HANDBOOK of BEST PRACTICES College Preparation and Success for Traditionally Underrepresented and Non-Traditional Students, 2nd Edition 2013 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) New York’s 100+ private not-for-profit colleges and universities www.nycolleges.org or www.cicu.org For additional information about this project, contact: Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) Phone: 518-436-4781; Email: [email protected] This project was funded through a Federal College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) awarded to the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, the state agency designated to administer the state’s CACG program since 2008. Contents Introduction 3 About the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) Background on the Handbook of Best Practices for College Preparation and Success Organization of Best Practices in this Handbook I. BEST PRACTICES: Early College Awareness and Preparation 5-23 Starting in Middle School or Earlier • After School Tutoring (VAST) 6-7 • Colleges2Kids-Kids2College® 8-9 • Say Yes to Education Syracuse 10 College Awareness Programs for High School Students • College Bound Program 11-12 • College Affordability Seminars for High School Students and Their Families 13 • Exploring College 14-15 • Overnight Visitation Program 16 • Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP): Enhanced Programming 17-18 • Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP): Nurturing STEM Leaders 19 • Summer College for High School Students 20 College During High School • Early College International High School 21-22 • Smart Scholars Early College High School Program 23 II. BEST PRACTICES: Comprehensive Student Support Programs 24-55 Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Programs (HEOP): Highlights • HEOP at Fordham University 25 • HEOP at Hamilton College 26 • HEOP at Molloy College 27 • NUOP at Niagara University: Summer Program 28 • HEOP Summer Enrichment Program at Polytechnic Institute of New York University 29-30 • HEOP at St. Bonaventure University: Professional Enrichment 31-32 • HEOP at St. Lawrence University 33 • HEOP at Syracuse University 34-35 Other Comprehensive Student Support Programs • ACES Program 36 • Albertus Magnus Program (AMP) 37-38 • Collegiate Science and Technology Program (CSTEP) 39 • General Studies Program 40-41 • Presidential Referral Program 42 • Project Access 43-44 • Removing Obstacles to Success (ROS) 45-46 • Summer Institute 47 • Urban Leadership Learning Community 48 Innovative Programming • Back to the Future: A Diversity Workshop for Education Student Teachers 49-50 • Community Involvement/Summer Program 51 • Life After Bonas 52 • A Play on Words 53-54 • Routine for Learning 55 1 Contents CONTINUED III. BEST PRACTICES: Campus Support Programs and Services for Student Persistence and Academic Success 56-84 Focus on First Year • Challenge to Achievement at Pace (CAP) Academic Coaching Program 57 • Challenge to Achievement at Pace (CAP) Summer Mathematics Bridge Program 58 • Collegiate Opportunities to Reach Excellence (CORE) 59-60 • Divisional Support Program (DSP) 61 • Early Warning System 62 • First Year Programs 63-64 • Retention Activity 65 • Start Out Academics Right (SOAR) 66-67 • Writing Center Workshops 68 Mentoring and Other Support Programs • Diversity Internship & Career Preparation Program (D.I.C.P.) 69-70 • First Generation Scholars Program 71-73 • The Harriet Tubman Mentoring Project 74 • Haudenosaunee Promise 75-76 • NACME Scholars Support Initiatives 77 • Native American Future Stewards Program 78-79 • Pluralism Associates League for Students (PALS) 80 • The Society of Sisters/Brothers United (SOSU/BU) 81 • Undergraduate Student-Faculty Research Program 82-83 • Undergraduate Summer Research Program 84 IV. BEST PRACTICES: Supporting Veterans and Military Students 85-88 • Institute for Veterans and Military Families 86-87 • Support for Our Veterans 88 V. BEST PRACTICES: Alternative and Accelerated Degree Programs for Adults, 89-103 Non-Traditional Students, Students with Exceptional Needs Accelerated/Alternative Degree Programs • Accelerated 18-Month Baccalaureate in Nursing Program 90 • Center for Continuing Education 91 • Graduate Management Studies 92-93 • Online Learning/Compressed Semesters 94 • RN Mobility Program 95 • School of Professional and Continuing Studies 96 Students with Exceptional Needs • The Achieve Degree 97-99 • Center for Accommodative Services 100-101 • Office of Learning Services 102 • The Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education 103 Appendix. The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Programs (HEOP) 104 2 Introduction The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities About the Commission on Independent Colleges (cIcu), supported by federal funding through a College and Universities (cIcu) Access Challenge Grant, has collected information about how cIcu is a statewide association representing the public policy New York State’s independent colleges and universities help interests of the chief executives of more than 100 independent non-traditional college students enter and succeed in college. colleges and universities in New York State, the largest private Non-traditional students may include: sector of higher education in the world. Although not a ᔢ Economically disadvantaged students. These are students government agency, cIcu is an educational corporation who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches under the formed under the New York State Regents. Its mission is to National School Lunch Program, but it can also include others develop consensus among a diverse membership and to whose primary obstacle to attending college is its cost. advance higher education public policy as the formal ᔢ Historically underrepresented students. Generally, students organizational liaison with the New York State Board of who are African-American, Latino, American Indian, Regents, the State Commissioner of Education, and the Native Alaskan, Asian/Pacific Islander, or first in their chancellors of the State University (SUNY) and City University family to attend college are considered part of this group. (CUNY), and with the proprietary sector. Since 1978, cIcu’s ᔢ High school graduates or GED recipients who did not go on Outreach Programs have produced helpful resources and to college immediately after earning a high school diploma. publications for students, families, and schools about cIcu’s 100+ member private colleges and universities, college ᔢ Part-time students. This group includes students who for admissions, and financial aid. Available free of charge, the various reasons – the demands of work or family, financial latest series includes Your College Search and Affording reasons, or a desire to explore college work before deciding on a course of study – are not full-time college students. College. These publications are distributed to New York State high school guidance or college counseling and principals’ ᔢ Older adult students. These may be older people who have offices, school superintendents, public libraries and to not attended college before, students who did not complete selected high schools in surrounding states. An extensive degrees when younger, or college graduates undertaking admissions and financial aid Web site, www.nycolleges.org, coursework in a different field for a different degree. contains a growing library of downloadable college awareness ᔢ Veterans of military service, who may in addition be resources as well as databases of information about New members of one or more of the above groups. York's private, not-for-profit colleges and universities and Each of these groups has different needs than traditional their degree offerings. college students (those who attend college full-time after graduating from high school). Even if they successfully Background on the Handbook of Best Practices for enter college, they tend to have lower graduation rates than College Preparation and Success, 2nd Edition traditional full-time college students. For example, the The sampling of innovative programs, focused activities difference between white and minority graduation rates in and targeted initiatives in this Handbook are evidence of New York State is more than 28 percentage points.1 the importance that New York’s independent colleges and Another important component of outreach programs, universities place on college preparation, access and success activities or services for non-traditional students is a focus for traditionally underrepresented students. Yet this is but a on college awareness among middle-school students in first step. We hope that the sample of programs here will high-need schools. Teachers, counselors, and mentors aid inspire new initiatives, promote productive collaborations, students’ success by working together to promote a spur innovation and encourage replication of these and other college-going culture in their schools and communities. best practices across the state. The more non-traditional students learn about college and The activities described in this edition of the Handbook prepare for college-level work, the more likely they are to include programs that focus on improving preparation for and succeed in college. access to postsecondary education. Themes that run through these activities include the importance of providing students and families with the knowledge and tools to navigate the steps to applying to college. Colleges have found numerous 1June 17, 2013, NYSED