Making the Case for Christian Higher Education: New Challenges, New Opportunities

1. Making the Case for Christian Higher Education: New Challenges, New Opportunities Laurie A. Schreiner, Ph.D. Azusa Pacific University CCCU CEO Conference 1/8/2004

2. The CCCU’s Comprehensive Assessment Project • Has collected data on entering students since 1994 • Added student satisfaction data in 1997 • 90% of the CCCU has participated in some aspect of the project • Retention and graduation rates posted on the web annually

3. CCCU Retention and Graduation Rates 01-02 02-03 First-year retention 73.5 76 Sophomore retention 61.1 63.1 5-year graduation 49.5 53.2 6-year graduation 51.1 56 Average SAT 1146 1121

4. Comparison to National Data CCCU Trad. Sel. First-year 76% 72.7% 81.2% retention 5-year 53.2% 51.6% 62.1% Graduation Source: ACT website, 2003

5. Predictors of Retention in the CCCU • Type of Institution • More selective • Higher tuition • Larger • Gender balance • Student satisfaction • Campus climate • Spiritual fit • Teaching effectiveness • Academic advising

6. Retention Predictors (cont.) • Student Characteristics • Living on campus • Intend to pursue graduate study • Not working • In their first-choice institution (71.3% of students in Fall 2003)

7. Retention in the CCCU • The more selective the school, the more predictive campus climate and teaching effectiveness are of retention rates. • The less selective the school, the more predictive spiritual fit is of retention.

8. The Latest Student Satisfaction Data Fall 2003 Results Comprehensive Assessment Project

9. Satisfaction When expectations are met or exceeded by the student’s perception of the campus reality. - Schreiner & Juillerat, 1994

10. The Student Satisfaction Inventory • Importance Scores • How important is it that this expectation is met? • Satisfaction Scores • How satisfied are you that this expectation is being met on this campus? • Performance Gap Scores • The discrepancy between the expectation (importance score) and the reality (satisfaction score)

11. Identifying StrengthsAnd Challenges Very Important Very Dissatisfied Very Satisfied Not at all important

12. Strengths to Market • Academics – most important issues to students are • Valuable content in the major • Excellent instruction in the major • Knowledgeable faculty • Excellent instruction in most classes • Able to experience intellectual growth • Knowledgeable/approachable academic advisor • Campus commitment to academic excellence • Faculty available outside of class • Caring faculty • All of the above are in the top quartile of satisfaction items

13. Strengths to Market • Sense of Community • Most important to students: • Enjoyable experience to be a student here • Safe and secure campus • Caring staff and faculty • Institution shows concern for students as individuals • Students are made to feel welcome • All of the above are in the top quartile of satisfaction items

14. Strengths to Market • Spiritual Growth Most important to students are: • Being on campus contributes to spiritual growth • Understanding of God is being strengthened by classroom and/or campus experiences • Given where I am spiritually right now, this campus is a good fit for me • Faculty/staff/administrators available to process faith issues • Opportunities for ministry • All of these are in the top quartile of satisfaction items, EXCEPT for #4

15. Challenges to Address • Tuition as a worthwhile investment • Course registration issues and variety of courses available • Financial issues • Adequacy of financial aid • Timing of financial aid awards • Helpfulness of financial aid counselors

16. Challenges (cont.) • Housing • Security response time • Timely feedback from faculty • Career services • Campus run-around

17. New Realities • 14% enrollment growth continues into the next decade • BUT 80% of that growth will come from students of color – a population where the CCCU track record is not stellar • In Fall 2003, only 11.6% of CCCU students were students of color • Students of color are significantly less satisfied than white students on ALL items on the SSI

18. Challenges in Meeting the Needs of Students of Color • Academic Issues • Course variety • Registration process • Commuter population • Library • Drop/add policies • Faculty taking into consideration student differences as they teach • Academic support services • Computer access

19. Challenges in Meeting the Needs of Students of Color 2. Social Issues • In general, climate issues are not as important to students of color • However, the notable exceptions are • Commitment to racial harmony • Commitment to under-represented populations • Freedom of expression on campus • Gender equity • This is also an area where students of color are very dissatisfied • This is the area of the biggest perceptual differences between students of color and white students

20. Challenges in Meeting the Needs of Students of Color 3. Financial Issues • These issues are much more important to students of color—and on the whole, we are doing well in this area • Exception: the timing of financial aid award announcements

21. Challenges in Meeting the Needs of Students of Color • Spiritual Issues • These issues are not nearly as important to students of color as to white students • They tend to be about as satisfied as white students in this area

22. Recruiting Students of Color • Lead with the academic experience • Quality of the majors offered • Teaching effectiveness • Emphasize the academic community on campus – especially advising, support, and availability of courses • Continual follow-up and involvement of the family throughout the recruiting process—especially regarding financial aid awards

23. Institutions with the Best Graduation Rates • Have a distinctive niche and a strong sense of mission • Emphasize the learning process, recognizing that retention is a natural by-product of quality education • Focus on fit: academic, social, and spiritual integration

24. Value-Added Education • Our biggest challenge is to convince our students that it’s worth graduating from a Christian college • We have made strides in retention, but may have only postponed the attrition to the end of the sophomore year • The “sophomore slump” exists on too many of our campuses

25. Identifying and Affirming Students’ Strengths • Key to the sophomore slump • Key to students of color • Key to academic engagement and student motivation • Distinctive of a Christian college education: “Becoming the person God created you to be”