With nearly 30 percent of freshman leaving annually, MSU has struggled with retention rates for many years. But retention rates have been on the rise, up 2 percent from 2008 to 2009, perhaps due to a set of programs designed to aid students in making the transition to college.
Throughout the last few years, many of the offices on campus have worked together in an attempt to increase retention rates, particularly among freshman. With the inception of the new “Office of Student Success,” these programs are becoming more organized and available to students.
“We are helping students find a home at MSU,” said Erika Swanson, Assistant Dean of Students and First Year Initiative coordinator. “We really want to give them options.”
Among the resources available through the Office of Student Success are tutoring, counseling and advising. Student Success also organizes many events and conducts surveys to gauge students’ academic motivations, general coping abilities and receptivity to support services.
One of these surveys, the College Student Inventory (CSI), is given to incoming freshman at orientation. Students can request a free private consultation about their results, which focuses on the best methods and resources for the individual student to explore throughout college. The general class results obtained from the survey are also sent to Resident Advisors and individual colleges, allowing them to tailor their services to the student body’s needs.
Another program designed to promote retention is MSU 101, which exists to identify those students at risk of failing or dropping out. These students are then given unique opportunities and a personalized orientation with the school. “It’s a mass intervention of sorts,” said Dr. Carina Beck, Director of Career Services and the powerhouse behind many of the fledgling programs. “We are aiding the student in learning how to be a student.”
In addition to MSU 101, peer advising is available for those students who are struggling in a class or with college life. Although students are contacted if they are identified as having difficulties, it is the choice of the student to accept the advising. The system is not intended to be punitive; according to Swanson, it is designed “so it’s not intimidating.”
In fact, all of the programs offered through the Office of Student Success are designed with the primary goal of connecting with the students. Both Swanson and Beck claim to see retention as a byproduct of the division’s efforts.
To reach a greater number of students, the Office of Student Success puts on events such as Catapolooza, Legend of the Bobcat and midterm and finals Study Breaks. Catapolooza is designed to connect freshmen with the Bozeman community, while Legend of the Bobcat and the Study Breaks unite MSU students with the hope of promoting tradition.
Also working to promote MSU traditions is incoming ASMSU President Blake Bjornson. As president, Bjornson said he hopes to work closely with the Student Activities Office to better promote the clubs and organizations on campus. This idea, known as Convocation to Graduation, would increase retention by promoting the involvement of students, in turn increasing their connection to the university. Bjornson urged students that “I really don’t care what you are into – just get involved.”
The concept of student involvement is most applicable to freshmen. In order for more freshmen to become engaged in life at MSU, the ChampChange program was initiated at the beginning of last semester. ChampChange encourages freshmen to earn points by going to events, the gym and informational lectures. These points can then be used at an auction at the end of each semester, with such prizes up for bid as a $1,000 tuition waver and a flat screen TV.
Although freshmen are the most likely group of individuals on campus to withdraw, up to 11 percent of sophomores also leave during the average year. Although the current retention programs focus mainly on freshmen, administrators said they intend to expand in coming years to provide support and incentives for sophomores.
However, funds remain tight for the Office of Student Success, and it does not appear that the money allotted to their division will increase in the next few years. It is this lack of resources that stimulates the Office of Student Success to improve their student identification tactics.
“We need to find data, which leads to information, which leads to knowledge, which leads to strategy,” said Beck. Swanson added that, with retention programs, “It’s kind of like studying, because you could always do more.”
A Sampling of Retention Programs and Tactics:
Student Identification:
Data Mining – Looking at the results from surveys and data about students to determine where help is most needed
Barrier Course Analysis – Examining the relative difficulty of each course at MSU, so as to better advise students which courses would best fit their needs
Communication:
Public Messages – Publicizing the programs and services offered by the Office of Student Success
Student Success Webpage – Making the information about the program available to tech-savvy students as well as their families
Student Program Assessment
Persister and Withdrawer Survey – Administered to both those students who remain at MSU and those who drop out, in order to learn more about their reasoning for doing so
CSI Freshman Intake Survey – Given to incoming freshmen to determine the preferences and intentions of each individual as well as the entire class
Student Academic Achievement
Group and Individual Tutoring – Offering students the chance to understand class material better or in a new way
Major/Career Exploration – Helping students with their choice of a major and with possible future careers
Student Interventions
First Year Initiative Program – Aids administrators in determining the general attitudes of each incoming class, and aids in helping individual students with navigating college
MSU 101 – Identifies and assists students at risk of failing a class or dropping out
Engagement
Catapolooza – Connects students with community groups in order to make students feel more at home in Bozeman
ChampChange – Provides an inventive program for freshmen, encouraging them to participate in campus activities in return for prizes
