Defining & Measuring First-Year Excellence
Betsy Barefoot, EdD
Maryland Higher Education
Retention Conference
October 31, 2005
How would you define excellence?
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Retention?
Innovative curriculum?
Satisfied students?
Evidence of learning?
Continuous improvement?
What else?
The Project: Institutions of
Excellence in the
First College Year
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Open in 2002 to all accredited 2- & 4-year
institutions
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130 nominations received
54 semi-finalists
13 finalists
Selections made by national panel of experts
Each portfolio read & rated by 4 reviewers
Not a ranking system!
Criteria for Excellence
Intentional &
Comprehensive Efforts
Strong Administrative Support
& Institutionalization
Assessment of
Initiatives
Broad Impact on
Critical Mass of Students
Involvement of Faculty,
Student Life, & Others
Institutions of Excellence
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Comm College of
Denver
LaGuardia Comm C
Kalamazoo College
Eckerd College
Drury University
US Military Academy
Elon University
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Lehman CollegeCUNY
Texas A&M-Corpus
Christi
Appalachian State U
Ball State University
IUPUI
University of South
Carolina
University of South Carolina
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First-year seminar: full credit, one semester;
75% of students take it.
Leadership, formal and informal
Assessment is central and transparent
Academic-student affairs partnership
Housing concepts based in academics
Academically centered orientation
The “Carolinian Creed”
Ball State University
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Freshman Learning Council
University College: Advising, core
curriculum, national involvement
Making Achievement Possible (MAP)
Survey
Residential learning communities
Grants and special fees to support 1styear programs
Eckerd College
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Autumn Term – a three-week academic orientation
experience
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Includes three-week courses taught by faculty who is
academic advisor
Significant involvement of librarians
Academic advisors (mentors) who function as “first
line of defense” for first-year students
Welcoming candlelight ceremony, “Ceremony of
Lights”
Use of “writing portfolio” instead of English
composition
Major focus on interdisciplinarity
LaGuardia Community College
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Many learning community adaptations
Electronic portfolios
Common reading experience
Honors programs
Study abroad programs
High level of respect for students
Kalamazoo College
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The K-Plan: Designed to cultivate five
dimensions of intellectual & personal growth
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The electronic portfolio
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Lifelong learning, career readiness, intercultural
understanding, social responsibility, leadership
Begun as a first-year student, continues
throughout, final evaluation by committee
Campuswide first-year assessment committee
Wilderness orientation
U. S. Military Academy
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High level of intentionality; mission
driven curriculum
Continuous assessment
Responsibility given to upper-level
students
Strong academic and personal support
Appalachian State University
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Strong and clear identity – “the
Appalachian Way”
Intensive orientation with strong
student involvement – wilderness option
Watauga College
Summer reading
Culture of “councils and committees”
Texas A & M - Corpus Christi
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Using the learning communities model
Reaching 100% of student students
through “triads” and “tetrads”
Mediating the negative effects of large
classes
Linking the curriculum with the firstyear seminar
What We Learned
The importance of
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Valuing the first year and being accountable
Leadership on multiple levels
Cultures that encourage ideas and innovation
Achieving a critical mass of student participation
Direct involvement of faculty
Attention to pedagogy in first-year courses
Clarity of mission; respect for students
Improving continuously through assessment
Creative acquisition & judicious use of resources
Willingness to learn from and share with others
Valuing partnerships
For more information: See . . .
Achieving and Sustaining Institutional
Excellence for the First Year of College
(Barefoot, Gardner, Cutright, Morris,
Schroeder, Schwartz, Siegel, & Swing)
Jossey-Bass, 2005
Contact Information
Betsy O. Barefoot
Policy Center on the First Year of College
Brevard, NC 28712
828-966-5310
barefoot@fyfoundations.org
www.fyfoundations.org