Logistics Work Group Recommendations to the QEP Design Team

The logistics work group respectfully submits the following recommendations to the QEP Design Team.

1. Determine process to identify students for Smart Start.

A group of filters should be used in identifying students for inclusion into the LEI. These filters include: first-time, postsecondary student; need for developmental math and English; majors requiring enrollment in general education courses that are paired in the learning communities; day students (at least for the first year of the LEI); placement scores allowing students to enroll in a paired course set included in the LEI.

2. Determine process to inform students about their selection in Smart Start in particular and the LEI initiative as a whole.

Admissions counselors would receive a checklist-based form that would guide them in determining if a student meets the criteria to enter the LEI. If so, the admissions counselor would provide literature to the student about the LEI and talk to the student about enrolling in Smart Start.

3. Determine Smart Start logistics.

The logistics work group has created a flow chart to illustrate how students would enter the LEI from a student intake process perspective. See the attached diagram titled Intake Logistics. Please note that the process for student intake for the Fall 2007 has yet to be determined by administration. Therefore, the Logistics work group recommends that the faculty advisor should be a part of initial student advising regardless of the intake process that occurs.

4. Identify issues associated with scheduling and running Learning Communities (LCs) – i.e., Freshman Seminar and course pairs

 We recommend that the learning community courses be registered for under one course listing. The listing might be something like LEI I, LEI II, etc. The courses paired with the particular LEI section would auto-populate once registered. Someone will have to “back out” the courses from the LEI listing to reflect separate courses for assigning individual course grades and transcript purposes.

 To encourage enrollment in the LEI, the Logistics work group recommends the course pairs for the learning communities be taught by full-time faculty only for the first few years. Inclusion of adjuncts could occur thereafter when there is appropriate training available. It is important that full-time faculty are able to have time to “buy-in” to the LEI and see results.

 An issue that will have to be resolved is in reference to ACC 101. If ACC 101 is to be included in a learning community, one must consider that ACC 101 typically enrolls 30- 35 students per course section. Most other courses do not enroll this many students in one section, so the LEI participants may have to be limited to the number that the other paired courses can accommodate. The remainder of the students in ACC 101 would not be LEI participants and can be excluded from the data set.

 Another consideration is withdrawing from a course in the learning communities pairing. Students should be able to withdraw from any of the courses. Their data will have to be excluded from the data set.

5. Identify implementation progression for the LEI over the five years.

The Logistics work group talked with various department chairs and faculty and have determined an implementation progression for years 2-5.

Year 2 Year 3

ACC 101-COL 105-CPT 170 EGR 181-COL 105-MAT 110 HIS 101-COL 105-ENG 101 BUS 101-COL 105-MGT 101 AHS 117-AHS 104-NUR 100 BIO 101-COL 105-MAT 120

Year 4 Year 5

BUS 101-COL 105-CPT 170 HIS 202-COL 105-SOC 101 HIS 102-COL 105-GEO 102 PHI 105-COL 105-MAT ??? EEM 115-EEM 111 WLD 106-WLD 110

6. Determine “oversight” needs.

The logistics work group has created an oversight needs organizational chart to explain our recommendations. See the attached chart titled LEI Organizational Chart.

7. Determine faculty and staff development needs.

The Course Development work group has created a faculty development plan. This plan was presented to the Logistics work group to evaluate in terms of logistics. Recommendations were made to Sarah Shumpert who submitted the faculty and staff development needs proposal to the Logistics work group. (See Faculty and Staff Development form) Student Intake Process and Registration into LEI

Students Apply and Take Placement Tests

ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW Counselors use filters to determine if a student is eligible for a Learning Community (LC): 1. First time postsecondary 2. Major (AA/AS, ADN, Others) 3. Placement scores 4. Day student Students receive “flow-chart” form and marketing information pre-advising. Set the stage for Smart Start in the Admissions Interview. Students See Academic Advisor and Receive RAN Admissions counselors Students Register Are cleared to Themselves Online override “LC” courses only

LATE JUNE, OR AFTER REGISTRATION DAY

Check registration status of students identified as “LC” students:

IF NOT REGISTERED Initiate follow-up contacts (e.g., postcards, CP e-mails)

IF REGISTERED, Send reminder postcards (party invitation?) to attend Smart Start workshops one month and 2 weeks ahead of workshops scheduled start. Provide incentives for Smart Start registration and/or attendance (e.g., “Win an i-Pod!”). Direct students to Smart Start web page. Send e-mails to student CP accounts

ASSESSMENTS EMBEDDED IN THIS PROCESS

Number of students advised for LC who actually register. Number of students who register for Smart Start but do not attend; how well do they perform in LC compared to those who do attend Smart Start.

Smart Start What Will This Look Like in the Fall of 2007?

Minimum Configuration: 3 Learning Communities, 75 Students

ENG 101 / SOC 101 ONE ENG032 / MAT 032 SECTION BIO 100 / CHM 100 EACH

COL 105 3 SECTIONS

Faculty Members 9 FACULTY Maximum Configuration: 12 Learning Communities, 300 Students

Course / Course / COL 105 TWELVE 3-COURSE Faculty Members GROUPINGS

Smart Start Workshops Scheduled as co-requisites of LC 10 WORKSHOPS groupings; 30 students each; one Smart Start workshop scheduled for “last minute registrations. (avg. 30 students each)

Smart Start registration begins April (monitor SS workshop registrations). Offer SS workshops periodically starting June, both day and night.

First-come, first-served Smart Start registration “Sell” this in Admissions (create advising form) Add catalog section discussing LEI and LC courses Pre-registration message for Learning Community students only Set CRWS prior to April 2007

Questions: If courses are linked co-requisites, can students drop one? Should students be coded for LC in Admission via Banner? Can we create a flag in Banner to identify LC-advised students? (would provide means for tracking these students) How can we continue support in subsequent semesters for students who participate in LC?