Manoa Faculty Senate
Summary report from
Working Group on High Failure
Courses at UH Manoa
Background
• Manoa Faculty Senate
asked CAPP, GEC &
MAC to form a working
group to look at
undergraduate courses
identified as being
challenging and
resulting in high
numbers of Ds, Fs, Ws
and I grades.
Working Group Members
• CAPP (Biagioni, Hew)
• GEC (Enomoto, Jarrett, Sammons,Sato)
• MAC (Iwaoka, Lee, Ooi)
Our Working Group’s Objectives
• To examine the prevalence of these
“high failure to proceed” type courses;
• To determine the extent to which the
problem has persisted in certain
departments;
• To seek input from faculty and students;
• To make recommendations to the MFS.
Process
• October 2010 Formed the working
group with CAPP,
GEC and MAC
members.
• Initially looked at 2year of course data.
• Oct - Dec - Met with Tim Merrill of MIRO
to examine the course data over a 5year period Fall 2005-Spr 2010.
• Dec, 2010 - Identified 28 undergraduate
courses that had more than 25%
DFWIs.
• Jan-Feb 2011 - Met with the 5 departments
with the largest numbers of students affected
- Chemistry, Math, Phil, Psych, NREM.
• Mar 2011 - Conducted several online surveys
with 132 students responding.
• Mar 2011 - Held 4 focus groups of advisors
and CAA to solicit student views.
Findings
• There are varied reasons for these failures,
dropouts and withdrawals.
• Many students have poor time management;
don’t do homework unless it’s required &
graded.
• Despite failing grades, students will remain in
course because they need to be enrolled full
time for financial aid, medical insurance,
benefits.
• Some students are not equipped to navigate
the course when delivered in unit mastery or
online.
• Departments are aware of high failure rates
but have felt constrained in responding.
• Some departments have made adjustments
especially when students are struggling.
Campuswide
Recommendations
• Faculty Senate needs to conduct a
systematic review of HFC data every 3 years.
• Mandatory advising needs to be supported
with more than the 4 advisors.
• Orientation for new students needs to be
mandatory and available free of charge.
• Administration provides resources (fiscal,
personnel, other) for courses that serve all
students across disciplines/colleges.
• Departments with large lecture classes need
resources for students to get instructional
support.
• Additional faculty support needed through
OFDAS, MAO.
• Administration should examine high failure
rates for students who are below guaranteed
admission standards.
Special Thanks
• Tim Merrill, MIRO
• Marlene Lowe &
Monica Stitt-Bergh,
Assessment Office
• Ruth Bingham, CAA
• Lisa Fujikawa & JoAnne Nakamoto,
GEO