“You Complete Me!”

“You Complete Me!”

Dr. Pamela Phillips

Megan Popkey

John Grant

Mark Franks

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College • Two-year technical college in Green Bay, WI• Established as a vocational school in 1912• Serving 41,500 students annually in nine

counties in Northeast Wisconsin • Offer over 100 associate degrees, technical

diplomas and apprenticeships• 88% of our 2010 graduates were employed

within 6 months of graduation• Ranked among America’s 20 fastest

growing two-year colleges in 2003, 2004, and 2006

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Enrollment grows 79% in 13 years – No signs of slowing down

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Academic Year

Profile of Program Student• Average age is 27• 60% female, 40% male• 10% students of color• 75% receive financial aid • 64% are pursuing associate degrees• 95% of 2010 graduates are employed in

Wisconsin• After six months on the job, 2010 associate

degree graduates earned a median salary of $35,100

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

“You had me at… completion.”

• NWTC Dream Catchers Initiative• Achieving The Dream

• Student Engagement• Academic Advising• Automation of Graduation Process

American Association of Community CollegesAnnual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

NWTC Dream CatchersAchieving the Dream

• Dream Catchers initiative started in 2009 • Core Team and 6 subcommittees – over 80

staff• Move toward building a “culture of

evidence” across the College• “Got Evidence?” sessions

• 2010: NWTC joined national Achieving the Dream network as a self-funded member• 160 community colleges in 30 states• Focused on student success

American Association of Community CollegesAnnual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New

Orleans

NWTC Dream CatchersAchieving the Dream

• Purpose: improve 3-year degree and diploma program completion rates by focusing on five target areas:• Basic Education• Gateway Courses• Successful Course Completion• Persistence• Program Completion

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

NWTC Dream Catchers Interventions

• Integrate student success principles throughout the college to increase depth of student engagement

• Implement new developmental education model

• Implement Placement for Success• Improve and mandate Program Orientation• Mandatory advising• Academic Success Center • Course Signals

American Association of Community CollegesAnnual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

“You had me at…engagement.”

What does the research tell us?How College Affects Students (1991), Pascarella and

Terenzini

• FYE – “Catch the Wave”• Program Orientation• Welcome Days• Student Ambassadors• Student Involvement

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

“Catch the Wave”

• Catch the Wave – overall marketing theme for NWTC First Year Experience (FYE) initiatives

• FYE – paradigm shift –”Just in Time” information

• Web presence geared toward new student resources

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

New Student Orientation

• Operational productivity event• Standardization of content across Student

Services and Learning• Alternative delivery modes- e.g. video

streaming• Movement toward mandatory orientation• Checklist for success

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Add summer postcard so dates are current?

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Welcome Day

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Student Ambassadors• Facebook page • Ambassador e-mail –

[email protected]• Ambassador business cards• Future ideas:

• Ask an ambassador• On-demand welcome services• Welcome week workshops

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Student Involvement

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

“You had me at… advising.”• Major shift in student service model -

2006• Advising and counseling roles defined• Mental health counseling model• Intentional advising in open access

environment• Team has grown to 15 advisor

positions • Serve 18,000-20,000 walk-ins and

appointments annually

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Advising Model at NWTC• Advisors assigned to 95% of programs –

9,500 students• Course planning, degree progress, transfer

of credit, financial aid, and student advocacy• Embedded in academic divisions,

Multicultural Center, and Regional Learning Centers

• Assessment and focus on learning outcomes, syllabus, and mission statement

• Overall improved collaboration

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

“Help me, help you.”Advising Interventions

• Assign students at program acceptance• Deliver program orientation content - Making the

early connection for student success• Utilize degree audit:

• Contact students with <2.0 G.P.A.• Contact non-returning students each term• Contact students within 6 credits of graduation

• Deliver Student Success Workshop series• Mass registration of continuing program students • Will soon participate in Academic Success Center

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

Advising Technology to Enhance Student Success

• Social networking• Mass e-mails, E-newsletters • Course Signals – pilot to begin summer

2011• Camtasia video tutorial library • http://www.nwtc.edu/services/advising/Resources.aspx

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

“Show me the money!”Graduation Project

• Student-initiated petition form and fee, manual graduation process for staff

• In late 2009, NWTC decided to pursue an automated graduation process and reduce fees for students

• After four months of business analysis, programming, and testing, IIT created a graduation system that saved Admissions approximately 975 hours annually

American Association of Community CollegesAnnual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New

Orleans

Contact Information

American Association of Community Colleges

Annual Convention, April 9-12, 2011, New Orleans

• Dr. Pamela Phillips [email protected]

Vice President of Student Services

• Megan Popkey [email protected]

Manager of Student Involvement

• John Grant [email protected]

Director of Student Support Services

• Mark Franks [email protected]

Dean of Enrollment Services