Governance and Planning [GAP] Retention Committee Retention Accomplishments Retention is defined as strategies employed by faculty and staff that engage students in ways that are supportive, welcoming, and ensure student success. National retention research indicates colleges must identify strategic, coordinated, and intentional efforts that comprise a thorough, comprehensive retention plan. The Retention Committee is responsible for the oversight of the college s plan and activities. Short-term retention tactics will be monitored by a core group of retention members who have been appointed and/or volunteered to assist in the execution of these efforts. The ECC retention rate for first-time, full-time students is currently 52 percent. This places ECC below each of its SUNY Community College peer institutions in this category. In fact, the retention rate has decreased from 54 percent to 52 percent over the last two years; and ECC has not seen an increase in the rate since 2007. ECC s goal is to reverse the current trend and increase retention to 62 percent over the next 5 years and 72 percent by the end of the 2022 academic year. Also, efforts and intents are to increase the retention each year for the next five years. 2014 Two Retention workshops were hosted on Opening Day: o Is Your Class Half Empty or Half Full o Update on Promising Practices The latest draft of the Retention Plan with data analysis is undergoing proofing and final editing. Student Affairs departments will develop retention action plans through the assessment process headed by Dr. Jackson and Nate Wallace. Final work group presentations are being implemented through May 2014. Three remaining groups will complete this process in by March. 1
Committee is developing and prioritizing retention budget recommendations for a retention infrastructure. Budget requests will be submitted to the EVPAA in February to begin institutionalizing and supporting retention within the college budget process for 2014-2015. Retention PowerPoint Presentations: Advisement Work Group Recommendations to Retention Committee, October 2, 2013 Retention Plan: START [Support Through Advisement, Registration, Transition] September 25, 2013 Navigating to Find Truth North, Petrina Hill-Cheatom and Nathan Wallace, August 30, 2013 Overthrowing a Dead Culture Inspiring Hope, Change, and Transformation from the Ground Up, Thomas C. Priester Retention Working Group Orientation, March 8, 2012 How to Create a Retention Strategy from Scratch, Petrina Hill-Cheatom and Nathan Wallace, March 2, 2012 Making a Case for Retention! Gauging Institutional Effectiveness through Increased Retention and Graduation Rates, Petrina Hill-Cheatom and Nathan Wallace Retention Committee - Two 2014 Spring Opening Day PowerPoints: 1. Retention Committee Opening Day-rev 1-21-2014 Is Your Glass Half Full, located at https://sharepoint.ecc.edu/sitedirectory/govplan/sa/sr/shared%20documents /Retention%20Committee%20Opening%20Day-rev%201-21-2014.pptx 2. Update on Retention Promising Practices at https://sharepoint.ecc.edu/sitedirectory/govplan/sa/sr/shared%20documents /Update%20on%20Retention%20Promising%20Practices%20Opening%20D ay%201-27-14.pptx Retention Experts: Five external presenters for Faculty and Staff: Dr. Neal Raisman, N. Raisman & Associates Presentation: Building a Culture of Retention through Customer Service Dr. Thomas C. Priester, Instructor of Transitional Studies, Genesee Community College Presentation: Overthrowing a Dead Culture: Inspiring HOPE, Change and Transformation from the Ground up Eileen Merberg, Retention and Leadership Specialist, Buffalo State College Presentation: Linking Students with Campus Improving Retention through Intrusive Interventions Retention Experts for Students How to Persist, Be Retained and Graduate? : Khristian King, Assistant Director, College Success Center at Bennett High School; Presentation: Persisting: Addressing the Challenges that Students Face Tina Dietz, Owner and CEO Life Coach, Tina Dietz Business Development; Presentation: Creating Student Success from Vision to Reality 2
James Waters, Jr., Director of Programs and Andrea Coachman, Human Resource Services Trainer, Southwest Area Neighborhood; Presentation: College P.R.I.D.E. (Perseverance, Resilience, Investment, Drive, and Excellence) Do You Have What it Takes to Succeed? 2013 The retention chair asked each work group to present written recommendations to the committee during monthly meetings. After each group presented, work groups were then approved to identify those recommendations that could be implemented immediately (known as low-hanging fruit, applying quick solutions requiring few college resources). The work groups were asked to begin working with the core team to implement all low-hanging fruit items beginning in Fall 2013 and Spring 2014. The work groups are currently implementing their recommendations; including:: o START (Formerly New Student Orientation) o Retention Award o Stop Out o Customer Service o SRA A national retention expert, Dr. Neal Raisman, was contracted to speak to ECC faculty and staff on Building a Culture of Retention through Customer Service on College Day, March 8, 2013. A track of retention workshops were offered for students. Three tracks of retention workshops were offered for faculty, staff, and students. A Retention Liaison Group, composed of three AAECC and three FFECC staff, was developed to offer parallel academic intervention models and to assist the college with retention gains in the classroom. A Learning Community and Supplemental Instruction Pilot is being developed for Fall 2014. Other activities are being designed to engage faculty in the retention initiative. Retention-themed workshops and monthly meetings have effectively increased college-wide awareness and interest in improving retention. These meetings and workshops will continue until a culture of retention and evidence develops, and persistence, retention, and graduation rates increase. Internal partnerships were developed to assist with developing a culture of retention among AAECC, FFECC, College Senate, and CTLA. A small college-wide retention study was conducted to analyze withdrawal data to ascertain why students withdraw from ECC. The analysis will assist the college in developing interventions to increase retention rates. The co-chairs for the Retention Committee joined the WNY Retention Consortium Committee. The group assists each other in the study and development of retention ideas and concepts to help slow the rate of attrition across WNY s colleges and universities. The Retention Committee asked the College Senate to encourage all faculty to submit mid-term grades to help identify students in need of academic assistance. 3
The Registrar reports 46 percent of mid-term grades were submitted during the Fall 2013 term. Continue to increase the percentage of faculty who use the early warning system until all faculty are participating fully. The retention chair asked EVPAA Washousky and former EVPSA Rascoe to help institutionalize retention by incorporating retention into the Academic and Non Academic Program Review Process. CTLA s Imagine This Challenge initiative encouraged staff to identify a retention practice they could incorporate into their daily practice. Faculty and staff were encouraged to report on the activity each College or Opening Day. 2012 The Retention Committee met monthly to continue studying the issue of retention. After several meetings, the committee dissected the information they had studied and discussed how to best improve ECC s retention rate. The Retention Committee was asked to select and submit to the chair those promising practices to replicate at ECC. The infrastructure for the retention plan (including the plan outline) encompassed activities beginning in 2012 through the five year plan 2017. It was presented to former EVPSA Rascoe and EVPAA Washousky for their approval. Upon receiving approval from the chair, the committee proceeded to move into action on all identified retention activities. The Retention Committee continued to meet every month to study retention practice nationally and at the college. The Retention Committee identified 59 promising retention practices and identified the top ten practices, which if implemented could improve retention from 5 percent to 8 percent (the current rate was 54 percent at the time). Through a rating system (value on a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest score), the committee identified the following ten promising practices that the college should focus and replicate in order to assist with increasing retention rates. They are: o New Student Orientation o Advisement o Customer Service o Stop Out Retention o Withdrawal/Academic Dismissal o Early Warnings (Student Retention Alert -SRA) o Retention Awards o Tutoring o Case Management o Academics: Best Practices Each of the ten promising practices became a work group. Volunteers for each of the ten work groups were solicited and appointed. Chairs and co-chairs were nominated, and the work groups began meeting. Work groups met once or more 4
each month, and each developed a set of recommendations aimed at improving retention. Each work group submitted a final report complete with recommendations, a timeframe for implementation, and a budget. A document known as Promising Practices Retention Work Group Recommendations the ten recommendations is available on the Retention SharePoint page at https://sharepoint.ecc.edu/sitedirectory/govplan/sa/sr/shared%20documents/pr omising%20practices%20retention%20work%20group%20recommendations. docx. A retention slogan contest was held to raffle off three ipads. After slogans were submitted, three votes were taken, and three slogans were chosen by students, faculty and staff. They were: o Finish What You Start o Aspire, Discover, Achieve o Start, Complete, Achieve A retention campaign was kicked off to inform the college community of the retention initiative. Posters and banners were hung throughout each of the campuses and buildings. 2011 A comprehensive retention effort was organized under the auspices of the Retention Committee. The committee was composed of various stakeholders at the college interested in improving the college s persistence, retention, and graduation rates. A retention charge was provided to the committee by former EVPSA Rascoe. The Retention Committee was provided with several national studies, scholarly journal articles, books, webinars, and conferences on national retention models to become well-educated and informed on the issue of retention. The committee began meeting each month during the academic year. Respectfully Submitted, Petrina Hill-Cheatom, Retention Chair 5