Leading the Advising Journey for the Underprepared student - PowerPoint Presentation

Leading the Advising Journey for the Underprepared student Lisa Alexander and Eva Menefee Lansing Community College NACADA National Conference 2014

Welcome to our Journey Who Is coming along ? Characteristics of Lansing Community CollegeCharacteristics of Developmental Education at LCC.Characteristics of the Academic Advising Center.Characteristics of LCC students Let our Journey begin

Lansing Community College Urban Campus Fall enrollment 18,000 Supported tax base covers 15 different school districtsMore than 2800 faculty, staff and student employeesMore than 400 international students from over 56 countriesNearly 200 course offered in General Education, Career and Workforce Development, Development Education, and Personal Enrichment More than 300 Certificate and Associate Degree Programs22 Associate degrees and certificates are offered completely on line2500 LCC students transfer to a wide variety of University each year, include a campus based University CenterWide range of support services for Veterans, more veterans attend LCC than any other Community College in Michigan

Developmental Education Housed in the Center for Transitional Learning The CTL is based on the framework of Adult Basic Education Uses a Progress Through Pathway approach Step 1 – Foundations for Success Step 2 – READ 150 – SDEV 090 – WRIT 108 Step 3 – Contextualized Reading Clusters Step 4 – Students are prepared for: Employment Transfer Completion of Associate’s Degree as Terminal (Applied Degree) Transfer after Completing the Associate’s Degree

Academic Advising Center 2 full time advisors hired at LCC in 1994 A cadre of 80 faculty hired as result of Title 3 grant in the spring of 1994 Staffing model changed to use of full time advisors and part time advisors scheduled for 30 hour per week. Supplemental faculty on staff during peak times 2014 staffing model changed again – 10 full time advisors and 3 part time 30 hour advisors. Very limited supplemental hours available for faculty advisors Moved to new area after remodel and new design of advising center

The Typical LCC Student Approximately 60% FT – 40% PT 55% female 23% ethnic minorityAverage age of the LCC student is 27Of the 63% college-ready students, approximately 50% are Pell-eligible 70% of all students enrolled place into at least one developmental class, primarily MATH

The Typical Developmental Student Approximately 27% of all students enter with Reading-Writing levels below college-ready Approximately 80% of this group is Pell-eligibleMost students with these test scores need developmental reading, writing and math.

The role of poverty Most of the Pell eligible students taking developmental courses are first generation. Generational Poverty is defined as having been in poverty for at least two generations. Situational Poverty is defined as a lack of resources due to a particular event (i.e., a death, chronic illness, divorce, etc.)Differences between poverty and middle class and how they play a role in satisfactory/unsatisfactory experience. Formal Register.Learning hidden rules.Beyond Access-support Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. (1996) a framework for Understanding Poverty. Pp7 and 27

First Stop – Spring and Summer 2012: New Advising Leadership: New Model Cohort Advising Move to having students grouped into cohortsAdvising staff included: 4 full time advisiors9 part time 30 hour advisors10 supplemental faculty advisors Advisors to meet in cohort groups to create advising syllabus and activity plans

Developmental Cohort Advisors First meeting Cohort includes 1 FT, 3 PT, and 2 supplemental advisors Advisors to meet with students taking developmental reading and writing coursesTwo advisors go into two sections of reading to present a Photo Imaging presentationAdvisors begin spending 15-20 hours per week in the Language Skills office at a table in the lobbyTwo Advisors attend NACADA Summer Institute Summer 2012 Developmental Advising Syllabus creationSDEV 135 identified as the classroom visits to increase in the fallTime spent in Language Skills Department to increase in the fall

Second Stop – 2012/2013 Academic Year Spring 2013 3 visits to SDEV 135 1 visit to SDEV 101Table in CLT staffed every day including Saturday morningFall 2012 3 visits to SDEV 135 Development of Advising SyllabusStaffing of table in Center for Transitional Learning (CTL) formally Language SkillsSummer 2013 No classroom visits Limited table coverage in the CLT 4 sections of SDEV 135 1 section of SDEV 101

Third Stop – 2013/2014 Academic Year Fall 2013 32 sections SDEV 090 24 sections SDEV 1011 FT, 3 PT, 2 Supplemental advisorsAdvising table 12 hours weekly Summer 2014No Classroom visitsInstructors encouraged to use video created for SDEV 101No table in the CTLEnd of Cohort Advising4 sections SDEV 0902 sections SDEV 101 Spring 2014 15 sections SDEV 090 11 sections of SDEV 101 1 FT, 3 PT, 2 Supplemental Advisors Advising table 4 hrs. weekly 10 FT advisors hired March 14, 3 of the FT are dedicated to the Developmental Cohort

The journey continues…. Fall 2014 No Table in the CTL 3 FT advisors Advisors decide Developmental students need more love even without cohort advising23 sections of SDEV 090 each continue to get 3 visits15 sections of SDEV 101 each continue to get 1 visitEDP video available for on-line or face to face courses Spring 201512 sections of SDEV 0906 sections of SDEV 101

Bumps along the way… Development of advising syllabus Development of materials Creation of presentationsElimination of cohort advisingIncrease number of sections decreasing number of advisors Non flexible enrollment minimumsNew leadership with a non-advising background Dean who moved on to new academic pursuitsRemodel and move to new temporary spaceNew financial aid regulationsPersonality conflicts between assigned advisor and instructor

Reflection, Evaluation, Challenges, Change… Revisit the items that make us bump Losing staff – feeling overwhelmed Talk of “no more cohorts”Talk of “using cohorts”Lack of formal evaluation – currently evaluation is only anecdotal in natureOperation 100% and lack of knowledge of developmental studentsFederal Financial Aid regulation changes

Advisors take the Lead Continued partnership with Director and Faculty in the Center for Transitional Learning Continued scheduling of advising visits to all SDEV 090 and 101 courses Development and updating of information provided in the packets that are presentedOther advising activities scheduled based on work of the developmental cohortContinued revisiting of the policies and procedures that impact the developmental studentCollaboration at conferences (State and National) with member of the CTL

The Magical Packet Includes: Career Development PassionNetworkingInterviewsTime ManagementLevels of EducationCosts of EducationList of Majors at LCC Transfer agreementEducational Development Plan

From Undecided to completing an EDP Material developed for Undecided studentsBased on Packet prepared for Developmental cohortMore information available to students on D2L

Questions?

Thanks for coming! Lisa Alexander alexanl5@lcc.edu (517) 483-1197Eva Menefee menefee@lcc.edu (517) 483-9674