Strategic Action Group Committee on Student Success
An invitation for input
Please review the following report and offer your input before April 22, 2009.
This report presents proposed "Aims" and "Actions" for possible implementation at the University of Houston. These are intended to assist UH to achieve this goal:
You are invited to review this report and offer recommendations, comments, and suggestions to the Committee at: uhstrategicgoal2@gmail.com
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DRAFT, as of March 30, 2009
Improving student success is of critical importance to the University of Houston. We have a goal to increase the quality and satisfaction of the educational experience for students from when they first consider attending the University until they graduate and enter a career or graduate school. To achieve that goal, UH must pay more attention to attracting students who can most benefit from what we have to offer and then ensure that those students receive the best possible instruction, services, and preparation for their postgraduate lives. There is nothing inherently inconsistent between the goal of increasing student success and our aspiration to be a top tier public research university. Indeed, the premier public research universities are known for the extraordinary quality of their undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.
Students often find themselves hampered in their progress through their studies for a variety of reasons, some of a personal nature but others resulting from institutional actions or inactions. Many students, especially first generation college students, are unsure of how to proceed as quickly and effectively as they could at different stages of their academic careers. Obstacles and uncertainties of this kind not only cause delays, frustrations, and wasted time and resources, but they also cut down on student satisfaction, and reduce their chances of finishing their degrees or attaining the jobs and graduate placements they desire. Thus, helping students progress efficiently and effectively through their studies can improve the overall academic experience and satisfaction at UH and their future professional careers. As such, consistent progress through one’s chosen course of studies, at an appropriate pace in keeping with one’s extracurricular responsibilities and commitments, is a good measure of how well our institution responds to student needs. So we especially seek to reduce the time from matriculation to graduation, while providing a high quality educational experience for all students and generating a life-long connection between the University and its graduates. The five aims listed below are geared toward accomplishing our overall goal. We have specifically targeted each of the major phases in a student’s educational career in order to improve students’ overall experience and assist them in achieving success.
Action Step B.1.(i). Strengthen the enrollment management function at UH, integrating and expanding student recruitment to ensure a strategic approach and high levels of responsiveness to prospective students.
Many public research universities have integrated services to prospective students by taking a comprehensive enrollment management approach. UH has begun that transition and needs to complete that process, including the development of a comprehensive strategic enrollment plan. All prospective students expect timely responses, but high performing prospective students in particular often compare responsiveness among the universities to which they apply. It is likely that enrollment management will not only require some reorganization and planning, but will also likely need additional resources to maximize its effectiveness and responsiveness.
The metrics could include increasing completed undergraduate FTIC applications from 11,666 to 15,000 in four years; increasing completed transfer applications from 7,213 to 9,000 in three years; reducing the FTIC acceptance rate from 79% of completed applications to 70% in four years while maintaining FTIC enrollment levels; and reducing the transfer acceptance rate from 90% to 85% in four years while maintaining transfer student enrollment levels.
Action Step B.1.(ii). Increase the number and amount of merit-based scholarships for undergraduates and distribute them strategically. (See also F.3.iii.)
To compete effectively for high performing students, the University of Houston will need to increase the overall number of merit-based scholarships, the number of endowed merit-based scholarships, and the amounts for both types of scholarship.
In addition, UH will need to be highly strategic in its distribution of merit-based scholarships so as to optimize their impact on the quality of students. This is one of the functions of a strong enrollment management approach, ensuring the integration of scholarship distribution with recruitment goals and strategies.
The metrics could include increasing the overall number of merit-based scholarships from 1,654 to 2,500 in three years and increasing both the number and average amount awarded from endowed merit-based scholarships. (See also F.3.iii.), increasing the number of merit-based transfer scholarships from 376 to 500 in three years. Action Steps B.1(i) and (ii) should also result in an increase of average SAT scores from 1055 to 1100 in five years and an increase in the average transfer GPA from 2.86 to 3.0.
Action Step B.1.(iii). Design, fund, and implement a comprehensive First Year Experience for freshmen.
Many universities have found that the transition from high school to college can be profoundly difficult for students both academically and socially. Retention studies reveal that the freshman year is the most important one for students in terms of their eventual graduation. They also reveal that the more engaged freshmen are with the college experience, the more likely they are to be successful. So comprehensive First Year Experience programs have evolved as an important tool to help students succeed. These programs usually include elements such as block scheduling (learning communities), freshman seminars, a shared reading, intensive advising, strong orientation programs, student interest groups, and coordinated activities. One key will be the integration of programs and a strong partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Services.
The metrics could include increasing the freshman to sophomore retention rate for FTICs from 79% to 85% in five years. They could also include UH students rating their freshman engagement above national and peer averages, using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
Action Step B.2.(i). Establish and fund a Center of Teaching Excellence.
Such a Center could be designed based on the best-practices of existing similar centers at peer and aspirant institutions. Services provided by the Center could include data-driven instructional research; training and workshops; mentoring (especially for new faculty); feedback services; a curriculum and pedagogy small grants program; and learning technology assistance. The Center may provide a named endowment opportunity.
The metrics could include a goal of at least 50% of instructional faculty utilizing one or more of the Center’s services and programs in its first three years. They could also include a goal of 80% or more of the instructional faculty expressing satisfaction with the available central instructional support services within the first four years, as measured by a periodic faculty survey.
Action Step B.2.(ii). Provide additional incentives for teaching excellence, pedagogical innovation, and curricular development at the department and/or college level.
While the Center of Teaching Excellence provides central support for the teaching and learning function, faculty also need instructional support at the college and/or department level. This support can be disciplined-based, but there needs to be a consistent level of recognition, reward, and support for teaching excellence, for innovation in pedagogy, and for appropriate curriculum development.
The metrics could include a goal of 90% or more of the instructional faculty expressing satisfaction with the available college and/or departmental instructional support within three years, as measured by a periodic faculty survey.
Action Step B.2.(iii). Increase peer-tutoring and TA assistance to individual instructors or teams, particularly for large classes and “high risk” courses (those with high fail/drop rates).
Supplemental instruction has been found to be highly effective, especially in large enrollment courses and “high risk” courses. First, data need to be obtained and analyzed to identify the courses that will provide the highest return on investment from supplemental instruction. Training is another important component of such a program.
The metrics could include undergraduate students successfully completing 80% or more of their courses with a grade of C or above. They could also include specific reductions in fail/drop rates of courses identified as “high risk”.
Action Step B.3.(i). Increase the number, the quality, the training, and effectiveness of academic advisers.
Academic advisers play a key role in student success. Navigating academic requirements can be challenging, especially for freshmen and even more so for first-generation college students. Poor course decisions at any stage can add considerably to the time to degree and even reduce chances of graduating at all. There need to be an adequate number of advisers, and they need to be well qualified and well trained. They also should be paid and treated as important professionals and as a key link in the chain of student success, especially in helping students make accurate and timely selection of majors.
The metrics could include meeting a goal of 100% of academic advisers being certified. An additional metric could be a student/adviser ratio of 300:1 in all colleges within three years. Another metric could be the reduction in undeclared majors from 14% to 10% within four years.
Action Step B.3.(ii). Improve the financial aid process.
Financial aid is often one of the most challenging services to provide students, and yet it is one of the most crucial. The challenges include the complexity of federal and other financial aid programs; the peak demand periods; the overload on staff that can result in a less than optimal customer service approach; and the demands of changing technology to name just a few. Too often financial aid is inadequately integrated into other important processes, further reinforcing the need for a comprehensive enrollment management approach. UH will need to assess, and adjust as needed, the organization, staffing levels, and training in the financial aid office.
The metrics could include increasing student satisfaction with financial aid services from 57% to at least 75% within four years.
Action Step B.3.(iii). Analyze course scheduling and sequencing and adjust to optimize student flow to graduation.
Such an analysis may lead to the need to hire additional instructional faculty, to allocate classroom space more effectively, and to make appropriate course sequencing and offerings a priority in all colleges and departments. Summer school’s role should also be part of the analysis (See also F.6.iii.).
The metrics could include reduced time to degree; a reduction in the number of students above the enrollment cap from 529 to 300 within three years.
Action Step B.3.(iv). Incentivize greater student engagement.
There are multiple ways to increase student engagement. The single most effective is contact with faculty in and outside the classroom. In addition, students who work on campus for a reasonable number of hours have been shown to be retained at a rate above those employed off-campus or not employed at all. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) provides great insights into the ways students can be fully engaged.
The metrics could include NSSE results above national and peer averages for student engagement. They could also include a specified percentage of students working on campus, increasing the number so employed by between 500-1,000 within three years.
Action Step B.4.(i). Establish an Office of Undergraduate Retention and Success.
Undergraduate retention requires a number of initiatives and considerable coordination of academic and student services initiatives. While retention is everyone’s responsibility, it does require an office to provide leadership and focus. A small increase in the retention rate would more than pay for such an office.
The metrics could include increasing over five years 1st to 2nd year retention of FTICs from 79%-85%; 2nd to 3rd year retention of FTICs from 64% of the original cohort to 70%; 3rd to 4th year retention of FTICs from 57% of the original cohort to 65%. It could also include increasing the four-year graduation rates of FTICs from 14.8% to 18% within five years; the six-year graduation rates of FTICs from 41% to 50% in seven years; and increase the four-year graduation rate of transfers with 60+ hours from 59% to 65% in three years. On a program level, it could include the following four-year graduation rates of declared majors with 60-75 hours within five years.
Action Step B.4.(ii). Expand seamless transition programs for BS students to move into graduate degrees in targeted disciplines, including five-year BS/MS degree programs.
With a goal of increasing graduate enrollment, particularly at the masters level (See also F.1.ii.), UH needs to provide clearer pathways for its own graduates and increase the expectation that high performing UH undergraduates will enter UH graduate school. This includes increasing the number of degrees that have a fifth year masters option clearly identified and marketed.
The metrics could include a specified increase in UH undergraduates who report acceptance into UH (and/or other) graduate/professional schools.
Action Step B.4.(iii). Increase the percentage of undergraduate students who complete an internship.
Internships have proven to be powerful elements not only for a student’s education, but also for their career possibilities. As a University located in a major city and with a mission of community engagement and advancement (See Section C), UH has opportunities to provide additional internships to its students. Coordinating internships, and managing them, requires considerable staff work.
The metrics could include increasing the percentage of students interning in the academic field by 25% in four years.
Action Step B.4.(iv). Track, increase, and publicize the percentage of UH undergraduate students who enter employment in a field related to their major or who enter graduate/professional school.
Currently accurate data are not available at UH for this action step, which indicates that this area has not been a priority. Yet it is important to students, their families, the public, and the Legislature. (See also section E.)
The metrics could include the percentage of students reporting employment and/or graduate/professional school acceptance in a related field.
Action Step B.5.(i). Increase the number of graduate students supported by stipends and provide competitive stipends.
To be competitive with top public research universities, UH will need to increase not only the number and proportion of its graduate students supported by stipends, but will also need to increase the levels. These increases in number and amounts should be based on a peer and aspirant university study.
The metrics could include a targeted number of graduate students supported by stipends and an average amount for those stipends that would be above peer averages.
Action Step B.5.(ii). Establish teaching loads for Teaching Assistants that are competitive with peer and aspirant universities.
Teaching assistants make their selection of graduate school partly based on the available compensation and on the competitiveness of the teaching load. Excessive teaching loads slow the time to a graduate degree and diminish a graduate student’s opportunity for scholarly and research activity.
The metrics could include average UH teaching loads at or below peer averages.
Action Step B.5.(iii). Provide incentives to departments and colleges to increase the number of high quality graduate and professional students.
Most graduate students are recruited and selected at the department level. Without adequate support, departments may become passive rather than active in the recruitment process. They need to be able to meet prospective graduate students at conferences and to be able to support the most talented ones visiting campus. In addition, departments need sufficient faculty lines to teach and mentor graduate students.
The metrics could include an increase in the proportion of graduate and professional students to 25% of the University’s student population within four years and an increase of Ph.D.s produced from 266 to 325 in five years. They could also include increases in graduate/professional student quality as measured, for example, by the percentile ranking on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and other professionally required exams; by the percentage and graduate and professional students being over 50% from ranked Tier 3 or above institutions (U.S. News).
Action Step B.5.(iv). Increase support for research and professional development for graduate/professional students.
To be competitive in their graduate programs and careers (especially those choosing a faculty career), graduate and professional students must have opportunities for supported research and scholarship, including support to publish and/or present their work.
The metrics could include 70% of graduate and professional students having published in a peer review journal or presented at a conference prior to graduation. They could also include an increase in the percentage of graduate/professional students reporting offers of employment in related fields.