To: The Academic Senate
From: Gloria Aquino Sosa & Tracy Pascua Dea, Co-Directors High Potential program
Re: Request that High Potential Sphere of Success (HPSS) students be granted Priority Registration status
Date: October 12, 2015
Dear colleagues,
We have prepared this memo to ask for your endorsement of our request to the Provost that the High
Potential Sphere of Success students become a “Priority Registration” group through a Registrar’s Office
designation. We have constructed a suggested motion of endorsement, followed by a brief overview of
the High Potential Sphere of Success (HPSS), and a rationale for our request.
Thanks for your attention in this matter, and for the support you provide to all our students.
Best,
Tracy and Gloria
Suggested motion for the Senate:
BE IT RESOLVED, the Senate recommends that the Provost direct the Registrar to designate the High
Potential Sphere of Success students for Priority Registration.
The Saint Mary’s College Sphere of Success—Overview
The High Potential Sphere of Success (HPSS) is a new initiative partially funded by a Federal TRIO
Student Support Services (SSS) grant. The program is designed to support first generation and/or low
income students who have met requirements set by program administration designed to positively
impact retention, performance, and graduation of this population. The HPSS mission is to foster the
strengths first generation and/or low income students possess upon matriculation and translate those
assets into actions that cultivate student success. In this manner, HPSS students are challenged to
demonstrate resilience (Caruna, 2014), connection to their community and the community at large (Dey,
2010), and academic excellence without being segregated into silos that replicate services.
There are 160 targeted students in this population who meet the criteria for HPSS services; providing
priority registration can transform HPSS student’s academic plans and ensure they are enrolled in
appropriate courses resulting in timely year to year progress and graduation.
HPSS begins with the end in mind: the end is degree attainment, achieved as a result of campus-wide
interventions that support SSS-eligible students into and through their final two years. HPSS students
will establish a strong foundation through participation in new and established programs for first- and
second-year students. In years three and four, students are reaching psychosocial and academic targets
as described in the vectors included in the Sphere of Success.
Grounded in evidence-based best practices that integrate student development theory, sphere vectors
are designed to meet students where they are to increase their motivation and capitalize on their innate
resilience. In addition, coordinated programs and support services, as described in the Sphere, rather
than operating in isolation in several campus departments, provide students with the most direct
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possible pathway in years three and four to continue toward graduation. The sphere components
represent interventions first generation and low-income students benefit from the most, and which are
highlighted in the literature to demonstrate success and persistence to graduation among this
population (see Engle & Tinto, 2008; Saenz et al, 2007). Organizing the components as a Sphere of
Success presents an intentional, directed, holistic initiative.
Sphere of Success Vectors. The HPSS initiative includes six vectors designed to directly address student
retention, academic standing, and persistence to graduation. Each vector corresponds roughly to a
specific year, and interventions are made where developmentally appropriate, and address critical
stages of academic and psychosocial development; interventions designed to support those stages have
been crafted through specific attention to theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and best
practices in higher education that positively impact student success for this and all student populations.
Each vector draws on newly developed as well as existing services to tailor evidence-based interventions
to enhance each HPSS participant’s success and meet program objectives and make short-,
intermediate-, and long-term impact.
HPSS Vectors include:
Vector I: Resilience and Sustainability
This vector addresses drawing out and capitalizing on student strengths as they enter the institution,
and implementing campus wide safeguards to maintain those while focusing on continued enrollment.
Vector I requires participants to engage in programs that foster financial literacy; early financial aid
review (Y 1); four-year financial aid packaging (Y1-4); support through supplemental institutional dollars
(if eligible, Y 1-4, contingent upon academic performance and program requirement compliance); early
course registration (Y 1-4); and family outreach (Y 1-4).
Vector II: Psychosocial Development and Engagement
This vector focuses on meeting students at their developmental stage and encouraging psychosocial
interaction with peers, faculty, and staff. This vector requires participants to be mentored through the
Peer Mentor Program (Years 1 & 2 and Y3 as needed); engage in personal counseling (Y1, Y2); attend
assigned faculty advising (Y1-4); be a part of a living and learning community- (Y3-4); and have access to
preferential housing.
Vector III: Academic and Technology Resources
Vector III ensure students can reach their academic potential by addressing the areas where students
demonstrate strengths and where they might benefit from targeted academic interventions. This vector
includes mandatory academic tutoring (Y1-2); Supplemental instruction (Y1); and assigned HP Librarian
& extensive Library instruction (Y 1-4; Technology support (Y 1-4); and development of an online
community (Y1-4).
Vector IV: Leadership Development
As the HPSS program is a leadership program, it is imperative to draw out all levels of leadership skill
from participants. To that end, Vector IV provides an intensive 2-4 week Summer Academic Institute for
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Leaders and Scholars (SAILS) (Y1); FYAC (Y1); mandatory Connect Session in the Residence Halls
participation (Y1-2); internships (Y3, Y4); leadership involvement through SIL and other campus-wide
leadership opportunities (Y3, Y4); and consistent community engagement (Y1-4).
Vector V: Research and Scholarship
Academic excellence is at the core of the HPSS program, and the goal to which each of these vectors
aims. To that end, creating initiatives to increase student success through exposure to research and
scholarship opportunities through partnerships with faculty are critical to this program. Vector V
addresses these goals by instituting learning communities; block scheduling (Y1-2); Faculty-student
research (Y3-4); Narrative Project-Partnership with MFA (Y1-4); and early and ongoing academic
monitoring (Y1-4).
Vector VI: Personal and Professional Development
Vector VI incorporates all vectors to culmination with the end goal of graduation within four years and
connection to career opportunities from the outset of a student’s academic career. To achieve these
goals, students are required to participate in major exploration and declaration (Y1-Y3); career/graduate
school exploration (Y1-4); and participation in personal coaching throughout their time at the college. As
mentioned, the HPSS program begins with the end in mind, and creating a culture of commencement
from the time a student sets foot on campus wether during SAILS or in the fall, HPSS fosters that goal.
1) Priority registration at Saint Mary’s College—current status
a) Priority registration has been granted at Saint Mary’s to different groups, including some whose
scheduling is constrained by institutional factors different from and greater than those of the
average student, such as practice and travel.
b) Approximately 375 students are currently treated as Priority Registration groups, including
athletes, debaters, qualifying veterans, and students whose accommodations through Student
Disability Services create specific scheduling needs. Thus, some students register early because
of special personal needs, and some because their participation in a College program makes
their scheduling needs unusually rigid.
2) Further rationale for priority registration
a) First generation and low income students constitute one of the most vulnerable populations
attending college today. As noted by Saenz, Hurtado, Barrara, Wolf, and Yeung (2007), Engle and
Tinto (2008), and Stephens, Hamendani, and Destin (2014), first generation and low income
students have a gap in so called “college knowledge”, socio-economic status, and college
preparedness (not just in terms of academics), and often have little support in completing the
many processes involved in matriculation. Each of these articles also point to the importance of
providing institutional supports to connect first generation and/or low income students to the
college as soon as possible (Dey, 2010). One critical way to do this it to secure priority
registration, as students will then have one less concern regarding what courses they will need,
and when to register for those courses.
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b) HPSS students granted priority registration will have an opportunity to begin studying sooner
and will have less concern over delaying pursuit of their degree if courses they need to take are
not offered or if they have to register for courses at times that conflict with their study and work
hours. Since first generation and low income students often have to work to supplement their
financial aid packages (Saenz, Hurtado, Barrera, Wolf, and Yeung, 2007; Stephens, Hamendani,
and Destin, 2014), the pressure of registering for courses when there are few course options can
further delay and negatively impact progress toward graduation.
c) Saint Mary’s HPSS students represent a population uniquely aligned with the Catholic and
Lasallian Mission and its Core Principles.
i) Saint Mary’s mission to create a student-centered educational community whose members
support one another with mutual understanding and respect, can be specifically applied to
the HPSS population. As discussed, first generation and low income students often have
fewer options and many barriers to continuing in college, and providing priority registration
can eliminate one of those barriers.
ii) Saint Mary’s core principles of inclusion and concern for the poor can also be cited to
address the importance of reducing barriers to student success for underrepresented and
low income students. HPSS students often fall into those categories.
d) Priority registration for HPSS students aligns with the College’s Strategic plan
i) Goal 1D provides a direct connection to the vectors outlined above that form the foundation
of the HPSS program. Goal 1D calls for the college to support students in their pursuit of
meaningful lives and create a student-centered educational community whose members
support one another with mutual understanding and respect. By allowing for priority
registration for this population students will have less stress around gaining access to
necessary courses. This could translate into students staying on course to complete their
degrees within four years.
ii) All tenets of Goal 2 provide evidence that the college is committed to Support the student
lifecycle “Access to Success”. Priority registration will support the progress of HPSS students
and blending of the students into the campus community in a more direct manner, as they
will be taking courses as they need them and not be held behind by delaying registration.
Further, HPSS students may need to enroll in preparatory courses if they were not exposed
to college preparatory curricula in their pre-college education. Through no doing of their
own, students might be left behind if they must begin with these courses, then not have
access to priority registration. Finally, the more certainty students have about their ability
to enroll in precisely the right classes, the more confident they can be in their collaborations
with members of the faculty and with other students.
iii) Goal 3B & C highlight the critical nature of Saint Mary’s commitment to support mission
integration and service to the economically poor many of whom live in areas most at risk of
environmentally related inequities. Once again, the College values understanding of the
origins of its students, and commits to take action to remedy the inequities that negatively
impact those students. Through this goal, the College demonstrates its support and can
provide one remedy by approving priority registration to HPSS students.
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iv) Goal 5 is represented through the HPSS program, as the $1.5M TRIO Student Support
Services grant, the first ever TRIO grant at Saint Mary’s, has placed the college squarely on
the map with respect to supporting first generation and/or low income students. By
allowing priority registration, as designated by the grant, the College will further
demonstrate its commitment to the students the grant supports.
v) Goal 6B and C support the proposal because HPSS students who can register early will be
less likely to incur late fees, take courses they need not take to supplement if courses are
unavailable, and help students adhere closely to their academic plans.
3) Priority registration is granted to many student populations who demonstrate a need beyond their
peers. Priority registration might represent a significant privilege for this population of students,
however this population is rarely granted privilege as they traverse through their academic careers
either before, during, or beyond the college years. For this reason, and because the TRIO grant calls
for support from the college in this area, HPSS students are uniquely poised to benefit in a
profoundly meaningful way.
With great respect for the process,
Gloria Aquino Sosa & Tracy Pascua Dea on behalf of the High Potential Sphere of Success.
References
Caruana, V. (2014). Re-thinking global citizenship in higher education: From cosmopolitanism and
international mobility to cosmopolitanisation, resilience, and resilient thinking. Higher Education
Quarterly, 68(1), 85-104.
Dey, E. L., Ott, M. C., Antonaros, M., Barnhardt, C. L., Holsapple, M. A. (2010). Engaging Diverse
Viewpoints: What Is the Campus Climate for Perspective-Taking? Washington, D.C.: Association
of American Colleges and Universities.
Engle, J. & Tinto, V. (2008). Moving beyond access: College success for low-income, first generation
students. The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. Washington D.C.
Saenz, V. B., Hurtado, S., Barrera, D., Wolf, D, & Yeung, F. (2007). First in my family: A profile of first
generation college students at four-year institutions since 1971. Los Angeles: Higher Education
Research Institute, UCLA.
Stephens, N. M., Hamedani, M. G., & Destin, M. (2014). Closing the social-class achievement gap: A
difference-education intervention improves first generation students' academic performance
and all students' college transition. Psychological Science,25, DOI: 10.1177/0956797613518349
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