Pathway Advising Yakima Valley Community College Pathway Advising

Pathway Advising Yakima Valley Community College Pathway Advising Model

Yakima Valley Community College 2014 -2015 § Enrollment: § 8, 250 Annual Headcount § 4, 503 Full-Time Equivalent § Demographics: § Gender: 63% Female/37% Male § Ethnicity: 56% Hispanic, 37% White, 3% Native American, 2% African American, 1% Pacific Islander § Graduating Class: § 1, 054 Graduates § 558 Transfer Degrees § 309 Associate of Applied Science Degrees § 321 Certificates

Achieving the Dream Leader College 2006 - 2015 What we found in our data: § Significant drop out rates within the first year § Students needing multiple quarters of developmental math § Performance gaps YVCC’s At. D Intervention: § Improve the First Year Experience

Improving the First Year Experience § Focus on the “front door” § Placement testing orientation and policies § End late registration § Mandatory New Student Orientation § Delivered to small groups of students by faculty teams § Registration for first quarter classes § Tour of campus, Student IDs, Parking, Books, etc. § Advising Tools § Degree Search § Degree Audit § Academic Early Warning

Wal-Mart Press Grant in 2012 What we found in our data: § Students who start underprepared don’t finish § <50% FT and <10% PT students take Math and English in the first year § <30% of students complete a quantitative degree requirement § Retention is up for Hispanic students – but continues to drop off from the first to the second year § Degree completion rates decreasing What advising structure will help us achieve our goal of increasing student success?

Advising Redesign Reviewed: § Past practice: what hasn’t been working § Advising load issues § Not all students seeking advising § Too many choices with too little guidance § Faculty and Staff focus groups § Technology needs § Literature on advising and student success § Dr. Davis Jenkins

Advising Redesign Plan § Mandatory Advising until student reaches 30 college level credits § Students Identify Pathway § Start with the end in mind § Faculty grouped into Six Advising Pathways § Provide feedback and support § Guide students’ choices; do not limit their options § Advising Day – designated day each quarter § Outreach – call students who did not meet with advisor

Pathway Selection Tool § Six Pathways w/ all YVCC programs § Students select Pathway § Registrar generates lists for Pathway Leads § Pathway Leads assign students to faculty

Pathway Advising Tool § Manage our advisee list § Monitor for 30 credits § Email communications

YVCC Pathway Communications Strategy § § § NSO – New Student Orientation messaging and Pathway Selection Week 1: Email from official faculty advisor Week 2 & 3: Community Relations produce print materials (posters, table tents, etc. ) and post online Week 4: Faculty Advisors email students w/ link to Advising Day schedule online Week 5: Community Relations re-posts on social media and set up banners on campus Week 6: Advising Day – faculty advise students and track those who do not attend

YVCC Pathway Advising Day § Designated day § Pathways reserve an area on campus § Faculty set schedules § Students sign in § Faculty report “no shows”

YVCC Pathway Advising Block Process § Week 7: Faculty email/reach out to students who “no showed” to schedule meetings Registration emails students informing of block process § Week 7 -11: Students who “no-showed” meet with their Pathway Advisors individually Pathway Advisors email Registration to have blocks removed § Week 9: Registration blocks students who have not met with an advisor (Unusual Action Code) Faculty Counselors call students who are still blocked § Week 12: Students can meet with counselors/advisors in Counseling & Advising Center Counselors/Advisors email Registration to have blocks removed

YVCC Pathway Advising Benefits & Advantages For Students: For Faculty/Staff: § Mandatory = all students receive advising § Helps assign students more evenly § Information from expert/trained faculty § Cross-training, e. g. “Buddy System” § Build rapport with faculty advisors § Networking - fosters collegiality § Exposure to other programs in the Pathway § Dedicated day/time to see many students

YVCC Pathway Advising Model Challenges § Work in Progress – takes time (years) § Allocating an Advising Day each quarter § Clarifying leadership roles and communication § Faculty concerns to advising outside their area § Faculty concerns to others advising in their area § Administration & Logistics: managing advisee loads, communications, registration blocks § Students who “no show” § No “crystal ball”

YVCC Pathway Advising Leadership/Management VP Of Instruction & Student Services Dean of Arts & Sciences Dean of Workforce Education Dean of Student Services Dean of Adult Basic Education Pathway Leads: Arts & Humanities STEM Pathway Leads: Business Healthcare Pathway Leads: Exploratory Pathway Leads: Social Sciences & Education Faculty Advising Lead Yakima Registrar Director of Technology Services Community Relations Faculty Advising Lead Grandview

Student Feedback on Advising Day

References: § Jenkins, Davis. 2014 Redesigning Community Colleges for Student Success: Overview of the Guided Pathways Approach. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. § Yakima Valley Community College Pathways: http: //www. yvcc. edu/academics/pathways/Pages/default. aspx