Facilitating Commencing Student Success across the Lifecycle: Strategic Student Orientation

1. Facilitating Commencing Student Success across the Lifecycle:Strategic Student Orientation Prof Keithia Wilson Academic Leader Student Success & Retention Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

2. Acknowledgment to Country In the Spirit of Reconciliation Following on from Sorry Day I would like to acknowledge & honour the Traditional Custodians of the land that we are meeting on today at Logan, and pay respect to their Elders past & present Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

3. Overview • Value & importance of Orientation • Understanding our students & their needs • A student lifecycle approach to Orientation • Understanding the student transition process to university • Goals of Orientation Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

4. Value & Importance of Orientation At Griffith – • Perceived effectiveness of Orientation predicts  early student satisfaction • Attendance at Orientation-Day predicts  semester 1 GPA SO........the quality of the Orientation experience really matters to students & to their success Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

5. We need to understand our Institutional profiles Compared to most other universities in Australia Griffith students: Are more likely to be the ‘first in their family’ (FIF) to attend University * Brisbane = 70% approx * Logan = 80% approx * Gold Coast = 60% approx FIF correlates with low SES & lower entry scores More of our students work in paid employment & they work longer hours in paid employment (reality of low SES/FIF students) 6th largest low SES student intake in Australia 3rd largest Indigenous student intake in Australia Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

6. What is Student Diversity? Traditional Students (TS) medium-high SES second generation higher entry levels full time on-campus Elite Model Non-Traditional Students (NTS) low SES first-in-family lower entry levels full-time & working not on-campus much Indigenous NESB, International, refugees disability home care responsibilities from rural & remote settings Mass Model Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

7. The national research evidence shows…. • Despite low access rates, the success rate (or tendency to pass their year’s subjects) of low SES students is 97% of the pass rates of their medium & high SES peers & has been stable over the last 5 years. (Bradley et al, 2008:30) • This success rate is premised on the provision of a range of support systems Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

8. Low SES students need support • Once students from disadvantaged backgrounds have entered university, the likelihood of them completing their course of study is broadly similar to that of the general higher education population. Often, however, they require higher levels of support to succeed, including financial assistance & greater academic support, mentoring & counselling services. (Transforming Australia’s Higher Education System, Commonwealth of Australian, 2009:14) Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

9. What are assumed knowledge & capabilities? Academic/Cultural Capital – the “Hidden Curriculum” Student role Understanding student role expectations & successful student behaviour (realistic job appraisal, conditions for success, study desk, computer access) Performance Expectations Reading the academic context to accurately determine performance requirements regarding studying & assessment Help-seeking Capacity for help-seeking without fear of negative labelling (dumb/stupid) Identity as a student Sense of belonging & personal fit with university (overcome the “outsider within” phenomenon – “A stranger in a foreign land”) Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

10. A LIFECYCLE APPROACH to ORIENTATION Orientation is best conceptualised as an ongoing process (progressive view) rather than simply an initial one-off event (front-loaded view) • Front-loaded options include – • Student outreach & engagement before Orientation Day • Substantive Orientation Day Program in first semester (& second if mid-year intake) • Progressive options include – • Progressive Orientation Program for the fist half of semester 1 • & the early weeks of semester 2 Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

11. One EXAMPLE of a LIFECYCLE APPROACH to ORIENTATION • M-Day (Mail-out Day) – targeted, brief School mail-out in January with invitation to E-Day & O-Day  aimed at increasing attendance at O-Day • E-Day (Enrolment Day) – Enrolment drop-in centre for enrolling & timetabling a week before O-Day  aimed at increasing attendance at & engagement in O-Day • O-Day (Orientation Day) – 1 day Orientation Program in O-Week with Peer Mentors + Timetabling & Enrolment Clinic at the end  aimed at student engagement & commitment • ASP (Academic Success Program)/Common Time – • an ongoing process for the first 7 weeks of semester 1 x 1 hour each week + at least weeks 1-3 of semester 2 • bolted onto a core lecture with a series of just-in-time interventions • linked to a structured Peer Mentoring Program  aimed at building academic confidence & capability Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

12. Understanding Student Transition – the “5-Senses of Student Success” Lizzio (2006) Sense of Capability Sense of Connectedness Sense of Student Identity Sense of Purpose Sense of Resourcefulness Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

13. ORIENTATION PROGRAM…. 3 META GOALS • Content goal – giving information • Process goal – organising series of activities to enable connections, capability, purpose, resourcefulness etc. • Meta-Process goal – activating student’s capacity to begin self-managing their university experience viz. self-regulation • Optimal Orientation involves a mix of the 3 goals Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

14. Sense of Connection Building Connections – • staff-student introductions of key staff – FYL, SSAs, SAOs/PSOs, PCs/PDs, FY Course Convenors, Tutors • student-student connections through time for small group discussions + peer mentors Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

15. Senses of Identity, Capability, Resourcefulness & Purpose • Providing key information on the conditions for academic success • Understanding the student role • Normalising and validating help-seeking • Asking students to commit to strategies for academic success, including support • Assisting students to get on-line • Indicating expectations for academic success  hope! Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

16. STUDENT PROCESS : What do we know from research about success in first year? Students are more likely to succeed if they: • Invest time on task  time spent studying each week is the strongest predictor • Regularly attend lectures & tutorials increased learning opportunities also a strong predictor • Develop a social network at uni knowing one person’s name is a protective factor against dropping out • Have a clear goal or purpose for attending uni (sense of vocational direction & purpose especially) a strong predictor of success & retention • Engage with the online environment moderates success at university • Balance commitments (working on average not more than 15 hours a week in paid employment)  making appropriate time for study predicts success • Have some sense of academic self-confidence  predicts success (self-efficacy & an expectation of success is foundational to success in life) Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

17. STUDENT PROCESS : What do we know from research about risk factors in first year? Students are more likely to drop-out or fail if they: • Don’t develop a social network at university • Don’t have a sense of purpose (esp vocational purpose) in their degree • Don’t regularly attend lectures & tutorials (with the exception of a small group of young, very intellectually bright males) • Don’t have access to or engage with the online environment • Do work more than 25 hours per week while studying full time Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

18. STUDENT PROCESS : What do we know from research about risk factors in first year? Students are more likely to not engage and drop-out if they: • Are the ‘first in their family’ to attend university (low academic/ social capital) • Are a member of a minority or disadvantaged group (e.g., Indigenous, rural, disability, refugee, international, ESL, primary caregiver in family, single parent) Given that these factors are out of the control of our commencing students, it is important not to express these as risk factors, but rather to discuss the need to “build academic capital” by accessing available systems resources early & to provide that info on O-Day. With FIF, I ask them to self-identify (70%), followed by a frank discussion re “building academic capital” & accessing School & university level support, but I do not ask the other groups to self-identify in Orientation. Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow

19. PRACTICE REFLECTION Take time to consider: • What is the balance in your current Orientation process between : • Giving information • Running activities • Enabling student’s sense of belonging & self-management • Adopting a student lifecycle approach • How might these frameworks inform your future approach to Orientation? Prof Keithia Wilson ALTC National Fellow