Summer Newsletter 2013

succeed @ UKVol. 1, Issue 1, Summer 2013

T he driving force for the Office for Student Success is the Systemic Approach

to Success. Each of these areas represents a collaborative unit, made

up of students, faculty, and staff from across the spectrum of units at

the university. The approach allows a diverse set of voices to assess areas

that need attention while also applying the best strategies to overcome

identified obstacles that may be obtrusive to the student’s success or the

experience at UK. Each collaborative works to identify any other aspects

of optimizing student success and graduation that are appropriate to

ensuring we achieve the greatest outcome for the student.

The primary focus of each collaborative is to identify areas for improvement,

best practices and recommendations to increase student success at UK.

In addition, the collaboratives work to identify areas of growth

with efficiency to ensure ongoing success for our students. The outer circle includes two enablers for the approach, infor-

mation and communication. The communication enabler group will function as the key source for developing initiatives that

the collaboratives produce, while the information enabler will work to provide accurate data for assessment and planning.

Finishing with ClassA Systemic Approach to Success

www.uky.edu/studentsuccess

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Based on a recent review of retention organization and

practices at five UK benchmarks, six research universities

participating in the Educational Advisory Board, and in Hard-

wiring Student Success, an EAB research-driven publication,

it is evident that UK has proactively organized its student

persistence efforts.

At many institutions, retention is viewed as “owned by

everyone and no one”; as a result, partnerships are jeopar-

dized, conflicting messages arise, duplication occurs, and

resources are underutilized. While most institutions follow a

decentralized approach at addressing retention, a more cen-

tralized approach is preferred: one that establishes a single

source of responsibility for retention, facilitating consistency

and collaboration across campus. As colleges and universi-

ties realize that students benefit from having a single point

of contact for all retention related issues, more retention

officers are emerging within institutions.

Leading the WayOrganization of Retention Efforts Student Success

Collaborative Model This model promotes student persistence as a continual process throughout a student’s academic career shared by the entire univer-sity. In addition to the collaborative model, UK is establishing an Academic Retention Net-work focusing primarily on retention initiatives within academic colleges.

Focus on Four-Year Degree CompletionFirst to second year retention is only the first step, but often the primary concern. By focus-ing on four-year degree completion (rather than one-year retention or six-year gradua-tion), overall student persistence and comple-tion will benefit significantly.

By creating the administrative area of Student Success, devising the Student Success Collaborative Model (previous

page) and recently hiring a Retention Officer, UK is structured to enhance and support retention. Best practice also neces-

sitates the formation of retention steering committees to review university strategy and identify opportunities for improve-

ment. In response, UK has established both a steering committee overseeing the Student Success Collaborative Model,

as well as an Academic Retention Network to focus primarily on retention within academic colleges. By supporting collab-

oration, consistency, and transparency, as well as encouraging ownership and accountability, UK is leading the way to significantly

improve student persistence.

Welcome Our New Retention OfficerServing as a single point of contact for UK’s retention-related

issues, the Office of Academic Retention establishes a more

centralized approach to student persistence and completion,

facilitating collaboration and consistency across campus. As

Retention Officer, Dr. Bethany Miller will inform the univer-

sity community on retention philosophy, tools, and issues

by establishing collaborative, practical solutions to enhance

student persistence and completion. We hope you will join us

in welcoming Dr. Miller to the University of Kentucky.Dr. Bethany [email protected]

Dr. Bethany [email protected]

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Headlines from Our Units

Enrollment ManagementEnrollment management has been working on a new online application for admission that combines scholarships and the Honors Program.

Student Account services is offering a new Guest Pay service, which allows students to assign a parent, guardian, or benefactor to make payments for them through myUK.

Center for the Enhancement of Learning & TeachingCELT’s New Faculty Teaching Academy offers workshops to assist new and current faculty with instructional strategies that foster student success.

The Center continues to contribute to efforts on campus to support service-learning and thereby enrich student experience through community engagement.

The International CenterFollowing on the heels of a multi-college visit to Jilin University in April 2013, the UK Confucius Institute facilitated a second pro-vost-led delegation to Jilin University in August, to further discuss the terms of a joint college that would more easily allow students of each institution to study at the partner university. Participating colleges included Pharmacy, Public Health and Communication & Information.

Susan Carvalho, associate provost for international programs, will convene a task force on International Student Success, to meet from July through December. This group will seek to clarify requirements for international students to enter individual aca-demic colleges, clarify policies on transition from English courses to credit-bearing coursework, and analyze data on academic performance and advising for international undergraduates.

Education Abroad (EA) and the Office of Undergraduate Re-search (UGR) awarded three Undergraduate Research Abroad Scholarships to support undergraduate researchers as they ex-plore their academic interests abroad – with the support of their UK faculty mentors.

Student AffairsMore than 100 sections of UK 101 and 6 sections of UK 201 will be offered to students this fall. Visit www.uky.edu/uk101 or contact Becky Jordan at 257-6597 for more information.

K Week, August 23-31, is the University of Kentucky’s official welcome week with more than 250 diverse events offered throughout a 9-day period introducing students to academic and student life, campus resources, and the community.

The 2013-2014 University’s Common Reading Experience (CRE) program for all freshmen (approximately 4,800) features the book Where Am I Wearing? by Kelsey Timmerman.

The Academic Checkpoints program results in more than 30,000 intentional conversations regarding academic and student suc-cess occurring annually in the residence halls.

For the 2012-2013 School Year the Disability Resource Center proctored 2,200 exams.

For the 2011 cohort, sophomore retention rates indicated that 80.7% students who spent their first year on-campus were retained compared to 71.9% who lived off-campus. During the same period 90.2% of Living-Learning Program students returned for their sophomore year.

Undergraduate EducationThe University Senate approved new Senate Rules to replace the outdated Graduation Writing Requirement. The new re-quirement, the Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR), builds on the composition and commu-nication requirements of UK Core. It mandates that faculty in all undergraduate majors identify courses and assignments where students achieve specified learning outcomes in writing as well as oral or visual communication.

With 420 confirmed acceptances, the 2013 incoming Honors cohort tops the 310 students who entered the program in 2012 and is double the size of the Fall 2011 incoming class.

Accepting his B.A. in Economics this past May, Anthony Cadle became the first student from UK’s First Scholars Program—and the first in his family—to receive a college degree.

The Study has created a pilot program on the underserved North Campus complex of residence halls. Temporarily located in the Hamilton House, near Keeneland Hall, The Annex will offer Peer Academic Coaching for students who want to develop learning and study strategies targeted to complement individual efforts in specific high-stakes courses.

COMMUNICATIONJay BlantonDan O’HairDerek LaneDerrick Meads

INFORMATIONStephen BurrAdam RecktenwaldJustin BathonJ.D. HardisonJesse HedgeSusan Herrick

EARLY INVESTMENTTerry BirdwhistellDon WittJordan AdlerStephen BarnettKelley BozemanJohn BurkeKristyn CherryAudra CryderChris HaydenSmitha NairMichelle NordinSeth RikerNancy StephensBrian Troyer

CLEAR PATHWAYSKen CalvertArny StrombergClaci AyersAnna BoschJoanne DavisSummer EglinskiCaroline EngleVince KellenRoshan PalliMichael PerryChris Thuringer

MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENTSusan CarvalhoRobert MockHuajing MaskeKatherine McCormickThomas TeagueKathryn Wong

POST-UK SUCCESSLenroy JonesMeg PhillipsGary GaffieldJane HaganGreg LaurPrim Wathen

PERSISTENCE & COMPLETIONDan O’HairBethany MillerRobert HayesAbby HollanderKarin LewisWayne LewisJeff ReeseDeanna Sellnow

Collaborative Committees

Dan O’Hair, Ph.D.Interim Senior Vice Provost for Student [email protected]

Bethany Miller, Ph.D.Retention OfficerOffice for Student Success

Vaughan FielderWeb Project ManagerOffice for Student [email protected]

Jessica PowersProject ManagerOffice for Student [email protected]

Hannah TurlingtonInternOffice for Student Success

310 K LITTLE LIBRARYUNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY LEXINGTON, KY 40506

OFFICE FOR

STUDENT SUCCESS

www.uky.edu/studentsuccess

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTPhil KraemerBen WithersMatthew FahrbackKathi KernAndrew KirkTony OgdenTulsi PatelDiane Snow

In January 2013, the Office for

Student Success launched a

virtual resource center for stu-

dents: Succeed @ UK. Students

are using this resource center to

navigate and search for helpful

resources and services at the uni-

versity. More than 200 resources

are categorized by Academ-

ics, Finances, and Beyond the

Classroom. The resource center

is equipped with an interactive,

online calendar for incoming

students. We are encouraging faculty, staff, and advisors to visit the

center and to make recommendations.

www.uky.edu/studentsuccess

Student Resources Online