Overview of Undergraduate
Education
TA Orientation
August 18, 2015
Who We Are
• Lauren Goodpaster,
Director, Office of New
Student & Parent
Programs, Division of
Student Affairs
• Ben Withers, Associate
Provost for
Undergraduate
Education
A Snapshot of Today’s
Entering College Students
Student Data
(from UK Institutional Research,
The American Freshman
National Survey, UK’s alcohol.edu,
University Health, and VIP Center.)
Transition Issues
Student
Persistence and
Success Factors
What You Can Do
to Help Your
Students Succeed
UK First-Year Students, Fall 2014
Office of Admissions
• Total number of first-year students
5176(transfer students 1130)
• High School GPA 3.70
• ACT Mean 25.5
• Out-of-state 39%
• Female 58%; Male 42%
• Under-represented minority 18.2%
• Retention Rate (first year to sophomore
year) for 2014 Cohort 82.5%
Transition Issues
Transition Issues-August
 Homesickness;
loneliness (leaving
family, friends,
boy/girlfriend, pets,
all that is familiar)
 Roommate conflicts
 Initial adjustment to
college life and
academic
environment
 Values exploration
 Freedom and
independence
adjustments
Transition Issues-August
New social life
adjustments
Initial social
rejections
Campus
familiarization
Long-distance
relationships
Financial
adjustments
Transition Issues–September
 Homesickness
 Roommate conflicts
 Disenchantment with
school
 Adjusting to new
study habits; first
exams
 Dating anxieties
 Family problems
 Time management
frustrations
 Long-distance
relationships end
Transition Issues-October
 Dating/non-dating
relationships
 Increased time
management
conflicts between
social and academic
 Academic stress of
mid-term exams
 Mid-term grades
 Financial strain
 “Freshman 15”
weight gain
Transition Issues–Nov./Dec.
 “Holiday” homesickness
or anxiety about going
home; change in H.S.
friendships
 Financial Strain
 Final exams: preparing
for unknown
 Realization of poor study
habits; cramming
 Sleep deprivation
 Illness
 Depression
SO WHAT, WHO CARES?
What helps student transition issues and
persistence?
High and Clear Expectations
Accompanied by Support Structures
• Academic Expectations
• Academic Integrity
• Campus Resources
Time on Task—Time Management
and Study Strategies
• Goal Setting & Task
Management
• Reworking Notes
• Active Reading
• Study Groups
• Exam Preparation
• Succeeding in Lecture
Class
• Recommended
assignments
Time on Task—Time Management &
Study Strategies
• 70% reported spending 5
or fewer hours on
studying & homework
during typical week as HS
seniors.
• 76% rated their academic
ability as above average
or way above average
compared to others.
Time on Task—Task Management &
Study Strategies
• 24% reported
spending 5 or fewer
hours on studying or
homework in typical
week at UK.
• 55% reported
studying 10 or fewer
hours per week at
UK.
• Only 20% reported
being very
successful in
managing their time.
Academic Assistance
Succeed @ UK
Student Resource Center
• One-stop shop for student
resources at UK
• Online, interactive database
• Features Academic Success
resources, guides to Financial
Success, and everything you
need Beyond the Classroom
• Interactive calendar of
important dates for incoming
students – can be added to
electronic calendars with the
click of a button
More information:
www.uky.edu/studentsuccess
The Study
(Academic Enhancement)
• Peer Tutoring
• Individual Academic
Consultations
• Placement Testing
• Study Smarter Seminars
& more!
More information:
www.uky.edu/AE
Faculty-Student Interaction
• Met with faculty member
during office hours:
Never—20%
Seldom—39%
• Talked to faculty member
outside of class
Never—21%
Seldom—40%
• Discussed class-related
issues by email or other
electronic means:
Never—2%
Seldom—16%
You Are Key to Student Success
• Be aware of transition
issues
• Watch for patterns of
classroom, academic
behavior
• Your informal
interactions with
students before and
after class or outside of
class
Academic and Behavioral Alerts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Disruptive Behavior
Family Illness/Death
Harassment
Mental Health
Absences
Tardiness
Poor grades
Missing homework
Wellness and Support
Wellness: Avoiding Problems with
Alcohol & Other Drugs
Before entering UK in fall 2013, first-year students reported:
• 30% drank high-risk within last two weeks (5 or more drinks for
men; 4 or more for women in a two-hour period; national 26%)
• 39% blacked out (national 34%)
Wellness: Being Safe—Bystander
Intervention
• In 2007 UK study, almost 20% of
female students experienced sexual
violence during time at UK.
• Over 85% knew their attacker.
• 15% experienced stalking.
• Nationally, 55% of college students
involved in clubs, teams, and
organizations experience hazing.
Wellness: Stress Management
• Nationally, almost 53% of college
students reported more than
average or tremendous stress within
the last 12 months.
• Almost 29% of students reported
that stress had a negative impact on
their individual academic
performance within the past 12
months.
• 31% of UK first-year students
reported feeling a lot of stress often
or always within past year.
Money Management & Affordability
• How concerned are you
about your ability to pay
for college?
– Not concerned, I am
confident I will have
enough funds, 32%
– Somewhat concerned, I
probably will have enough
funds, 44%
– Very concerned, not sure I
will have enough funds,
24%
Part-Time Work on Campus
• 18% employed on UK
campus, working 3
hours or more per wk.
• 16% held off-campus
jobs, working 3 hours
or more per wk.
• 5.4% of students
reported working
more than 15 hours
per week in offcampus job.
Attachment to Person at Institution
• Not referring to romantic
attachment.
• You can be this person!
Sense of Community and
Belonging at UK
• Over 21% from hometown
with fewer than 10,000
people
• 31% from hometown with
10,001-50,000
• Went home during fall
semester outside of regularly
scheduled breaks:
• 3-5 times 32%
• 6 or more times 24%
Proactive Early Warning and
Intervention Strategies
• Get to know
your students.
• Talk with your
students about
classes and
experience at
UK.
• Follow up with
your students!
• Academic and
Student Alert
Systems