OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

SAM Center

Goal
Provide Academic Guidance To Re-Admitted Students Through The Monitored Academic Progress (MAP) Program
The MAP program will provide quality academic advice and mentoring to students who, following their suspension, are re-admitted by their respective Deans as probationary students with the goals of returning students to good academic standing, improving their grade point averages, and increasing their awareness of the benefits of academic mentoring.


Objective
Increase Academic Accountability In MAP Students
Students participating in the MAP program will realize the importance of academic skills and accountability.



KPI
MAP Student Surveys
At least 33% of the MAP students will complete surveys noting the various aspects of the program, including study skills, grade check forms, and overall effectiveness of the program.

At least 75% of the students who respond will agree/strongly agree that each element of the MAP program was effective, representing their improved outlook towards academics.

Result
MAP Survey Response
Surveys were made available to participating students at the end of each semester, fall and spring, with the intention of gauging student perception of their academic accountability by having them rate the various requirements of the MAP program and their required participation.  

MAP Program Population Breakdown:

  • Fall 2012:  338 students referred to the program/305 students enrolled in the program/49 students (16.1%) completed the survey
  • Spring 2013:  208 students referred to the program/190 students enrolled in the program/27 students (14.2%) completed the survey
  • Overall:  546 students referred to the program/495 students enrolled in the program/76 students (15.4%) completed the survey
 

The following figures represent reflect their perceptions of the program's requirements:

Requirements were clearly explained:

  • Fall 2012:  46 students (93.9%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  27 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall:  73 students (96.1%) agree & strongly agree
Meetings were helpful:

  • Fall 2012:  45 students (91.8%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  27 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 72 students (94.7%) agree & strongly agree
Grade Check Forms were helpful:

  • Fall 2012:  41 students (83.7%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  26 students (96.3%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 67 students (88.2%) agree & strongly agree
Study Skills improved academic skills:

  • Fall 2012:  38 students (77.6%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  26 students (96.3%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 64 students (84.2%) agree & strongly agree
Treated courteously:

  • Fall 2012:  46 students (93.9%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  27 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 73 students (96%) agree & strongly agree           
As a whole, the MAP program was beneficial:

  • Fall 2012:  45 students (91.8%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  27 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall:   72 students (94.7%) agree & strongly agree

Action
Increased MAP Survey Participation
While the outlook of those surveyed appears to favorable, above the 75% desired, the lack of students completing the evaluation survey, only 15.4% overall, is still a concern.

In order to increase the number of surveys completed, which will in turn increase the validity of the data, the mentors will continue to hand out paper surveys/evaluations in addition to the e-mail surveys we send out.  However, we will now send out reminder e-mails to the students after the initial e-mail to try and boost numbers.

Goal
Promote Student Classroom Success Through The First Alert (FA) Program
The First Alert program provides quality academic advice and mentoring to students identified by professors as being “at risk” with the goal of preventing their failure in the course for which they were referred. 




Objective
Increased Referral
As a result of more effective contact with new and returning instructors, who in turn refer more students to the FA program, there will be an increase of referrals when compared to the past year.


KPI
Faculty Involvement
Various methods of contact will be compared to determine the most effective means of encouraging professors to use the FA program.  The methods will include:

1. E-mails sent to all department chairs;

2. Presentations to new faculty at the New Faculty Orientation;

3. Reminders sent to all faculty and staff via the Academic Affairs Weekly Newsletter.

In addition to the above, e-mail reminders will be sent to professors who previously used the First Alert Program to remind them of its virtues, with the goal of an 85% retention rate.

Result
Faculty Involvement Survey & Data
A survey was sent out to faculty members to identify the faculty who use the program’s perceptions of the First Alert program as well as the best method to best identify professors who will use the program in the future.  Of the 70 faculty members who used the program in Fall 2012, 19 returned a completed survey.  Of the 63 professors who used the program in Spring 2013, 20 returned a completed survey.  The numbers below reflect higher numbers than the actual number of surveys returned because several professors marked more than one method of contact and two faculty surveys (one each semester) did not respond to the question.

 

Department Chair: 

  • Fall 2012:  8
  • Spring 2013:  7
New Faculty Orientation: 

  • Fall 2012:  4
  • Spring 2013:  3
Academic Affairs Newsletter/Website: 

  • Fall 2012:  1
  • Spring 2013:  5
Fellow Professors: 

  • Fall 2012:  8
  • Spring 2013:  6
 

Based upon these numbers, the e-mails sent to all department chairs, and subsequently to their faculty, proved the most effective in recruitment.  It is interesting to note that word of mouth from fellow professors ranks a close second.

 

Retention of previous professors who use the program from the previous semester:

  • Fall 2012 (retained from Spring 2012):  19 faculty members (of the 67 in Spring 2012); 28.4% retention
  • Spring 2013 (retained from Fall 2012):  21 faculty members (of the 70 in Fall 2012); 30% retention

Action
Increased Faculty Involvement
The vast majority of faculty members who used our services gained their information and awareness from their department chairs and fellow faculty members.  During the 11-12 academic year, 103 faculty members used our services.  The 12-13 academic year saw an increase in faculty referrers of 8.8%, to 112.  

However, the retention rate for the First Alert program is only 28.4% from Spring 2012 to Fall 2012 and 30% from Fall 2012 to Spring 2013.  This is significantly below the 85% we had hoped for.  

We will survey all faculty members who used the First Alert program in the past 3 years in order to identify any potential trends in reasons why they choose to use the program or choose not to use the program.

Goal
Provide Academic Guidance To Student On Academic Probation Through The Help Eliminate Probation (HELP) Program
The HELP program will provide quality academic advice and mentoring to students who have been placed on Academic Probation, though not suspended, with the goals of returning students to good academic standing, improving their grade point averages, and increasing their awareness of the benefits of academic mentoring.


Objective
Increase Academic Accountability In HELP Students
Students participating in the HELP program will realize the importance of academic skills and accountability.


KPI
HELP Student Surveys
At least 33% of the HELP students will complete surveys noting the various aspects of the program, including study skills, grade check forms, and overall effectiveness of the program.

At least 75% of the students who respond will agree/strongly agree that each element of the HELP program was effective, representing their improved outlook towards academics.

Result
HELP Survey Response
Surveys were made available to participating students at the end of each semester, fall and spring, with the intention of gauging student perception of their academic accountability by having them rate the various requirements of the HELP program and their required participation.  

HELP Program Population Breakdown:

Fall 2012:  67 students enrolled in the program/5 students (7.5%) completed the survey

Spring 2013:  182 students enrolled in the program/22 students (12.1%) completed the survey

Overall:  249 students enrolled in the program/27 students (10.8%) completed the survey

 

The following figures represent reflect their perceptions of the program's requirements:

Requirements were clearly explained:

  • Fall 2012:  5 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  21 students (95.5%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall:  26 students (96.3%) agree & strongly agree
Meetings were helpful:

  • Fall 2012:  5 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  20 students (90.9%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 25 students (92.3%) agree & strongly agree
Grade Check Forms were helpful:

  • Fall 2012:  5 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  19 students (86.4%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 24 students (88.9%) agree & strongly agree
Study Skills improved academic skills:

  • Fall 2012:  4 students (80%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  16 students (72.7%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 20 students (74.1%) agree & strongly agree
Treated courteously:

  • Fall 2012:  5 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  22 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall: 27 students (100%) agree & strongly agree        
As a whole, the MAP program was beneficial:

  • Fall 2012:  5 students (100%) agree & strongly agree
  • Spring 2013:  21 students (95.5%) agree & strongly agree
  • Overall:   26 students (96.3%) agree & strongly agree

Action
Increased HELP Survey Participation
The students' responses to the survey were primarily favorable, 75% or higher, with the exception of their views concerning Study Skills (74.1% overall).  Academic mentors and Study Skills Instructors will place a greater emphasis in the importance of Study Skills as a positive influence on academic performance when speaking with students.
 It is important to note that only 10.8% of the HELP students completed a survey, which limits the validity of the data.  

In order to increase the number of surveys completed, which in turn increases the validity of the data, the mentors will continue to hand out paper surveys/evaluations in addition to the e-mail surveys we send out.  However, we will now send out a reminder e-mails to the students after the initial e-mail to try and boost numbers.

Goal
Provide Effective Academic Support Programs
A Study Skills series will be offered to all students to support academic performance.


Objective
Study Skills
Study Skills is a six week seminar series designed to aid students by bolstering their academic skills.  Students who participate in the Study Skills program will improve their academic study techniques and GPA.


KPI
Student Academic Skill Assessment
A pre- and post- assessment, the Learning And Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), will be administered to identify the impact of the program on the participants' academic study techniques.  Analysis will indicate a statistically significant increase on all ten measures of study skills mastery, with specific attention paid to the Attitude score, which has historically been a weakness among students.

Result
Study Skills LASSI Data
The LASSI assesses ten seperate fields: anxiety, attitude, concentration, information processing, motivation, self-testing, selecting main ideas, support techniques, time management, and testing strategies.  Data was collected and analyzed and the data showed that all ten fields showed a statistically significant increase from the pre- to post-LASSI. An increase in LASSI scores shows improvement in the participants skills.

KPI
Student GPA
Institutional Research will compare the mean GPA of student participants before participation and after participation in order to evaluate the impact of the program on students' performance with the belief that there will be a significant increase in student GPA after participation in the Study Skills Program.

Result
Study Skills Impact On Student GPA
The pre- and post-GPA of the student participants were averaged and then compared to the pre- and post-semester GPA of the rest of the university to determine if Study Skills participation had a positive or negative influence on students' academics.  The result was that the Study Skills participants showed a statistically significant increase in their GPAs over that of the rest of the univerisity's student population.

Action
Study Skills Updating
The Study Skills program achieved both a significant increase in GPA, when compared to the university as a whole, as well as a significant bump in post-LASSI scores.  The next point of concern the department will address is the age of its Study Skills material.  Research will be conducted in order to identify more up-to-date instruction material as well as methods to expand Study Skills to include digital learning platforms.

Goal
Closing The Gaps
Provide a program that addresses the disparity in retention and graduation rates for minority men.

Objective
SHSU Establishing Leadership In And Through Education (ELITE)
The SHSU ELITE program was designed to close the gaps between minority groups and the mainstream student populations.  It is designed to promote the academic development, retention rates, and graduation rates of Latino/Hispanic and African American males.

KPI
Increase Funding
The SHSU Elite program is funded primarily through funds from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and local funds (i.e., Student Services).

To increase possible incentives and the number of student participants, additional funding will be sought from the THECB, Studen Services, and outside sources.  Funding for the 2011-2012 academic year was apx. 30000 dollars. Success for the 2012-2013 academic year will be 35000 dollars or more.

Result
Increased Funding
The ELITE program saw a 133% increase in funding, from $30000 during the 2011-2012 year to $70000 in the 2012-2013 academic year.  The goal was to successfully requisition a minimum of $35000.


KPI
SHSU ELITE Program Effectiveness
ELITE members will be compared to an equivalent Full Time Enrollment (FTE) population in respect to the following topics in the hopes of achieving statistically significant outcomes in favor of ELITE.
  1. Incoming admission scores 
  2. Mean GPA
  3. Number of credit hours successfully completed

Result
SHSU ELITE Program Data
ELITE members were compared to an equivalent Full Time Enrollment (FTE) population in respect to the following topics in the hopes of achieving statistically significant outcomes in favor of ELITE.
  1. Incoming admission scores - There was no statistically significant difference between the ELITE students and the FTE group in regards to ACT or SAT scores.
  2. Mean GPA - The GPA of the ELITE students (2.81) was statistically significantly higher than that of the FTE group (2.44).
  3. Number of credit hours successfully completed - The FTE attempted an average of 14.18 credit hours and completed 11.49 credit hours on average.  The ELITE students attempted an average of 14.02 credtit hours and completed 12.38 credit hours on average.  There was a statistically difference between the number of credit hours the ELITE students completed versus that of the FTE group.

Action
SHSU ELITE Program
Funding was increased for the 2012-2013 academic year and the ELITE students saw statistically significant positive differences in their mean GPAs and number of credit hours successfully completed.  As such, the desired results for the program were achieved.

The SHSU ELITE program will switch departments for the next academic year.


Goal
Provide Academic Advising To Undergraduate Students
The SAM Center will provide academic advising to undergraduate students of all classifications to facilitate student understanding of degree plans, degree requirements, and institutional rules and regulations.

Objective
Provide A Positive And Informative Advising Experience
Students advised at the SAM Center will understand their degree requirements and be satisfied with their advising experience.

KPI
Student Advising Experience
The SAM Center will survey students from all four classifications (i.e., freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) and first-time transfers in order to determine if advising sessions were perceived as educational and if students were satisfied with their advising experience.  Academic advising will be seen as effective if student survey rankings of satisfaction and perception of education are at the levels of 4.0 or better.

Result
Student Surveys
Separate surveys were given to first-time freshman students, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and first-time transfer students.  Each survey consisted of two open ended questions centered on the specialized needs of the different student classifications and then four questions, based upon a Likert scale (1-5).

 Freshmen were asked to rank the following four topics:

  • Explanation of the core curriculum (Unclear to Clear) – 4.73 on average
  • Explanation of degree plan and requirements (Confusing to Informing) – 4.67 on average
  • Answers your questions (Incomplete to Complete) – 4.87 on average
  • Overall satisfaction with this advising session (Unsatisfied to Satisfied) – 4.86 on average
Sophomores were asked to rank the following four topics:

  • Explanation of major and minor requirements (Unclear to Clear) – 4.75 on average
  • Explanation of transcript and components (Confusing to Informing) – 4.61 on average
  • I can calculate my grade point average (Unsure to Confident) – 4.29 on average
  • Overall satisfaction with this advising session (Unsatisfied to Satisfied) – 4.84 on average
Juniors were asked to rank the following four topics:

  • Explanation of graduation procedures (Unclear to Clear) – 4.39 on average
  • Discussion of Degree Works components (Confusing to Informing) – 4.64 on average
  • I can explain my degree plan to my advisor (Unsure to Confident) – 4.58 on average
  • Overall satisfaction with this advising session (Unsatisfied to Satisfied) – 4.80 on average
Seniors were asked to rank the following four topics:

  • Explanation of the remaining courses (Unclear to Clear) – 4.89 on average
  • Explanation of residency and advanced hours (Unclear to Clear) – 4.82 on average
  • Answers to your questions (Incomplete to Complete) – 4.92 on average
  • Overall satisfaction with this advising session (Unsatisfied to Satisfied) – 4.94 on average
First-time transfer students were asked to rank the following four topics:

  • Explanation of the core curriculum and transferring credits (Unclear to Clear) – 4.69 on average
  • Explanation of degree plan and requirements (Confusing to Informing) – 4.72 on average
  • Answers to your questions (Incomplete to Complete) – 4.93 on average
  • Overall satisfaction with this advising session (Unsatisfied to Satisfied) – 4.87 on average

Action
Online Advising
All questions ranked, on average, above a 4.0 for all classifications.  As such, the performance indicator was met and surpassed.  

There has been a call from the university administration for enhanced services for online students.  The SAM Center will investigate methods of increasing advising for online student. 

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement For the MAP and HELP programs, the use of paper surveys were implemented in addition to the use of e-mail and social media to increase survey participation.  Concerning the First Alert program, all previous faculty referrers, as well as department chairs, were e-mailed to remind them of the FA program and of its potential benefits.  We also spoke at the New Faculty Invocation in order to spread the word concerning FA and all of our other Academic Support Programs.  Addressing the issue of Attitude (one of the key indicators on the LASSI), we provided additional training to our Study Skills instructors concerning methods of emphasizing improved Attitude and its connection to academic success.  There was a mandate from the universities administration to look into the feasibility of increasing the size of the ELITE program.  This process requires more money, so we sought to increase funding from the THECB in addition to looking for alternative funding from the university and outside donors.  Administration of the Bearkat Learning Community, as a freshman learning cohort, was transitioned to the Student Success Initiatives office, which administers all of the other learning cohorts.  As such, it is no longer under the control of the SAM Center.

Plan for continuous improvement Low survey completion rates (i.e., 15.4% for MAP and 10.8% for HELP) are a continuing problem for the MAP and HELP programs.  Next year,  after the initial e-mail is sent out using the digital survey form, reminder e-mails will be sent to all of the people to faciliate survey completion.  This will be done in addition to the paper copies that will be handed out in person.  This should increase the completion rate and the validity of the information.  Additionally, the mentors for the HELP participants will emphasis the importance of Study Skills in their interactions with participants and Study Skills instructors will be told to stress the practical application of the program to their students.

To boost survey completion among faculty who use the First Alert program,  e-mail reminders will be sent.  Hopefully, this will boost the number of responses from the 29.3% the program currently has as well as boosting the validity of the survey.  To address the issues with faculty retention (i.e., retention rates of only 28.4% and 30% for fall and spring semesters respectively), a survey will be conducted of the faculty members who referred students to the First Alert program in the past but who have not recently used its services.  The purpose of the survey is to determine the reasons why the professors have not recently used the services and what can be done to to improve the First Alert processes.  

The goals for the Study Skills program were achieved (i.e., statistically significant increases in both GPA, when compared to university students who did not particapate, and LASSI scores), so the department will now look to update the program and its information so that it can stay relevant and offer the best services to SHSU students as possible.  Material will be added to the program to emphasize online and distance education, because of the increasing numbers of students who are 100% online.  Additionly, up-to-date research and information will be identified and incorporated into the program to validate the skills the instructors are teaching.  

The ELITE program will no longer be under the purview of the SAM Center.

All survey scales ranked a 4.0 or higher for academic advising.  As such, the department achieved its goal for the academic year.  Now, the department will increase efforts to provide academic advising for students who are online, because the number of students who are 100% online are increasing.  As such, the SAM Center must strive to create and guarantee and equality of service for all students who come to SHSU.  Specifically,  software will be researched to identify a system that will allow advisors to easily and effectively advise and aid students through digital media.  Also, the feasibility of adding personnel to work evenings/nights so they can help those students who work full time jobs or are in different time zones will be researched.

Sam Houston State University | A Member of The Texas State University System