From Surviving to Thriving ReEnvisioning the Small College

From Surviving to Thriving: Re-Envisioning the Small College FYE through Advising and Mentoring Brad Harmon, Ph. D. Assistant Dean for the First-Year and Second-Year Experience Furman University

Furman University at a Glance • A private co-educational liberal arts university founded in 1826 in Greenville, South Carolina • 2, 700 undergraduates from 42 states and 27 countries • 60 academic programs within 3 degrees (BA, BS, BM) • Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 11: 1 • Average Class Size: 19 students • Division I Athletic Program

Furman University at a Glance • A residential campus (four-year residency requirement) • 89. 5% of Furman firstyear students return for their sophomore year • 74. 2% graduate in four years; 80. 3% in five years

Furman FYE Organizational Structure: The Current Picture • No centralized office or department for the FYE – First-Year Academic Advising (Academic Affairs) – First-Year Writing Seminar (FYS Oversight Committee – Academic Affairs standing faculty committee) – New Student Orientation (Academic Affairs & Student Life) – FRADs (first-year peer mentors supervised by Housing and Residence Life)

Furman FYE Organizational Structure: The Current Picture – Engaged Living FYE LLCs (Academic Affairs & Housing and Residence Life) – Summer Connections Program (Cothran Center for Vocational Reflection – Academic Affairs) – First-Year China/Summer Japan Experiences – (Department of Asian Studies – Academic Affairs) – Paladin Outdoor Experience Trips (Student Life)

Furman Institutional Challenges & Opportunities • Decentralized FYE that requires a lot of cross campus collaboration • Elimination of first-year seminar from curriculum beginning Fall 2016 – Extremely divided opinions • Documented need to revisit first-year advising model • Energized conversations around building a more inclusive campus community

Other Furman Institutional Impacts • Fourtitude Study on student resiliency • Strengths Based Pilot Initiative • Ongoing discussions about having a more intentional first-year experience and more common experiences • Evolving strategic priorities from new leadership – Impact of The Furman Advantage vision

Some Key Points of The Furman Advantage • “…Need to create an integrated support system that will more effectively connect existing and new programs into a seamless experience for our students…” • Development of “new first- and second-year programs to instill lifelong habits of self-reflection and examination of personal strengths. . . ” • “Each student will embark on an individualized, coordinated, four-year pathway of academic study, self-reflection, and mentorship. . . ”

Impact of FYE 2016 • Attended Thriving in the First Year of College Pre-Conference Workshop • What if you could introduce an entire class to a “common language” of thriving? • What if you could train peer mentors to be more knowledgeable about thriving and its relationship to building a community?

What is First-Year Student Success? “The narrowest definition of first-year student success is… 1) the successful completion of courses taken in the first year, and 2) continuing enrollment into the second year. However, most institutions would espouse a broader definition of first-year student success…” (pg. 7 -8).

What is First-Year Student Success?

What is Thriving? • What happens when we focus on survival? – It becomes failure prevention rather than success promotion – Focus is on the demands and challenges rather than opportunities for growth – Mentality is only a minimal performance is needed rather than excellence expected (Schreiner, 2016)

What is Thriving? “Thriving implies more than just surviving in the college environment; it conveys that a student is fully engaged intellectually, socially, and emotionally, and is experiencing a sense of psychological well-being that contributes not only to his or her persistence to graduation, but also to success in life” (Schreiner, Pothoven, Nelson, & Mc. Intosh, 2009).

What is Thriving? • Sense of community is the number one predictive pathway of college thriving – Having a sense of belonging is crucial – Requires an environment where students feel like they have a voice and feel they can make a contribution to the campus community (Schreiner, 2016)

What is a Thriving Community? • Students who felt like they matter in a university environment showed increased engagement in learning and increased involvement in the community along with increased self-confidence and self-esteem, all of which leads to increased institutional loyalty (Schreiner, 2016).

What is a Thriving Campus? • Helps each member of the community see the individual contribution they can make – It is an expectation that they will make a contribution • Helps students see connections and connect learning from in-class to out-of-class experiences • Targets all students, not just select groups (Schreiner, 2016)

Goals of Furman Thriving Model • Introduce thriving concepts to all new students to provide them with some intentional “common language” on student success • Flip the mindset from one of surviving to thriving • Train peer mentors on thriving concepts and relation to their work with first-year students

From Surviving to Thriving: A Starting Point (2016 -17) • Articles in academic advising newsletter • New Student Orientation • Cultural Life Program (CLP) on Thriving • FRAD (Peer Mentor) Training Module

New Student Orientation: An Overview • Summer Orientation: – Seven years old – Five sessions over two weeks – Designed to focus on academics – Features the parents/families orientation program • Fall Orientation: – Mini “welcome week” model – Has a social integration focus – Features the first Cultural Life Program (CLP) for new students

New Student Orientation: An Overview of Summer Orientation • Students are randomly assigned to orientation groups that are co-lead by: – Summer Advisor – Orientation Staff leader • Parents proceed through a separate orientation track

Summer Orientation and Thriving • Summer Advisors and O Staff trained on thriving concepts • Summer Advisors and O Staff provided with guiding questions for student discussion

Summer Orientation and Thriving • Students attend a 30 minute presentation given by Assistant Dean for the First-Year and Second-Year Experience where they are first introduced to idea of thriving • Students then leave in their O Groups and spend an hour in a seminar like discussion on thriving in your first year at Furman

Guiding Questions for Thriving Discussion • Why did you decide to attend Furman? – What appealed to you most about Furman? – What was most important to you in making your final decision to attend Furman?

Guiding Questions for Thriving Discussion • What does it mean to thrive as a first-year student at Furman? – What do you think the word “thrive” means? – What are some things you can do to ensure you thrive during your first-year experience? – What are some things you think might get in the way of you becoming a thriving student at Furman?

Guiding Questions for Thriving Discussion • What does it truly mean to attend a college or university like Furman? – Who do you hope to become through your college experience? – What do you hope to develop through your college experience? – What does it mean to engage the learning process at Furman?

Guiding Questions for Thriving Discussion • What will be expected of you as a first-year student at Furman? – What will you bring to the Furman community? – How will you become engaged in your education? – What do you want to be involved in outside of class? • What will you expect from Furman? – What do you want to experience? – What kind of experiences in and out of class inspire or energize you?

Summer Orientation and Thriving • Parents attend a 45 minute presentation given by Assistant Dean for the First-Year and Second-Year Experience where they are also introduced to idea of thriving

Fall Orientation and Thriving • First CLP for new students on thriving in the first year of college From Surviving to Thriving: A Strengths-Based Approach to Engagement Dr. Keith Hall, Azusa Pacific University

Fall Orientation and Thriving • Purpose of CLP for First-Year Students: – Help students consider what it means to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally in college – Introduce students to research on thriving in the first year of college – Introduce students to a strengths philosophy and the benefits of applying a strengths development approach as a pathway to thriving outcomes

Thriving and FRAD Training • Developed a three part online training module for FRADs focused on: – Connection between the FYE and first-year student thriving – What it means to be a peer mentor – Role of peer mentors in creating thriving first-year communities • Had FRADs complete guided reflection questions at the end of each part of the module

Thriving and FRAD Training • Facilitated active discussions on thriving concepts during FRAD training in August – Helped FRADs consider ways they may encourage and support a thriving community

From Surviving to Thriving: Assessment (2016 -17) • Reflective questions asked of first-year students on annual Academic Advising climate survey given in April 2017 – 72. 1% of survey respondents remembered having a conversation about thriving with their Summer Advisor during Summer Orientation – 75. 6% of survey respondents remembered thriving CLP with Dr. Hall during Fall Orientation

From Surviving to Thriving: Next Steps (2017 -18) • Self-reflective question about thriving was added to the annual New Student Survey students complete prior to Summer Orientation Describe what you, as a thriving college student, would look like. What do you think may help or hinder that from happening? • Student responses made available to advisors to assist in connecting with advisees on a deeper level.

Sample of New Student Survey Thriving Responses • As a student and person in general, I find myself to be openminded, outgoing and a free thinker. I also find myself to be a very artistic person however I feel all of these can be hindered by the general ignorance of the masses. In reality, I think a campus that adheres to its promise of diversity and an open mind would help me or anyone thrive. • As a thriving student I see myself utilizing my time efficiently so that I am able to maintain the healthy social life I have always had while keeping on top of my classes. I hope to get a course load that is manageable and exciting. • Organized and strong time management. Challenging myself but also making sure I am capable and not drowning. Making sure I am not overwhelmed academically. Not taking very rigorous courses. Learning things I like!

From Surviving to Thriving: Next Steps (2017 -18) • New Advisor Institute featured content on importance of college student thriving and connection to the advisor’s role • Developed and distributed Academic Advising Guide to provide advisors with tools to engage students in conversations at appropriate developmental “checkpoints” • First CLP featured a return visit by Dr. Hall

The Future of Thriving at Furman • Work to expand training on thriving to advisors of all first-year students • Pathways Program Pilot Initiative – New advising model launched Fall 2017 – 2 year program – Features modules on thriving and mindset

Any Questions?