Achieving and Sustaining Institutional Excellence for the First Year of College (Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education)

In 2002, the Policy Center on the First Year of College (supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and Lumina Foundation for Education) sponsored a project to recognize colleges and universities as "Institutions of Excellence" in their design and execution of the first year. Thirteen colleges and universities--representing a broad spectrum of campus types--were selected as exceptional institutions that place a high priority on the first-year experience. "Achieving and Sustaining Excellence in the First Year of College" includes case studies of each of the thirteen exemplary institutions. These studies illustrate and analyze the colleges' best practices in teaching, assessing, and retaining first-year college students. The individual case studies offer lessons learned and have broad potential application beyond the particular type of institution represented. After a foreword, preface, and two initial chapters, this book is divided into 7 parts: (1) Case Studies of Two-Year Institutions; (2) Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with Fewer Than 2,000 Students; (3) Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with 2,000 to 5,000 Students; (4) Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with 5,000 to 10,000 Students; (5) Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with 10,000 to 20,000 Students; (6) Case Studies of Four-Year Institutions with More Than 20,000 Students; and (7) Conclusion. The following are appended: (1) All Participants in the Institutions of Excellence Study (N = 130); (2) Initial Letter of Invitation to Participate in the Institutions of Excellence Project; (3) Semifinalists; (4) Letter to Semifinalists; (5) Announcement Letter to Thirteen Institutions of Excellence; and (6) Research Subject Information and Consent Form. An epilogue, list of references, and index are also included Achieving and Sustaining Institutional Excellence for the First College Year 1 Contents 11 Foreword 15 Preface 23 Acknowledgments 27 About the Authors 29 Chapter 1: On Being Named an Institution of Excellence in the First College Year: The Process and the Places 35 Why the Policy Center on the First Year of College Conducted This Study 37 Selection Criteria 40 A Snapshot of the Institutions of Excellence 43 A Snapshot of Programmatic Initiatives 49 Final Thoughts 52 Chapter 2: Research Methods 53 Invitation to Participate and Identification of the Selection Criteria 54 Selection of Semifinalists 56 Selection of Finalists 58 Site Visits 60 Data Analysis and Case Study Development 64 Summary 66 Chapter 3: The Community College of Denver: A Second Family for the First-Year Student 69 Keys to Success at CCD 71 Innovative and Successful Educational Practices 72 Steadfast and Innovative Leadership 80 Close Relationships with Four-Year Institutions: The Auraria Campus 83 Commitment to Accountability and Continuous Improvement 86 Success in Acquiring External Funds 88 Intentional Focus on Student Success 89 A Model Community College Is Recognized 91 Chapter 4: LaGuardia Community College: A Window on the World 93 LaGuardia as a Unique Culture 95 Where Is Leadership Found? 97 The New Student Experience at LaGuardia 99 Ongoing Assessment 111 The Student Experience 112 Additional LaGuardia Programs 115 Future Challenges 116 Concluding Observations 117 Chapter 5: The First Year at Eckerd College: Responsible Innovation 121 A New College, a New Opportunity: The 1960s 122 Building on the Past: The 1970s 125 Content for Contemporary Life: The 1980s and 1990s 127 The Foundations Collegium: The First College Year 128 Not Without Its Critics: Pros and Cons of Eckerd’s First Year 138 The Impress of Leadership at Eckerd College 142 Embedded Assessment for First-Year Improvement 143 What We Learned from Eckerd College 144 Chapter 6: Kalamazoo College: No Stone Left Unturned 147 The K-Plan 148 The View Book 149 The Reality 151 The First Year 154 The Campus Speaks 169 Conclusion 173 Chapter 7: Drury University: Balancing Intellectual Rigor with Intrusive Personal Support in the First Year 179 ALPHA Seminar: The Heart of the First Year 183 Drury’s Approach to Excellence 189 Future Challenges 197 Conclusion 198 Chapter 8: Elon University: Transforming Education Through a Community of Inquiry and Engagement 200 The Precollege Connection 203 Spring Orientation 203 Engaging Summer Experiences 204 Fall Orientation 205 First-Year Experience: Integrated and Individualized 206 Elon Experiences: First Year and Beyond 214 Culture of Assessment 218 Elon’s Keys to Success 220 Guiding the Future: New Century@Elon 224 Chapter 9: West Point and the Plebe-Year Experience: The Long Gray Line 225 The West Point Mission 228 The Core Tenets of the Academy 229 The Core Tenets of the Plebe Year Experience 230 Support Services at the Academy: Leaving No Plebe Behind 231 The West Point Honor Code 240 The Culture of Assessment at West Point 241 West Point Leadership: The Concept of Officership 243 The Future of the Academy and the Plebe Year Experience 244 Important Findings and Lessons Learned 247 Conclusion 249 Chapter 10: Lehman College of the City University of New York: Excellence in the Bronx 253 Lehman College: An Overview from Past to Present 254 Why Lehman Made Radical Changes in the First Year 256 Coordinated Freshman Program 257 The Founding Father’s Influence: Key Program Rationale 260 Faculty Development for the FYI Program 263 Lehman Student Voices: What Makes a Difference for Them 265 An Inside View of a Learning Communities Classroom 268 How Support Staff and Campus Facilities Help Lehman Students 269 The View from the Top: Senior Administrators’ Perspectives 272 Evidence of Effectiveness 275 What We Learned 275 Chapter 11: The First Year at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi: Starting with a Clean Slate 277 The Institution’s Setting and History 278 A Mission Espoused and Enacted 278 The First Year as a Clean Slate 281 Seeding the Pot Early and Often: Orientation and Advising 282 The First-Year Program: The Cornerstone of the First Year 284 Striving for Harmony in First-Year Coordination and Implementation 291 Pride Runs Deep: The Lived Experience of First-Year Students 293 Looking Past Disciplinary Boundaries 296 Assessment as Both Teacher and Lever 298 A History of Recognition 300 Conclusion 301 Chapter 12: Appalachian State University: High Standards for the First Year in North Carolina’s High Country 307 Mission and History 309 Importance of Senior Leadership 310 The Appalachian First-Year Experience 314 How First-Year Students Experience Appalachian 321 Administrative Structures That Support First-Year Innovation 323 Contributions of the Division of Student Development 326 Appalachian’s Approach to Assessment 328 The Future of the First Year: Issues of Concern 330 Chapter 13: The Story of Ball State University: “Everything Students Need” 333 Institutional History 334 Institutional Mission 335 The Advantage of Stable Leadership 336 The Power of Grassroots Movements 338 University College: A Formal Structure Supporting the First Year 342 An Array of Additional Services 345 Residence Life: A Vehicle for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Partnerships 349 University Assessment 352 Key Actions Affecting the First Year of College 353 Coming Challenges 355 Conclusion 356 Chapter 14: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: Success and the City 359 University College 363 Faculty Perspectives 374 A Dedication to Unvarnished Assessment and Evaluation 376 Strong Commitment from Institutional Leadership 378 A Steady, Outward Gaze 381 Chapter 15: University of South Carolina: Creator and Standard-Bearer for the First-Year Experience 383 Institutional Context 384 Origins of the First-Year Experience 385 First-Year Seminar: University 101 389 National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition 392 The Carolinian Creed: Creating a Model for Behavior 394 First-Year Reading Experience 396 First-Year English Programs 397 University Housing: Designing Communities for Living and Learning 399 Targeted Programs 403 Leadership: Champions of the First Year 405 Central Role of Assessment: Commitment to Continuous Improvement 407 Seamless Connections: Linking Academic and Student Affairs 409 Conclusion 410 Chapter 16: Findings and Recommendations 413 A Word of Caution 414 Study Findings 414 Conclusions and Recommendations 427 A Final Suggestion 429 Epilogue: Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year 431 Project Details 431 The Special Role of the Task Force 434 What the Foundations Project Adds to Existing Assessment of the First Year 435 The Future of the Foundations Project 435 Appendix A: All Participants in the Institutions of Excellence Study (N = 130) 437 Appendix B: Initial Letter of Invitation to Participate in the Institutions of Excellence Project 443 Appendix C: Semifinalists 449 Appendix D: Letter to Semifinalists 453 Appendix E: Announcement Letter to Thirteen Institutions of Excellence 457 Appendix F: Research Subject Information and Consent Form 461 References 465 Index 467 On being named an institution of excellence in the first college year : the process and the places -- Research methods -- The Community College of Denver : a second family for the first-year student -- Marc Cutright, -- Randy L. Swing LaGuardia Community College : a window on the world -- Betsy O. Barefoot, -- Michael J. Siegel The first year at Eckerd College : responsible innovation -- Stephen W. Schwartz, -- Michael J. Siegel Kalamazoo College : no stone left unturned -- Stephen W. Schwartz, -- Randy L. Swing Drury University : balancing intellectual rigor with intrusive personal support in the first year -- Charles C. Schroeder, -- Randy L. Swing Elon University : transforming education through a community of inquiry and engagement -- Libby V. Morris, -- Randy L. Swing West Point and the plebe-year experience : the long gray line -- Michael J. Siegel, -- John N. Gardner Lehman College of the City University of New York : excellence in the Bronx -- John N. Gardner, -- Betsy O. Barefoot The first year at Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi : starting with a clean slate -- Michael J. Siegel, -- Marc Cutright Appalachian State University : high standards for the first year in North Carolina's high country -- John N. Gardner, -- Betsy O. Barefoot The story of Ball State University : "everything students need" -- Randy L. Swing, -- Marc Cutright Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis : success and the city -- Marc Cutright, -- Michael J. Siegel University of South Carolina : creator and standard-bearer for the first-year experience -- Libby V. Morris, -- Marc Cutright Findings and recommendations. "In 2002, the Policy Center on the First Year of College (supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and Lumina Foundation for Education) sponsored a project to recognize colleges and universities as "Institutions of Excellence" in their design and execution of the first year. Thirteen colleges and universities - representing a broad spectrum of campus types - were selected as exceptional institutions that place a high priority on the first-year experience, Achieving and Sustaining Institutional Excellence for the First Year of College includes case studies of each of the thirteen exemplary Institutions. These studies illustrate and analyze the colleges' best practices in teaching assessing and retaining first-year college students. The individual case studies offer lessons learned and have broad potential application beyond the particular type of institution represented."--BOOK JACKET