Second Annual SSI Data Retreat a Success

The second annual Student Success Initiative (SSI) Data Retreat brought together 150 ACC faculty, staff, and students with Achieving the Dream (ATD) facilitators Kay McClenney and Brad Phillips on October 29. The retreat provided an opportunity for participants to examine, understand, and discuss extensive data related to student success for specific courses and student cohorts.

“Student success is the single most important thing we do at the college,” Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow, ACC president/CEO, remarked at the retreat. “We’re excited 20 departments are involved in this initiative and look forward to all departments taking part in the near future.”

The retreat was largely interactive, with attending faculty, staff, and students tasked with examining success data and considering how to best utilize it.

The data charts outlined student completion and retention rates across various ACC courses from fall 2009, based on characteristics including FTIC (first time in college) cohorts, gender, Pell status, course delivery method, and faculty type. The highly detailed and disaggregated data provided attending faculty coaches a starting point and template for approaching student success, and introduced others to how SSI operates on the data level.

Soon Merz, associate vice president of effectiveness and accountability, concluded the retreat by focusing on future components of SSI, such as addressing challenges identified in the retreat, goal-setting strategies, and the role of Learning Labs, Instructional Development Services, and Faculty Development on SSI.

“We have never seen this kind of progress in such a short period of time. It’s impressive,” McClenney said.

McClenney and Phillips affirmed  many aspects of ACC’s initiative, including faculty coaching, orientation, developmental math courses, and the data retreat itself.

Further success data will be available through OIEA’s new Information Portal System (TIPS), which was unveiled at the retreat. More information about TIPS and how to access it will be available soon.

Student orientation now available online; faculty and staff invited to take part

Although FTIC students are highly encouraged to attend a live orientation session on campus, The Orientation Program (TOP) is now also available online.

All faculty and staff are urged to participate in taking TOP online as well to be aware of their FTIC students’ orientation requirements and to fully understand what TOP provides.

Further information about TOP, including a link to the online orientation course, may be found on the Orientation website.

Mentor program under way, looking to grow

The pilot may have launched only last month, but the Student Success Mentor Program is off to a great, fast start, says program co-leader Dana Washington.

“The overall goal of the Student Success Mentor Program is to reduce attrition and increase persistence for FTIC students through staff and student relationship building,” Washington says. “Mentors in this program are role models, advisors, guides, and friends whose primary function is to help new ACC students have a successful first year.”

Working closely with Student Life, program leaders have spent the fall semester recruiting and training mentors and matching them with students. Each mentor works with small groups of students, about five to six mentees.

Currently, all mentees are members of Sigma Alpha Pi, a student leadership program connected to Student Life’s First Year Experience (FYE) Program.

“The idea around FYE is that students have a network of support during their transition into college, and the Student Success Mentors are one component of this broad support network we are creating for our FTIC students,” Washington says.

Mentors connect with their mentees via email and phone, over lunch, and at campus-based VIP events organized by Student Life. Although not advisors and tutors, these mentors act as motivators, coaches, and role models for their students. When students need help finding information or resources at the college, or just need to talk, their mentor is there.

Eight mentors are part of the pilot; however, the program is looking to recruit approximately 25 additional mentors for the spring semester. More information will be circulated through campus mail. Those interested in being a mentor may email Dana Washington, Christina Michura, or Nicole Bell.

Annual Learning Lab tutor training conference scheduled

The ACC Learning Labs are pleased to announce this year’s tutor training conference, “Success by Design: a Collaborative Approach to Student Retention.”

The conference’s objective is to strengthen retention efforts through communication and collaboration with academic departments. Faculty and staff are invited to present their own initiatives and engage the Learning Lab community in finding out more about ACC’s innovative programs and activities.

The conference, a component of the college’s Student Success Initiative, will be February 18 at Eastview Campus. Visit the Learning Lab website for more information.

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