Alternatives to Dismissal: Giving Students One More Chance Yovan Reyes Ann Von Thron
Feb 22, 2016
Alternatives to Dismissal: Giving Students One More Chance
Yovan Reyes
Ann Von Thron
Facts & Figures• Private, Comprehensive University• 6,900 students enrolled – undergraduate & graduate• Approximately 50% of students from Florida with two thirds of those from the Tampa Bay area • Students from 50 states and approximately 100 countries • 65% of full-time students live in campus housing• Approximately 1,500 degrees conferred annually
Academic Advising• Dual Model: Faculty Based Advising & Central
Academic Advising Office for all four colleges• Undergraduate students• New student registration• Assignment and Support of Faculty Advisors• Manage Academic Appeals• Class for at-risk students• Support academic component of ROTC
Undergraduate Retention Standards
Up to 16 hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic warning.......................................................Below 2.0
17-59 hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic warning.......................................................1.75-1.99Academic dismissal.....................................................Below 1.75
60-93 hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic warning.......................................................1.95-1.99Academic dismissal.....................................................Below 1.95
94 or more hours attemptedGood standing........................................................ 2.0 or higherAcademic dismissal.......................................................Below 2.0
Summary of Academic Dismissal Process• In the past, faculty Academic Appeals
Committee met at end of each term to make dismissal decisions• UAAO now reviews and makes recommendations on students in dismissal range • Faculty committee affirms those decisions and decides on unusual cases• The options are dismissal or semester option probation
• Semester Option Seminar (S.O.S.)• Academic Skills course (ASK 100)• All receive some sort of prescription
Semester Option Seminar (S.O.S.)The Early Years
• Origins of the program• Outgrowth of UAAO’s involvement in academic
appeals process• Pilot program in 1998, posted as a course in
2001• Pattern of well-prepared students based on high
school GPAs and test scores but falling into Dismissal range
• Need for something more than study skills training
• Student Focused: motivation , personal, mental health
• Connect to the university and have a support system
The S.O.S. Student Profile over the past 10 years
• Completed two or more successful semesters
• Traditional-aged students• Average Class Size: 14 students• Average high school GPA: 2.75• Average SAT of 1000
The S.O.S. Model• Taught by Academic Advisors• Weekly Class Meetings – 14 weeks for 0 credit• Stress Time Management• Instructor Progress Reports• Connections to Key Campus Personnel
Guest Speakers•Vice President•Deans•Faculty•Support Services
• Academic Advising Office• Academic Center for Excellence• Career Services• Health and Wellness Center• Saunders Writing Center
The S.O.S. Class•What Do Your Professors Expect? •Individual Meetings with Students• GPA Calculation• Pre-Registration• Personal Goals and Career Choices• Identifying Students’ Support Systems• Understanding Retention and Dismissal Standards
Does S.O.S. Equal Success? 10 Years of Results
After S.O.S. Course is TakenStatus TotalsGood Standing: 169 56.33%Semester Option: 42 14%Dismissed: 89 29.67%Total: 300
Students persist at a high rate directly after enrolled in course
Transfer vs Non-Transfer
55%Transfer
45%Non-Transfer
TransfersGood Standing: 58.9%Semester Option: 17.2%Dismissed: 23.9%
Non-TransfersGood Standing: 54.1%Semester Option: 10.4%Dismissed: 35.5%
Gender
39.5%Female
60.5% Male
MaleGood Standing: 56.5% Semester Option: 17.4%Dismissed: 26.1%
FemaleGood Standing: 56%Semester Option: 8.6%Dismissed: 35.3%
Ethnicity Breakdown
65.9%5.4%
10.1%
1.9%
7.3%0.9%
4.7%3.8%
CaucasianHispanicAfrican-AmericanAsianNon-Resident AlienAmerican IndianN/AOther
Class Standing – based on credits
25%
41%
29%
5%
FreshmanSophmoreJunior Senior
College Comparison
20%
19%
28%
33% College of Arts & Letters
College of Natural Health & Sciences
College of So-cial Sciences, Math, & Edu-cation
College of Business
Final StandingStatus TotalsGraduated: 97 32%Currently Attending: 59 19%Dismissed: 119 39%No Longer at UT: 24 8%Graduated after dismissal & readmission 4 1%Total: 303
Non-Transfer vs Transfer - final
55%Transfer
45%Non-Transfer
TransfersGraduated: 39.8%Currently Attending: 18.7%Dismissed: 30.1%No Longer at UT: 8.4%Graduated after Dis-missal & Readmission: 3%
Non-TransfersGraduated: 22.8%Currently Attending: 20.6%Dismissed: 49.3%No Longer at UT: 7.4%Graduated after Dis-missal & Readmission: 0%
Gender - final
39.5%Female
60.5% Male
MaleGraduated: 32.1%Currently Attending: 19%Dismissed: 40.8%No Longer at UT: 7.6%Graduated after Dismissal & Readmission: 0.5%
FemaleGraduated: 31.7%Currently Attending: 20%Dismissed: 36.7%No Longer at UT: 8.3%Graduated after Dismissal & Readmission: 3.3%
Average GPA – by Session
Before During After1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50
1.67
2.122.23
Average GPA – Cumulative
Before During After Final1.25
1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50
1.872.01
2.212.04
Top 10 Majors1 – Management2 – Criminology3 – Communications4 – Psychology5 – Marketing6 – Undecided7 – Exercise Science8 – Sports Management9 – Government & World Affairs10 – Liberal Studies
Limitations• More in-depth research on:
• Gaining SAT/ACT and high school GPA information for Transfer Students – not required for Admission
• On-Campus vs Off-Campus• Financial Aid Implications• How involved on-campus/organizations/activities• U.S. vs International
Conclusion• The majority of students persist at a high rate directly after taking the course• Transfers graduate at a higher rate than non-transfers• Male students persist at a higher rate than females, however females graduate at a higher rate• Session and cumulative GPAs increase after taking course• Students continue to enroll beyond the class but ultimately have trouble graduating• We are able to retain a high percentage of students that would have otherwise been dismissed
How Can We Do Better?• Keep tracking and checking in with students after course taken• More collaboration with Career Planning• Better outcomes for females• Involve successful past participants in programming
Step Up
Background•STEP UP is a comprehensive summer program for students that are at risk of dismissal from the University•Focuses on Personal and Academic skill development•Designed for unfocused distracted or immature students who have a desire to be successful
Issues•The University of Tampa has a well established faculty review process to provide
second and even third chances for students facing academic dismissal•The summer program is more viable and academically vigorous•This program seeks to augment the process by providing services to students offered semester option probation
Opportunities• The STEP UP program will help integrate
available summer resources in ACE and Student Success for a defined target population.– Faculty and advisors will now have an
integrated summer program to recommend for students that may need help.
Questions & Discussion