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Learning Support CommitteeSocial ComponentHelping students succeed by fostering community
Cynthia BelmarMildred JosephVeronica McKissicGwen Richard
Social Support in Four Parts
Part I Introduction: Our assumptionsPart II Social support outside of the classroomPart III Learning communities as social support within the classroomPart IV Peer mentoring as social support
Part I: Assumptions
Students—
Are social beings who need to feel that they are not alone and that they have a sense of belonging.
Benefit from cultural, social, and learning opportunities planned by faculty and other college staff.
Need advisors, guides, mentors, and peers to help them navigate through the processes, policies, and procedures in the world of higher education.
Create their own communities through clubs, associations, and other means, using social media and in-person connections.
Part I: Assumptions
Students—
Need places to “be”—spaces for collaboration, engagement, study, club offices, recreation, and other places to socialize with peers.
Need places to have meals.
Need financial support.
Need a good selection of affordable food options while on campus.
Part II: What students say about social support
According to the 2015 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE):1. The majority of students feel that their colleges emphasize providing the
support they need to help them succeed, yet smaller numbers use support services.
2. Significant numbers also feel that their colleges do not offer support for non-academic, social and financial issues.
3. Over one-quarter (26%) say that their college puts very little emphasis on providing the support they need to thrive socially.
4. HCC’s 2015 CCSSE results mirror the above results very closely.
Sources : http://www.ccsse.org/survey/bench_support.cfm and http://sy-dashboard.hccs.edu/ibi_apps/bip/portal/Access
Part II: Two Categories of Social Support
1. SOCIAL (two sub-categories)Groups
SGAHonor societiesDepartment
sponsored clubsSociety of Eagle
MentorsActivities
Intramural sportsCultural eventsAwareness campaigns
Part II: Two Categories of Social Support
2. HELP (three sub-categories)Personal• Advising• CounselingFinancial
• Financial workshops• Childcare optionsOutreach
• Housing• Childcare• Transportation• Emergency financial assistance• Psychological needs
Part II: General Recommendations for Social Support
1. Child care assistance grants for academic students similar to Perkins grant for workforce students ($50 per day of class)
2. Increased marketing plan and outreach efforts to reach & apprise all students of what is available
3. Increase community partnerships with local businesses and non-profit organizations such as Capital Idea to promote and to support the social well-being of our students.
4. Increased social support for students within Canvas (new LMS) and the school’s website through the integration of videoconferencing and screen sharing tools such as Cranium Café, Voicethread, and Big Blue Button . Let’s imagine an online student being able to schedule videoconference sessions with her advisor and her tutor. Let’s imagine a professor providing online office hours where his students can communicate with him face-to-face.
Part III: Social Support within the classroom environment
Learning Communities provide social support to students:
“’ In the same class you see all the time the same faces, and you make friends. And you discuss anything whenever you want…If I have a class like writing, and the next class is different, then I have to make friends in that class, and I can’t discuss the things I want. [In the learning community] it’s easier to talk about ideas or whatever you want.’” (Tinto,1995)
Part III: Examples of Learning Communities
Bunker Hill Community CollegeLone Star College, CyFair
Part III: Learning Communities embody HCC transformation
“Centers of Excellence will allow students to focus on an in-demand field of study with concentrated counseling and shared experiences with
other like-minded students, thereby increasing persistence and success rates.”
-Chancellor Maldonado in Future Vision: Chancellor’s Listening Tour
Part III: Learning Communities produce tangible student outcomes
Learning communities produce long term benefits:
“MDRC’s longitudinal analyses [Kingsborough College’s Opening Doors program] show that a comprehensive one-semester program can improve student outcomes. Findings at the two-year mark did not show significant gains in students’ fall-to-spring persistence rates (77% for learning community students vs. 75% for control students in the first year; 61% vs. 59% in the second year). After six years, however, MDRC found that learning community students graduated at a rate of 36%, as compared to a 31% graduation rate among control group students. This 5 percentage point gain represents about a 15% increase in degrees earned. “
Source:http://www.ccsse.org/docs/Matter_of_Degrees_2.pdfSee page 21
Part III: HCC and Its Past Use of Learning Communities
Short term benefit isn’t apparent:
Source: Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research
Part III: Timeline for Pilot COE Learning Community Program
Early Spring 2016
Initiate
Spring 2016
Design
Summer 2016
Refine
Fall 2016
Execute
Early Spring 2017
Evaluate
Part III: Action Items for TimelineInitiate: Spring 2016 and early Summer 2016 Identify a COE willing to pilot a Learning Community program and assembly team of faculty, administrators from COE and Instruction, counselors, advisors, etc. to begin creating LCs
Enrollment services, IT, and PeopleSoft work to make Learning Communities “PeopleSoft friendly”
Refine: Summer 2016 Send the team to the Washington Center at Evergreen College to participate in their 2016 summer institute (July 11-15, 2016).
Faculty continue to collaborate and design Learning Communities (integrated curriculum, activities, etc.)
Advisors and counselors promote and enroll students in Learning Communities
Execute: Fall 2016 Student participate in first COE learning communities (2-4)
Evaluate: Spring 2017First reports and evaluations about the effectiveness of the learning communities
Part III: Evaluation of Pilot Learning Community Program
Qualitative MethodsFocus groups of faculty and
students LC participantsSurvey of LC participants
vs. control groupSelf-assessment of learning,
engagement, desire to repeat LC experience, almost a mini-CSSSE
Quantitative MethodsComparison of GPA,
persistence, credits completed, etc. of LC students with control group
Remember research suggests that LCs are a long term strategy and there may not be a big difference between the two groups initially
Part III: Cost of Pilot LC Program
Conference costs ($1350 per person) + Transportation costs Promotional costs to be determinedFaculty stipend to be determined Program supplies to be determined
Part IV: What is Peer Mentoring?
“’A confidential, one-to-one relationship in which an individual uses a more experienced, usually more senior person as a sounding board and for guidance.
It is a protected, non-judgmental relationship…’” (Industrial Society as quoted in Booth, 2003, p. 163)
Part IV: How does Peer Mentoring fit into the Community College?
Social integration and social support are closely linked and are vital to the college experience.
Successful integration in both social and academic areas reduces the likelihood of student withdrawal (Tinto, 1995)
Part IV: Why use Peer Mentoring?
Ferrari (2004) Improved academic performance Improved academic self-efficacy Improved satisfaction with academic programs
Brown, David and McClendon (1999, 2013) Ability to make a career choice and increased persistence to
achieve goals
Sosik and Godshalk (2005, 2010) Improved interpersonal communications Improved psychosocial support
Part IV: Why use Peer Mentoring?
• Impact on student experience• Creates sense of belonging and support• Contributes to academic success• Contributes to relationships/networking • Contributes to sense of community
• Impact on Houston Community College• Contributes to culture of success• Builds awareness of resources
Part IV: Pilot Peer Mentoring Program Overview
Focus on the social interaction as a key element of academic mentoring Positive social interaction Orientation of new students Encourage mentors in their own leadership development
Part IV: The training of peer mentors (key component)
Full training provided to mentorsSeries of workshops including:
• Expectations for mentor (what mentors do and don’t do)• HCC’s learning and social support services and when to refer a
mentee• Leadership styles• Building rapport• Effective Communication (i.e. asking open ended questions)
Pre and Post Survey or Test of trainingTraining would take place early to mid AugustTraining would be created and coordinated by Director of Peer Mentoring
Part IV: Cost of Pilot Peer Mentoring ProgramPilot: 2 peer mentors per COE or designated program (10-12 total)The mentors would be paid via work-study or attractive fellowship at $9.20 per
hour $9.20 per hour × 10 hours per week = $92 $92 ×16 weeks = $1472.00 per mentor per semesterTotal cost for 12 Mentors $17,664
Director of the Mentor Program pay would be similar to Houston Community
College- P10 (i.e. Director of Learning Emporium) pay with specific duties. $61,335-$70,469. Estimated $65,000
Secretary II (SCL7) or Office Manager (SCL8). Estimated $40,779 The director reports to the VC of Student Success or other HCC Administration
choice Estimated cost for all employees = $123,443
Part IV: Evaluation of Pilot Peer Mentor Program
Qualitative MethodsFocus groups of mentors
and menteesSurvey of mentors and
mentees
Quantitative MethodsComparison of GPA,
persistence, credits completed, etc. of mentors and mentees with control group
Questions and Comments
ReferencesBooth, A. (2003). Teaching history at university: Enhancing learning and understanding. New York: Routledge.
Brown, M. I., Davis, G. L., & McClendon, S. A. (1999). Mentoring graduate students of color: Myths, models, and modes. Peabody Journal of Education, 74(2), 105-18.
Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2013). A matter of degrees: Engaging practices, engaging students (high-impact practices for community college student engagement). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program.
Gentry, W. A., & Sosik, J. J. (2010). Developmental relationships and managerial promotability in organizations: A multisource study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77(2), 266-278.
Houston Community College, Office of Institutional Research. (2011). Learning communities 6-year trend, 2005-2011. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/ad-hoc-analy/HCC_LC_6yrtrend.pdf
ReferencesHouston Community College, Office of Institutional Research. (2012). 2012 DEI strategy report: Spring 2011 course completion success rates for learning community students. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/atd-strategy-reports/Spring-2011,Learning-Communities.pdf
Maldonado, C. (2015). Future vision: Chancellor’s listening tour [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/HoustonCommunityCollege/future-vision-chancellor-listening-tour
Price, D.V. (2005). Learning communities and student success in postsecondary education: A background paper. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_421.pdf
Sommo, C., Mayer. A.K., Rudd, T. & Cullinan, D. (2012). Commencement day: Six-year Effects of a freshman learning community program at Kingsborough Community College. New York, NY: MDRC. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/publication/what-have-we-learned-about-learning-communities-community-colleges
References
Sosik, J. J., & Godshalk, V. M. (2005). Examining Gender Similarity and Mentor's Supervisory Status in Mentoring Relationships. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in learning, 13(1), 39-52.
Straus, M. & Cook, C. (2013) Final narrative & financial report. Houston, TX: Houston Community College. Retrieved from http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/district/academic-affairs/achieving-the-dream/annual-reports/HoustonCC2012-Final-Narrative-Report-013113.pdf
Tinto, V. & Love, A. G. (1995). A longitudinal study of learning communities at LaGuardia Community College. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 380179).
Tinto, V. (1998). Learning communities and the reconstruction of remedial education in higher education. Retrieved from https://vtinto.expressions.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Developmental-Education-Learning-Communities.pdf
Visher, M., Weiss, M.J., Weissman, E., Rudd, T. & Wathington, H.D. (2012). The effects of learning communities for students in developmental education: A synthesis of findings from six community colleges. New York, NY: MDRC. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/publication/what-have-we-learned-about-learning-communities-community-colleges