George D. Kuh THECB 2005 Governing Board Conference Austin TX October 11, 2005

1. Building an Excellent Undergraduate Experience: Taking Student Success Seriously • George D. Kuh • THECB 2005 Governing Board Conference • Austin TX • October 11, 2005

2. We all want the same thing--an undergraduate experience that results in high levels of learning and personal development for all students.

3. The Role of the Board Governing boards are responsible for insuring the vitality of their institution, consistent with its educational mission, values, and aspirations.

4. Advance Organizers • If boards want students to get as much out of their college experience as possible, on what should they focus? • What might we do individually and collectively to uphold our end of the educational bargain?

5. Overview • Student engagement and educational excellence • Some insights from NSSE and DEEP • Lessons for governing boards

6. We value what we measure Wise decisions are needed about what to measure in the context of campus mission, values, and desired outcomes.

7. What Really Matters in College: Student Engagement Because individual effort and involvement are the critical determinants of impact, institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to encourage student engagement. Pascarella & Terenzini, How College Affects Students, 2005, p. 602

8. Student engagement, grades, persistence, and satisfaction go hand in hand

9. The Student Engagement Trinity • What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities • What institutions do -- using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things • Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward the right activities

10. Good Practices in Undergraduate Education(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) • Student-faculty contact • Active learning • Prompt feedback • Time on task • High expectations • Experiences with diversity • Cooperation among students

11. National Survey of Student Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)Community College Survey of Student Engagement(pronounced “cessie”) College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

12. NSSE’s Survey InstrumentThe College Student Report Student Behaviors Student Learning & Development Institutional Actions & Requirements Reactions to College Student Background Information

13. In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following? 1

17. Effective Educational Practices Level of Academic Challenge Active & Collaborative Learning Student Faculty Interaction Supportive Campus Environment Enriching Educational Experiences

18. NSSE Evolution

19. NSSE Project Scope • 900,000 students from 970+ different schools • 77% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate FTE • 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada • 70+ consortia

20. NSSE 2000-2005 Participating Colleges and Universities

21. State & University Consortia California State UU of Missouri CUNY U of New Hampshire Connecticut New Jersey U of Hawaii U of North Carolina Indiana U South Dakota Kentucky Texas A&M Maryland U of Texas U of Massachusetts U of Wisconsin West Virginia

22. NSSE in Texas • 28 of 41 publics • 21 of 53 privates • 434K/529K students • 82% undergraduate FTE

23. 407 colleges • 324,337 students • 43 states www.ccsse.org

24. Does institutional size matter to engagement? Yes, size matters. Smaller isgenerally better.

25. Benchmark Scores for All Students by Undergraduate Enrollment

26. Academic Challenge, Active Learning, &Student-Faculty Interaction by Enrollment

27. Supportive Campus Environment: Seniors at Master's Institutions Percentile 10 Percentile 50 Percentile 90 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Master's Institutions

28. Academic Challenge at Two Public Universities in Texas

29. Worth Pondering How do we reach our least engaged students?

30. Project DEEP To discover, document and describe what high performing institutions do and how they achieved this level of effectiveness.

31. DEEP Guiding Questions • What do strong-performing institutions do to promote student success? • What campus features -- policies, programs, and practices – are related to higher-than-predicted graduation rates and student engagement?

32. DEEP Selection Criteria • Controlling for student and institutional characteristics (i.e., selectivity, diversity, institutional type), DEEP schools have: • Higher-than-predicted graduation rates • Higher-than-predicted NSSE scores • Region and institutional • type, special mission

33. Project DEEP Schools Liberal Arts California State, Monterey Bay Macalester College Sweet Briar College The Evergreen State College Sewanee: University of the South Ursinus College Wabash College Wheaton College (MA) Wofford College Baccalaureate General Alverno College University of Maine at Farmington Winston-Salem State University Doctoral Extensives University of Kansas University of Michigan Doctoral Intensives George Mason University Miami University (Ohio) University of Texas El Paso Master’s Granting Fayetteville State University Gonzaga University Longwood University

34. Research Approach Case study method • Team of 24 researchers review institutional documents and conduct multiple-day site visits • Observe individuals, classes, group meetings, activities, events 2,700+ people, 60 classes, 30 events • Discover and describe effective practices and programs, campus culture

35. Six Shared Conditions • “Living” Mission and “Lived” Educational Philosophy • Unshakeable Focus on Student Learning • Environments Adapted for Educational Enrichment • Clearly Marked Pathways to Student Success • Improvement-Oriented Ethos • Shared Responsibility for Educational Quality

36. Hay muchas maneras de matar pulgas There are many ways to kill fleas

37. Remember This Many roads to an engaging, student-centered institution • No one best model • Different combinations of complementary, interactive, synergistic conditions • Anything worth doing is worth doing well at scale

38. Unsolicited advice…

39. 1. Feature student success in the institution’s mission. • Missions, values, aspirations, and operating philosophy are transparent and understandable • Institutional values really do guide many important policy and operation decisions. • Sustained widespread understanding and endorsement of educational purposes.

40. Mission and Vision California State University, Monterey Bay is a public liberal arts institution with a distinctive curriculum and outcomes- based education model. Its “Vision Statement” is the driving force behind all decisions and actions taken at the institution.

41. Mission and Vision George Mason University “The Right Place. The Right Time” “[We] will be a magnet for outstanding faculty who will devise new ways to approach problems, invent new ways to teach, and develop new knowledge for the benefit of the region and nation…”

42. Living the Mission “Sea change” at KU to emphasize undergraduate instruction • Experienced instructors teach lower division and introductory courses • Faculty members from each academic unit serve as “Faculty Ambassadors” to the Center for Teaching Excellence • Course enrollments kept low in many undergraduate courses; 80% have 30 or fewer students; 93% 50 or fewer students.

43. 2. Strategically invest in student learning “…in professional baseball it still matters less how much you have than how well you spend it”

44. 2. Strategically invest in student learning • Align rewards with institutional mission, values, and priorities • Hire right-minded people • Invest in physical plant improvements that facilitate learning

45. 3. Require evidence for policy decisions and improvement efforts. • What do the data say? • Sunset redundant and ineffective programs; feed those that are demonstrably effective (evidence?) • Positive restlessness: “Are we performing as well as we can?”

46. Self-correcting orientation • FSU Chancellor concerned about first-to-second year retention rates • Chancellor launches Freshman Year Initiative • Vision of holistic student development engaged all FSU community members • Expanded facilities to support students

47. 4. Include student success indicators in the president’s performance review • When, where and how do leaders underscore the importance of undergraduate education? • annual state-of-the campus reports • governing board meetings • alumni gatherings • convocations, • faculty meetings • What are appropriate indicators for evaluating the president’s performance related to the undergraduate experience?

48. 5. Review board priorities with student success in mind • How does your board hold itself accountable for student success? • What structures and processes are in place for this to happen? • How much time does the board spend annually discussing student engagement, learning outcomes, persistence, and graduation rates relative to other matters? Meeting with students?

49. 6. Make student success everybody’s business. • Student and academic affairs collaboration • A caring, supportive community

50. 6. Make student success everybody’s business. • Student and academic affairs collaboration • A caring, supportive community • Ms. Rita