Reimagining the first-year student experience at Sam Houston State University
Challenge
How might we reimagine a student’s first year as a three-year commitment to their credentialing success?
Strategy
Ten-pronged effort:
- Redesigned Welcome Week and student orientation
- Developed a “before you start” to-do list for first-year students
- Held a spring orientation for first-time freshmen (FTF)
- Encouraged faculty to create an engaging plan for students’ first day
- Eliminated late registration to increase student participation in first-day activities
- Moved from a hybrid mix of faculty and professional advisors to a total professional advisor model
- Formed an interdivisional leadership team to review student experience quarterly
- Revised policies and procedures to streamline student experience
- Strengthened developmental math curriculum; recalibrated UNIV 1301 Student Success Course to increase student interest and enrollment
- Implemented Teaching Innovation Grants to incentivize faculty
Outcome
Shared goals for student success:
- Annual improvement in semester-to-semester and one-year retention rates
- Long-term improvement in both 4- and 6-year graduation rates
- Annual increases in total number of students engaging in high-impact practices
- Increase in student participation in Welcome Week
- Annual increase in total number of students using the co-curricular transcript
- Increased retention for FTF entering spring semester
- Increased student participation in learning communities
Ready to take action?
Brainstorming prompts for you and your team to consider
Learn more about student support from our research
Institution
