Addressing Minority Students Needs and Planning for Success Leslie L. Gordon, MS, RHIA University of Alaska Connie Broughton Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Academic Technology Facilitators Student Success Student Retention Faculty Support New Students Communication One Student at a Time WCET Denver October 2009

Student Success

Student Retention

Faculty Support

New Students

Communication

One Student at a Time

Distance Delivery in Alaska WCET Denver October 2009

Student Success Liaison between student and UA system Technical Assistance Material Assistance Academic Assistance Rural and Alaska Native populations WCET Denver October 2009

Liaison between student and UA system

Technical Assistance

Material Assistance

Academic Assistance

Rural and Alaska Native populations

Student Retention Intervention Attendance Missing assignments Poor skill level Solutions Troubleshooting Tutors Study skill review WCET Denver October 2009

Intervention

Attendance

Missing assignments

Poor skill level

Solutions

Troubleshooting

Tutors

Study skill review

New Students VERY early intervention activities Call in center with extended hours Postcards Email communication Getting Started Program tutorials WCET Denver October 2009

VERY early intervention activities

Call in center with extended hours

Postcards

Email communication

Getting Started

Program tutorials

Faculty Support Academic intervention Early intervention Technology issues solved by Facilitators Students given tools to success Faculty asked to provide names of struggling students WCET Denver October 2009

Academic intervention

Early intervention

Technology issues solved by Facilitators

Students given tools to success

Faculty asked to provide names of struggling students

Communication Financial Aid Registrar Faculty Business Office Technology Center Advising WCET Denver October 2009

Financial Aid

Registrar

Faculty

Business Office

Technology Center

Advising

One Student at a time Quality Education Synchronous and Asynchronous Delivery Virtual Office Hours Superior student Support Services WCET Denver October 2009

Quality Education

Synchronous and Asynchronous Delivery

Virtual Office Hours

Superior student Support Services

Questions? WCET Denver October 2009

Addressing Minority Student Needs and Planning for Success Enduring Legacies: A partnership in Washington State WCET November 24, 2009

Issues Related to Native American Higher Education Low participation rates Low completion rates Issues related to first generation, working, low-income college students Tribal communities are often located far from college campuses Students who complete degrees are given responsibilities in tribal governments and enterprises.

Low participation rates

Low completion rates

Issues related to first generation, working, low-income college students

Tribal communities are often located far from college campuses

Students who complete degrees are given responsibilities in tribal governments and enterprises.

Goal Deliver a coordinated upper and lower division curriculum that is culturally relevant to small numbers of reservation-based students who are geographically dispersed Funded by a Lumina Grant of $800,000 awarded to The Evergreen State College(2005-2009)

Deliver a coordinated upper and lower division curriculum that is culturally relevant to small numbers of reservation-based students who are geographically dispersed

Funded by a Lumina Grant of $800,000 awarded to The Evergreen State College(2005-2009)

The Players The Evergreen State College Grays Harbor College 16 other community and technical colleges in Washington state 8 Native American tribes in Washington WashingtonOnline (WAOL) Lumina Foundation

The Evergreen State College

Grays Harbor College

16 other community and technical colleges in Washington state

8 Native American tribes in Washington

WashingtonOnline (WAOL)

Lumina Foundation

History of Evergreen’s Program Evergreen has offered tribal community education for over 15 years A community-based, face-to-face BA degree The program is thematic and cohort based Evergreen begins and maintains programs only with permission of tribal organizations Themes are developed collaboratively with tribal governments Since 1993, the Evergreen program has educated more than 400 degree seeking students and has a BA completion rate of 76% (compared to a national completion rate of 36%).

Evergreen has offered tribal community education for over 15 years

A community-based, face-to-face BA degree

The program is thematic and cohort based

Evergreen begins and maintains programs only with permission of tribal organizations

Themes are developed collaboratively with tribal governments

Since 1993, the Evergreen program has educated more than 400 degree seeking students and has a BA completion rate of 76% (compared to a national completion rate of 36%).

Grays Harbor College One of 34 community and technical colleges in Washington state system Offered a complete AA degree online using WAOL Developed a Reservation-Based AA degree to be delivered primarily online Reservations in the GHC service area http://www.ghc.edu/distance/reservation/index.htm

One of 34 community and technical colleges in Washington state system

Offered a complete AA degree online using WAOL

Developed a Reservation-Based AA degree to be delivered primarily online

Reservations in the GHC service area

http://www.ghc.edu/distance/reservation/index.htm

WashingtonOnline A consortium of the 34 community and technical colleges in Washington managed by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Hosts courses for member colleges and can pool enrollments from multiple institutions Students get their services from a single institution and will receive a transcript from a single institution For this program the students enrolled at Grays Harbor but received instruction from 16 other colleges as well http://www.waol.org

A consortium of the 34 community and technical colleges in Washington managed by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Hosts courses for member colleges and can pool enrollments from multiple institutions

Students get their services from a single institution and will receive a transcript from a single institution

For this program the students enrolled at Grays Harbor but received instruction from 16 other colleges as well

http://www.waol.org

Tribes Involved Program started in Fall 2005 with three tribes: Muckleshoot Quinault Nisqually Later additions: Lower Elwha Klallam Makah Squaxin Island Shoalwater Chehalis Green Hill Maximum Security Facility for Incarcerated Youth

Program started in Fall 2005 with three tribes:

Muckleshoot

Quinault

Nisqually

Later additions:

Lower Elwha Klallam

Makah

Squaxin Island

Shoalwater

Chehalis

Green Hill Maximum Security Facility for Incarcerated Youth

Successes 117 students, plus 30 at Green Hill facility for incarcerated youth Completion, retention and transfer to four-year programs improved 14 redesigned online courses 34 Native cases Hybrid model adapted to a nursing program for incumbent workers in rural areas

117 students, plus 30 at Green Hill facility for incarcerated youth

Completion, retention and transfer to four-year programs improved

14 redesigned online courses

34 Native cases

Hybrid model adapted to a nursing program for incumbent workers in rural areas

The Elements of Success Hybrid model (online and f-2-f experiences) Wrap-around services Orientations and professional development Course redesign for cultural relevance Active and interactive learning, including Native Cases Evaluation

Hybrid model (online and f-2-f experiences)

Wrap-around services

Orientations and professional development

Course redesign for cultural relevance

Active and interactive learning, including Native Cases

Evaluation

Hybrid Model Most courses delivered online and shared among 34 community and technical colleges using WAOL Saturday classes four times each quarter at The Evergreen State College Longhouse Study leaders meet with students in their communities weekly Seamless pathway from lower division to upper division

Most courses delivered online and shared among 34 community and technical colleges using WAOL

Saturday classes four times each quarter at The Evergreen State College Longhouse

Study leaders meet with students in their communities weekly

Seamless pathway from lower division to upper division

Wrap-Around Services Dedicated staff at Grays Harbor College: The “Mark Ramon” factor One person at GHC provides student intake, testing and registration services Active in communities Local Study Leaders Meet with students weekly face-to-face Work with instructors

Dedicated staff at Grays Harbor College: The “Mark Ramon” factor

One person at GHC provides student intake, testing and registration services

Active in communities

Local Study Leaders

Meet with students weekly face-to-face

Work with instructors

Orientation and Professional Development Orientation once a year at Evergreen Students meet their online and face-to-face instructors, GHC support staff, study leaders and WAOL technical support staff Upper and lower division faculty meet each other Everyone becomes more aware of different cultures Culture of Native Americans Culture of American higher education

Orientation once a year at Evergreen

Students meet their online and face-to-face instructors, GHC support staff, study leaders and WAOL technical support staff

Upper and lower division faculty meet each other

Everyone becomes more aware of different cultures

Culture of Native Americans

Culture of American higher education

Course Redesign Lumina Grant money used to pay instructors to redesign online courses Improved usability Made them culturally welcoming Other students in state system enroll in these redesigned courses, so their impact is larger than the 117 reservation-based students

Lumina Grant money used to pay instructors to redesign online courses

Improved usability

Made them culturally welcoming

Other students in state system enroll in these redesigned courses, so their impact is larger than the 117 reservation-based students

Native Cases 34 Native Cases freely available in 20 content areas Used in redesigned online courses Used in Saturday program with upper and lower division students http://www.evergreen.edu/tribal/cases/home.htm

34 Native Cases freely available in 20 content areas

Used in redesigned online courses

Used in Saturday program with upper and lower division students

http://www.evergreen.edu/tribal/cases/home.htm

Evaluation Quarterly “Gleanings” Project Director Barbara Leigh Smith interviewed EVERYONE—students, faculty, staff—each quarter Written evaluation based on interviews Quarterly meetings to discuss what was working and what needed to be changed Peter Ewell, NCHEMS

Quarterly “Gleanings”

Project Director Barbara Leigh Smith interviewed EVERYONE—students, faculty, staff—each quarter

Written evaluation based on interviews

Quarterly meetings to discuss what was working and what needed to be changed

Peter Ewell, NCHEMS

Lessons Learned Students did not move in a cohort Students do find strength in being in a program with other Native students Teachers must be “feeders” not “weeders” Need for developmental courses in English and math was larger than anticipated and difficult to address with online delivery

Students did not move in a cohort

Students do find strength in being in a program with other Native students

Teachers must be “feeders” not “weeders”

Need for developmental courses in English and math was larger than anticipated and difficult to address with online delivery

Contacts and Links Grays Harbor College Mark Reisman, [email_address] http://www.ghc.edu/distance/reservation The Evergreen State College Barbara Smith, [email_address] http://www.evergreen.edu/tribal/ http://www.evergreen.edu/tribal/cases/home.htm Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Connie Broughton, [email_address] http://www.waol.org

Grays Harbor College

Mark Reisman, [email_address]

http://www.ghc.edu/distance/reservation

The Evergreen State College

Barbara Smith, [email_address]

http://www.evergreen.edu/tribal/

http://www.evergreen.edu/tribal/cases/home.htm

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Connie Broughton, [email_address]

http://www.waol.org