulated
in our mission statement.
The body of research literature correlates enhanced retention with the provision
of role models, mentors, or support networks.
The First Year Experience Program involves:
1. Setting deliberate goals and devising intentional strategies to achieve
these goals
2. Identifying variables that interfere with first-year success and designing
programs to address those barriers
3. Educating employees on how to spot potential dropouts and how to
intervene accordingly.
4. Making positive rather than negative predictions for student success
(abandon the social Darwinist theory that only the fittest survive and adopt
the educational philosophy of a partnership between learners and their
institutions)
5. More interaction, collegiality, and communication between first-year
students and faculty
6. An effective working partnership among academic and student affairs
administrators and faculty members
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYE)
MISSION STATEMENT
Introduce new students to a diverse learning
community by creating partnerships that will
encourage them to be academically, personally and
professionally responsible and to practice life
management skills.
FYE GOALS
 Introduce students to the world of the scholar inside
and outside of the classroom.
 Engage students in rich discussions on standards,
expectations, values and perceptions of academic,
professional and community life.
 Introduce students to campus resources and services
that will enable and empower them to succeed.
 Provide opportunities for students to gain a greater
sense of self within the Bloomfield College community.
 Create a supportive atmosphere that minimizes anxiety,
maximizes positive attitudes and behaviors, and
stimulates an excitement for learning.