THE SECOND YEAR AT EMORY PROGRAM: ASSESSING A RESIDENTIAL SECOND-YEAR INITIATIVE Ben Perlman John Lynch Brett Page Emory University 15 th National Students in T ransition Conference 2008
GOALS FOR PRESENTATION Explain the basics of building a living- learning community for second-year students Understand the history of Emory’s program Learn about difgerent ways to assess your new initiative Identify implications for student afgairs practice
SNAPSHOT OF EMORY UNIVERSITY Private, selective, research university w/an undergraduate population <6,000 2-year live-on requirement Undergrad students admitted to liberal arts college Some students pursue education in business or nursing school after 2 nd year of college Many of our students are interested in pre-health or pre- professional majors and programs
THE SECOND YEAR AT EMORY PROGRAM Living-Learning Community dedicated to second-year student success 4th year of program Programs Career Planning Academic Advising Faculty Interaction Life Skills T raditions
SYE TIMELINE @EMORY • Nov 2002: support and approval of the Campus Life Committee of the Board of Trustees • Nov 2003: SYE Committee formed • Fall 2004: began pilot program in predominately sophomore hall • Summer 2005: extensive renovation of Woodrufg, home to the program • Fall 2005: offjcial start of the program • Fall 2007: Incorporation of second residence hall • Fall 2008: Expansion to all of second-year housing
SOPHOMORE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT MODEL Staged model in which second-year students move through 4 difgerent stages: Random Exploration Focused Exploration T entative Choices Commitment Student focus on these stages in three areas: Peer relationships Self Academic choices Schaller (2005)
SCHALLER (2005) Friendships Self Academics Stage 1 Accepts friendships Wanders through life Has not yet as they come, may choices, not sure of considered Random be very unhealthy what to believe academic/major Exploration choice Stage 2 Is disenchanted with Recognizes Looking for major or friendships, problems within self, career idea that Focus frustrated with bothered but not might fit with self Exploration options clear what to do Stage 3 Decides to keep Begins to make Found major or some relationships statements about career, but still not Tentative and leave others beliefs, desires, clear how it will “work Choices describes self out” Stage 4 Makes healthy Firm in description of Sees how future will choices, “college self, knows what unfold, committed to Commitment buddies” wants career
SCHALLER (2006) Implications for Community Colleges Financial Issues Use of credit/loans Loss of fjrst-year aid Developmental Education Not directed enough in educational choices to make a choice of major T ransfer Preparation
EMORY NEEDED TO PURSUE SYE Gap between wealth of services for fjrst-year students and absence of services for upperclassmen Concerns about students transferring and satisfaction issues New second-year living requirement
STAFFING 2 Buildings Hall Director Fellow Woodrufg Hall Full-time Clifton T ower Post-bach Area Director Live-in Full-Time Academic Advisor Post-master’s degree Part-time Live-in Graduate student Graduate Student Live-in Hall Director Part-time Live-in
STUDENT STAFFING 1 Senior Resident Advisor (Senior) 17 Resident Advisors (Juniors and Seniors) 26 to 1 - Resident to RA Ratio
SEMI-SUITE APARTMENT STYLE STYLE
WOODRUFF SPACES Smart Classrooms Smart Classrooms Exercise Room Exercise Room Grilling Area Grilling Area Study Rooms Study Rooms RA Offjce RA Offjce
WOODRUFF SPACES Drop-In Spaces Drop-In Spaces Professional Stafg Offjces Professional Stafg Offjces Dining Facilitjes Dining Facilitjes Academic Advising Offjce Academic Advising Offjce
ASSESSMENTS WE’VE DONE
ASSESSMENTS • National instruments: – Educational Benchmarking Incorporated (EBI) – National Study of Living Learning Programs (NSLLP) • Local instruments: – Sophomore specifjc survey – SYE registration form – ResLife Rewards program – Program evaluations
EBI Measures resident satisfaction and perceptions of learning experiences and climate Distributed online 3,000 undergraduate residents sampled 25% response rate EBI provides an in-depth statistical analysis accessible online and in paper format
HIGHLIGHTS FROM EBI Sophomores in SYE residence halls were much more satisfjed than sophomores not in SYE residence halls Sophomores in SYE residence halls reported higher perceptions of learning than sophomores in other SYE residence halls Students, in general, reported higher satisfaction and learning when they reported going to programs “often”
NSLLP • Relatively new national instrument • Uses the I-E-O model of assessment • Measures input variables, environmental factors, and learning outcomes • Distributed online • Compares students in living-learning programs to students not in living-learning programs • 17% response rate • NSLLP provides a statistical analysis accessible in paper format
HIGHLIGHTS FROM NSLLP Signifjcantly higher than other LLP participants in terms of: Infmuences on signing up for program: wanted to live in a specifjc residence hall Perceived growth in cognitive complexity Perceived confjdence in college success Confjdence in problem-solving ability
SOPHOMORE SURVEY Asked about learning, perceptions, and feedback Locally developed questions based on anecdotal feedback Distributed online Sent to all sophomores 30% response rate
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOPHOMORE SURVEY Second-Year students want more support from Residence Life Where students live as a second-year greatly impacts their perception of and participation in SYE. Programming for and interactions with second-year students must be difgerent from those with fjrst-year students Second-Year students want a stronger cohort identity/community
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOPHOMORE SURVEY More programming on…
SYE REGISTRATION • Locally developed • Originally used as an “application” into the SYE program • Online • All rising sophomores were required to complete the form if they wanted to live in the SYE designated buildings: Woodrufg and Clifton • 85% participation
SYE REGISTRATION • Name, student ID # • Please mark if you are interested in any business or graduate school programs: Pre-BBA, Pre-Health, Pre-Law, PhD or Master’s, Pre-MBA • Please mark any majors you are currently pursuing or are interested in: (60 majors listed) • Please mark the topics you would be interested in learning about at future SYE programs: Choosing a major, Health and Wellness, Career decision- making/Internships, Academic advising, etc. • How would you contribute to or participate in the Second Year at Emory program?
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SYE REGISTRATION Interest in professional or graduate programs
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SYE REGISTRATION T op fjve majors: 1. Business Administration 2. Economics 3. Psychology 4. Biology 5. Chemistry
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SYE REGISTRATION T op fjve programming interests: 1. Study Abroad 2. Career Decisions & Internships 3. Community Service 4. Planning for Junior & Senior Year 5. Choosing a Major
ADAPTATIONS OF SYE REGISTRATION Require all rising sophomores to complete form as part of their housing sign-up process Make some questions more specifjc Ask about extracurricular involvement Use the form as a tool to get students to think about their sophomore year and future plans
RES LIFE REWARDS • Stemmed from our fjnding that more engaged students generally were more satisfjed and reported higher levels of learning • Attendance at events is carefully tracked • For every six programs a student attends he/she receives a reward – Water bottle, hydro-clock, t-shirts, journals, etc. • Analyze what types of programs students are interested in • Analyze demographics and residence hall location associated with high attendance at programs • Eventually we will analyze difgerences associated with high engagement versus low engagement
PROGRAM EVALUATIONS Distribute online Normal satisfaction questions (how did you like this program?) Learning outcome related questions
USING THE DATA
SHARING AND INTERPRETATION Share data with RA’s and Hall Directors for programming and Coke Conversations Share aggregate data with other offjces (particularly the Career Center, Business School, and Academic Advising) to assist them in their own planning Ask students and RA’s to interpret the data
IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR CHANGE Sophomores felt left out of SYE programs Students did not have a clear sense of the purpose of SYE Students wanted more support and programming Residents felt disconnected from their student stafg (Coke Conversations felt awkward)
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