PROGRAM
Wednesday, February 1
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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Marina Ballroom Foyer
Registration
Thursday, February 2
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Marina Ballroom Foyer
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Miramar
Registration
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Pre-Conference Workshop for JSU CORE Participants
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
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Balboa
Pre-Conference Meeting for NASH Chief Academic Officers
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
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Cardiff
Pre-Conference Workshop for New Provosts
Presenters:
Mark Canada, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana University - Kokomo
Jane Gates, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs,
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities
Barbara Lyman, Provost and Executive Vice President, Shippensburg University of
Pennsylvania
Linda Vaden-Goad, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Framingham
State University
3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
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Marina Ballroom E-G
Opening Events and Plenary
Our theme for the conference is Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success. Much of the
discussion of pathways has focused on student pathways to their degrees. But perhaps the most
important pathway is the one that we create for our campuses. In these tumultuous times, what
pathway will we follow in the years ahead? In the past several years, our campuses have been roiled
by controversy over diversity and equity issues, most prominently the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Adding to the turmoil and unease, this country just went through one of the most divisive elections in
our nation’s history, leaving in its wake substantial number of individuals and groups feeling anxious,
distraught and fearful about the future. Our opening plenary session is an extended session that
provides an opportunity to think about these issues together as a community, framed by the remarks
by two national leaders, Frank Tuitt, Associate Professor of Higher Education and Senior Adviser to the
Chancellor and Provost on Inclusive Excellence, University of Denver and Mildred Garcia, President,
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California State University, Fullerton. Following their comments and responses from two AASCU
provosts, all participants will have an opportunity to talk to one another at their tables, as well as
engage in dialogue with our two speakers.
Presenters:
George L. Mehaffy (moderator), Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change,
AASCU
Frank Tuitt (speaker), Associate Professor of Higher Education and Senior Adviser to
the Chancellor and Provost on Inclusive Excellence, University of Denver
Mildred Garcia (speaker), President, California State University, Fullerton
Gary Reichard (respondent), Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs,
College of Staten Island, City University of New York
Linda Vaden-Goad (respondent), Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs,
Framingham State University
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
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Marina Ballroom Foyer
Opening Reception
Friday, February 3
7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
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Marina Ballroom Foyer
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Marina Ballroom Foyer
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Palomar
Registration
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast for Women Provosts
Open to all meeting attendees, including non-provosts.
Moderator:
Bonnie Irwin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California State
University, Monterey Bay
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM
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Marina Ballroom E-G
Plenary Session: Guiding a System along a Pathways Journey
There has been significant interest recently in how the creation of clear pathways can enable more
students to be successful in college. Over the last three years the Tennessee Board of Regents has
worked to develop a coordinated guided pathway initiative that involves every institution. The aim has
been to create a statewide educational ecosystem that broadens access to higher education and
enables all students to effectively find an educational direction that leads into their career or vocation.
We have sought to equip that direction with a clear pathway of study that plots out the coursework to
graduation, and to use technology to inform both each student and their advisor about how to
effectively steer and adjust the pathway along the way. The implementation of this plan has required
involving techniques in predictive analytics, behavioral economics and choice architecture, as well as
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academic mindset and discrete optimization. Along the way we have gained important insights into the
structure and design of effective and successful pathways.
While there is still much to do, the impacts of this work are already starting to become clear.
Three-year graduation rates in Tennessee community colleges have increased 42% with an 87%
increase for minority students, and four-year graduation rates at Tennessee Board of Regents
universities have increased 26% with a 51% increase for minority students.
This talk will address a variety of the aspects of the work to implement this coordinated system-wide
structure, the data and insights that led to these changes, the challenges in taking these ideas to
scale, and latest data and insights that are guiding the journey.
Presenter:
Tristan Denley, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Tennessee Board of Regents
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
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Marina Ballroom Foyer
Refreshment Break
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
Concurrent Sessions
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Del Mar
Noncognitive Assessment and Student Success: What are Some Models for
Institutional Implementation?
Noncognitive factors and holistic assessment are popular topics in higher education. Whether
you’re interested in grit, sense of belonging, or a growth mindset, many institutions are
acknowledging that traditional indicators of academic preparation don’t tell them everything
they need to know about students’ strengths and challenges. Although there is a wealth of
evidence supporting the predictive efficacy of noncognitive factors, as well as a host of
research on the importance of engaging and supporting students, many institutions still
struggle with practical questions: “Where does the noncognitive ‘rubber’ meet the ‘road’ of my
strategies for student success?” This session will attempt to address that issue by not only
explaining some processes for assessing noncognitive skills, but also discussing institutional
models of implementation, including two in-depth case studies demonstrating an early
enrollment and targeted implementation, respectively.
Presenters:
Byron Howlett, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students and Student
Affairs, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Melinda Lee, Assistant Director for Academic Recovery Programs, Center for
Academic Excellence, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State
University
Ross Markle, Senior Research & Assessment Direcor, Global Higher Education
Division, Educational Testing Service (ETS)
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Carlsbad
Removing Barriers to Graduation: Tying Math Course Selection to K-16 Career
Pathways and Majors
Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) data revealed that failure to successfully complete a math
class was one of the top reasons for students abandoning postsecondary education before earning a
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certificate or degree. An over-reliance on College Algebra (the course with the highest failure rate)
as the general education math course of choice for majors contributed to the problem. This
presentation describes how USHE institutions (including its four AASCU members) designed six
career pathways, tying one of three different general education math courses (College Algebra,
Statistics, Quantitative Reasoning) to each pathway. Concurrent enrollment, examination of
courses requiring College Algebra as a prerequisite, and work on electronic Major and Transfer
guides contributed to the strategic initiative.
Presenters:
Elizabeth J. Hitch, Associate Commisioner for Academic and Student Affairs, Utah
System of Higher Education
Cynthia Grua, Director of Instructional Technology, Utah System of Higher
Education
Julie Hartley, Assistant Commisioner of Outreach and Access, Utah System of
Higher Education
Jessica Miller, Director of Completion Initiatives, Utah System of Higher Education
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Marina Ballroom D
Re-Imagining the First Year: Progress and Lessons Learned (RFY)
One year has passed since the Re-Imagining the First Year Initiative launched. During that
year each campus drafted a campus plan, created buy-in among campus constituents and
began to implement their plan as the freshman 2016 cohort arrived in the fall. The project
director will discuss the progress that has been made, the challenges we are facing, and the
lessons learned so far.
Presenter:
Jo Arney, Program Director, Re-Imagining the First Year, AASCU
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Cardiff
Designing Degree Pathways to Enhance Student Access, Completion, and Success:
Examples of Innovative K-12 and Higher Ed Partnerships
This session will highlight the development of two new degree pathway partnerships between
SUNY Cobleskill and area high schools. The first, a partnership between the College and the
Ag-PTECH High School in , provides opportunities for students to enroll concurrently in high
school and college courses and to earn a high school diploma and a college degree within six
years. The second partnership, with Cobleskill-Richmondville High School, builds upon a
successful College in the High School program to offer pathways into one of five academic
programs. Students participating in the degree pathways may be able to earn an associate's
degree within one year and a bachelor's degree within three years. The process of
identifying partner schools, designing pathways, securing faculty buy-in, and implementing the
pathway programs will be discussed.
Presenters:
Timothy Moore, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
SUNY Cobleskill
J.M. Anderson, Dean of the School of Business and Liberal Arts and Sciences,
SUNY Cobleskill
Susan Zimmermann, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, SUNY
Cobleskill
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10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Balboa
CORE: How to Become a Regional University Partner with a National PK-20
Collaborative
CORE (Collaborative Regional Education) is a national Pk-20 collaborative at Jacksonville State
University in Jacksonville, Alabama that received more than $27 million in federal grants over
the last three years. Focused on transforming classrooms and schools through the use of
technology and active learning methods, CORE will increase its regional university
partnerships from the current seven to up to thirteen through a 2015 Investing In Innovation
grant. This session will focus on an overview of CORE, the coordination, professional
development and research requirements of partners, and the process to apply to be a CORE
partner.
Presenters:
Alicia Simmons, VP of Research, Planning and Collaboration, Jacksonville
State University
Evelyn Bragg, Director of Learning Technology, Jacksonville State University
Lynn Garner, Project Manager, Institute for Research and Collaboration,
Jacksonville State University
Gretchen Richards, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management,
Jacksonville State University
John Rosier, Director, Institutional Research and Assessment, Jacksonville
State University
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Mission Hills
Ramping Up Transformative Learning: Expanding High Impact Practices from STEM
TO STLR
This session will provide an overview of results stemming from sustained institutional-level
efforts at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) over the past several years to provide
Transformative Learning experiences to students. Retention and academic performance data
collected from earlier projects emphasizing Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities,
including federally supported STEM projects focused on first generation students and members
of underrepresented groups, will be shared. Parallel findings stemming from UCO’s Student
Transformative Learning Record (STLR) initiative, a more recent scaled-up institutional effort
to document impacts of these and other High Impact Practices via an e-portfolio will also be
presented. This record assesses students’ skill development via both curricular and cocurricular engagements utilizing a derivation of AAC&U’s VALUE rubrics.
Presenters:
John Barthell, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of
Central Oklahoma
Jeff King, Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Transformative
Teaching and Learning, University of Central Oklahoma
Charlotte Simmons, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, University
of Central Oklahoma
Gary Steward, Jr., Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness,
University of Central Oklahoma
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10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Miramar
Transforming Gateway Courses and the Pathways of Which They Are a Part: The Michigan
Gateways to Completion (G2C) Project
Guided pathways and curriculum maps hold much promise for postsecondary education institutions
and the students they teach. However, if pathways efforts are going to realize their full potential,
institutions cannot simply create sound degree maps and meta-majors – they must actually work
with faculty and staff to transform the courses that form the foundations of the pathways they are
promoting. This session will provide an overview of how two AASCU institutions in Michigan –
Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University – have partnered with the non-profit John N.
Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, six other colleges and universities in
the state and the Kresge Foundation to transform gateway courses through the “Michigan Gateways
to Completion” project. The session will also showcase how this project is deliberately connecting
with Guided Pathway and curriculum map efforts currently underway at an array of institutions in
Michigan.
Presenters:
James Lentini, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Oakland
University
Rhonda Longworth, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic
and Student Affairs, Eastern Michigan University
Susan Awbrey, Senior Associate Provost, Oakland University
Andrew Koch, Chief Operating Officer, John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in
Undergraduate Education
Michael Tew, Interim Undergraduate Studies Director, Division of Academic and
Student Affairs, Eastern Michigan University
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
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Palomar
Using Fake News and Filter Bubbles to Increase Social Media Literacy
The American Democracy Project’s (ADP) new Digital Polarization Initiative encourages students and
faculty to take a critical posture towards the social media environments in which they live. At the
initiative's core is an investigation of the ways in which online environments may be becoming too
personalized – showing us only the opinions and stories we want to see, even providing us fake
news to support our existing worldviews. This session will discuss the goals and techniques of this
cross-institutional initiative. We'll look at our attempts to build a student powered Snopes-like site
which encourages students to analyze the news using the tools of their respective disciplines. We'll
also talk about some smaller projects and solicit ideas from the audience.
Presenters:
Michael Caulfield, ADP Civic Fellow and Director of Blended and Networked
Learning, Washington State University Vancouver
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
Concurrent Sessions
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Del Mar
Understanding the Online College Student: Cultivating Data-Driven Enrollment
Practices
Reaching today’s online learners requires innovative and effective enrollment practices.
Building these practices demands timely, accurate data that explains the preferences and
behaviors of this rapidly evolving population. In this presentation, findings from an annual
survey of 1,500 past, present, and prospective students will be shared.
Key insights from the survey will be discussed, including:
x
How students gather information about prospective programs
x
The role of mobile technology in the selection process
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x
x
Presenters:
The impact of scholarships on students’ decision-making
How quickly students expect you to respond to their inquiries
Julie Delich, Vice President of Enrollment, The Learning House, Inc.
Tim Edwards, Provost, University of West Alabama
Andrew Magda, Manager of Market Research, The Learning House, Inc.
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Carlsbad
Improving Student Success and Retention at a Regional State University
This session will examine the initiatives that Nicholls State University implemented to increase
student success and retention. These initiatives led to a 6% increase in freshmen retention
and the highest retention rate in the history of the institution. The session will examine a
broad range of areas that were addressed, including how freshman Math courses were taught,
a new course for students on probation, a campus-wide initiative to improve student advising
and mentoring, a focus on active learning, the creation of a more welcoming campus
environment to help create a sense of belonging for our students, and a revision of our
freshman courses.
Presenter:
Lynn Gillette, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Nicholls State
University
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Marina Ballroom D
Washington Update
With a new Administration, Education Secretary and Congress, join AASCU’s Vice President for
Government Relations and Policy Analysis for a conversation about how new leadership in
Washington may impact public higher education. This session will provide an overview of the
federal policies and governance issues we’ll likely face during the 115th Congress including
federal student aid, executive actions around the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) program and a number of regulatory repeal efforts that will directly impact our state
college and university campuses.
Presenter:
Michael C. Zola, Vice President for Government Relations and Policy Analysis,
AASCU
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Marina Ballroom E-G
RFY Networking Session: The 20 Most Common Strategies (RFY)
This will be a networking session for Re-Imagining the First Year (RFY) institutions only. This
networking session will focus on the 20 most common RFY campus strategies.
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Cardiff
If You Build It, They Will Come
As one of only a handful of upper-level institutions in the country, transfer students comprise
the entirety of Texas A&M University-Central Texas’ undergraduate population. Since its initial
accreditation in 2013, A&M-Central Texas has been diligently creating and reforming academic
transfer resources to better coordinate transfer planning and ensure clear communication to
students and community college advisors. From the establishment of a flexible, “transfer
friendly” general education core, to transfer pathways and articulation agreements with
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community college partners, to the technology used to support a smooth transfer and degree
planning, A&M-Central Texas has developed processes and tools enabling a seamless
transition. In this presentation we explain how all of these processes and resources have
become interconnected, using our largest community college partner as a case study.
Presenters:
Isaiah Vance, Director of Academic Advising, Texas A&M University-Central
Texas
Jeff Kirk, Associate Provost, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Balboa
Leveraging Enrollment Decline: The Opportunity to Rethink and Focus Retention
Initiatives
Like many AASCU institutions, Black Hills State University has enrollment valleys which force
change due to reduced tuition revenue. For the last three years, our enrollment has slipped 5
percent, forcing a rethinking and strategic reprioritizing of recruitment and retention activities.
This session focuses on the strategic and operational changes emerging from this enrollment
and revenue decline. Specifically, the speakers will present on our enrollment profile, the
objectives of our right-sizing effort, our emergent focus on student retention and success, and
our array of retention activities. Our presentation will seek feedback from participants on
other effective practices that might inform our journey.
Presenters:
Chris Crawford, Provost, Black Hills State University
Lois Flagstad, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs, Black Hills
State University
Amy Fuqua, Dean, College of Liberal Arts, Black Hills State University
Sharman Adams, Dean, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Black
Hills State University
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Mission Hills
Optimizing Classroom Utilization to Promote Student Access
In order to make timely progress toward their degrees, students need access to classes. As
with many campuses, Cal State LA had a widely held perception on campus that were we “out
of space” for adding more classes. We set a goal for Fall 2016 of improving our classroom fill
rates, and providing more class “slots” by enforcing standard start and end times for classes.
We did so in four main ways: (1) sharing information about under-utilized lecture classrooms
with Colleges and faculty leadership, (2) revising guidelines for faculty to receive excess
enrollment credit or graduate assistant support for teaching larger classes, (3) incentivizing
the development of hybrid courses, and (4) enforcing the standard time grid to maximize
usable classroom time slots.
Presenters:
Amy Bippus, Vice Provost for Planning and Budget, California State
University, Los Angeles
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
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Palomar
Partnering Academics and Community Engagement (PACE): The Successful
Development and Implementation of a Campus-wide Initiative
Community-based learning and service learning are rich opportunities that have been linked to
higher GPAs, increased critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, increased self-efficacy,
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and tolerance for and appreciation of diversity. In the Fall of 2014, Clayton State University
launched a University-wide academic community engagement initiative in which specific
sections of courses are deliberately designed with community projects aligned with course
outcomes. Since then, the University has offered or plans to offer 40 community engaged
courses from the freshman through the upper division level, across the various disciplines.
This session will describe the development of the initiative, give specific examples of
community engaged courses, and present data on the impact of these activities on our
students from various programmatic and academic standpoints.
Presenters:
Kevin Demmitt, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Clayton
State University
Antoinette Miller, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Partnering
Academics and Community Engagement Program, Clayton State University
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
Lunch and Featured Sessions
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
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Cardiff
AASCU's National Blended Course Consortium: First-year Learning Experiences for
the 21st Century
AASCU’s National Blended Course Consortium (NBCC) is a multi-campus effort to develop and
disseminate innovative blended courses for first-year students. Supported by a four-year grant
from the Teagle Foundation, NBCC is leveraging the power of faculty collaboration and
technology to create a new series of first-year courses that begin with issues, not disciplines,
capturing student interest and involvement. These high-quality, low-cost multidisciplinary
courses create high-impact intellectual experiences that develop students’ civic and critical
thinking skills. Currently, there are four NBCC courses under development: Economic
Inequality, Global Challenges, Science for Citizens, and Stewardship of Public Lands.
This session will offer the following:
x
A summary of NBCC’s origins and aspirations;
x
An overview of the four NBCC courses;
x
A real-time demonstration of the innovative courseware that we are developing for
the NBCC courses; and
x
A chance to learn about opportunities to pilot the NBCC courses on your campus.
Presenters:
George L. Mehaffy, Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change,
AASCU
Steven Koether, Foundations of Science Coordinator and Instructor, Sam
Houston State University
Shala Mills, Professor of Political Science, Fort Hays State University
Kimberly Schmidl-Gagne, Program Manager, Keene State College
Amanda Newlin, Learning Design Studio Director, US, Smart Sparrow
Edward (Teddy) Fischer, Project Manager, Smart Sparrow
Heather Newlin, Instructional Designer, Smart Sparrow
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
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Mission Hills
Transforming Academic Culture at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga recently began a series of organizational changes
focused on improving student success. In this session, we will describe the transformational
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processes we implemented and the lessons we learned on our campus. Our presentation will
focus in particular on (1) aligning learning outcomes and assessment, (2) using data to
improve advising processes, and (3) building an advising community via the creation of an
Advisors’ Council. With regard to learning outcomes and assessment, we will describe how our
campus implemented processes to encourage our faculty to develop and measure course-level
learning outcomes in light of their relationships to program-level outcomes. With regard to
advising, we will focus on our efforts to make our advising processes clearer, more datainformed, and ultimately, more effective at promoting student success. To do this, we
established an Advisors’ Council, whose role was to improve consistency and communication
across advising personnel, establish advisor expectations, develop training, advocate policy,
and launch our data-informed advising processes.
Presenters:
Jerald Ainsworth (Moderator), Provost & Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Yancy Freeman, Associate Provost for Enrollment Services, University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga
Eva Lewis, Executive Director, Office of Planning, Evaluation, & Institutional
Research, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
David Rausch, Vice Provost, University of Tennesee at Chattanooga
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
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Marina Ballroom D
The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most
John Gardner and Betsy Barefoot have spent the past six years working with three noted
educators, Peter Felten, Leo Lambert, and Charles Schroeder, to construct an optimistic view
of the status of undergraduate education in a predominant climate of pessimism. The result is
The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most(Jossey-Bass,
2016), a book that is designed especially as a discussion template and framework for
institutional reflection and planning. In this session we will offer six core ideas about what we
believe matters most and the ways that many institutions, both four-year and two-year, are
using those ideas to achieve distinctive outcomes for student success in challenging times.
We will also encourage session participants to share their own views about what matters most.
Presenters:
John Gardner, President, John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in
Undergraduate Education
Betsy Barefoot, Co-Founder and Senior Scholar, John N. Gardner Institute
for Excellence in Undergraduate Education
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
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Miramar
Pathways for Improving Persistence and Retention for First-Generation College
Students and the Challenges of Implementation
Western Kentucky University invests heavily in a number of best practice support systems and
interventions to help first-year college students be successful. Despite these efforts and
investments, improvement in student persistence and retention rates for first-generation
students continues to be particularly challenging. This session (a) focuses on three pathways
that offer the potential to significantly improve persistence and retention for these students
and (b) outlines potential responses to the disruptive challenges and implications inherent in
navigating their implementation. The three pathways include (1) addressing financial barriers
to student success for first generation, low-income high school students through financial
literacy; (2) adapting practices that are used to enhance success of selected groups of
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students (e.g. honors students, athletes, international students) to support the needs of the
full spectrum of students in ways that are cost-effective, efficient, and workable; and (3)
motivating underprepared and at-risk students for success through a redesigned firstsemester college experience, based on collaborative engagement through place-based
problem solving, supported by coaching and mentoring.
Presenters:
Barbara Burch (Moderator), Provost Emeritus, Western Kentucky University
Tony Norman, Director, Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Western
Kentucky University
Brian Brausch, Academic Coordinator, Western Kentucky University
Christian Ryan, Sustainability Coordinator, Adjunct Faculty, Western
Kentucky University
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
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Solana (1st Floor)
What Propels Students Along the “Pathway”? Great Teaching. (By Invitation Only)
Pathways clarify how students should get from point A to point B. But having a roadmap isn’t
enough. What really propels students along—from their first semester all the way to
graduation—is great teaching. Decades of research have identified the essential teaching
practices necessary for student success. Yet faculty rarely receive formal and comprehensive
training on how to teach well. In this interactive session, attendees will learn how ACUE and
the American Council on Education are collaborating to train and credential faculty in effective
instruction. ACUE’s first-of-its-kind Course in Effective Teaching Practices prepares instructors
to teach well and, as a result, help many more students complete their degrees.
Presenter:
Penny MacCormack, Chief Academic Officer, ACUE
Charles A. McAdams, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Delta
State University
12:40 PM – 2:20 PM
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Point Loma (1st Floor)
What Activities Improve Student Success? (By Invitation Only)
Based on input from previous Academic Affairs meetings, Student Connections (USA Funds)
will provide an update on our new student success initiative and seek further input on what
has worked at your school. Attendees will work in small groups to identify non-academic
areas that pose challenges for students as they prepare for college and work toward their
educational goals (topic example: financial education). Teams will brainstorm solutions that
could help solve these student challenges in college readiness and success and share their
ideas with the larger group. New attendees will be invited to participate in the advisory board
to guide the future development of the initiative.
Presenter:
George Covino, Vice President, Default Prevention, USA Funds
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
Concurrent Sessions
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
|
Del Mar
Scheduling for Student Success
Scheduling for Student Success is a multi-institutional SUNY collaboration with Ad Astra
designed on the premise that higher education can no longer treat the challenges of managing
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operational costs and improving student success as separate issues. Institutions must link
strategies for managing costs with strategies for improving student attainment rates.
Because much of an institution’s resources are invested in support of the curriculum,
institutions may significantly reduce costs by increasing curricular efficiency. Institutions may
increase their student success rates by developing a more student-centered, data-informed
course scheduling process. This session will provide an overview of the SUNY collaboration
with Ad Astra, including funding models, metrics, and outcomes achieved at the lead campus,
and details of the implementation at The State University of New York at Fredonia.
Presenters:
Sarah Collins, Chief Client Experience Officer, Ad Astra Information Systems
Lisa Hunter, Associate Provost for Curriculum, Assessment, and Academic
Support, SUNY Fredonia
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
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Marina Ballroom D
Funding Student Success from Within the Institution (RFY)
Everyone hopes for the big external grant to fund their student success initiatives, but it is
wise to plan for internal resources. This session will focus on how spending on student
success is an investment for your institution – meaning that expenditures generate a positive
return. Campus leaders need to understand the cost-side and the return-side of student
success investments when making budget decisions and advocating for the use of institutional
resources. An important consideration is the multiplier effect of retained students who
continue beyond the second year. For student success, return on investment (ROI) is more
than purely finance, including returns in accomplishing institutional mission, increased
reputation, improved morale, reduction of the costs of student failure, and more.
Presenter:
Randy Swing, Consultant, Association for Institutional Research
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
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Cardiff
HIPPs, DFWs, and PIGs! Oh My! Techniques for Increasing Faculty Pedagogical
Expertise and Developing Faculty Champions
As part of Re-Imagining the First Year, we have begun work on curriculum redesign in
Gateway courses. Two techniques that have had a significant impact early on are the use of
grassroots face-to-face Pedagogical Innovation Groups (PIGs) and an online course developed
by our teaching and learning center focused on increasing knowledge and use of high impact
pedagogical practices (HIPPs). Each of these techniques requires a commitment to trying new
techniques in the classroom and reporting on their effectiveness to the campus community.
They take advantage of known effective practice on our campus as well as increase support to
our associate faculty, who teach a significant portion of our Gateway courses. The PIGS have
also been involved with target setting and planning, a key component for developing faculty
champions on campus. One size does not fit all, so multiple ways of tackling this issue should
increase our likelihood of meaningful success.
Presenters:
Cynthia O'Dell, Associate Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs,
Indiana University Northwest
Mark Hoyert, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University
Northwest
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
|
Balboa
12 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Friday, February 3 (continued)
Roles & Responsibilities in Operationalizing Stewards of Place: The Collaborative
Pathway to Facilitating Educational Innovation
Labor market alignment, a key component of operationalizing stewards of place[1], is a
complex endeavor, but integrating it into higher education development and planning, while
challenging, is achievable. Pennsylvania’s state-owned system of 14 universities is in the
midst of a revolution of accountability to its local regions and the state. This session
illustrates how Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is responding to this revolution by
identifying the ways in which its teaching and scholarship intersect with its service to the
community, particularly with regard to labor market alignment. Highlighting the roles and
responsibilities essential to such educational innovation, this session will also address the
practical steps that were necessary for Bloomsburg University to improve its labor market
alignment: being smart about the policy environment, and a creating a practical framework of
workforce intelligence designed and customized specifically for the four-year higher education
sector.
References: [1] Dunfee, R., and Vaidya, K. A. (2015) Operationalizing Stewards of Place:
Implementing Regional Engagement and Economic Development Strategies, American
Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Presenters:
Ira K. Blake, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs,
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Kathleen Howley, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs,
Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education
Sue Mukherjee, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Educational Intelligence, Office
of the Chancellor, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
|
Mission Hills
Listening to the Voices of Students of Color at a Predominantly White Campus:
Lessons for Improving Inclusion and Campus Climate
This session will air a new 25-minute film created by students at the University of Wisconsin –
La Crosse (UWL) for use as a professional development tool for faculty, staff, and
administrators interested in creating a campus environment in which students of color feel
safe, valued, and included. The film, “Inclusive Negligence: Helping Educators Address Racial
Inequality at UWL,” explores why students of color at UWL report lower levels of satisfaction
with the climate, both on campus and in the classroom, and are more likely than their white
peers to seriously consider leaving the university. Two UWL students involved in the project
will be available to respond to questions about the video. The institution’s provost will also
help provide context and resources. This unique session will give attendees the opportunity to
hear directly from students of color at a predominately white campus, and to think about how
they might foster conversations about their own campus’s climate. Additional information
about UWL's social justice teaching work are available online at https://www.uwlax.edu/socialjustice/resources/for-doing-social-justice-teaching/.
Presenters:
Betsy Morgan, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs,
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Isaiah Thomas, Student, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Isabella Kilibarda, Student, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
|
Miramar
The Guided Pathway System: The University of Hawaii Experience
13 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
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“Every single undergraduate student entering the University of Hawaii will have a clear
individualized Guided Pathway to their credential with intentional student support structures…”
This is the goal of our GPS registration system. During registration, students are presented
with courses based on a personalized academic map for their degree program. Students may
choose to deviate from their map, but it requires a positive act on their part and initiates an
“are you sure?” message that reinforces that the course is not part of their degree
requirements. Academic maps are based on 15 credits per semester which encourages and
supports on-time graduation. This session will describe our “recalculating degree audit
system,” our implementation process, the technical challenges, the initial outcomes based on
pilot implementation, the impact on course scheduling, and the changes to advising.
Presenters:
Risa Dickson, Vice President for Academic Planning and Policy, University of
Hawaii System
Hae Okimoto, Director of Academic Technologies, University of Hawaii
System
2:30 PM – 3:20 PM
|
Palomar
Transforming the Transfer Experience: Transfer Student Success at Metropolitan
State University of Denver
This session will be a facilitated discussion about transfer student retention and the benefits of
post-admission transfer student success programs. Participants will leave with a firm
understanding of the Transfer Student Success and Persistence Program (TSSP) at the
Metropolitan State University of Denver and the specific initiatives that have been created
since the program’s inception. In particular, the discussion will focus on one initiative Transfer Affinity Groups (TAGs) - and provide session participants with ideas for implementing
similar programs on their own campus. The TSSP will be presented within the framework of
Re-Imagining the First Year, in which MSU Denver has intentionally integrated first-year
transfer students.
Presenters:
Tiffani Baldwin, Coordinator of Transfer Student Success and Persistence,
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Bridget Wetzel, Transfer Student Success and Persistence Specialist,
Metropolitan State University of Denver
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
Concurrent Sessions
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Del Mar
Pathways Plus: How Non-Cognitive, Motivational Data Can Inform and Enhance Your
Student Success Pathways
Every student needs a clear pathway to degree completion. While a great deal of emphasis is
placed on developing curricular guides as roadmaps for students, all too often motivational,
noncognitive issues interfere with students realizing their goals. Adopting a holistic approach
to pathways-a “Pathways Plus” strategy—provides students with both direction and support to
achieve their goals by marrying the roadmap with support informed by assessment data. This
session will focus on how one institution—Indiana University Southeast—has embraced the
addition of motivational, non-cognitive assessment to their first-year program and enhanced
both the student and faculty experience. Emphasis will be on how incorporating these data
14 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Friday, February 3 (continued)
into program development and planning impacts students as well as equipping faculty to be
more effective in their work with students.
Presenters:
Donna J. Dahlgren, Dean of Student Success and Persistence, Indiana
University Southeast
Mari Normyle, Assistant Vice President, Retention Solutions, Ruffalo Noel
Levitz
Angela Salas, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana
University Southeast
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Carlsbad
First Year Block Scheduling: Collaborating to Foster a Sense of Community and Belonging
The Academic Advising Office at the University of North Texas at Dallas recently led a cooperative
effort with the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences to implement a block schedule model for firstyear students that utilizes meta-majors. Advisors facilitated block student enrollment of 12-15
credit hours for the fall semester, and students chose a block of 6 credit hours for the spring
semester. Re-imagining our students' first-year experience by utilizing block scheduling allows
students to develop a sense of belonging and create learning communities, with the ultimate goal of
improving retention. This presentation highlights advantages, obstacles, methodologies,
implementation processes, as well as outcomes of the block schedule model. Qualitative Analysis of
block registration, results, and recommendations will be discussed.
Presenters:
Ali Shaqlaih, Associate Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University
of North Texas at Dallas
Rian Wilhite, Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising, University of North
Texas at Dallas
Jessica Gilmore, Senior Academic Counselor, University of North Texas at Dallas
Katrina Coakley, Assistant Provost for Student Success, University of North
Texas at Dallas
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Marina Ballroom D
The Role of Faculty in Student Success (RFY)
This session will be an interactive, moderated discussion about how to engage faculty in
enhancing student success. RFY institutions that have successfully involved their faculty in
student success initiatives will be part of the conversation.
Featured Campuses: St. Cloud State University, Indiana University Northwest, and
Jacksonville State University
Presenter:
M.J. Bishop, Director, William E. Kirwin Center for Academic Innovation,
University of Maryland System
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Cardiff
First-Year Programs & General Education Lifelong Learning (GEL): Increasing FirstYear Student Retention and Erasing First-Year Student Achievement Gaps at CSUSM.
This presentation will illustrate how CSU San Marcos built a campus-wide first-year seminar
program (General Education Lifelong Learning; GEL) that significantly increased overall firstyear retention rates and erased multiple first-year achievement gaps (race/ethnicity, first
generation to attend college, incoming mathematics and English proficiency). The GEL
Program is built upon sustainable and scalable campus-wide partnerships, and employs
15 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Friday, February 3 (continued)
national best practices for engaged pedagogy, faculty and staff professional development, and
program assessment. Intentional flexibility for customization of the program allows us to
meet the needs of our most at-risk students while also serving the vast majority of our
growing first-year student population. Evidence-based decisions continue to drive growth and
development of the GEL Program.
Presenters:
Graham Oberem, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California
State University San Marcos
Dawn Formo, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, California State University San
Marcos
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Balboa
It's Not Carved in Stone: Leading Course Scheduling Changes to Meet the Needs of
21st Century Learners
To meet the unique needs of 21st Century learners, we must incorporate the kinds of highimpact practices identified by AAC&U's LEAP initiative into our curriculum. These high-impact
practices benefit all students, but putting them into action means moving away from offering
the majority of our courses in the traditional "fifty minutes, three times per week" format. As
enthusiastic as we may be about high-impact practices, scheduling grids are oftentimes
viewed as “sacred” and there can be significant angst about making changes. This session will
focus on the process of leading a campus community through scheduling grid changes in order
to better serve the needs of 21st Century learners. (For more information about LEAP's highimpact practices, visit https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/HIP_tables.pdf.)
Presenter:
June Canty, Associate Vice Chancellor, Washington State University
Vancouver
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Mission Hills
Redesigning Academic Policies to be Student-Focused Policies: Putting Students First
Policy alignment is a key component of operationalizing student access and success.
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and its 14 universities embarked on a critical
review of its academic policies with a view to streamlining pathways to success, removing
obstacles, and minimizing the impact of differential and multiple starting points for students.
This resulted in a complete overhaul of the Academic Residency, Student Transfer, General
Education, and New Program Approval policies. This session focuses both on the outcomes of
this overhaul and provides an example of how one university is putting students first by
leveraging these changes as part of a general education reform that provides students with
transcriptable credentials regardless of differential and multiple starting points.
Presenters:
Kathleen Howley, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Pennsylvania's State System of
Higher Education
Laurie Bernotsky, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, West
Chester University of Pennsylvania
Jeffery Osgood, Professor of Public Policy & Administration and Vice Provost,
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
16 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Friday, February 3 (continued)
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Miramar
The Elephants in the Room: Facilitating Conversations About Controversial Issues
Around Student Success
Student success efforts on campus often require conversations about topics that are difficult,
and therefore tempting to avoid. These “elephants in the room” can be problematic because
they involve ideas that are controversial, or because they present obstacles for pursuing
change. Especially when innovation aims at large-scale change, it might seem easier to put
aside these discussions rather than allow them to derail productive planning. In this session
we will propose that it is best to be as open as possible about the controversies on our
campuses, and to explore ways to discuss these issues without allowing them to disrupt our
best efforts to improve student success. Issues discussed will include: budget cuts, academic
freedom, student choice, stigmatization of marginalized groups, scalability, and initiative
fatigue.
Presenter:
Tim Dale, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin, La
Crosse
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
|
Palomar
The Power of Intentionality: The Innovative Advising Approach of Student Success
Teams at Cal State Fullerton
Driven by ambitious student success goals in CSUF’s 2013-18 Strategic Plan, the Divisions of
Academic Affairs and Student Affairs collaborated to create an innovative new advising
approach via dynamic, responsive, college-based Student Success Teams (SSTs). During the
past two academic years, these SSTs have designed and implemented numerous data-driven
advising programs, including campaigns developed specifically for underrepresented student
populations. Within our first two years, we surpassed our target six-year graduation rate and
reduced our achievement gap by 33 percent. So far in 2016 we have been honored as one of
three national finalists in Phi Kappa Phi’s inaugural Innovation Awards and won the National
Academic Advising Association Outstanding Advising Program of the Year. Our presentation
will cover the structure, activities, impact, and opportunities of our SSTs.
Presenters:
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Anil Puri, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Californa State
University, Fullerton
Berenecea Johnson Eanes, Vice President for Student Affairs, Californa
State University, Fullerton
|
San Diego Ballroom A
Wine & Cheese Reception for RFY Attendees
This event will provide an opportunity for Re-Imagining the First Year (RFY) attendees to network with
peers from other RFY institutions. Individuals will have the opportunity to identify topics they would
like to discuss with their RFY colleagues.
17 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4
7:30 AM – 4:30 PM
|
Marina Ballroom Foyer
|
Marina Ballroom Foyer
|
Coronado
Registration
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast for Provosts of Color
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
Concurrent Sessions
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Del Mar
Emerging Trends and Strategic Priorities for International University Partnerships:
Results from the 2016 WES-AASCU Survey
International collaboration has become integral to higher education. As international
partnerships among universities and colleges serve as a crucial resource to build and expand
global linkages, AASCU campus leaders need to know more about the emerging trends and
strategic priorities related to international university partnerships. Join WES experts as they
discuss key findings from the Fall 2016 survey of the membership and hear best practices
from SIOs at peer AASCU institutions.
Presenters:
Joan F. Lorden, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University
of North Carolina, Charlotte
Paul Schulmann, Senior Research Associate, World Education Services (WES)
Stephen J. Stoynoff, Dean of Global Education, Office of the Provost,
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Ian Wright, Director of Partnerships, World Education Services (WES)
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Carlsbad
Modernizing Mathematics Pathways to Improve Degree Completion for All Students:
The What, the Why, and the How
Gateway and developmental mathematics courses pose a significant barrier to postsecondary
attainment for millions of students. Carefully designed math pathways can shorten course
sequences and eliminate the common mismatch between math content and a student’s
program of study. Several states and institutions have taken steps to move away from College
Algebra for non-STEM students and develop and implement rigorous sequences in statistical or
quantitative reasoning more suited to different majors.
This session will cover what math pathways are, why their redesign holds such promise for
improving student success, and how institutions might take steps to redesign and implement
them at scale. It will address crucial issues such as remediation, transfer, advising and
placement, evaluation, and building the right kind of team for advancing redesign efforts, and
18 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
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will describe new resources and supports being developed by a partnership of the leading
organizations working in math pathways and degree completion.
Presenters:
David May, Project Director, Advancing Mathematics Pathways for Student
Success, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Marina Ballroom D
Creating Guided Pathways for First-Year Student Success (RFY)
Three institutions from the Re-Imagining the First Year project will briefly describe how they
developed guided pathways for first year student success. Panelists will then discuss how they are
clarifying the path for success, facilitating access, helping students stay on the path, and ensuring
they are progressing and learning. We’ll also discuss approaches to communicating the pathway
vision, share what campuses have learned thus far, exchange ideas about the advising and student
support structures that can support pathway implementation, and talk about how to address
common challenges.
Featured Campuses: Framingham State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver,
University Central Florida
Presenters:
Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research and the
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute, Indiana University
School of Education
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Cardiff
Co-Requisite Courses in English and Mathematics: A Formula for Successful Completion
The Department of English and the Department of Mathematics at Southeast Missouri State
University implemented co-requisites for first-year Writing and Math courses during the Fall 2014
semester. 86% of the students enrolled in the developmental section of Composition (EN 099)
along with the EN 100 completed EN 100 in one semester. The next fall, 89% completed EN 100 in
one semester. Students taking one of three different Math courses enrolled in a one-hour
developmental section along with the Logical Systems Course. 73% of 426 students completed
developmental math in one semester in Fall 2014, and 70% of 285 students in Fall 2016. Corequisite courses provide students with the additional help they need to be successful, and thereby
contribute to student retention.
Presenters:
Susan Kendrick, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of English,
Southeast Missouri State University
Tamela Randolph, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Mathematics,
Southeast Missouri State University
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Balboa
Improving Success of STEM Students Through Mathematics Placement, Learning
Communities and Growth Mindset
The CSU, Long Beach STEM Learning Communities address two key problems in the pipeline of
STEM majors on campus: (1) historically low completion rates in both pre-calculus Algebra and
Calculus courses for all majors and, additionally, low completion rates in the pre-baccalaureate
General Chemistry course for sciences majors, and (2) very low first-year retention of STEM
freshman who initially place into college algebra. STEM Learning Community programs at
CSU, Long Beach use a combination of residential summer bridge programs, a sophisticated
mathematics placement tool, peer mentoring, cohort scheduling, and targeted academic
support services with the overarching theme of growth mindset and metacognitive learning
19 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
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strategies. Students enrolled in the learning communities demonstrate significantly improved
course completion in math and chemistry courses, higher first-year retention rates, and
improved academic confidence.
Presenters:
Kris Slowinski, Associate Dean, College of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics, California State University Long Beach
Tracy Maples, Associate Dean, College of Engineering, California State
University Long Beach
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Mission Hills
New Models for Providing Support to Transfer Students
This interactive presentation will outline a data-based model for designing appropriate support
for transfer students in order to improve the quality of their learning and their social
experiences at four-year institutions. Presenters from Stockton University make use of both
on-hand data from NSSE and in-depth focus group feedback to provide better support to
transfer students to ensure that the University addresses the specific learning and cocurricular needs of transfer students. We will present procedures as well as outcomes of
efforts to interrogate the transfer process, identify obstacles to excellence, and address the
unique needs of this heterogeneous student population. The presentation will be rooted in
contemporary research and attendees will leave with detailed steps for investigating and
ameliorating the transfer students’ pathway to success.
Presenters:
Lori Vermeulen, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stockton
University
Sonia Gonsalves, Director of Academic Assessment and Professor of
Psychology, Stockton University
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Miramar
The Westfield State Experience: Bringing Capstone Projects, Civic Engagement and
Experiential Learning to the Larger Student Body
Top students already do senior capstone projects and present on campus and at regional and
national conferences, and they often integrate internships, study abroad, or civic engagement
activities into their college education. But how do we engage more of our students in these
larger-than-coursework elements of a broadened college experience? Through civic
engagement, first-year only programs, experiential learning, and undergraduate research and
creative work, our university is expanding the college experience to include these wider-world
contexts and improve retention and graduation rates. We will share our research and
strategies at the midway point in the development of a university-wide initiative to boost all
these activities, and engage attendees in conversation about their experiences for broadening,
deepening, and documenting an enhanced undergraduate experience.
Presenters:
Michael Filas, Associate Dean, Westfield State University
Marsha Marotta, Interim Vice President, Academic Affairs, Westfield State
University
20 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
8:45 AM – 9:35 AM
|
Palomar
Gateway of Opportunity to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (G.O.S.T.E.M): A Student Affairs Approach
This interactive presentation will discuss how Harris-Stowe State University’s Division of
Student Affairs played a role in introducing the STEM field to male African American and Latino
middle school students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds. In partnership
with the Verizon Foundation, Harris-Stowe State University began the Verizon Innovative
Learning Program, which creates pathways for students to pursue careers in STEM by
providing ongoing opportunities for students to meet and network with successful
professionals in STEM careers. This program begins to address society's needs for a larger,
more diverse body of scientists and engineers, while at the same time creating a positive,
educational environment that is committed to building strong relationships with students.
Presenters:
Dr. Emmanuel Lalande, Vice President and Dean of Student Success, HarrisStowe State University
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
Concurrent Sessions
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Del Mar
Academic Coaching: The Key to Student Success
Recommended by the American Association of Community Colleges in their 2012 report,
Reclaiming the American Dream, “All or most students would complete a student success
course in their first term and enter a structured program of study as soon as possible.” The
solution? Imagine every entering student completing a 3-unit comprehensive guidance course
that culminates in a personalized online 10-year plan that is used for advisory and academic
coaching purposes.
The 10-year plan process supports students in:
x
Identifying a carefully considered career path that is motivational
x
Making an informed choice regarding a major that matches their career path
x
Developing a Skills-based Education Plan to maximize limited time with advisors
x
Completing their education with a mobile app that provides just-in-time access to their
10-year Plan
During this session, the steps Saginaw Valley State University is taking to provide students
with this comprehensive guidance experience will be shared.
Presenters:
Lisa Imel, Educational Consultant, Academic Innovations Higher Ed
Cal Talley, Special Assistant to the Provost, Saginaw Valley State University
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Marina Ballroom D
Focusing on the Whole Student (RFY)
This session will explore the responses of students to their educational experiences and to the
campus community. We will discuss what we mean by the ”whole student” and compare strategies
for promoting students' academic success, the development of competence and confidence, and the
development of a sense of belonging and purpose.
Presenters:
Mark Canada, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana University - Kokomo
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Cardiff
21 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
Degree, Set, Go!
In alignment with the CSU Graduation Initiative, “Degree, Set, Go!” is a campus-wide
campaign whose immediate goals are to measure student course demand accurately, and to
offer a course schedule that best meets student demand. Based on faculty-constructed
academic roadmaps, the Degree Planner software offers students a starting point in course
planning, and a means to shuffle course choices across semesters or modify graduation time
to best fit their needs. In this presentation, we will highlight the steps taken at CSU, San
Marcos to increase student utilization of Degree Planner, including advisor and faculty buy-in,
explore ways to measure Degree Planner output meaningfully, and discuss how to adjust FTE
allocations to colleges based upon the anticipated student course demand. In short, Degree,
Set, Go!
Presenters:
Graham Oberem, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California
State University San Marcos
Kamel Haddad, Vice Provost, California State University San Marcos
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Balboa
Integrated Course Design as a Pathway to Student Success
Southern Oregon University identified eight gateway courses with low success rates, high
stop-out rates (students not returning in subsequent fall term), and significant first-year
student enrollments. Faculty teams redesigned courses to provide significant learning
experiences based on active learning instructional strategies. Projects involved faculty inquiry
into situational factors affecting student success in courses, including challenges for the firstyear student; departmental commitment to a common course design framework (including
syllabi, rubrics, and embedded assignments and teaching practices to achieve learning
outcomes); initial and ongoing instructor development in the use of the frameworks; and
formal research to assess the results of interventions in terms of effect on student success,
retention, and rigor. This presentation will report on the results of the first year of the project.
Presenter:
Vicki Suter, Director of the Center for Instructional Support, Southern Oregon
University
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Mission Hills
The Creation of "Transfer Nebraska"
To promote academic transfer for students attending one of Nebraska’s postsecondary
institutions, a state-wide initiative resulted in the development and implementation of
"Transfer Nebraska." Transfer Nebraska is an online resource on college course transfer
among Nebraska’s 16 public colleges or universities and several private colleges. The website
is an essential tool for a number of individuals, including high school students who want to
ensure that their dual-credit courses will transfer, college students who are considering a
transfer to another institution, parents, and school counselors who advise students and inform
parents on academic planning and college opportunities.
Presenter:
Jodi Kupper, Vice Chancellor for Academic Planning and Partnerships,
Nebraska State College System
22 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Miramar
You Belong! Cross-Department Collaboration for Successful Onboarding
Inspired by AASCU’s Re-Imagining the First Year initiative, MSU Denver’s First Year Success
Program, New Student Orientation area, and Academic Advising shop collaborated to
restructure students’ first experiences on campus. The goals of this joint project were to:
provide messaging during mandatory New Student Orientation sessions that would promote
growth mindset; suggest guided pathways for academic schedules that would lead students
to an earlier declaration of major; encourage registration for full-time schedules that would
set students on a path toward timely degree completion; and organize structured orientation
activities to foster a sense of belonging at the University. In this presentation, we will share
early results that suggest a positive impact on retention, and we will workshop methods for
other institutions to incorporate RFY-inspired research and methods in order to facilitate
student success in the first year and beyond.
Presenters:
Lunden MacDonald, Director, First Year Success Program, Metropolitan State
University of Denver
Denny Boyd, Director, New Student Orientation, Metropolitan State University
of Denver
9:45 AM – 10:35 AM
|
Palomar
Data Don’t Talk to Strangers: Growing a Data-informed Decision Making Culture
In a recent Change Magazine article, a new vision for institutional research recommended a
decentralized approach for data-informed decision making at all levels of the university.
Disruptive innovations call for re-thinking the 60-year-old concept of an office of institutional
research and “one source of the truth” data-keepers. The new vision is presented as a natural
next step in an institution’s capacity for effectively using data to support strategic, tactical,
and operational planning at all levels of an institution. What is your institution’s DATA
STRATEGY? Is your institution’s data capacity a balanced supply of, and demand for, data?
How can you grow your data ecosystem through professional development and senior
administration leadership? While big data analytics holds great promise for new discoveries,
most campuses are overlooking the immediate potential of simple sums (counting) and
percentages.
Presenter:
10:35 AM – 11:10 AM
Randy Swing, Consultant, Association for Institutional Research
|
Marina Ballroom Foyer
Refreshment Break
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
Concurrent Sessions
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Carlsbad
Charting a Course on the Pathway to Civic Engagement: An Inventory and Action
Plan for Engaged Campuses
This presentation describes the development and implementation of a robust inventory
designed to help campuses assess their current infrastructure and best practice to promote
civic engagement. The results of an initial research from a 2013 study with the New England
Resource Center for Higher Education garnered national attention as campuses began to use
the research when applying for the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement and
23 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
campus programming. This led to the development of an inventory that can be used to
compare the infrastructure and best practice of a campus to comparable institutions that have
received the Carnegie Classification. Learn more about the inventory and a 2017 summer
institute hosted by AASCU’s American Democracy Project designed to review and incorporate
campus inventory results into an action plan to help institutionalize campus civic engagement
efforts and aid campuses (re)applying for the Carnegie Classification.
Presenters:
Marshall Welch, Independent Scholar and Author of Engaging Higher
Education: Purpose, Platforms, and Programs for Community Engagement
(Stylus, 2016)
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Marina Ballroom D
Redesigning Gateway Courses (RFY)
Curricular bottlenecks and gateway courses continue to be barriers for institutional, faculty
and student success goals. In this session, Re-Imagining the First Year project participants
that have undertaken gateway course redesign will introduce their efforts and talk about how
they have overcome obstacles, and capitalized on opportunities. Fifteen minutes will be
reserved for questions and answers from session attendees.
Featured Campuses: Southern Oregon University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Utah
Valley University
Presenters:
M.J. Bishop, Director, William E. Kirwin Center for Academic Innovation,
University of Maryland System
Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research and the
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute, Indiana University
School of Education
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Cardiff
Diversifying Silicon Valley One Cohort at a Time: The CS-in-3 Degree Partnership
Hartnell College and California State University Monterey Bay will share what they have
learned through building CSin3, a successful computer science degree pathway that was
seeded by a scholarship commitment from the Matsui Foundation and bridges multiple
components of the high school-to-career pipeline. The result has been an 84% transfer rate in
computer science from Hartnell to CSUMB, and a 68% 3-year graduation rate. Of the first 4
cohorts, 85% are underrepresented minority students and 43% women, both atypical for the
discipline.
Through presentation and discussion the panel will explore the challenges
remaining in streamlining, scaling, and institutionalizing such an innovative program. They
also will emphasize the need for true collaboration driven by a common goal to serve students
and make higher education a legitimate pathway for upward mobility.
Presenters:
Bonnie Irwin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California
State University, Monterey Bay
Shannon Bliss, Dean of Academic Affairs, Math, Science and Engineering,
Hartnell College
Sathya Narayanan, Associate Professor of Computer Science, California
State University, Monterey Bay
24 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Balboa
Institutionalizing Student Success in an Era of Change
In 2016, California State University, Northridge created a new office that would focus on
innovative approaches to student success in an academic context. Later that summer, the
CSU system launched the Graduation Initiative 2025 which included ambitious new graduation
and retention rate goals and a mandate to eliminate the "achievement gap." Our presentation
will focus on the ways in which this new unit, under the leadership of a faculty director and an
administrator, was able to facilitate the launch of the Graduation Initiative 2025 project on our
campus and engage in a broader conversation about approaches to student success that
included all groups at the University.
Presenters:
Elizabeth Adams, Associate Vice President, California State University,
Northridge
Kristy Michaud, Director, Office of Student Success Innovations, California
State University, Northrdige
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Mission Hills
Providing Students with a Career EDGE: Embedding Integrated Academic and Career
Advising Within Undergraduate Pathways Across Indiana University
Indiana University's Career EDGE (Exploration, Development, Graduation, and Employment)
initiative provides a conceptual framework and action plan for motivating undergraduates to fully
engage in the career and academic resources that will make them successful. We will discuss the
process by which we engaged faculty and professional staff in developing, piloting and implementing
shareable online modules to teach academic and career planning in first year seminars, career
courses and capstones across campuses of Indiana University. We will also share outcomes and
lessons learned, as well as facilitate a broader discussion of strategies to foster partnerships
between academic and career professionals from orientation through graduation.
Presenters:
Kathy Johnson, Chief Academic Officer, Professor of Psychology, Indiana
University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Rebecca Torstrick, Assistant Vice President for University Academic and Regional
Campus Affairs, Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Miramar
Using an Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Task Force to Create and Implement a
Strategic Plan for Student Success
Pittsburg State University has addressed retention and persistence for many years, implementing
strategies around recruitment, transfer articulation, degree completion, and tutoring, as well as
reviewing its policies and procedures. Recently, while implementing a new strategic plan, PSU came
to the realization that it needed to be more strategic in its efforts to promote student success. To
this end, it became a member of the second cohort of the John N. Gardner Institute’s Retention
Performance Management (RPM) initiative, which analyzes data to support a Task Force planning
model constructed on a foundation of academic and student affairs collaboration. PSU is also
participating in the Gardner Institute's Analytics Process Collaborative (APC) to focus on math and
other gateway courses. PSU faculty are at the center of RPM and APC work. This session will
describe the RPM initiative using PSU as a case study, outlining our process and outcomes to date.
Presenters:
Lynette J. Olson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Pittsburg State
University
Andrew K. Koch, Chief Operating Officer, John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence
in Undergraduate Education
25 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
|
Palomar
Search Materials: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Every year search firms pour through application letters and resumes as they review candidates for
positions in higher education. And every year, good candidates get eliminated because their
materials are so terrible. This session will review ideas about how to write the best letters of
application and use the best format for resumes, culled from more than 17 years of experience
helping applicants advance to the final stages in academic searches. Feel free to bring examples of
your own materials, either for discussion in the session or for a private review afterwards.
Presenter:
George L. Mehaffy, Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change, AASCU
12:15 PM – 1:50 PM
Lunch and Featured Sessions
12:15 PM – 1:50 PM
|
Cardiff
Making a Case for Change at Utah Valley University
Utah Valley University, the largest institution in the state of Utah, is open admissions with
enrollments consisting of 36 percent first-generation and 41 percent non-traditional students. One
of its core themes is student success. As such, the institution has identified specific initiatives to
assist students with degree completion. These include restructuring academic advising and
adopting a predictive analytics tool, course section management focused on student-centric
scheduling, and the adoption of a math preparation and learning system which has saved students
over $363,000 in tuition and 390 courses. The UVU team will share details about these initiatives
and lessons learned, with an emphasis on navigating the politics of change.
Presenters:
Maureen Andrade (Moderator), Associate Vice President, Utah Valley University
David Connelly, Department Chair, Utah Valley University
Tiffany Evans, Director of Program Completion, Utah Valley University
Michelle Kearns, Associate Vice President, Utah Valley University
12:15 PM – 1:50 AM
|
Mission Hills
Teacher Education Task Force Report: Highlights and Implications
In June 2016 AASCU convened a task force that surveyed presidents and provosts of member
institutions and, separately, deans of education at public colleges and universities. The survey
asked respondents to provide basic background information about their teacher preparation
programs; discuss their program’s needs, supports, and highlights; assess the state of public
education in their region; and weigh in on the current federal policy landscape as it pertains to
teacher preparation programs. Presenters will discuss what the survey results indicate about
the state of teacher education at AASCU institutions, including the most pressing issues,
emerging innovations and the important role of presidents and provosts in strengthening and
supporting the effectiveness of their programs for an increasingly diverse PK-12 student body
in the current policy environment. The task force report, including survey results, will be
released at this conference.
Presenters:
Jolanda Westerhof, Associate Vice President of Academic Leadership and
Change, Director of Teacher Education, AASCU
Michael C. Zola, Vice President for Government Relations and Policy Analysis,
AASCU
Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Teacher Education
and Public School Programs, California State University Office of the Chancellor
26 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success
Saturday, February 4 (continued)
12:15 PM – 1:50 PM
|
Palomar
Leveraging National Data Initiatives to Tell Your Institution’s Story – with Evidence!
The session will describe the latest information and tools available through participation in
three national data initiatives: the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), the Student
Achievement Measure (SAM) and the Excellence in Assessment Designation (EIA). Each
initiative was created in collaboration with universities to help leaders better communicate
institutional value and student success to external and internal audiences. Examples will be
provided for student learning outcomes, student progress and completion, and institutional
benchmarking. Learn more about effective storytelling using national data and evidence!
Presenter:
Christine M. Keller, Executive Director, Student Acheivement Measure and
Voluntary System of Accountability, Association of Public and Land-grant
Universities (APLU)
12:15 PM – 1:50 PM
|
Miramar
What Matters Most? Building Consensus Around Academic Priorities
Moving academic achievement to the central position on a college campus requires
coordinated efforts. Dixie State University has developed an interdivisional leadership team to
identify people, processes, and systems that impact student success. With cross-campus
common goals, the identification of “broken windows,” and an emphasis on active learning,
the university is centralizing engaged pedagogy, including the development of the
Personalized Active Learning Model (PALM), a tool to help faculty engage learners. This
session will provide a blueprint for coordinating various initiatives on campus and give
participants specific strategies for developing a shared vision around student success.
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Identify the components of a Logic Model that coordinates meta initiatives.
2. Identify strategies for organizing a cross-campus leadership team to support shared goals.
3. Describe the foundational principles and components of the PALM, and identify ways it can
be used to promote active teaching and learning.
Presenters:
Michael Lacourse, Provost, Dixie State University
Bruce Harris, Executive Director, Dixie State University
Nancy Hauck, Associate Provost, Dixie State University
Sandy Petersen, Associate Provost for Academic Quality, Dixie State
University
David Wade, Director of Academic Plannning, Dixie State University
12:15 PM – 1:50 PM
|
Marina Ballroom D
RFY on the Regional Campuses of Indiana University: Balancing Autonomy and
Collaboration
The Regional Campuses of Indiana University are separately accredited AASCU institutions.
They are unique in the regions, demographics, and cultures that they serve. They are
“Stewards of Place” in the best sense. Together, they comprise five of Indiana University’s
seven campuses, with approximately one third of Indiana University’s faculty and students.
They joined AASCU’s RFY project as a “cohort within the cohort,” each with unique goals for
student success, and each a part of a unique collaboration within a large, multi-campus public
university. This panel presentation details how each of the IU regional campuses has been
able use the RFY project to motivate positive change within its own campus culture while
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Saturday, February 4 (continued)
simultaneously utilizing and participating in collaborative structures between them and within
Indiana University.
Presenters:
William McKinney (Moderator), Senior Advisor for Regional Campus Affairs,
Indiana University Office of University Academic Affairs
Michelle Malott, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana
University, East
Mark Canada, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana
University, Kokomo
Anna Rominger, Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs,
Indiana University, Northwest
Uric Dufrene, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana
University, Southeast
Jann Joseph, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Indiana
University, South Bend
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
Concurrent Sessions
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
|
Marina Ballroom D
How to Think About and Measure Success: A Philosophical Discussion (RFY)
What we mean by "student success" often changes depending on whether we are talking to
different levels of government, institutions, administrators, or faculty members. For example,
the data we report at the institutional level (retention rates, graduation rates, post-graduate
employment) may not be as immediately relevant for instructors of particular courses.
Likewise, while it may make sense for institutions to focus on the "murky middle", this
approach is unlikely to be adopted by individual faculty members. Despite the range of
meanings assigned to student success, a common conversation about students success is
critical for defining it, measuring it, and developing the programs aimed at improving it. How
can we bridge these different conversations about student success? How can course or
program based definitions of student success be connected to institutional ones? This session
will be an open conversation about working with current definitions, and perhaps exploring
new ones.
Presenters:
Tim Dale, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin, La
Crosse
Jo Arney, Program Director, Re-Imagining the First Year, AASCU
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
|
Balboa
Driving for 80: Engaging Faculty and Support Units to Increase Freshman Retention
Southeast Missouri State University has a freshman retention rate hovering in recent years
around 73 percent, near the median for regional comprehensive universities with moderately
selective admissions. Recently, an aggressive goal was set to improve this rate to 80 percent
in the next three to four years. To accomplish this aspirational goal, a comprehensive effort
engaging faculty, student services, and academic advising is required. Presenters will discuss
specific initiatives to engage faculty in the development of college and program-level retention
plans, organize and focus various support units, and mobilize the Advising Center to provide
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advanced development for faculty and staff advisors. This inclusive initiative is designed to
align relevant aspects of the campus in a “drive for 80.”
Presenters:
Karl Kunkel, Provost, Southeast Missouri State University
Deborah Below, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student
Success, Southeast Missouri State University
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
|
Mission Hills
Applying NSSE Findings to Create Environments for Student Success
Is your campus making the most of NSSE results and findings to create an optimum learning
environment for student success? Join us for an interactive session focused on recent NSSE
findings about student engagement factors that most influence retention and graduation and
the importance of learning support in the first college year. We’ll also exchange ideas about
data use for accreditation and quality improvement projects and discuss approaches to using
NSSE modules on academic advising, global learning, and senior transitions to dig deeper on
critical issues for student success.
Presenter:
Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research and the
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute, Indiana University
School of Education
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
|
Palomar
TRANSFER NOW: Getting Transfer Students in the Academic Pipeline Earlier
Half of the undergraduates attending Stockton University are transfer students. Until this
year, such students registered for courses during a two-day orientation program in late
August. This past summer, as part of our Re-Imagining the First Year initiative, transfer
students were offered the opportunity to attend “Transfer Now” events. These evenings
offered abbreviated, three-hour orientations about the campus setting, faculty, and student
services to ensure that students’ sense of belonging remained high, but also enabled students
to register for courses weeks before they had done so previously, increasing the likelihood of
admission to desired program classes. This presentation tracks the efficacy of such efforts as
demonstrated through online survey responses as well as analyses of first-semester course
performance compared to prior cohorts.
Presenters:
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Michelle McDonald, Assistant Provost, Stockton University
Robert Gregg, Dean, School of General Studies, Stockton University
|
Marina Ballroom E-G
Closing Plenary and Reception: Tackling Transfer: The National Landscape and the Role of
AASCU Institutions
In this workshop, Davis Jenkins of the Community College Research Center and Alison Kadlec of Public
Agenda will lead a discussion about challenges in community college-to-four-year transfer nationally
and the role of AASCU institutions in addressing them. They will want to hear from participants where
community college transfer students fit in your institutions’ strategic plans, what your colleges are
doing now to serve these students…and what more you think your institutions could or should be
doing to support improved outcomes for community college transfer students. They will introduce
participants to the Transfer Playbook, a guide to improving transfer practices based on research by
CCRC and the Aspen Institute on the practices of partnerships of two- and four-year institutions that
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are especially effective in enabling students who start at two-year colleges to transfer and earn
bachelor’s degrees. Participants will be introduced to an institutional assessment tool developed as a
companion to the Playbook, and be invited to provide feedback on its potential use and usefulness at
home institutions.
Presenters:
Alison Kadlec, Senior Vice President and Director, Higher Education and Workforce
Programs, Public Agenda
Davis Jenkins, Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center,
Teachers College, Columbia University
30 | 2017 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting | Pathways: Structuring Choices, Facilitating Success