Nacada Region 4 Miami 2014

1. Advising from Coast to Coast
Supporting your Out of State Student Population
2012 NACADA Region 4 Conference
Jenna Nobili
University of Central Florida

2. Learning Outcomes
• Understand the structure and key campus partners that
are essential in building such a program
• Recognize the successes and challenges of the program
• Reflect on the relevancy of the program in reference to
the out-of-state population and dynamic at your
institution
• Identify student populations at your institution who
may benefit from targeted services

3. OSSM (pronounced "awesome") is the Out of State Student
Mentoring program at UCF. The OSSM program is structured
as a Living-Learning Community, where participating
students live together on the same residence hall floor and
have unique opportunities and experiences that help them
get involved at UCF and connect to the Orlando community.

4. Institutional Profile
University of Central Florida
• Location: Orlando, FL
• 2nd largest institution in the nation
• Over 90 undergraduate degree programs
• Over 100 graduate degree programs
• Florida Resident Tuition & Fees: $5,200/ academic year
• Nonresident Tuition & Fees: $19,800/ academic year
Fall 2011 Profile
• Total Student Population: 58,587 (49,900 undergrad)
• Incoming Freshman Class: 6,336
• Average SAT: 1384 ~ Average ACT: 30
• Out of State Population: 4%

5. OSSM: The Beginnings
• 2003/2004: Low out of state first-second year retention rates
compared to overall FTIC
• Overall first-second year retention rates (averaging ≈ 84%)
• Out of state retention rates (averaging ≈75%)
• 2005- Out of State Student Mentoring Program created
• Peer Mentor program only
• First Year Experience office
• Qualitative feedback- Feelings of isolation; peers not in same
situation
• Low percentage of out of state in comparison to institution
size (typically 4%-6% of first year class is out of state)
• Florida roommates were going home often on weekends

6. OSSM: Living-Learning Community
2008- Expansion to Living-Learning Community (LLC)
• Accommodated 56 students living on same
residential floor
• Collaboration with Housing and Residence Life
• 6 Peer Mentors; 2 Resident Assistants
• 1 section of Composition 1 (English) course

7. OSSM: Academic Advising
2009- First Year Advising and Exploration partnership
• Assigned academic advisor
• Expanded course options to include Composition II and
Strategies for Success courses
• Common reader between Composition I and Success
course in fall
• Academic support- advising in community; workshops
• Additional professional staff member to assist with
programming and recruitment efforts

8. Living-Learning Community Expansion
2011- Doubled size of LLC from 56- 112 residents
• LLC now has their own residence hall building
• 13 peer mentors; 4 Resident Assistants
• Graduate Assistant
• More course options from General Education Program:
Psychology, Human Species, U.S. History, American
National Government, and Cinema Survey

9. Support from Academic Advisor
• OSSM Information Sessions at Orientations during summer
• Registration in OSSM-reserved course work
• Mandatory advising appointment in fall semester
• Advising intake form
• Academic Support- Workshops in residence halls from Peer
Mentors, Graduate Assistant and Advisor
• Knights Achievement- Out-of-State students on scholarship
• Scholarship requirements
• GPA Calculations
• Goal Setting
• Action Plans

10. Other Support from Advising
• Assistance with recruitment/marketing efforts each spring
• Follow-up with students in summer
• Connection with students in attendance at summer B term
• August- Out of State Orientation and Lunch
• Peer Mentor Training
• Attendance at social activities
• Community Service events

11. Current Structure of
OSSM Living-Learning Community
OSSM
Living-Learning First Year Peer Mentors
Experience (12-13)
Community Coordinator
112 students
OSSM Graduate
Assistant
Housing and First Year Advising
Residence Life & Exploration
Area Coordinator Academic Advisor
Support to scholarship
recipients
Admin support Reserved
from Assistant
Resident Assistants
(3-4)
course work
Director (7-8 course options/year)

12. Budget
• Support from Housing
• Peer Mentor stipend
• Labor Day trip
• T-Shirts
• First Year Experience- August orientation lunch
• Grants
• Recruitment/Marketing materials
• Additional programming
• Division/Office Support for Graduate Assistant

13. Success of OSSM Program: Retention Data
Cohort OSSM General Difference Overall FTIC
Retention Rate Out of State Retention Rate
Retention Rate
2010-2011 87.2% 78.8% + 8.4% 87.3%
2009-2010 87.2% 76.1% + 11.1% 86.7%
2008-2009 87.8% 79.5% + 8.3% 87.1%

14. Success of OSSM Program: GPAs
Cohort OSSM All FTIC
Average GPA Average GPA
Fall 2011 3.16 3.0
2010/2011 3.18 2.9
2009/2010 3.19 2.9
GPA reported is the institutional “UCF GPA”
OSSM students taking at least one OSSM-related course
averaged a 3.22 GPA for the fall 2011 semester.

15. Success of OSSM Program: Qualitative Data
Data from Fall 2011 End-of-Semester Survey
Top 3 OSSM Services that aided in Top 3 Benefits of Taking an OSSM course
the student’s transition to UCF 1. Provided student with the opportunity
1. Living with other out of state to make friends
students 2. Enhanced overall quality of class
2. Working with an OSSM academic 3. Gave student an instant network of
advisor people to study with
3. Taking classes with out of state
students
97% of students “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that living in the
OSSM building helped them have a smooth transition to UCF

16. Success of OSSM Program: Qualitative Data
Student Comments from Fall 2011 End-of-Semester Survey
“Living with OSSM is a great way to establish community
with other students who are going through the same
transition as you”
“It allowed me to enjoy my first semester without feeling like I was
the only out of state student”
“The OSSM dorm keeps me up to date with on-campus
events and sporting events”
“I have made a bunch of new friends with people from all around
the United States”
“OSSM becomes a family that helps you
cram for midterms and throws birthday
parties”

17. Challenges of OSSM Program
• Inconsistent budget!- Hard to plan each year
• Faculty Collaboration with common course work- “Buy In”
• Reserved course work only optional
• Low attendance for events
• Spring events- drop in attendance
• Could increase in size be hurting the program?
• “Hyper-Bonding”- Conduct Issues
• Living-Learning Community Structure at UCF
• Currently no “point person” or office to report to
• New Position in Housing- Assistant Director for Academic
Initiatives
• Tracking- How University/offices “define” out of state
• Advising Load- Balancing demand with time

18. How is this relevant to MY institution?
• Out-of-state students in Florida
• State limit on out of state attendance
• State incentives: Bright Futures Scholarship program
and Florida Prepaid College program
• National Trend: Out of state students as revenue stream
Hoover, E. & Keller, J. (2011). More students migrate away from home. Retrieved from The Chronicle Website:
http://chronicle.com/article/the-cross-country-recruitment/129577
Wilmath, K. (2011). Florida’s state universities look at new revenue streams. Retrieved from St. Petersburg
Times Website: tampabay.com

19. Florida Institutions: Out of State Populations
As reported by NCES College Navigator (Fall 2010 Enrollment)
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Florida Institution Out of State Population
University of Central Florida 4%
Florida International University 3%
University of Florida 4%
University of South Florida 5%
Florida State University 8%
Florida Atlantic University 8%
University of North Florida 2%
Florida Gulf Coast University 8%
University of West Florida 7%
Florida A&M University 19%
New College of Florida 20%

20. Region 4 States: Out of State Populations
As reported by NCES College Navigator (Fall 2010 Enrollment)
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Institution Out of State State
Population
University of Georgia 11% Georgia
Georgia State University 4% Georgia
Valdosta State University 2% Georgia
Kennesaw State University 3% Georgia
University of Alabama-Birmingham 10% Alabama
Alabama State- Montgomery 37% Alabama
The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa 42% Alabama
University of North Alabama- Florence 11% Alabama
Mississippi State University 34% Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi 21% Mississippi

21. Questions to Consider Institutional Needs
1. Are out-of-state students a minority population at my
institution?
2. What are the retention rates of these students?
3. Has any qualitative feedback been collected from out-of-state
students about their transition and experience at my institution?
4. Are there any current programs or initiatives that exist to
support out-of-state students?

22. Questions to Consider for Implementation
1. What offices or departments would be the “key players” in
developing an out-of-state program or living-learning
community at my institution?
2. Is there a budget to support this initiative?
3. What additional layers of support can be provided for free?
4. Considering the model reviewed today and issues discussed, are
there other populations at your institution that could benefit
from any of the following services?
• Assigned academic advising
• Targeted advising services
• Peer mentor support
• Living-learning community

23. Questions?