Leading the Advising Journey for the Underprepared student

1. Leading the Advising Journey for the Underprepared student Lisa Alexander and Eva Menefee Lansing Community College NACADA National Conference 2014

2. Welcome to our Journey Who Is coming along? Characteristics of Lansing Community College Characteristics of Developmental Education at LCC. Characteristics of the Academic Advising Center. Characteristics of LCC students Let our Journey begin

3. Lansing Community College • Urban Campus • Fall enrollment 18,000 • Supported tax base covers 15 different school districts • More than 2800 faculty, staff and student employees • More than 400 international students from over 56 countries • Nearly 200 course offered in General Education, Career and Workforce Development, Development Education, and Personal Enrichment • More than 300 Certificate and Associate Degree Programs • 22 Associate degrees and certificates are offered completely on line • 2500 LCC students transfer to a wide variety of University each year, include a campus based University Center • Wide range of support services for Veterans, more veterans attend LCC than any other Community College in Michigan

4. Developmental Education Housed in the Center for Transitional Learning The CTL is based on the framework of Adult Basic Education Uses a Progress Through Pathway approach Step 1 – Foundations for Success Step 2 – READ 150 – SDEV 090 – WRIT 108 Step 3 – Contextualized Reading Clusters Step 4 – Students are prepared for: Employment Transfer Completion of Associate’s Degree as Terminal (Applied Degree) Transfer after Completing the Associate’s Degree

5. Academic Advising Center 2 full time advisors hired at LCC in 1994 A cadre of 80 faculty hired as result of Title 3 grant in the spring of 1994 Staffing model changed to use of full time advisors and part time advisors scheduled for 30 hour per week. Supplemental faculty on staff during peak times 2014 staffing model changed again – 10 full time advisors and 3 part time 30 hour advisors. Very limited supplemental hours available for faculty advisors Moved to new area after remodel and new design of advising center

6. The Typical LCC Student Approximately 60% FT – 40% PT 55% female 23% ethnic minority Average age of the LCC student is 27 Of the 63% college-ready students, approximately 50% are Pell-eligible 70% of all students enrolled place into at least one developmental class, primarily MATH

7. The Typical Developmental Student • Approximately 27% of all students enter with Reading-Writing levels below college-ready • Approximately 80% of this group is Pell-eligible • Most students with these test scores need developmental reading, writing and math.

8. The role of poverty • Most of the Pell eligible students taking developmental courses are first generation. • Generational Poverty is defined as having been in poverty for at least two generations. • Situational Poverty is defined as a lack of resources due to a particular event (i.e., a death, chronic illness, divorce, etc.) • Differences between poverty and middle class and how they play a role in satisfactory/unsatisfactory experience. • Formal Register. • Learning hidden rules. • Beyond Access-support Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. (1996) a framework for Understanding Poverty. Pp7 and 27

9. First Stop – Spring and Summer 2012: • New Advising Leadership: New Model • Cohort Advising • Move to having students grouped into cohorts • Advising staff included: • 4 full time advisiors • 9 part time 30 hour advisors • 10 supplemental faculty advisors • Advisors to meet in cohort groups to create advising syllabus and activity plans

10. Developmental Cohort Advisors • First meeting • Cohort includes 1 FT, 3 PT, and 2 supplemental advisors • Advisors to meet with students taking developmental reading and writing courses • Two advisors go into two sections of reading to present a Photo Imaging presentation • Advisors begin spending 15-20 hours per week in the Language Skills office at a table in the lobby • Two Advisors attend NACADA Summer Institute Summer 2012 • Developmental Advising Syllabus creation • SDEV 135 identified as the classroom visits to increase in the fall • Time spent in Language Skills Department to increase in the fall

11. Second Stop – 2012/2013 Academic Year Spring 2013 • 3 visits to SDEV 135 • 1 visit to SDEV 101 • Table in CLT staffed every day including Saturday morning Fall 2012 • 3 visits to SDEV 135 • Development of Advising Syllabus • Staffing of table in Center for Transitional Learning (CTL) formally Language Skills Summer 2013 • No classroom visits • Limited table coverage in the CLT • 4 sections of SDEV 135 • 1 section of SDEV 101

12. Third Stop – 2013/2014 Academic Year Fall 2013 • 32 sections SDEV 090 • 24 sections SDEV 101 • 1 FT, 3 PT, 2 Supplemental advisors • Advising table 12 hours weekly Summer 2014 • No Classroom visits • Instructors encouraged to use video created for SDEV 101 • No table in the CTL • End of Cohort Advising • 4 sections SDEV 090 • 2 sections SDEV 101 Spring 2014 • 15 sections SDEV 090 • 11 sections of SDEV 101 • 1 FT, 3 PT, 2 Supplemental Advisors • Advising table 4 hrs. weekly • 10 FT advisors hired March 14, 3 of the FT are dedicated to the Developmental Cohort

13. The journey continues…. Fall 2014 • No Table in the CTL • 3 FT advisors • Advisors decide Developmental students need more love even without cohort advising • 23 sections of SDEV 090 each continue to get 3 visits • 15 sections of SDEV 101 each continue to get 1 visit • EDP video available for on-line or face to face courses Spring 2015 • 12 sections of SDEV 090 • 6 sections of SDEV 101

14. Bumps along the way… • Development of advising syllabus • Development of materials • Creation of presentations • Elimination of cohort advising • Increase number of sections decreasing number of advisors • Non flexible enrollment minimums • New leadership with a non-advising background • Dean who moved on to new academic pursuits • Remodel and move to new temporary space • New financial aid regulations • Personality conflicts between assigned advisor and instructor

15. Reflection, Evaluation, Challenges, Change… • Revisit the items that make us bump • Losing staff – feeling overwhelmed • Talk of “no more cohorts” • Talk of “using cohorts” • Lack of formal evaluation – currently evaluation is only anecdotal in nature • Operation 100% and lack of knowledge of developmental students • Federal Financial Aid regulation changes

16. Advisors take the Lead • Continued partnership with Director and Faculty in the Center for Transitional Learning • Continued scheduling of advising visits to all SDEV 090 and 101 courses • Development and updating of information provided in the packets that are presented • Other advising activities scheduled based on work of the developmental cohort • Continued revisiting of the policies and procedures that impact the developmental student • Collaboration at conferences (State and National) with member of the CTL

17. The Magical Packet • Includes: • Career Development • Passion • Networking • Interviews • Time Management • Levels of Education • Costs of Education • List of Majors at LCC • Transfer agreement • Educational Development Plan

18. From Undecided to completing an EDP • Material developed for Undecided students • Based on Packet prepared for Developmental cohort • More information available to students on D2L

19. Questions?

20. Thanks for coming!Lisa Alexander alexanl5@lcc.edu (517) 483-1197Eva Menefee menefee@lcc.edu (517) 483-9674