1. Addressing the Needs of a
Diverse Student Population
Through a
First Year Experience
Program
April 30 – May 1, 2009
Sacramento, CA
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
3. College of the Sequoias Profile
• Single campus district with two centers
• Enrollment 13,000
• 47% (math) and 31% (English)test into
developmental levels
• Low income (over 70% receive BOGG fee waiver)
• Hispanic students now comprise largest ethnic
group of student body (51%)
• 14 feeder high schools plus adult schools,
continuation schools, court schools and charter
schools.
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
4. • Increasingly Diverse
• Many Foreign Born, Non-
English Speaking
• More Living in
Poverty/Unemployment
• Fewer HS grads & BA
holders
The Community We Serve
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
5. 8.4
9.6
4.7
17.1
18.6
8.7
0 5 10 15 20
U.S.
CA
Tulare
The percent of
adults in Tulare
County with a
Bachelor’s
Degree lag far
behind adults
in the rest of
the state and
nation.
1990 2006
Percent of adults > 25 with a Bachelor’s Degree
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
6. 9.8
9.7
18.5
0 5 10 15 20
U.S.
CA
Tulare Family poverty
rates are twice
as high in
Tulare County
than in the rest
of the state and
nation.
Percent of families living below the federal poverty level, 2006
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
8. COS is
witnessing a
sharp increase in
the proportion of
Latino students
and a drop in
White students
Percent of student population by race/ethnicity
1997-
1998
2007-
2008
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
9. Challenges for COS
• ACCESS: low participation
rate
• PERSISTENCE: high numbers
of:
– Applicants who do not enroll
– Enrollees who drop
– Students who do not continue
beyond 1 semester
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
10. Evolution
• Success Program – early 90’s
• LISTO I………..1999 – 2004
• LISTO II……….2004- 2007
• FYE …………......2007 to present
First Year Experience
Learning Communities
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
11. FYE – Fall 2007- Fall 2009
• Focus shifted to developmental English and
Math
• Offered to any incoming freshmen and
re-entry students who have less than 30 units
• Expanding to 12 communities by Fall 2009
First Year Experience
Learning Communities
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
12. FYE – PIC (Preparatory/Intermediate/Collegiate)
Model 12 communities
Prep level Remedial English
Pre-Algebra
First Year Seminar
13 units
Intermediate level Intermediate English
Algebra I
First Year Seminar
13 units
Collegiate level Transfer English
Transfer Music
First Year Seminar
Other class per counseling
10- 14 units
Students advance to next levels in spring
First Year Experience
Learning Communities
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
14. FYE Learning Council
• Designed to improve collaboration with
Academic Services / Student Services and solve
implementation issues
• V.P. Academic Services, V.P. Student Services,
academic deans, student services deans, FYE
counselor, division chairs
• Scheduling issues
• Outreach
• Recruitment of faculty
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
15. ELI and FYE
• English and Math basic skills learning
communities
• ESL learning community – Fall 2010
• Career Technical Education learning
communities
• Nursing – Fall 2008
• Ornamental horticulture – Fall 2009
• Learning Resource Specialist for FYE
(funded by BSI)
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
16. Future Plan
SemesterSemester
Number ofNumber of
LearningLearning
CommunitiesCommunities
NumberNumber
ofof
StudentsStudents
SectionsSections
ofof
FYE SeminarFYE Seminar
NumberNumber
ofof
StudentsStudents
Fall 2007Fall 2007 66 130130 ---- 00
SpringSpring
20082008
99 225225 11 2222
Fall 2008Fall 2008 1111 275275 66 255255
SpringSpring
20092009
1212 300300 6*6* 400400
Fall 2009Fall 2009 1212 300300 10**10** ??
* Implementation of large lecture section
** All COUN 110 courses part of a Learning Community
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
17. Initial Success and Retention Data
Fall Semester 2007
Group “C” or Better
Re-enrolled
Spring 2008
Math 360 26% 74%
English 360 52% 73%
Cohort 1 51% 84%
Cohort 2 64% 88%
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
18. Student Success and Retention Data
Spring 2008, Fall 2008
Semester Number /Group
“C”
or Better
Re-enrolled
next semester
Spring 08 8 Learning Communities 46% 57%
Fall 08 11 Learning Communities 53% 80%
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
19. What We Know
• The majority of new students entering COS require basic skills
support
• Students are failing developmental courses at abysmal rates and
many that get to college level transfer courses do not complete
the courses to transfer or graduate with a degree
• These same students are the ones who rarely, if ever, utilize the
services and resources available to them
• Students need and require more “touches” by individuals on
campus. These students are uninformed and do not know how to
even begin to access information and/or support services
• Intrusive assistance is required if these students are to be
successful
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
20. What We Can Do
A team like approach of staff to work with our FYE students would
ensure the students meet and get to know staff who are assigned to
them and subsequently access services and resources. Like EOPS,
students would be required, as outlined in their contract, to meet each
person on their team at least once a semester. The team members
could then collaborate with other team members to assist the student.
Potential Triage/Team Intervention could be composed of the
following staff:
• Outreach staff - we have not tapped into the rich informational
resource this staff possesses
• Counselor - in place
• Financial Aid staff
• Disability Resource Center - when indicated
• Student Activities Staff – possibly Associated Student Body Student/Officer
• Faculty training – BSI – First Annual Summer Institute for Teaching and
Learning at Asilomar Conference Center
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
21. Future Plans
• Continue to link FYE with our Basic Skills Initiative
• Further refine data collection / evaluation of FYE
• Increase retention efforts :
• Faculty has been asked not to drop students without contacting the FYE Office
• Implemented Early Alert System Spring ‘09 (Banner) Progress Reports
requested be entered the third week of the semester
• Continue our expansion plans to serve more students
• Continue to implement additional service components such as:
• Student Book Loan Program
• Summer Bridge Program – Peer Mentors
• Continue to implement multiple sections of the FYE Seminar course
• Achieving The Dream Initiative
Basic Skills Regional Meeting
