Student Achievement Team s1

Student Achievement Team Minutes March 19, 2007 11:00 Watauga River Room/PSU

Members present: Carter Hammet-McGarry, Micki Early, Nikki Crees, Tracey Wright, Amy Cole, Beth Marsh, Shirley Harris, Martha Stephenson, Jeanne Dubino, Dave Haney, Susan Morgan, Carol O’Saben, Patrick Setzer, Tina Parlier, Heather Langdon, Wes Waugh, Melanie Greene, Kate Brinko Excused: Kay Stroud

Dave called the meeting to order. The minutes from 1/22/07 and 2/19/07 were approved.

Dave discussed Appalachian’s response to the GA re: our Graduation and Retention Goals report. The GA applied a Noel-Levitz template to all reports. Not knowing what was expected of this report, we came up short. Our revised report included the requested situational analysis and higher goals for retention (90% instead of 87.7%) as well as higher graduation goals. This revised report will be posted on the SAT work site. As a campus, we will continue to look at cohorts to make incremental improvements in these rates, showing greatest improvement toward the end of the 5 year period.

The SAT will make our reports and recommendations available to the Student Achievement subcommittee of the Strategic Planning Commission.

GETF continues its good work, receiving petitions to have a vote on the new Gen Ed by every decision-making body on campus and to not dilute the science requirement.

The Provost is speaking with the Senate today on the University College reorganization. Carter and Dave attended the Deans and Directors annual meeting in New Orleans and came away with some observations: our University College is an ambitious model; having faculty dedicated to University College is still an open issue; the self-designed major will need protection from becoming the degree of last resort; there are advising models combining faculty advisors with professional advisors.

Next, the work groups reported.

Heather reported for the Research group. The survey of non-returners will be developed and administered next academic year, using non-returners responses to surveys we already administer (CSI, NSSE, etc.) this year. A Declaration Study will be conducted.

Nikki and Shirley reported for Best Practices. Our website can be used to communicate SAT recommendations to campus. The CSI, APRs, end-of-semester grades and GPA, and other information (e.g., Dr. Beck’s SAO) can be used to identify students for intrusive advising interventions. Two courses could be developed, one for students earning at least one F in a semester and one for our underachieving white male students.

Jim reported for the Communication group. We continue to struggle with our website and Jim introduced a new approach which would elevate research to a more top tier on the site (having links go to research behind the programs/recommendations) and removing the parent/student link. Nikki, Beth, Martha and Heather will work on identifying relevant research that already exists. There will also be a link to the Strategic Planning Commission site.

Next meeting on 4/16. Martha will schedule a May meeting.

Respectfully submitted, Martha Stephenson