First Year Students Pillars of Success Presented by Presented by Rebeka Silvas and Christina Rodriguez-Gonzalez Hobsons University 2015

2. Presenters
Rebeka Silvas
 Director of Mentoring and Tutoring at Texas A&M University-Kingsville
 Developed and established the Graduation Pathways Success center for first
year student peer mentoring
 Assist in Texas Success Initiative testing, academic advising, teaches a student
success course, and oversees the daily operations of the mentoring and tutoring
center
Christina Rodriguez-Gonzalez
 Assistant Director of Mentoring and Tutoring
 Coordinator of the First Year Seminar (UNIV course) and Bridges to Success
programs
 Oversees the University Success course curriculum, scheduling, and
professional development.

3. Abstract
*Disclaimer*
The Center for Student Success was implemented in Fall 2011to create a
comprehensive First Year Experience to improve a 55% retention rate. The Center
for Student Success consists of university success course, freshmen interest
groups cohorts, mentoring, tutoring, dual enrollment, summer bridge programs,
supplemental instruction (SI), academic career literacy, and professional academic
advising. Since implementing the First Year Experience, the Center for Student
Success has seen an 8% increase in retention.

4. Presentation Agenda• Mentoring
• UNIV
• Advising
• Starfish
• Results and Data
• Questions

5. • First Year Students: 1,200
• Commuter School
.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Background
UNIV 1101/1102
• Class Size: 24
• Sections Offered: 54
• Major Specific
• FIGS

6. University Background
• College
Specific
Intro
Course
• College
Specific
Academic
Advising
• Non
ExistentMentoring
CFSS

7. Center for Student Success Implementation
• CFSS was
established
• Mentoring
• UNIV pilot
2011
• GPS Center
• Advising
• UNIV expansion
• Common Read
2012 • FIG pilot
• Starfish
implementation
2013
• Mentor in Class
• Fig expansion
2014

8. Pillars of Success

9. Mentoring
2011
• Not Mandatory
• Located in Small area
2012
• Move to Library
• Integrated into UNIV
2013
• GPS Center renovation
2014
• Mentor class attendance

10. Mentor Staffing
Semester Number of Mentors
Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 29
Fall 2012 26
Spring 2013 26
Fall 2013 32
Spring 2014 31
Fall 2014 26
Spring 2015 26

11. 40-60 student load
30 minute, weekly session
10 sessions per semester
20% of UNIV Grade
• Mentoring Sessions
Beginning – Academic Driven
Evolved – Relationship and University Connections
UNIV Class Attendance
Mentoring Responsibilities

12. University Success Course
UNIV Faculty
 1 Coordinator
 30 Faculty members
 Center for Student Success &
campus staff & Colleges’ faculty
 Students are registered in classes
by their major
Freshmen Interest Group (FIG)
 10 sections are designated as FIG
 Students take the same UNIV and
2 other classes together
 Designed to assist freshman with
enhancing their academic skills
while

13. The course incorporates
 active learning strategies to train the
students how to organize and recall
crucial information
 apply that knowledge toward
success in the classroom and
beyond
 grow into engaged citizens who are
capable of achieving significant
long-term goals.
University Success Course
Assist freshman with
 enhancing their
academic skills while
introducing them to
campus life
 building professional
relationships with
faculty and fellow
students

14. University Success Course
Campus Events Service Learning Project

15. University Success Courses
Semester Number of Sections
Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 3
Fall 2012 54
Spring 2013 56
Fall 2013 57
Spring 2014 55
Fall 2014 54
Spring 2015 54

16. Professional Academic Advisors
• 18 Professional Academic Advisors
• 1 Advising Coordinator
• Reduce the time to graduation with customized degree plans to meet
the needs of the student, assist with registration, and GPA calculation

17. Other Support Services
• Tutoring
• Supplemental Instruction
• Academic Literacy
• Bridges to Success
• Dual Enrollment
• Javelina Read Program
• TSI

18. Starfish
• Early alert software program
• Used for identifying undergraduate students who need assistance from
academic support services at TAMUK.
• Starfish offers convenient early warning identification capabilities and
connects students to a collaborative “Success Network” of:
Professors
Professional advisors
GPS Mentors
Professional academic tutors
Supplemental instruction leaders
Other campus support programs to address students’ needs and inquiries

19. University Success Course
Starfish
• Faculty enter class attendance and flag students with attendance
concerns
• Mandatory Week 5 of the semester student surveys by UNIV faculty
• Kudos (Positive Reinforcement)
• Low Participation
• Low Attendance
• In Danger of Failing
• Behavioral Concern
• Low Quiz/Test Scores
• Never showed up

20. Mentoring
Starfish
• Mentors establish their office hours and schedule appointments
(single or group sessions)
• Flag students with concerns of academic and social issues
• Flags are received by student and advisor
• Easy reporting to faculty of students participation in mentoring
sessions (grading purposes)

21. Professional Academic Advisors
Starfish
• Advisors maintain their office hours and schedule appointments
(single or group sessions)
• Calendars can be easily scheduled via the web
• Flag students with concerns of academic issues
• Flags are received by advisor
• Easy view a students folder over all areas which contains
appointments, notes, and class information

22. Circle of Care
Success
Network
Instructor
AdvisorsMentor

23. University Success Course Progress Surveys
Semester Spring 2014 Fall 2014 Spring 2015
Surveys Sent 64 64 116
Surveys Completed 35 47 53
Keep Up the Good Work 342 525 570
Low Participation 64 51 82
Low Quiz/Test Scores 49 40 14
Behavioral Concern 0 1 1
Attendance Concern 128 79 100
In Danger of Failing NA NA 63

24. Mentoring Total Visits
Fall 2011 Freshmen - 1322
Fall 2012 Freshmen = 1272
Fall 2013 Freshmen = 1216
Fall
2011
Spring
2012
Fall
2012
Spring
2013
Fall
2013
Spring
2014
Number of users
646
(48.9%)
424
(32.1%)
1168
(91.82%)
970
(76.26%)
1176
(96.7%)
909
(74.8%)
Number of visits 3260 2037 9584 7826 10121 7180
Average visits per user 5.55 5.29 8.21 8.07 8.61 7.90

25. Results

26. Challenges
• Getting all UNIV faculty to consistently enter attendance and surveys
throughout the semester
• Getting all advisors to easily adjust to a new appointment system
• Getting all areas to accurately enter notes to be shared
• Flag Clearing
• Instructor Use
• Information sharing
• The waiting room for tutoring and mentoring ends at midnight so the
data is lost if a tutor inadvertently forgets to pull a student from the
waiting room
• Expanding Starfish use campus wide

27. Successful
First Year
Experience
University
Success
Course
Mentoring
Tutoring &
Supplemental
Instruction
Professional
Academic
Advising
Career
Literacy
Star Fish:
Early Alert
System
Circle of Care

28. Questions?