UNWINDING THE PATH TO SELECTIVE PROGRAM

ADMISSIONS

The Circle of Life:

American Association of College Registrars and Admission Officers 94th Annual Meeting

March 25, 2008

The Circle of Life

Vickie Gukenberger PhD, RNProfessor andDirector of Nursing ProgramsRoosevelt University

847.619.8754vgukenberger@roosevelt.edu

Matt McLaughlin M.S.Ed.ManagerAdmissionsHarper College

847.925.6203mmclaugh@harpercollege.edu

The Circle of Life

LocationPalatine, ILNW suburb of Chicago

Programs6 Transfer Degrees36 Career Degrees96 Certificates

Enrollment25,500

FTE20,921

Question current practice

Establish Purpose and

Goals

Investigation: Collect and

Analyze DataRevise Policy

Evaluate Policy

The Circle of Life

Circa 2003: Question Current Practice

Current Programs

Experiences and practices

Challenges

Changes on the horizons

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Purpose of the initiative

To develop a valid admission policy(s) for limited enrollment applied associate of science (AAS) health degree programs that is efficient and effective.

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Goals of the initiative

Validate admission criteria as predictors of student success

Develop recommendations for minimum scores and computation of scores for admission

Standardize criteria where possible across AAS limited enrollment health careers programs

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Investigation of the current practice

Stakeholders: people at the table

Proposed analysis

Indicators of success: data elements

Findings from the investigation

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy Stakeholders

Office of ResearchDirector

Specialist

Academic Affairs

•Academic Dean•Program Coordinators•Faculty

Student Affairs•Dean•Evaluation and Testing Specialist•Counselors and Advisors

Enrollment Services•Dean of Enrollment Services•Registrar•Manager of Admissions Processing•Admissions Specialists

Proposed analysisQuesti

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Success inFinal

CourseLicensureAdmissions

Criteria

Success inFirst

Course

Indicators of Success: Data Elements

Select course grades

Semester GPA

Cumulative GPA

Select admissions test score results

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Findings from the investigation: the Results and Recommendations

Results:Population profileSuccess rates

Statistically significant predictors of successOverall GPARNEE admissions test (NUR)

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Policy Prior to 2005Questi

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

HS Grad

ENG & MTHPlacement

Info Session

Biology

NUR DHY

CT

Entrance Exams for Schools of Nursing

Health OccupationsAptitude Exam

Interview

Chemistry

Additional Science Course

No Ranking Method

Ranking by Grades &Test Scores

Ranking by Grades & Test Scores &

Support Courses

Policy Change 2005Questi

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

NURRequirements

DHYRequirements

CTRequirements

StandardizedPolicy

AttendInformation Session

Policy Change 2005Questi

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

HS Grad

ENG & MTH Placement

Biology Course

Chemistry Course

NLN Pre-Admission Exam

Ranking: 50% GPA - 50% NLN

NUR

DHY

CT

RAD

DMS

Evaluation of Policy change (2006)

Fall 2006 ~ One year after policy implementation

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Program # Admitted Fall 2005Cardiac Technology 23Dental Hygiene 33Diagnostic Medical Sonography 25Nursing 135Radiologic Technology 26

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Did it make a difference?

The Circle Continues: The Question

Purpose of the initiative

To evaluate the effectiveness of the revised admission policy on student success in AAS LE Health Career programs

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Goals of the initiative

Gather preliminary information on student success in CTE, DMS, NUR, DHY and RAD programs.

Determine if students’ admission scores are related to their level of success.

Determine if students’ admission scores on the NLN Science Test are predictive of their grades in BIO 160 Human Anatomy.

Determine if the “age” of the BIO 160 course is predictive of students’ grades in other courses.

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Investigation of the current practice

Stakeholders: people at the table

Proposed analysis and Data Requirements by program

Indicators of success: data elements

Findings from the investigation

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy Stakeholders

Office of ResearchDirector

Specialist

Academic Affairs

•Academic Dean•Program Coordinators•Faculty

Student Affairs•Dean•Evaluation and Testing Specialist•Counselors and Advisors

Enrollment Services•Dean of Enrollment Services•Registrar•Manager of Admissions Processing•Admissions Specialists

Indicators of Success: Data Elements

Correlation between admission requirements and student success in identified courses

Support coursework completed prior to beginning

Retention rates

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Findings from the investigation: the Results and Recommendations

Results:Population profileSuccess rates

Statistically significant predictors of successTest scores: best predictorsSupport coursework completedGPA

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Findings from the investigation: the Results and Recommendations

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

First Program Course Completion RatesFall 2005

CT DHY DMS NUR RAD

81.9% 100.0% 87.4% 80.6% 84.0%

ModelGPA: 2.5

NLN Comp: 40NLN Verbal: 30

Best Predictors: NUR Case Study

*NLN Verbal*NLN CompositeGPANLN Science

NUR 101Grade

*NLN Composite*NLN VerbalNLN MathNLN ScienceGPA

FallGPA

*NLN Science*Nothing Else

SpringGPA

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

GPA Issue

Variability

•HS vs College•Old vs Recent•NLN is consistent and recent

Our Research

•Weak Correlation•Excluding GPA yielded similar results

College Comparisons

•Min requirement vs ranking factor•Grade inflation and/or students earning better grades•Increased reliance on standardized tests

Eliminate GPARequirement

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Support Courses: NursingQuesti

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Admits

Need 0 or 1Need 2 or 3

Support Courses

Support Courses

Support CoursesQuesti

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

84%

16%

Need 0 or 1Need 2 or 3 52%48% Need 0 or 1

Need 2 or 3

Admits Alternates

Bonus PointsQuesti

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Support Course Credit Hours ÷ 3

Program CT DMS DHY NUR RADSupport Credit Hours

28 28 31 29 28

Max Bonus Points

9.33 9.33 10.33 9.66 9.33

BiologyQuesti

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Age of Human Anatomy was not a statistically significant predictor in attainment of program outcomes. (Though, 93% of the sample had taken this course within the past two years.)

Played with Raising Requirements

Successfullyscreen out

more students who Fail

(D, F or W)

Incorrectly screen out more students

who succeed.

Would reduce the number of people in

the program.

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Policy Change 2007Questi

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

New Model

NLN Comp: 40NLN Verbal: 30

NLN Science: 30

Predicts 99.1% CompletersCompared to Old Model

Previous Model

GPA: 2.5NLN Comp: 40NLN Verbal: 30

•Information Session Attendance

•High School Graduate

•English Placement Options

•NLN–Verbal 30%

•NLN–Composite 40%

•Biology Course

•Chemistry Course

•4 Math Placement Options

•GPA

•NLN –Science 30%

•3 Math Placement Options with time limit

•Bonus Points for Support Courses

2005 2007

Policy Change 2007Questi

on curren

t practic

e Establish

Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Other Effects, Benefits and Offshoots

Level of “standardization” for online orientation

Promote the development and “look” of web pages for the health programs

Facilitates uniformity in information sessions, particularly the message from the admissions specialists

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Next Steps to Continue the Circle

Address the growing challenges with English proficiency.

Confirm a “meatier” approach to math competency for program admission and participation.

Can you require support coursework as prerequisites to program admission? Therefore, making a ‘2-Year’ program longer than two years.

Focus on program completion with attention to non academic factors.

Question

current

practice Establi

sh Purpose and Goals

Investigation: Collect

and Analyze Data

Revise Policy

Evaluate

Policy

Final Thoughts

+

Information

harpercollege.edu > Apply > Limited Enrollment Career Programs