3. MAPPING ACTIVITY
Create a map to reflect your transition to college, and your first-year
experience. Consider the following as you create your map:
Preparation/transitional experiences (Orientation, Enrollment, Camps,
Move-in, Etc.)
New acquaintances, friendships, relationships, etc.
Out-of-class experiences such as involvement in student organizations
and participation in campus programs, activities, and events
Experiences that influenced your self-identity
Recognition you received for accomplishments or in general
Support from faculty, staff, or administrators
5. NSU EXPERIENCE: TARGET SUBPOPULATION
Main Campus: ‘New’ Undergraduate Students
Approximately 1,000 students
Residential / Commuter
First time in college / Transfer
Regional: ‘New’ Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Approximately 750 students
Commuter
First time in college / Transfer / Graduate & Professional
Higher ratio of Adult Learners
6. CONNECTION
The model identifies the following as “connectors”:
Orientation Leaders
Resident Advisers
Student Leaders
Regional Campus Assistant Directors (Regional students, only)
Each student within the target subpopulation is linked to
at least one “connector”
“Connectors” receive information
about students’ interests
7. Students’ Interests & Other Information
Report of target students’ interests and other information
provided by the Office of Assessment and Student
Engagement
Contact Information
“Connectors” (student’s orientation Leader and/or RA)
Academic major, Classification
Interests
General
Academic
Campus events/activities
Clubs/Organizations
8. INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
There is a wide variety of opportunities for involvement at NSU,
including:
Clubs and Organizations
Leadership Programs
Greek Life
Student Government
Civic Engagement
International Programs
Multicultural Programs
Peer Study Groups (Regional)
9. INVOLVEMENT OUTCOMES
Involvement in co-curricular programs and services and other educational environments
impacts student success and other college outcomes (Astin, 1977, 1993; Kuh, 1993; Pascarella &
Terenzini, 2005)
For many students, clubs and organizations fill vital needs within their experience and provide
support that leads to retention, leadership skills, and a sense of institutional pride (Bettencourt,
2010)
Increased skill development in terms of communication, teamwork, decision making, and
planning (Schuh & Laverty, 1983)
Accelerated personal development outcomes (Cooper, Healey & Simpson, 1994; Hood, 1984)
Students involved in some outside of classroom activities are far happier with their college
experience than those who are not involved (Light, 2001)
Becoming involved in activities outside of schoolwork and employment may be particularly
helpful in facilitating the transition to the university for first-year students (Tieu & Pancer, 2009)
10. Greeks Block Painting Club Tabling
IDENTITY
A crucial element of an individual’s successful
navigation of the college experience involves learning
the meaning of the role of college student and
subsequently developing a conception of self in terms of
that role (Collier, 2000)
11. SUPPORT
According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement
of Teaching, ‘caring is key’ to creating an environment in
which students feel that they matter (Hamrick, Evans & Schuh,
2002)
“…students’ sense of community is closely associated with
their feelings of being cared about, treated in a caring way,
valued as an individual and accepted as part of a
community…” (Cheng, 2004)
Some things to consider:
Knowing students’ needs (Must first establish a relationship)
Assisting and providing comfort and caring
Facilitating access to internal or external resources
13. RECOGNITION
Students must know that they “matter to someone else, that
they are the object of someone else’s attention, and that
others care about them and appreciate them” (Schlossberg,
Lynch, & Chickering, 1989)
Some things to consider:
Acknowledgement of accomplishment
Making sure students know they matter
Reward what we value
Celebratory
Meaningful
Formal and informal
Varied and unique delivery
Specific and timely
16. ASSESSMENT
Tracking
Process
Reports
Satisfaction / Outcomes surveys
Focus groups
Institutional Data
Engagement
Persistence
Retention
Graduation
Assessment Team
17. Persistence: Main Campus, Undergraduate
Students, New to NSU (FA’10)
• Main Campus Target Population:
n=1102*
• 81.8% of students within the main
campus target student population
persisted to the winter 2011 term
(201130) or graduated in December,
2010
• Among students that did not persist,
56.2% did not participate in an event
or join an organization during the fall
2010 term
*According to Banner report generated on 9/6/2010
18. Persistence & Involvement: Main Campus,
Undergraduate Students, New to NSU (FA’10)
Graduated/Persisted (n=901; 81.8%) Did Not Persist (n=201; 18.2%)
19. SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER…
The NSU Experience is not a “programming” model; Moving
away from staff-driven activities
Staff members cannot ‘transplant’ programs/activities from
former institutions and expect similar (or any) results
Incorporating tracking and other assessment strategies to
programs and services
Integrating to the NSU campus community; Acquiring
knowledge to become a resource to students
23. CONTACT
Josh Hammers, M.Ed.
Office of Assessment and Student Engagement
Division of Student Affairs – College of Undergraduate Studies
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796
phone: (954) 262-7473
fax: (954) 262-1390
email: Joshua.Hammers@nova.edu
website: http://www.nova.edu/cwis/saase/
