Connect to College Success:
Pairing Intrusive Advising
with a New Student Experience Course
2012 IACRAO
Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, Illinois
Introductions
We are…
Mary Hough
Special Learning Needs Counselor
Kathy Haberer
Director, Student Development and Counseling
Who are you?
A little bit about our college….
• 42 years old
• 13,500 (8500 credit) students – longest
continual growth trend of all community
colleges in Illinois
• Average class size 12.6
• 7 county region, mostly rural with higher than
state average unemployment
• 70% test into dev ed math, 50% dev reading or
English
Beautiful, historic campus
Fund for Improvement
in Post Secondary Education
We plan to talk about…..
• The rationale for combining our student success
course with intrusive advising for students weak
in all three developmental areas (Wi3)
• The plan we developed
• A few preliminary statistics
• The curriculum for our student success course
• The role of the intrusive advisor
• The instructor’s perspective
We needed a change.
Many students who entered the college weak in
all three developmental areas (Wi3) received
minimal support:
– Some students were in programs that provided support
like TRIO, Supported College Transition, Special Learning
Needs.
– Many students took classes requiring skills not yet
acquired in order to be a full-time student.
– Students were not aware of campus resources.
– In the Fall 2010, there were approximately 250 Wi3 fulltime students enrolled.
What issues have you encountered?
We wanted to develop
a program based on research.
Read literature:
Targeted Intervention for Developmental Education
Students (T.I.D.E.S.) article by Hunter Boylan
Intrusive Advising: A Model for Success at John A. Logan
College by Cheryl Thomas and Jane Minton
Went to presentations at NADE:
Intrusive Academic Advising and the Underprepared
Student: An Award Winning Model for Increasing Student
Success
Dr. Paul Fowler at Louisiana State University - Eunice
We knew students were taking courses
they weren’t ready to take.
Students Wi3 passed general education courses at a
statistically significant lower rate (academic year 2010
data)
All
students
Concurrently enrolled in
Reading level 2
Previously completed
Reading level 2
ART 130 (art appreciation)
75%
47%
73%
BIOL 130 (gen ed biology)
61%
35%
60%
MUSI 130 (music appreciation)
72%
54%
92%
PSYC 131 (gen ed psycology)
66%
36%
55%
SOCI 131 (gen ed sociology)
69%
49%
81%
Connect to College Success Begins!!
COLL 130 New Student Experience and Intrusive Advising
Pre-pilot semester FALL 2011
Positives:
–
–
–
–
COLL 130 was an established course.
Grant money was available for training and materials.
Experienced instructors available.
A culture of change in Academic Advising.
Negatives:
– COLL 130 was only one credit – 16 contact hours.
– Registration started early March but enrollment
wasn’t “pushed” until training in mid May.
Course Success
Connect to College Success Students
Fall 2011 Pre-pilot – all 86 Students
120
107
100
86 CCS students received 337 grades.
50 students earned an A in COLL 130
80
67
60
49
40
26
24
D
F
31
33
FN
W
20
0
A
B
C
Course success (A,B, or C) was 66%, which aligns with the College’s average course success
rate of 65%.
Note: Fall 2011 students who were WI3 and registered after August 1 have a course success rate of 55%.
COLL 130 to COLL 131
starting FALL 2012
Course changes include:
– 1 credit → 2 credits
– First 8 week course → semester-long course
– Web enhanced course materials required
– More standardized curriculum across course
sections
Other changes:
– Wi3 students limited to 12 credits
Reading (3), English (3), Math (4), COLL 131 (2)
Sustainability
FALL 2011 & SPR 2012 FIPSE Grant
• instructor cost
• staff/instructor time for training & meetings
• training/instruction materials
FALL 2012 & SPR 2013 – shared
• Instructor cost covered by priority budget
• All other costs by FIPSE grant
Starting FALL 2013 – Priority Budget
Actual Costs
LASSI = $3 per student
Meetings/Training for part-time instructors and
advisors = $1000 per year including lunch on
training day
Training Materials and Photocopy costs = $600
Instructor cost = $690 per credit
Curriculum
Topics Covered:
Making the Transition to College
Education Financing/Financial Literacy
Degree Requirements
College Policies and Procedures
Faculty Expectations
Support Services and College Resources
Test-Taking/Test Preparation Skills
More Topics Covered
Effective Note Taking
Learning Styles
Personal and Academic Goal Setting
Time Management Skills
Stress Management Skills
Career Assessment
Health
Communication Skills
Textbook
The Skinny On College Success: College & Careers
Jim Randel and Carol Randel
Textbook
What we like:
The style– not your “typical” textbook
Easy to read
Relates relevant student issues to topics
covered
Built in planner—no excuses!!
Training for Instructors and Advisors
INSTRUCTORS
ADVISORS
Blackboard training
May need some Blackboard training if
inputting grades
Meeting about the importance of
program – purpose and goals
Meeting about the importance of
program – purpose and goals
Importance of clear and consistent
communication between instructor and
advisor—what does the advisor expect of
me as the instructor?
Importance of clear and consistent
communication between instructor and
advisor—what does the instructor expect
of me as the advisor?
Sharing between coordinator and
instructors of class materials –everyone
working on same topics (consistent)
Advisors communicate with one another
about what is working with students,
what is not working. New advisors learn
from experienced advisors
Course Schedule
Course Schedule contd.
Blackboard
• COLL 131 is web-enhanced
• Students use Blackboard to access the class
calendar and course materials for each class
meeting
• Students can access their current grade at any
time in the semester (they can also see at any
time if they are missing assignments)
• Using Blackboard better prepares students for
many other college courses that will be webenhanced
LASSI
• Learning and Study Strategies Inventory
• Students must complete the LASSI in class,
then they will meet one-on-one with their
intrusive advisor to discuss their individual
results and how those results pertain to them.
• This is their first required meeting with their
advisor (high # of points assigned to reiterate
importance)
An Advisor’s Perspective
• More one-on-one contact with students.
• More follow-through from students.
• More student familiarity with program
courses, pre-requisites, etc.
• More informed and engaged students
throughout the advising process.
• Intrusive techniques lead to action and results
Advisor Responsibilities
• Treat each student with respect, empathy and
compassion.
• Respond to phone calls, emails, etc. in a timely
manner.
• Understand and communicate the degree
requirements at Lewis and Clark and refer
students to appropriate services as needed.
• Maintain contact with student throughout the
semester and beyond and express concern if
student misses class or coursework and grades
are insufficient.
Student/Advisor meetings
• LASSI
• Withdrawal dates/Spring schedule
• Advisors “push in” for certain curriculum such
as Career Assessment
• More required meetings with advisors would
be better but time and advisor availability is
limited.
Instructor Perspective
• To provide a supportive and inclusive learning
environment
• To encourage personal growth both in and out
of the classroom
• To establish a rapport that continues even
after the course ends
Contact information
Kathy Haberer
khaberer@lc.edu
Mary Hough
mhough@lc.edu
*Email for power point
Lewis and Clark Community College
5800 Godfrey Road
Godfrey, IL 62035