Program: Student Academic Services
Date: Fri Oct 09, 2015 - 12:50:04 pm
1) Below are your program's student outcomes (SOs). Please add or update as needed.
- Students will identify their career goals and formulate an educational plan that will assist them in achieving their goals.
- Students will identify College and University policies that affect their educational experience.
- Students will utilize OSAS advising services in any of the following ways: in-person, phone, Skype, Blackboard Collaborate, satellite advising sessions, and/or additional support services via Puahia, Pu'uhonua, and Tinalak.
- Students will identify factors that impact their academic progress.
2) Your program's SOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Program's Website. URL: https://coe.hawaii.edu/admissions-advising/missions-goals
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure. URL, if available online: UHM Catalog. Page Number: Other: Other: 3) Provide the program's activity map or other graphic that illustrates how program activities/services align with program student outcomes. Please upload it as a PDF.
- File (09/11/2015)
4) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning activities to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys, etc.)
Yes
No (skip to question 14)5) For the period between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the student outcomes that were targeted, if applicable.
The goal for our office was to continue to improve and refine our retention efforts with students who were experiencing academic difficulty. Our assessment activities targeted students who were on the Academic Action list for the 2014-2015 academic year.
We wanted to see if self-reflection continued to be a factor in students' realization for why they were placed on the academic action list.
SO #4 was targeted: Students will identify factors that impact their academic progress.
6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #5.
Our office engaged in the same process of gathering evidence as in years past for students who were placed on the Fall 2014 Academic Action list. An online survey created via Google Forms was sent to all students placed on this list. This survey included a combination of multiple choice and open ended questions. http://tinyurl.com/osas-retention-survey
Through faculty meetings, student survey feedback, and our own on-going self-reflection, the COE academic advisors decided to modify our assessment methods for students placed on the Spring 2015 Academic Action list. Two new surveys were created for students who were "Repeat Offenders" (those that were on the Academic Action list 2 or more times) and students who made good academic progress during the semester but their overall cumulative gpa was still below the minimum. These surveys contained open ended questions.
Links for new surveys: http://tinyurl.com/accrevform http://tinyurl.com/osascpf
We still used the Fall 2014 survey for those students who found themselves on the Spring 2015 Academic Action list for the first time.
7) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
As in years past, hard copy letters were sent via postal mail to all students placed on the Fall 2014 Academic Action list. We modified the method of notifying Spring 2015 students. Letters were sent via postal mail and email notifications were sent to the Spring 2015 suspended students. Students who were placed on academic warning, probation, and those who made good academic progress for the semester but their cumulative gpas were still below the minimum all received email notifications regarding their academic standing instead of hard copy letters.
The change in our method of notifying Spring 2015 students resulted in quicker dissemination of information and in a manner that ensured greater access to the information.
Survey links were embedded within the letters and email messages. The survey questions required students to engage in self-reflection and identify specific reasons that contributed to their academic situation.
Students were required to complete the survey and then schedule an academic advising session. Advisors used the survey responses as a spring board to discuss the factors leading to students' academic difficulty. UHM and College of Education academic policies and resources on campus were reviewed and discussed.
Students sign an academic contract that includes statements of understanding regarding their academic situation. This contract reinforces the idea of students taking responsibility for their situation.
There were 126 survey responses received from those placed on the Fall 2014 Academic Action list.
Survey responses are still being collected for Spring 2015 students. Currently, there are 87 responses received from those placed on the Spring 2015 Academic Action list for the first time and 46 responses received from those that have been on the academic action list 2 or more times.
4 responses were received from students who made good academic progress during the Spring 2015 semester but their cumulative gpas were still below the minimum standard. Please note that this is the only population that is not required to visit with an advisor. Faculty meeting discussions resulted in the decision to have these students complete a short survey which asked them to identify factors that contributed to their academic success in the Spring 2015 semester. After completing the survey, students send an email to our office.
8) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? Check all that apply.
Program faculty/staff member(s) Faculty/staff committee Ad hoc faculty/staff group Director or department chairperson Persons or organization outside the university Students (graduate or undergraduate) Dean or Associate Dean Advisory Board Other: 9) How did he/she/they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? Check all that apply.
Compiled survey results Used quantitative methods on student data (e.g., grades, participation rates) or other numeric data Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, or other open-ended response data Scored exams/tests/quizzes Used a rubric or scoring guide Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used) External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., Social Science Research Institute) Other: 10) For the assessment questions/goals stated in Question #5, summarize the actual results.
Fall 2014 data:
- 47% of students indicated Academic Difficulty as the reason for their decline in grades.
- 33% of students identified Personal Issues as the contributing factor leading to their decline in grades.
- 16% of students rated Financial Hardship as the reason for their academic difficulties.
- 5% of students selected "Other" as the reason for their academic decline.
Spring 2015 data:
- For those placed on the Academic Action list for the first time:
61% of students indicated Academic Difficulty as the reason for their academic decline.
58% of students identified Personal Issues as a contributing factor leading to their decline in grades.
17% rated Financial Hardship as the reason for their academic difficulties.
19% of students selected "Other" as the reaon for their academic decline.
- For those that were placed on the Academic Action list 2 or more times:
When asked if respondents used any UHM support services/offices to assist them during their difficult semester, 76% indicated they did not.
- For those that met the minimum gpa for the Spring 2015 semester, but their cumulative gpa is still below the minimum standard (only 4 respondents):
Students cited "motivation, a reduction in their credit load, and interaction with classmates/professors" as reasons for their academic improvement.
11) What was learned from the results?
Reasons for a student's academic decline are numerous and complex. For many students, it is a complicated mixture of unexpected personal hardship, financial difficulties, and encountering challenging academic material/instructors but not having the knowledge or motivation to seek help to improve their situation.
The College of Education academic advisors had an intense desire to assist the students who have been on the academic action list 2 or more times. We redesigned the survey to include only open ended questions so students could explain in detail why they continued to experience academic difficulty and what they did to improve their situation.
It was a surprise to learn that 76% of these students did not seek help from on-campus support offices. This is particularly perplexing because advisors discussed these resources at length during prior advising sessions. A brochure listing these support offices are also given to students during these retention advising sessions and students sign a contract that includes the following statement:
"I have been made aware of several resources on campus that could be of assistance to me as I work to meet the requirements of my program. It is my responsibility to contact these resources and take advantage of their help."
Overall however, it does appear that self-reflection is a helpful tool that enables students to arrive at the realization that they need to take responsibility for their academic situation. Here is a sampling of comments that demonstrate this awareness:
"I should have used more of my resources and been more on top of my work."
"I don't feel like they (advisors) should be doing any more than this because it's my own fault that I did not try as hard as I should."
"I didn't ask anyone for help so I didn't give anyone a chance to help me."
"There is not much others could have done because I should have done better."
"I should have reached out to the advisors and seek help. I have no one to blame but myself."
"It wasn't much of what the College of Education advisors could've done, it was more done on my own personal part that made these past semesters difficult. Finding time to balance school, family, personal health, and other responsibilities was hard for me to manage, but I'm now determined to work things out to where I don't neglect school work and studying."
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
Through our own self-reflection and review of our procedures, we were able to implement meaningful modifications to our retention protocol.
Changes such as utilizing electronic notifications via email instead of postal mail, redesigning and tailoring retention surveys to students' individual circumstances (first time on the Academic Action list, 2 or more times on the list, and making good semester progress but cumulative gpa still below the minimum requirement), as well as continuing with our early alert academic warning notifications at the end of the fall semesters have resulted in positive changes.
We now have a better understanding about individual populations of students that will help to refine our retention practices. The data indicates that we need to put an even greater emphasis on assisting the "Repeat Offender" students (those that are on academic warning or probation 2 or more times). It seems this specific population needs frequent contact from advisors to monitor their progress in addition to the retention advising sessions we have been providing.
The advisors will discuss strategies to assist this specific population as well as review our existing retention practices to determine if further modification is needed for all populations of students on the Academic Action list.
13) Reflect on the assessment process. Is there anything related to assessment procedures your program would do differently next time? What went well?
Overall, our retention practices are working very well. Our advisors are providing comprehensive services to assist students who are struggling academically. Our office sends academic warning notifications and puts students on probation at the end of the fall semesters, although UHM policy does not require schools/colleges to do so. We strongly feel that this "early alert" strategy assists the student in seeking out help that will prevent more serious actions from occurring in a subsequent semester.
We continue to be pleased with the self-reflection and ownership students have taken regarding their academic situation. We believe that the early alert notifications combined with retention advising contribute to this self-awareness and ownership.
We will focus our efforts in assisting the students who repeatedly find themselves on the Academic Action list. It appears frequent contact would be most helpful for this population. Advisors will discuss best strategies for assisting this group of students.
Since we recently modified our retention procedures, we will continue to engage in the same process for the upcoming semesters, but perhaps add on an additional strategy to help the population mentioned above.
14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.
Additional efforts to assist students include: offering yearly achievement scholarships to pre-licensure students majoring in critical shortage areas, offering services via Puahia (support program for first year students), Pu'uhonua (Hale for Native Hawaiian students), Tinalak (Filipino Advisory Council), and utilizing our Manoa Peer Advisor and Graduate Assistant to provide advising services.