Presented on Friday, 11/20/2015

1. Learning Support Committee
Social Component
Helping students succeed by fostering community
Cynthia Belmar
Mildred Joseph
Veronica McKissic
Gwen Richard

2. Social Support in Four Parts
Part I Introduction: Our assumptions
Part II Social support outside of the classroom
Part III Learning communities as social support within the classroom
Part IV Peer mentoring as social support

3. Part I: Assumptions
Students—
Are social beings who need to feel that they are not alone and that they have a
sense of belonging.
Benefit from cultural, social, and learning opportunities planned by faculty and
other college staff.
Need advisors, guides, mentors, and peers to help them navigate through the
processes, policies, and procedures in the world of higher education.
Create their own communities through clubs, associations, and other means,
using social media and in-person connections.

4. Part I: Assumptions
Students—
Need places to “be”—spaces for collaboration, engagement, study, club offices,
recreation, and other places to socialize with peers.
Need places to have meals.
Need financial support.
Need a good selection of affordable food options while on campus.

5. Part II: What students say about social support
According to the 2015 Community College Survey of Student Engagement
(CCSSE):
1. The majority of students feel that their colleges emphasize providing the
support they need to help them succeed, yet smaller numbers use support
services.
2. Significant numbers also feel that their colleges do not offer support for
non-academic, social and financial issues.
3. Over one-quarter (26%) say that their college puts very little emphasis on
providing the support they need to thrive socially.
4. HCC’s 2015 CCSSE results mirror the above results very closely.
Sources : http://www.ccsse.org/survey/bench_support.cfm and http://sy-dashboard.hccs.edu/ibi_apps/bip/portal/Access

6. Part II: Two Categories of Social Support
1. SOCIAL (two sub-categories)
Groups
SGA
Honor societies
Department sponsored clubs
Society of Eagle Mentors
Activities
Intramural sports
Cultural events
Awareness campaigns

7. Part II: Two Categories of Social Support
2. HELP (three sub-categories)
Personal
• Advising
• Counseling
Financial
• Financial workshops
• Childcare options
Outreach
• Housing
• Childcare
• Transportation
• Emergency financial assistance
• Psychological needs

8. Part II: General Recommendations for Social Support
1. Child care assistance grants for academic students similar to Perkins grant
for workforce students ($50 per day of class)
2. Increased marketing plan and outreach efforts to reach & apprise all
students of what is available
3. Increase community partnerships with local businesses and non-profit
organizations such as Capital Idea to promote and to support the social
well-being of our students.
4. Increased social support for students within Canvas (new LMS) and the
school’s website through the integration of videoconferencing and screen
sharing tools such as Cranium Café, Voicethread, and Big Blue Button .
Let’s imagine an online student being able to schedule videoconference
sessions with her advisor and her tutor. Let’s imagine a professor providing
online office hours where his students can communicate with him face-to-
face.

10. Part III: Social Support within the classroom environment
Learning Communities provide social support to students:
“’ In the same class you see all the time the same faces, and you make friends.
And you discuss anything whenever you want…If I have a class like
writing, and the next class is different, then I have to make friends in that
class, and I can’t discuss the things I want. [In the learning community] it’s
easier to talk about ideas or whatever you want.’” (Tinto,1995)

11. Part III: Examples of Learning Communities
Bunker Hill Community College
Lone Star College, CyFair

12. Part III: Learning Communities embody HCC transformation
“Centers of Excellence will allow students to focus on an in-demand field
of study with concentrated counseling and shared experiences with other
like-minded students, thereby increasing persistence and success rates.”
-Chancellor Maldonado in Future Vision: Chancellor’s Listening Tour

13. Part III: Learning Communities produce tangible student outcomes
Learning communities produce long term benefits:
“MDRC’s longitudinal analyses [Kingsborough College’s Opening Doors
program] show that a comprehensive one-semester program can improve
student outcomes. Findings at the two-year mark did not show significant
gains in students’ fall-to-spring persistence rates (77% for learning
community students vs. 75% for control students in the first year; 61% vs.
59% in the second year). After six years, however, MDRC found that
learning community students graduated at a rate of 36%, as compared to a
31% graduation rate among control group students. This 5 percentage
point gain represents about a 15% increase in degrees earned. “
Source:
http://www.ccsse.org/docs/Matter_of_Degrees_2.pdf
See page 21

14. Part III: HCC and Its Past Use of Learning Communities
Short term benefit isn’t apparent:
Source: Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research

15. Part III: Timeline for Pilot COE Learning Community Program
Early
Spring
2016
Initiate
Spring
2016
Design
Summer
2016
Refine
Fall
2016
Execute
Early
Spring
2017
Evaluate

16. Part III: Action Items for Timeline
Initiate: Spring 2016 and early Summer 2016
Identify a COE willing to pilot a Learning Community program and assembly team of faculty,
administrators from COE and Instruction, counselors, advisors, etc. to begin creating LCs
Enrollment services, IT, and PeopleSoft work to make Learning Communities “PeopleSoft
friendly”
Refine: Summer 2016
Send the team to the Washington Center at Evergreen College to participate in their 2016
summer institute (July 11-15, 2016).
Faculty continue to collaborate and design Learning Communities (integrated curriculum,
activities, etc.)
Advisors and counselors promote and enroll students in Learning Communities
Execute: Fall 2016
Student participate in first COE learning communities (2-4)
Evaluate: Spring 2017
First reports and evaluations about the effectiveness of the learning communities

17. Part III: Evaluation of Pilot Learning Community Program
Qualitative Methods
Focus groups of faculty and
students LC participants
Survey of LC participants
vs. control group
Self-assessment of learning,
engagement, desire to
repeat LC experience,
almost a mini-CSSSE
Quantitative Methods
Comparison of GPA,
persistence, credits
completed, etc. of LC
students with control
group
Remember research
suggests that LCs are a
long term strategy and
there may not be a big
difference between the
two groups initially

18. Part III: Cost of Pilot LC Program
Conference costs ($1350 per person) + Transportation costs
Promotional costs to be determined
Faculty stipend to be determined
Program supplies to be determined

20. Part IV: What is Peer Mentoring?
“’A confidential, one-to-one relationship in which an individual uses a more
experienced, usually more senior person as a sounding board and for guidance.
It is a protected, non-judgmental relationship…’”
(Industrial Society as quoted in Booth, 2003, p. 163)

21. Part IV: How does Peer Mentoring fit into the Community College?
Social integration and social support are closely linked and are vital to the
college experience.
Successful integration in both social and academic areas reduces the
likelihood of student withdrawal (Tinto, 1995)

22. Part IV: Why use Peer Mentoring?
Ferrari (2004)
 Improved academic performance
 Improved academic self-efficacy
 Improved satisfaction with academic programs
Brown, David and McClendon (1999, 2013)
 Ability to make a career choice and increased persistence to
achieve goals
Sosik and Godshalk (2005, 2010)
 Improved interpersonal communications
 Improved psychosocial support

23. Part IV: Why use Peer Mentoring?
• Impact on student experience
• Creates sense of belonging and support
• Contributes to academic success
• Contributes to relationships/networking
• Contributes to sense of community
• Impact on Houston Community College
• Contributes to culture of success
• Builds awareness of resources

24. Part IV: Pilot Peer Mentoring Program Overview
 Focus on the social interaction as a key element of academic mentoring
 Positive social interaction
 Orientation of new students
 Encourage mentors in their own leadership development

25. Part IV: The training of peer mentors (key component)
Full training provided to mentors
Series of workshops including:
• Expectations for mentor (what mentors do and don’t do)
• HCC’s learning and social support services and when to refer a
mentee
• Leadership styles
• Building rapport
• Effective Communication (i.e. asking open ended questions)
Pre and Post Survey or Test of training
Training would take place early to mid August
Training would be created and coordinated by Director of Peer Mentoring

26. Part IV: Cost of Pilot Peer Mentoring Program
Pilot: 2 peer mentors per COE or designated program (10-12 total)
The mentors would be paid via work-study or attractive fellowship at $9.20 per
hour
$9.20 per hour × 10 hours per week = $92
$92 ×16 weeks = $1472.00 per mentor per semester
Total cost for 12 Mentors $17,664
Director of the Mentor Program pay would be similar to Houston Community
College- P10 (i.e. Director of Learning Emporium) pay with specific duties.
$61,335-$70,469. Estimated $65,000
Secretary II (SCL7) or Office Manager (SCL8). Estimated $40,779
The director reports to the VC of Student Success or other HCC Administration
choice
Estimated cost for all employees = $123,443

27. Part IV: Evaluation of Pilot Peer Mentor Program
Qualitative Methods
Focus groups of mentors
and mentees
Survey of mentors and
mentees
Quantitative Methods
Comparison of GPA,
persistence, credits
completed, etc. of
mentors and mentees
with control group

28. Questions and Comments

29. References
Booth, A. (2003). Teaching history at university: Enhancing learning and understanding.
New York: Routledge.
Brown, M. I., Davis, G. L., & McClendon, S. A. (1999). Mentoring graduate students of
color: Myths, models, and modes. Peabody Journal of Education, 74(2), 105-18.
Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2013). A matter of degrees:
Engaging practices, engaging students (high-impact practices for community college
student engagement). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College
Leadership Program.
Gentry, W. A., & Sosik, J. J. (2010). Developmental relationships and managerial
promotability in organizations: A multisource study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77(2),
266-278.
Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research. (2011). Learning
communities 6-year trend, 2005-2011. Retrieved from
http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-
affairs/achieving-the-dream/ad-hoc-analy/HCC_LC_6yrtrend.pdf

30. References
Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research. (2012). 2012 DEI strategy
report: Spring 2011 course completion success rates for learning community students.
Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-
affairs/achieving-the-dream/atd-strategy-reports/Spring-2011,Learning-Communities.pdf
Maldonado, C. (2015). Future vision: Chancellor’s listening tour [PowerPoint slides].
Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/HoustonCommunityCollege/future-vision-
chancellor-listening-tour
Price, D.V. (2005). Learning communities and student success in postsecondary
education: A background paper. Retrieved from
http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_421.pdf
Sommo, C., Mayer. A.K., Rudd, T. & Cullinan, D. (2012). Commencement day: Six-year
Effects of a freshman learning community program at Kingsborough Community College.
New York, NY: MDRC. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/publication/what-have-we-
learned-about-learning-communities-community-colleges

31. References
Sosik, J. J., & Godshalk, V. M. (2005). Examining Gender Similarity and Mentor's Supervisory
Status in Mentoring Relationships. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in learning, 13(1), 39-52.
Straus, M. & Cook, C. (2013) Final narrative & financial report. Houston, TX: Houston
Community College. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-
college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/annual-reports/HoustonCC2012-Final-
Narrative-Report-013113.pdf
Tinto, V. & Love, A. G. (1995). A longitudinal study of learning communities at LaGuardia
Community College. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching,
Learning, and Assessment. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 380179).
Tinto, V. (1998). Learning communities and the reconstruction of remedial education in higher
education. Retrieved from https://vtinto.expressions.syr.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2013/01/Developmental-Education-Learning-Communities.pdf
Visher, M., Weiss, M.J., Weissman, E., Rudd, T. & Wathington, H.D. (2012). The effects of
learning communities for students in developmental education: A synthesis of findings from six
community colleges. New York, NY: MDRC. Retrieved from
http://www.mdrc.org/publication/what-have-we-learned-about-learning-communities-
community-colleges