International Conference on
The First-Year Experience
“Survivor” The First Year
Experience at a Small Rural
Campus
What you need to know about
Dickinson State University.
DSU is located in Dickinson, North
Dakota, a city of 17000 near the rugged
and beautiful North Dakota Badlands
and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
DSU is one of eleven state institutions
that make up the North Dakota State
University System.
DSU is a four year liberal arts institution
with open enrollment.
About Our Students
Seven years of record enrollment.
Fall 2002 enrollment of 2236 students.
73% North Dakota Residents.
17% Montana/South Dakota Residents.
86 international students representing 26
countries.
New Freshmen enrollment of 411
Approximately 40% of freshmen are
undeclared majors.
Students under 21 are required to live on
campus.
Where We Were
Fall 1998 we were in our third year
of record enrollment.
Fall 1997 – Fall 1998 Freshmen
Retention Rate was less than 54%.
DSU offered a one credit Freshman
Seminar class.
What Freshman Seminar Looked Like
Five Sections offered
Taught primarily by Student Affairs staff.
Focus on transitioning to college.
Approximately 25% of incoming freshman
enrolled in the class.
After five years of data the retention rate for
students taking the course ranged from
12% - 20% higher than those that did not
complete the class.
The difference in GPA of students taking the
course was insignificant.
What Changed
The President formed a task force
to study retention and the first year
programs in the fall of 1999.
Goals of the Task Force
Required two credit Freshman Seminar
Course
Learning Communities
Front Loading
Restructure Academic Advising
New Look of Freshman Seminar
Required for all students with less than 24
credits.
One credit, graded course, that meets twice
a week.
Eighteen sections offered.
Majority of the sections taught by faculty.
More focus on academics.
A student mentor in each class.
Instructors are paid.
CAAP test and CSI are administered in
class.
Required attendance at presentations
outside of the class.
College Student Inventory (CSI) results
available to each instructor.
Bi-weekly meetings for instructors.
One day training session.
Mentor training and bi-weekly meetings.
Students are required to attend at least
five different campus events.
Some sections were part of Learning
Communities.
Road Blocks
Not all faculty supported a required course.
Curriculum committee would not accept
the two credit proposal.
Should non-traditional students be required
to take the class.
Why are faculty being paid extra?
Taking resources away from other
programs.
Hand-holding image.
Finding faculty to teach the course.
Getting instructors to attend meetings.
What to do about students that do not
pass the course.
Getting students to by into the class.
Offering eighteen sections will take
classroom space and time away from
other classes.
Training faculty to teach the course.
Some students were being advised not
to take the class.
The division between academic and
students affairs.
Who would be in charge of the course.
Three Years of Evolution
Freshman Seminar courses serve as the corner
stone class for the Learning Communities.
Courses offered specific to majors.
Increase in rigor.
Writing intensive.
Community service projects in each class.
Database of guest speakers for instructors to
invite to class.
Monthly instructor training at brown bag
sessions.
Increase in faculty support.
Formation of the First Year Experience
committee.
A class for wrestlers with a required
study evening.
Freshman Seminar Instructors serve as
advisors for students in their class.
CSI results available before classes
begin.
Instructors conduct individual meetings
with the students in their class to review
the results of the CSI.
Why Learning Communities?
Learning Communities are small groups
of students who work closely together,
each group a “community of learners.”
Students share classes and friendships as
part of an innovative program in
cooperative learning.
Many of the students that attend
Dickinson State come from very small
communities with high school graduating
class of less than 10. Learning
Communities assist in the transition to
college.
Why Not Learning Communities?
Connections for academic and social
support.
Increase in interaction with faculty.
Assist with registration.
Students form study groups based on
taking common courses.
Fulfill core, college, or major requirements.
Increase in student interaction.
Socializing with diverse students.
Allows faculty to interact colleagues.
Group Identity.
Our First Year
Five Learning Communities were offered.
Business Majors
Freshman Athletes
Deciding Majors
Educational Growth
Theodore Roosevelt Scholars
Freshman Seminar serves as the corner stone
for each community.
Each community had an English course and a
general education or major course.
Students were selected for the Learning
Communities.
Road Blocks
Educating faculty, staff, students, and parents
about Learning Communities.
Scheduling.
Faculty participation.
Learning Community for deciding majors did work.
Coordinating instructor schedules.
Determining expectations for instructors and
students.
Who will be responsible for coordinating Learning
Communities.
What to do when a student drops one of the
classes.
The Evolution of Learning Communities
Increased the number to allow all students to be
part of Learning Communities.
Participation from all 10 departments on campus.
Move from completely social activities to more
academic.
Establishment of study groups tied to
communities.
Training for instructors.
Presentations from Evergreen to assist with
educating faculty and staff.
Increased faculty involvement.
Growing Pains
Scheduling is made difficult at a small school
due to only a limited number of sections.
Determining what classes to be part of the
Learning Community.
The increase in students coming in having
taken dual credit courses.
Upper class students needing to take classes
that are part of learning communities.
Getting instructors together for meetings
and planning sessions.
What Students are Saying?
“The camaraderie among all of us is
amazing.”
I had a place to voice my opinions and
hear other people’s.”
“It really helped me adjust to my first year
of college.”
“It was great knowing you can call on
someone in the class when you need help.”
“I am glad I was part of a Learning
Community, and would recommend it to a
new freshman.”
Academic Advising
Faculty serve as academic advisors for
students. No training in place for advisors.
After their first semester students could
register for classes with out seeing an
advisor.
Deciding students were assigned to faculty
based on the number of advisees they had.
Students were ranking advisement as very
poor.
Students were requesting graduation audits
to see what courses they still needed.
Improvements
Established required advisement for
Freshmen and Sophomore students.
Pre-advisement became part of the
curriculum of Freshman Seminar. Students
developed an advisement folder and a four
year plan.
Training material was purchased for each
department.
An advising handbook was put together,
which included four-year plans for each
major, forms, and helpful hints for advisors.
Faculty that liked to advise worked with
deciding students.
Students are sent letters from their advisor to
remind them to set up appointments.
Registration “holds” are placed on all
freshmen and sophomore students.
Last year Freshman Seminar instructors
became advisors for the students in their
class.
Advise students for the first year.
Instructors received training.
Access to the CSI results.
Assessment Tools
Students complete the College student
Inventory at SOAR. Freshman Seminar
instructors meet with each student in their
class during the first three weeks to review
the results.
Each class completes an evaluation of the
Freshman Seminar class and the Learning
Community at the end of the semester.
DSU participates in NSSE (National Survey
of Student Engagement).
All students on campus are asked to
complete the SSI (Student Satisfaction
Inventory).
Seniors and freshman take the ETS
academic profile to access the outcomes of
general education.
Freshman and Seniors complete the CAAP
(Collegiate Assessment of Academic
Proficiency) critical thinking assessment.
Writing skills are assessed with the Criterion
Online Writing Evaluation.
Mentors assess how the students in there
class are doing with individual meetings.
Students take the PI (Predictive Index) at
SOAR and the results are reviewed with the
students by the Director of Career Services.
PI
Survey that measures basic
behavior patterns
Defines four primary factors
Factor
Factor
Factor
Factor
A – Dominance
B – Extroversion
C – Patience
D - Formality
Used in career exploration and
team development.
Front Loading Activities
DSU offers a variety of academic and social
activities throughout the year.
An effort was made to front load activities
during the crucial first six weeks.
Activities included but were not limited to:
Movies
Dances
Community service projects
Residential life activities
Picnics
Spiritual activities
Motivational and educational speakers
S.O.A.R.
Student Orientation Advisement Registration
Approximately 80% of incoming freshman
attend summer orientation.
Five sessions offered in the summer.
Two overnight sessions (55% of incoming
freshmen)
Local session.
One day sessions
Residual registration the day before
classes begin.
Assessments Offered
CSI
PI
Math Placement
Computer Literacy test
Writing
Students are sent an information sheet
when they are admitted and the information
is used to pre-register the students.
Sessions include campus tours, meeting
with advisors, ID photos, information
sessions, picnics, dances, lip sync contests,
and schedule adjustments.
Small group sessions are led by SOAR
leaders.
SOAR leaders are hired in January and
attend a one credit training class in the
spring.
Leaders’ role
Campus tours
Information about campus life
Assist with scheduling
Work with small groups in their major
Contact the students in their group before
classes begin.
Parent Orientation Program
A separate parent program is offered in
conjunction with the student program.
Parents Activities
Financial Aid Presentation
Campus Tour
Dinner with the President
Administration Panel
Presentations on campus resources
Transition Information
Student Panel
Learning Community and assessment
information.
Where We Are
73% freshman retention.
The largest graduating class in the history
of the university.
Use of the New York Times in all the
sections.
Pre-registration for all incoming freshmen.
State recognition of the first year programs
at DSU.
First Year programs are part of the fall
faculty orientation.
Established First Year Committee.
Where We Want To Be
Continue to increase retention rates.
Summer retreats for learning
community instructors.
Working to on an assessment
instrument for instructors to complete.
Revise the assessment instrument.
Expand the course to two credits
meeting three times per week.
Explore extending seminar and learning
communities into the spring semester.
Lisa A Cantlon MS
Director of Student Support Services
Dickinson State University
[email protected]