Student Engagement Retreat:
The Sophomore Student
April 27, 2012
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Opening Remarks
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Presentation and Discussion of
Original Proposed KPEs
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Workshops
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Health/Wellness/Spirituality
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Are you in the Rama-know?
Finding Your Compass Points
School-Related
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What does your on-line profile say about you?
You’re Hired….The VIP Series
CA Advisement
Faculty/Student Research Day
Presentation and Discussion of
Original Proposed KPEs - continued
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Career-Related Event
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Workshops
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Boys and Girls Club
Class-Related Activities
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Information literacy class sessions
Reading and using information workshop
Service Activities
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Internship Conference
Overlook/Linden program
Academic Advisement
First Year Engagement
Progress Report
Between Summer 2011 and Spring 2012, the FYE Board
oversaw the execution of 11 KPEs:
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Orientation
Summer Reading/Convocation
AlcoholEdu
Choices and Consequences
Green Dot
Academic Advisement
Arching and First Year Assembly
Maroon Madness
LollaNoBooza
FYS/Peers
Club Fair
Observations about KPEs
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Of the 11 KPEs, 9 were programs/activities that were
already in existence, but utilized goals and outcomes
to drive the planning and incorporated assessment
into the delivery of the program
2 KPEs: Maroon Madness and AlcoholEdu were
new programs that were implemented this year.
We missed an opportunity to communicate to
students before they arrived on campus about the
set of KPEs and the expectations that they would
participate in all of the 11
Observations about KPEs - continued
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This year’s weather, primarily Hurricane Irene, caused
challenges for communication with first-year students
upon check-in or move-in and thus a lower turn out for
Welcome Week sessions (notably Green Dot and
Choices and Consequences were lower than usual)
Institutionally, we need to find a better way to
communicate with first-year students about the Welcome
Week Programs being mandatory.
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Better incorporate the Peers, RAs and other student leaders
to get first-year students out to Welcome Week workshops
Observations about KPEs - continued
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Those KPEs that have incentives (or disincentives for not
completing) have the highest attendance
rates/participation counts - Orientation (class schedule),
AlcoholEdu (Registration Hold), Academic Advisement
(Registration Hold), First Year Seminar (Graduation
Requirement)
3 FY SE Outcomes with Strongest
Responses
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We placed all First Year SE outcomes on a likert scale on
the First Semester Survey (administered in November),
top 3 that had highest percentages with Strongly Agree or
Agree:
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I have taken responsibility for my personal development,
I understand my roles, rights and responsibilities as a
member of the global community,
I understand how to apply classroom knowledge to current
experiences and future goals
3 FY SE Outcomes where we need to
enhance our efforts
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Three that indicate our FY students need more work
around these outcomes:
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I embrace being a member of the Ramapo College
Community and participate in activities that celebrate
college pride
I have explored opportunity for involvement in campus
activities
I have had the opportunity to explore my own and other
cultures, beliefs and practices.
KPE Observations
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Of these KPEs, 11 were scheduled in the first
semester with only Academic advisement carrying
over with a second assessment in the spring
semester (mandatory advising)
As a result, and realizing the need to strengthen
International and Intercultural Understanding (as
discussed in 1st year retreats), FYE Board has put
together World Expo on May 2nd.
Assessment Observations
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6 of the 11 KPEs utilized the First-Semester survey
to assess their outcomes. While this allowed for
larger participation rates, it also led to the
diminishing effect (i.e. asking students about a
September event in November) might cause them
not to remember the event in the same way.
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Example: Orientation
Assessment Observations - continued
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Trying to utilize assessment tool makes units
dependent on the analysis of one survey, so that
holds up discussions on “closing the loop”. FYE
Board is currently still reviewing the results of KPEs
because it took longer to review data.
Assessment Observations - continued
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KPEs that administer “on the spot” assessments get
immediate feedback and can begin discussing
results immediately following the KPE. However,
these are more time consuming as they require
someone in the unit to compile and then analyze the
results.
Assessment Observations - continued
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Assessment doesn’t necessarily mean that you have
to ask the exact outcome in the form of a question,
because student’s don’t necessarily speak our
language; we need to find ways to ask students
questions that get at the outcomes, but in language
that better resonates with them.
Unit Perspective on KPE Assessment
Center for Health and Counseling Services
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KPEs:
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AlcoholEdu
Choices and Consequences
LollaNoBooza
AlcoholEdu
Goal
Outcome
Personal
Engagement:
Interaction,
participation, and
interest in knowing
self and self in
relation to the
world. Reflection
on one’s place on
the campus, in the
community, and in
the world.
Understanding
one’s strengths
and weaknesses
and using this
knowledge to
reach one’s goals.
Students will take
responsibility for their
personal development
and construct a plan to
achieve it.
Measure
Embedded survey
60% of students will agree or
question: When
strongly agree.
answering this question
in Survey 1
(administered in
August) consider the
importance you believe
it would be to have a
personal plan about
your alcohol use. When
answering this question
in Survey 3
(administered in
October) comment on
whether you used your
personal plan and found
it helpful.
Creating and following a
personal plan to
minimize the negative
consequences of
alcohol use was helpful.
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Achievement target
Findings
Survey 1 (August)
84%
Survey 3
October
79%
Choices & Consequences
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Goal
Outcome
Measure
Academic Engagement:
Interaction, participation and interest in
gaining skills and increasing
knowledge. Seeking ways to relate
learning inside the classroom with life
outside the classroom.
Personal Engagement:
Interaction, participation, and interest in
knowing self and self in relation to the
world. Reflection on one’s place on the
campus, in the community, and in the
world. Understanding one’s strengths
and weaknesses and using this
knowledge to reach one’s goals.
Students will
explore their own
and other cultures,
beliefs, and
practices.
Survey question:
Through attendance at
this workshop, I was
able to explore my
beliefs and practices
about alcohol use.
Students will
Survey question: As a
demonstrate their result of attending this
ability to identify
workshop, I am able to
and utilize campus identify College
resources when
resources related to
needed.
alcohol education and
intervention.
80% of students will agree or
strongly agree.
61%
90% of students will agree or
strongly agree.
89%
Campus/Civic Engagement
Interaction, participation and interest in
the social, cultural, and leadership
aspects of the College. Building the
skills necessary to become active,
engaged citizens who make the College,
the nation and the world better places to
live, learn, and work.
Students will
understand their
roles, rights and
responsibilities as
citizens of the
Ramapo campus.
90%
80% of attendees will agree or
strongly agree that the
workshop helped them to better
understand their roles, rights
and responsibilities related to
alcohol use.
Survey question: As a
result of attending this
workshop, I have a
greater understanding of
my role, rights, &
responsibilities
connected to alcohol
use as a member of the
Ramapo Community.
Achievement target
Findings
LollaNoBooza
Goal
Outcome
Social Engagement:
Interaction,
participation, and
interest in socializing
with others within an
active community.
Seeking activities that
facilitate positive
relationships with
others.
Students will explore
opportunities for
involvement in campus
activities.
Measure
Question on the first-semester
survey: LollaNOBooza (the event
which occurred the night before
classes began which consisted of
a carnival like setting with
recreational activities sponsored
by student groups) provided me
with information about how to get
Findings
90% of students will agree or
strongly agree.
76%
90% students will agree or
strongly agree.
85%
involved on campus.
Students will establish
Question on the first-semester
connections with their
survey: My attendance at
peers, faculty, and staff. LollaNOBooza provided me with
an opportunity to interact with
other students and staff.
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Achievement target
Sophomore Goals and Outcomes
Goal 1: Academic Engagement
Interaction, participation and interest in gaining skills and
increasing knowledge. Seeking ways to relate learning inside the
classroom with life outside the classroom.
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Outcome 1: Students will apply classroom knowledge to
current experiences and future goals.
Outcome 2: Students will explore their own and/or other
cultures, beliefs, and practices.
Outcome 3: Students will use college-level discourse in
speaking and writing both individually and in groups.
Outcome 4: Students will conduct research and use
technology responsibly and effectively.
Sophomore Goals and Outcomes
Goal 2: Social Engagement
Interaction, participation, and interest in socializing with others
within an active community. Seeking activities that facilitate
positive relationships with others.
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Outcome 1: Students will participate in campus activities.
Outcome 2: Students will interact meaningfully with faculty,
staff, and peers and reflect on those interactions.
Outcome 3: Students will actively serve or participate in the
Ramapo College community.
Sophomore Goals and Outcomes
Goal 3: Personal Engagement
Interaction, participation, and interest in knowing self and self in relation to
the world. Reflection on one’s place on the campus, in the community,
and in the world. Understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses and
using this knowledge to reach one’s goals.
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Outcome 1: Students will utilize campus resources when needed.
Outcome 2: Students will engage in self-reflection and develop a
sense of purpose.
Outcome 3: Students will reflect on their current view of the world and
their place in it.
Outcome 4: Students will reflect on their academic performance,
strengths, and interests in order to identify an appropriate major.
Outcome 5: Students will explore opportunities for career
development.
Sophomore Goals and Outcomes
Goal 4: Campus and Civic Engagement
Interaction, participation and interest in the social, cultural, and
leadership aspects of the College. Building the skills necessary to
become active, engaged citizens who make the College, the
nation and the world better places to live, learn, and work.
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Outcome 1: Students will engage actively as responsible
citizens of the Ramapo campus.
Outcome 2: Students will understand their roles, rights and
responsibilities as local, national and global citizens.
Criteria for Sophomore KPEs
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A high-impact activity or an activity leading to a high-impact
activity, meaning that it is:
– A substantive interaction, in class and out of class, with
peers, faculty, and staff or
– A common experience that deepens understanding of self
and others or
– An opportunity to connect in-class and out-of-class learning.
An opportunity, either designed for or beneficial to sophomore
students, that meets their developmental needs.
An opportunity that fosters self-reflection and leads to personal
development.
Criteria for Inclusion as a KPE
Under a KPE Category
The activity must:
 Meet the definition of a sophomore KPE;
 Meet the outcome(s) aligned to the KPE Category;
and
 Meet a reasonable expectation of student
participation.
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Proposed KPEs

Workshops
–
–

Health/Wellness/Spirituality
–
–

Are you in the Rama-know?
Finding Your Compass Points
School-Related
–
–
26
What does your on-line profile say about you?
You’re Hired….The VIP Series
CA Advisement
Faculty/Student Research Day
Proposed KPEs

Career-Related Event
–

Workshops
–
–
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Boys and Girls Club
Class-Related Activities
–

Information literacy class sessions
Reading and using information workshop
Service Activities
–

Internship Conference
Overlook/Linden program
Academic Advisement
Marketing
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A clear,cohesive theme is required (e.g., The
“RAMAzing Race”
Faculty understanding and support of this initiative is
key. The way that CEC’s are communicated by
professors is absolutely essential to student
motivation
Keys to Success: What’s the Payoff ? (how about the
PUSHING=>BOUNDARIES motif with “payoffs” like
INTERNSHIP=> JOB). Should be “fun and future
oriented”
Marketing
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There needs to be a master calendar targeted to
each of the “classes” coordinated by each group
o
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Luminis, Orgsync, Google?
Delineate the “goals/outcomes” by colors (Academic,
Social, Personal, Civic)
Tie events in with the Platinum Series (perhaps a “Gold
Series” calendar?)
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Marketing
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What incentives will there be for completing these
“KPE’s”?
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Priority registration
Priority housing
Begin HEAVY marketing with Admitted Students Day
and keep it going through Orientation and Welcome
Week
Market this as being unique to the Ramapo
experience
DO NOT MANDATE THIS PROGRAM!!! If you do, it
will suck all of the joy and motivation out of it!
Assessment and Tracking
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Electronic portfolios vs. co-curricular transcripts
Next Steps
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KPEs in progress
Fine-tuning Assessment Plans
Sophomore Year Experience Board
Action Items
Closing Remarks
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