A Purposeful & Integrative Approach to Engaging Sophomores

1. A Purposeful & Integrative Approach to Engaging Sophomores Dan Stypa & Jenna Schwartz

2. Session Outline • Review of the Literature & Theory • Review data collected from 2 universities • Designing your own Sophomore Year Experience • Implications for Practice • Different approaches to address sophomore needs

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4. The “Sophomore Slump” • Feeling as though they are forgotten, sophomores begin to experience the sophomore slump, a period when students “…[experience] a small number of special programs, few contacts with major professors, few positions of campus leadership, and little attention” (Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000) • Sophomores report feeling a lack of… • satisfaction with faculty interactions • commitment to academic major • satisfaction with academic advising • leadership opportunities • support from student affairs professionals (Finning-Kwoka, et al., 2007)

5. Supporting Research • Key aspects of the sophomore year that are important to promote persistence • Faculty engagement • Involvement • Supportive relationships • Intentional programming (Gohn et al., 2001 and Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000) • Given the proper support and challenge, campus environments can be created to positively influence outcomes such as learning and persistence

6. Theoretical Framework • Astin’s (1993) College Impact Model • Simple explanation for a complex phenomenon (the effect of experiences on college student outcomes) • Retention and Persistence (outcomes) is a function of the Expectations (inputs) and Experiences (environment) • The relationship between the inputs and the environment has an influence on the outcome • Given the proper support and challenge, environments can be created to positively influence outcomes such as learning & persistence. • Astin’s theory grounded this research and supports assertions about the role of positive relationships between the expectations and experiences of sophomores on persistence.

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8. Institution 1 • Large, research I university of 25,000 in the Southeast • Sent electronically to all 1,200 residential sophomores • Assessed four key areas: • Students’ relationships with faculty • Commitment to major • Perceptions of university services • Self-identified issues that sophomores experienced • These areas were assessed based on prior research to determine its applicability to its sophomores

9. Institution 1 • Survey results (N=190) suggest the importance and need for formal programs & services for sophomores • 36%: Did not believe faculty was committed to sophomore success • 53%: Found it difficult to make a connection between courses and academic major • 73%: Struggle managing time during their sophomore year

10. Institution 2 • Large, research I university of 48,000 in the South • 10 questions • Sent to students sophomore and above • Used Google forms • Sent via email • Reminder emails • 62 out of 250 responded

13. Institution 2

17. Institution 2 • One focus group with 7 students • 4 Sophomores • 2 Juniors • 1 Senior • 4 women and 3 men

18. Institution 2 • What was your freshman year like? • Unaware and uninvolved • Involved and social • What was your sophomore year like? • Social, stability, involved, academic improvement • Social and academic decline • More personal responsibility • Confidence

19. Institution 2 • What are some issues that sophomores face? • Career choices, purpose, identity development • Financial and personal responsibility • Academic decline • What issues did you face that you did not expect? • Uncertainty • Abandoned • Lacking ability

20. We want to hear from YOU! Don’t forget: You can copy-paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll. 37607

21. Design your own SYE/Sophomore LLC • In your plan, consider these factors: • Programmatic Initiatives • Faculty, campus resources/office, active vs. passive • Intentionality vs. Informal social programming • Curricular options/SYE course options • Creating buy-in both by students and the institution • Advertising, Marketing, Publicizing • Connection to campus strategic planning • Budget/Funding • Partnerships, collaborations, not “reinventing the wheel”

22. Sharing what you learned • What programmatic elements did you include in your SYE/LLC? • Why/how would sophomores benefit from your new SYE/LLC? • How does your SYE/LLC tie into your institution type/mission?

23. Why does this matter for sophomores? • Emphasis on First Year Experience • Just because they’re done with their 1st year doesn’t mean they are necessarily acclimated to the campus and expectations associated with the sophomore year • Sophomore Slump • Influencing persistence & retention • Impact on academic preparedness and success • Student engagement and involvement • Getting sophomores involved and active on campus • Keep them living on-campus & invested in their residential experience • Second Year as the Stepping Stone to Success • Getting students to think bigger picture • Reflection to help guide their future pursuits (career, personal, etc.)

24. “Learn MORE. Achieve MORE. sophoMORE.” at Institution 1 • Primary Goal: • Through education, connect sophomores to the existing resources at the university • Methods of Reaching Sophomores: • Targeted mailings • Sophomore website • Interactive sophoMORE workshops • Engaging “Welcome Week” programs • Sophomore Academic Success Workshops

25. Sophomore LLC at Institution 2 • Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) • Housing and Residential Education • Maximum capacity of residential spaces in 2010-2011 • Looking to next year…

26. Creating a Campus Culture • Ensuring that many campus constituencies are included in planning & implementing: • Student Success Center • Career Center • Study Abroad • Housing/Residence Life • Office of the Provost • Graduate Student in Student Affairs program • Academic Advising

27. Limitations of data collection • One focus group at one institution • More survey responses from both institutions • Incentives, more reminders, paper copies • Avoid all non-sophomore responses in surveys • View responses based on demographic group/classification to look for trends • Limited sample size due to access issues

28. We want to hear from YOU! Don’t forget: You can copy-paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll. 37607

29. Reflection & Processing • How can you apply this information back at your institution? • Any general questions?

30. Resources • Astin, A. W. (1993). What Matters in College? Four Critical Years Revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Finning-Kwoka, S.M., Clayton, J., & Newman, J. (2007, November). Evidenced- based sophomore year experience program development. Presented at the 14th Annual National Conference on Students in Transition. • Gohn, L., Swartz, J., & Donnelly, S. (2001). A case study of second year student persistence. Journal of College Student Retention, 2, 271-294. • Pattengale, J. & Schreiner, L. A. (2000). What is the sophomore slump and why should we care? In L. A. Schreiner & J. Pattengale (Eds.), Visible solutions for invisible students: Helping sophomores succeed (Monograph No. 31) (pp. vviii). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

31. Thank you! • Dan Stypa • stypa@usf.edu • 813-974-1995 • Jenna Schwartz • jschwar5@usf.edu • 813-974-5303