ST RS
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
What Happened in Business
Didn’t Stay in Business
Tabitha Stone
ST RS
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
How the STARS Retention Program
Became a Best Practice
and is Influencing
University Policies and Procedures
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale
Carnegie-rated Research University
Tier one of “Top Public Universities: National
Universities” in US News & World Report’s “Best
Colleges 2016”
Ranked 27th in the 2015 Forbes “America’s
Most Entrepreneurial Universities”
13,461 undergrads from all 50 states & 93
countries
200+ majors, minors & specializations
29% of undergrads are minority students
86% of classes = fewer than 30 students
Student to faculty ration 15:1
Yearly tuition and fees $12,251
Total Costs $25,986
What Happened in Business
Changing Environment




Increasing cost of Higher Education
Performance Based Funding
Enrollment Decline
Changes in Federal Financial Aid
University Reinstatement Policy
Changes
STARS Program
What Do
We
Want for
Our
Students?
Who
Needs
Help
First?
Primarily, reinstatement and
re-entry students
Special admission
circumstances
Change of Major students,
new to the College of
Business
WhatWhat
Do We
Want
Our Students?
Can
WeforChange?
Students were previously admitted, so they have already
demonstrated academic abilities/skills. So, what do we
change?
Behaviors
Through ‘Structured Engagement’
Assessment trends show a lack of motivation,
discipline, and/or coping skills
Connections and involvement with the
college encourage retention
and behavioral changes
Program Requirements
Limit: 14 credit hours
“C” grades or higher
Documented study
and/or tutoring time
each week
Scheduled meetings
Enrollment
Management (3)
Advisement (2)
Department Chair (1)
Bi-Weekly Progress
checks
Mandatory class
attendance and
signatures
Career counseling
Degree-completion
planning
End of Semester
evaluation
One Student at a Time
“Hey,
Attached are my sign in
sheets and screen
shots. Also ... I earned a
105% on my Anthropology
midterm!!!! AND a 149/150
on my first paper for that
class. I’m super
excited! Hope you’re
having a great week. :)”
- A.L.– STARS
Spring 2012
“The STARS Program made me a better student by
teaching me to organize the rest of my college years.
Before, I would just go to school and did not have any
goals. The STARS Program introduced me to different
study techniques, including a daily study schedule to
follow … I communicate with my instructors now
about problems I am having in class. STARS showed
me I could get good grades if I worked hard. It is a
great program, as long as you follow the plan. With
everything I learned through the STARS Program, I
was able to earn an ‘A’ on the final exam in one of the
most demanding Finance courses … I work hard for
everything now.”
BS Finance May 2013
- J.W. – STARS Fall 2011 (Pilot)
Updated
Data
Lessons Learned
Since Fall 2011
89 Participants
Pre-STARS GPA
1.714
Current SIU GPA 2.006
15.7% INCREASE
34%
36%
30 GRADUATED
30%
27 ELIGIBLE to REGISTER
32 SUSPENDED
Retention
Lessons
Learned
Fall 2015
27 Eligible to Register
41%
59%
11 REGISTERED
16 NOT REGISTERED
What Do
We Stay
Wantin
forBusiness
Our Students?
Didn’t
Timeline of Events
October 2012 – Presentation to Deans Council
Provost called upon all academic units to develop a similar
program
January 2013 –New University Policy regarding
Petitions for Reinstatement
Fall 2014 College of Education developed STEPS
“Steps Towards Educational Progress and Success”
Fall 2014 College of Applied Sciences and Arts developed
Faculty Engagement Initiative N.E.A.T.
No-Shows
Engage
Assess
Term
What Do We
Want
for Our Students?
Best
Practice
“The STARS program in Business is indeed the gold
standard for support for students seeking re-instatement”
Dr. James Allen
Associate Provost for Academic Programs
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
College of Business
What Do We
Want
for
Our
Students?
STARS Program
STARS Program:
http://business.siu.edu/services/stars.html
STARS Information Packet:
http://business.siu.edu/_common/documents/Stars_Info_Packet.pdf
STARS Application Form:
http://business.siu.edu/_common/documents/STARS_Application_Form.pdf
What Happened In Business
Didn’t Stay in Business
Questions
Tabitha Stone
Assistant Dean
University College
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL
tabstone@siu.edu