PHASES 2 – Information Gathering
Internal Information Gathering –
1. Request institutional data from enrollment management or institutional research
concerning enrollment statistics for the past five academic years for first year
students. This data should include raw numbers, percentages of students who
transitioned from the first to second year, and grade point average for first year
students. .
2. Request information from campus subpopulations that would tend to track their
student’s. This includes:
a. Residence Life & Housing
b. Athletics
c. International Student Services
d. Greek Life
e. Minority Affairs
f. Honors Program
This information will helpful in establishing institutional norms.
3. Collect information on what services and programs are provided for first year
students at a minimum of six institutions.
a. These institutions need to be selected carefully. This can include
institutions in close proximity, athletic competitors, and institutions that
your institution compares itself to on a regular basis.
4. Request the CSAO send a communication or email to all departments across
campus to collect information on what services in each area are geared toward
first year students.
a. This email should be carefully worded to present as a request for
information. You do not want departments to become suspicious or
fearful that their programs will be poached.
b. Within the communication be sure to have a firm deadline, contact
information for a point person, should a department have a question
concerning the applicability of a program or service, and a campus
mailing address. Ask the departments to send web page links, brochures,
or any printed pieces to add to your files.
PHASE 3 – Setting the Plan in Motion
1. Set an initial meeting with campus constituents. This will be an opportunity to
obtain information, input, and gauge the level of support for a more concerted
institutional effort. It might be helpful to have the meeting twice to offer more
opportunities for attendance. Ideally, this meeting request should come from
both you and the CSAO. That may communicate a message that your efforts are
supported from the top and may coerce some departments to participate.
a. Schedule the meeting at least one week after requesting the information
on services offered. This will allow you to present those in attendance a
chart of what is done and when it occurs.
b. During this meeting pose as much as you can in question format (i.e.,
what should we be doing, what areas of enhancement exist, what have
you heard from the first year students you come in contact with, what
sub-populations should be connected with.)?
c. Ask those in attendance if they are supportive of coordinating their
programs and advertising resources jointly to have a greater impact on
first year students? Ask questions in phrasing that make it difficult for
individuals to disagree with the efforts. Keeping language focused on the
students and their success will dictate the tone and direction of the
meeting.
d. Ask those in attendance to define specific programs or services they think
should be offered to first year students.
e. NOTE – based on the information obtained, you may be pleasantly
surprised at what is being offered across campus.
PHASE 4 – Information Processing
1. Once information from campus departments are obtained and based on the
outcomes of the meeting, devised a timeline for moving forward.
a. During the review phase integrate the information obtained from peer
institutions and current offerings.
b. Plot out on a calendar current offerings and see where dates overlap and
where programs conclude. There may be cases where offerings cease after
a few weeks, but they may need to continue across the first year at best
and through the first semester at a minimum.
c. Forward this document to those who attended the meeting and pose a
question on what can be done later in the first semester or into the second
semester.
2. Communicate with undergraduate admissions staff members to determine what
concerns or needs are articulated from students as they are on the road
recruiting.
3. After determining how programs and services can be
4. Develop a short survey to send to a random sample of the current first year
students to determine what they feel is needed to facilitate a successful transition
into the campus community.
5. Once information is in a more complete form present it to Student Government,
or other large campus governing organizations.
a. Determine what planned events currently exist under their areas and
connect as many confirmed activities to the calendar. It may appear that
students are excluded from the process, but the focus for designing and
embedding a new programmatic effort is to have the buy in from the
administrative units that implement them.
b. The student efforts will always be in place and it is less likely that they
will pose strong opposition to campus departments working collectively.
Should the program evolve to the point of becoming an administrative
unit, then the input of students will be crucial.
PHASE 5 – Marketing & Implementation
1. Once a calendar of events is outlined for at least the first semester design a
marketing strategy.
a. This includes at minimum a printed piece directing students to a web link
that lists events, services, and programs that will make them successful
during their first year. This piece should be distributed at new student
orientation and included in any mailing to new incoming students.
b. Design or have a web page designed to list links for the other
departments, important phone numbers, and a calendar of events. It
important to have a counter to track how many times the page is accessed.
This page does not have to be elaborate and can be linked to your
departmental page. The most important aspect is to centralize the location
of information. If the “FYE” address is not taken at your institution it
might be an option for page name for future growth.
2. After the implementation of the first cycle for first year students conduct another
random sample survey. It can focus on asking questions concerning the services
advertised and how effective they were in easing their transition. This will
provide more information or support for the future direction, which may or may
not include full-time staff.
a. Depending on the time of year, using a smaller class start may be more
effective for attempting some efforts. This can include any start other than
the fall start.
PHASE 6 – Review
1. Once you have completed a cycle of implementation communicate with the CSAO
to discuss future institutional plans.