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Centre for Academic Advising and Student Success Annual Report 2018-2019
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Supporting Mount student goals for academic success with multifaceted and engaging services tailored to their needs. As a team, we value diversity and strive to create a respectful, open, and positive environment. CAASS Mission Statement
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Our Team Our Services Academic Advising Learning Strategist Services Mount 101 From Mentee to Mentor Right Start Program Supplemental Instruction Transfer Student Coordinator Writing Centre
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4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-25
Introduction
OUR STORY The 2018-2019 academic year ushered in a fresh take on supporting students at the Mount. The Centre for Academic Advising and Student Success (CAASS) opened on the third level of the Seton Academic Centre in August 2018. The CAASS brings existing student support services together in an easy-to-access and central location. Students from all disciplines can connect with services, such as Academic Advising, Learning Strategist Services, the Mount 101 program and Mount Mentors, the Right Start and Supplemental Instruction programs, the Transfer Student Coordinator, and the Writing Centre.
The Grand Opening “Today is the day we celebrate this dream come true.� Dr. Elizabeth Church Vice-President Academic and Provost
The CAASS hosted its official opening on September 19, welcoming students, staff and faculty for an afternoon of celebration and exploration of how the Centre can best support students. At the event, Vice President Academic and Provost, Dr. Elizabeth Church, noted that the creation of the Centre has been a goal for some time, and became a reality thanks to an opportunity to remodel the space during renovations to the building this year.
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Introduction
Why a Centre? The topic of academic advising centres is widely covered in academic literature and played an important role, along with data collected from a Mount student survey in 2015, in the decision to create the Centre for Academic Advising and Student Success.
Pardee, C.F. (2000)
Organizational models for academic advising. In V.N. Gordon & W.R. Habley (Eds.), Academic Advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 192-209). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Advising needs of an ethnically and culturally diverse student population, which has a high proportion of first-generation, mature, transfer, online, and parttime students are most efficiently met through a highly organized, centralized system.
Davis, K.J., Vallandingham, D. & Christman, P.D. (2008)
Advising administrator perspectives. In V. N. Gordon, W. R. Habley, & T. J. Grites (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (2nd ed., pp. 438-455). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Academic advising centres allow for the creation of a ‘front door’ for an institution for new enrollees, with academic advisors participating significantly in initial contact with students.
Armstrong, K. (2011)
Academic Advising, eh: A profile of undergrdauate academic advising at Ontario universities (Master’s Thesis). Faculty of Education, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON.
When relationships with academic advisors are established early on in students’ educational careers and are maintained throughout their time at an institution, student retention and success are promoted.
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Our Team
Dedicated Knowledgeable Supportive Building a welcoming, collaborative academic support community is our priority.
Erin Tomlinson
Heather Maxwell
Jessica Ferguson
MANAGER
ACADEMIC ADVISOR & RIGHT START COORDINATOR
ACADEMIC ADVISOR
Erin joined the advising team in
Heather has 17 years of experience
Jess is a proud Mount alumna and
2011. Recognizing the unique
as an advisor. She is a trusted
has been on campus as a student
backgrounds and experiences of
resource for students, staff,
and employee for nearly 10 years.
all students and valuing them in
and faculty across campus on
She is passionate about lifelong
the University are central to her
advising-related matters.
learning and creating safe spaces
approach.
for diverse learners. Page 6
WORKING TOGETHER Prior to the opening of the CAASS, our academic support services existed independently. The creation of the Centre has united us as a team. Some ways we have collaborated so far, include: • • • •
Developing a mission statement Calling campaign for first-year students Mount Mentor hours in the CAASS Centralizing student appointment booking
• Presenting at AACUSS Conference in May
Marisha Caswell
Venus Bali
Cindy Huelin
Clare Goulet
MOUNT 101 COORDINATOR
LEARNING STRATEGIST & STUDENT SUCCESS COORDINATOR
TANSFER STUDENT COORDINATOR (2+2 PROGRAMS)
WRITING CENTRE COORDINATOR
Prior to coordinating Mount 101,
Venus’s Master’s research
Cindy works in the Admissions
Clare teaches, writes, and edits
Marisha was a university instructor.
focussed on students’
Office and in the CAASS providing
scholarly and creative work in the
She says what makes Mount 101
postsecondary aspirations. She
academic advising for 2+2 students.
humanities and sciences. She
unique is that it is geared to all
works to create space and time
She is instrumental in supporting a
served as the editor at Fiddlehead,
students and is designed to support
for student self-reflection in her
growing 2+2 student population at
Brick Books, Nimbus, and
everyone as they start at the Mount.
student success courses and
the Mount.
Gaspereau Press.
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appointments.
Our Services
Supporting Academic Growth From transitioning to the Mount and academic advising to honing writing skills and developing effective study strategies, we offer a range of services and programs to support Mount students.
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ACADEMIC ADVISING
Academic Advisors are often the first point of contact for students after they are accepted to the Mount. Advisors help students select courses, plan their programs,
Academic Advising
navigate academic policies and procedures, and connect with other on-campus services. Knowing where to find an academic advisor is an important factor in student success and the CAASS is just the place to get this information.
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Learning Strategist Services
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LEARNING STRATEGIST SERVICES
Students meet with the Learning Strategist to gain
valuable strategies in the areas of time management, prioritization, study skills, test taking, and breaking down larger projects into manageable pieces. Students can make small, subtle, changes that will have compound effects later on. The Learning Strategist also coordinates the Student Success Course (UNIV 0001) for students who need to improve their GPA. Page 8
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MOUNT 101
Mount 101 is designed to support all incoming undergraduate
Mount 101
students as they transition to the University. Mount 101 consists of 1). a mandatory and free online program in which students learn about university support systems and expectations and strategies for the university classroom and 2). the Mount Mentor program.
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RIGHT START
Right Start is a confidential Early Alert program to identify students in any year
Right Start Program
of study who are facing academic difficulty and connect them with academic supports and services on campus. Faculty and staff identify students early in the semester and submit secure online referrals. The referrals are received by an academic advisor and all students are promptly contacted and encouraged to book an appointment.
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SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION
A free academic support program that provides weekly, peer facilitated study sessions in historically challenging courses. SI is voluntary for students and provides those who attend an opportunity to practice course material and meet other students in the course. The SI leaders are current Mount students. AGATE 1000x
Transfer Student Coordinator ( 2+2 Programs)
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TRANSFER STUDENT COORDINATOR (2+2 PROGRAMS)
The Transfer Student Coordinator is a joint role with the Registrar’s Office and the CAASS. The Transfer Student Coordinator assists students with transferring to the Mount from one of our partner institutions through an articulation agreement (2+2 program). AGATE 1000x
WRITING CENTRE
Experienced tutors help Mount students with any type of written work at any stage of the project. The Writing Centre offers a range of bookable appointment hours including regular and repeat appointments and is open in all academic terms. Page 9
Supplemental Instruct ion
Writ ing Centre
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Academic Advising
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2018-2019 Highlights • Over 1,800 student appointments/interactions • More than 50% of students who accessed advising were in their first year or starting their studies in 2019-2020 • Top three reasons for appointments: Course selection, program planning, and general questions about university life
STAFF AND FACULTY ADVISING A DUAL MODEL The Mount strives to employ a dual Academic Advising model where students meet with staff academic advisors and faculty advisors throughout their programs. The creation of the CAASS has paved the way for more flexibility with advising: students can meet with staff advisors about the structural aspects of their programs and their faculty advisors about their areas of focus and further opportunities in their field of study. A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH The level of faculty engagement in helping students develop necessary skills to meet their academic goals and a high degree of faculty and staff collaboration in carrying out these services are key strengths of academic support services at the Mount. Through consultation with various academic departments, staff advisors have been delighted to offer increased support for structural advising to students in Applied Human Nutrition, Child and Youth Study, Sociology, and Psychology this year.
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“I just wanted to send a quick thanks for the work that you and your team are doing regarding student advising. Things are so busy this time of year with exams, correcting, and prepping for new courses for next semester, it is so good to know that our students’ advising needs are being very well addressed through your Centre.”
Dr. Christine MacLean Department of Child and Youth Study
Celebrating Student Success FEWER STUDENTS PLACED ON ACADEMIC PROBATION Student academic standing is assessed annually in the Spring. Students who achieve a 1.7 or higher cumulative GPA stay in good standing, while those with a CGPA between a 1.0 and 1.69 are placed on Academic Probation. 81 students were placed on Academic Probation for the 2019-2020 academic year, the lowest number in 10 years.
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Learning Strategist
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2018-2019 Highlights • Increased referrals from faculty • Greater collaboration with students registered with Accessibility Services • Offered 10 study skills workshops throughout fall and winter semesters • Highest attendance for a study skills workshop in winter 2019 - 40 students!
Workshops Offered in 2018-2019 • • • • •
UNIV 0001 - Student Success Course The Learning Strategist portfolio includes coordinating and facilitating UNIV 0001 – the University Student Success course. This is a one-semester course for students who are placed on Academic Probation. The course is designed to help students get back on track. In Fall 2019, one section of UNIV 0001 will pilot the Thrive program, a program that incorporates both study skills and mental health components.
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Arranging Time Notetaking and Concentration Getting Started with Academic Articles Reading Comprehension Studying and Test-taking
“I enjoyed UNIV 0001 and truly do feel like I grew as a student and person with taking it. I’m not fully back on track with where I want to be, but I have been taking strides towards it. It has helped with my confidence with speaking in class and asking questions when I don’t understand. Thank you.”
UNIV 0001 Student, 2018-2019
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Mount 101
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2018-2019 Highlights • Complete online program launched as part of pilot project • 707 students enrolled in Mount 101 in during fall and winter semesters • 93% completion rate • 78% of students who responded to the surveys at the end of each section of Mount 101 found the material in the program useful
Mount Mentorship Program Mount Mentors are senior students who act as peer mentors for all incoming students. The Mount Mentors established themselves as a visible presence on campus and increased engagement with the overall program. Wearing distinctive Mount Mentor t-shirts and carrying “Ask me Anything” signs, the mentors could be found all over campus during the first few weeks of classes and remained a visible presence in the Library, Centre for Academic Advising and Student Success, and at events throughout the year.
Plans for 2019-2020 Some exciting revisions will be made to Mount 101 for the upcoming year, including: • Increasing the interactivity of the online program • Matching new students with Mount Mentors during the summer • Using a team approach for mentorship program so students have the option to meet with different mentors Page 15
“Mount 101 helped me realize that not knowing everything right away is normal and okay; learning takes time.” Student enrolled in Mount 101
Feature Story
From Mentee to Mentor By: Emlyn Koko Davies, Student Transition Coordinator, CAASS, Summer 2019
Mount Mentorship program inspires student to pay it forward while her friends at other universities dream of a program like this.
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though she had much more wisdom than me.” Last year wasn’t Alishia’s first year of university; she’s going into her fourth year in September; however, it was her first year as a Mount Mentor.
ast year was a year of firsts for Alishia Berthelet and Jenna Morrissey. Despite being in different stages of life and university both were taking on new challenges.
Having the experience that comes from three years of university has given her a vast knowledge of the Mount.
It was Jenna’s first year at Mount Saint Vincent University and like every new Mount student she was assigned a Mount Mentor: Alishia.
“I wanted to be able to pass on my knowledge to others experiencing the Mount for the first time,” says Alishia. “Being a mentor expanded my skill set and taught me even more information about the Mount to share with my mentees.”
Mount Mentors are upper year students who are there to guide and support new students at the Mount. At first, Jenna saw Alishia as a name that kept showing up in emails, but as the year went on Alishia became an invaluable source of information. “I looked up to Alishia because she was much farther in her degree” says Jenna. “I felt as
“I remember talkin friends from other my Mount mentor them wished their something like that Jenna Morrissey Mount Student
Having a Mount Mentor helped Jenna during her first year by giving her someone to reach out to when needed. “The first year is hard and having someone there if Page 16
you need anything is so helpful,” Jenna says. “I knew if I ever had any questions about course material, Chicago style citations or if I was freaking out over mid-terms Alishia was there to help.”
r talking to my m other schools about mentor and most of d their schools did ke that.”
Starting a new challenge like University can be difficult and scary especially if you don’t have a friend or relative whose been there before to guide you. “I remember talking to my friends from other schools about my Mount Mentor and most of them wished their schools did something like that,” Jenna says.
Having a person to answer questions or point you in the direction of someone who should know is an invaluable resource at any stage of life. Jenna’s strong relationship with Alishia influenced her choice to Page 17
become a Mount mentor for this upcoming year. “When I was considering applying to be a Mount Mentor myself, Alishia was a great resource for questions while deciding whether this was a job I would be interested in.” “I see becoming a Mount Mentor as a great way to put myself out there on campus and be a friendly face for someone who may need help…so I figured I’d give it a shot and apply for the position.” As you may have guessed she got the position. Jenna will be starting her first year as a Mount Mentor this September. You can find her along with the rest of the Mount 101 team in the Centre for Academic Advising & Student Success. We asked Alishia for one last piece of advice as her former Mentee transitions to Mentor. “If I could give Jenna one piece of advice it would be to have fun with it and make it fun for your Mentees.”
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Right Start Program
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“I used the Right Start Referral program primarily in cases where students had repeatedly missed class, which often included missing assignments, and also did not respond to my attempts to contact them to discuss the matter. I think providing students with multiple viable sources for advising is a good way to help with retention and help ensure students stay on track.” Dr. Diane Piccitto Department of English
Plans for 2019-2020 The opening of the CAASS has allowed us to highlight the Right Start program as another avenue to support students. We will continue to encourage faculty and staff to submit referrals as we also begin to focus on assessing the benefit of Right Start from the perspectives of Mount students.
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2018-2019 Highlights • 250 referrals were submitted; more than double the amount in any other year • 165 unique student referrals • Referrals submitted by 23 different academic/ staff departments, compared to 12 in 20172018 • 58% of students who met with an advisor due to a referral received a passing grade for the referred course vs. only 32% of those who did not respond to the referral
One Referral Makes a Big Difference When a student is struggling in one course, they may be struggling in others. One referral from a concerned faculty or staff member has the potential to reverberate beyond a specific course and help students turn around their entire semester.
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Supplemental Instruction
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Historical Background of SI Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a free, voluntary peerfacilitated study program that was developed by Dr. Deanna Martin at the University of Missouri-Kansas in 1973. SI targets historically challenging subject areas. SI has been offered at the Mount for almost 20 years in various courses. Data from the International Centre for Supplemental Instruction in Kansas City shows on average a 13% reduction of drops, failing grades, and withdrawals in courses with SI sections.
2018-2019 SI Courses • • • • • • • • •
Business 2221: Introduction to Accounting I Business 2222: Introduction to Accounting II Chemistry 1011: General Chemistry I Chemistry 1012: General Chemistry II Chemistry 2401: Organic Chemistry I Math 0020: College Algebra Math 2208: Introduction to Statistics I Math 2209: Introduction to Statistics II Psychology 1110: Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science • Psychology 1120: Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science HOW ARE COURSES SELECTED? In the spring, an application for SI sections is sent to academic department chairs. Courses with high drop, fail, and withdrawal rates are selected. WHO ARE THE SI LEADERS? Potential SI leaders are often identified by professors in the courses for which SI is being offered. SI leaders are always Mount students who have done well in the course.
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Plans for 2019-2020 LEARNING STRATEGIST BRINGS EXPERTISE TO SI Venus Bali, Learning Strategist, will be coordinating the SI program for the upcoming academic year. Venus’s vast knowledge in the area of learning and facilitation will be invaluable in the training and supervision of SI leaders.
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Transfer Student Coordinator ( 2+2 Program)
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Transfer Student Coordinator Role New in Fall 2018 The Transfer Student Coordinator is a new position at the Mount and is a joint role with the Registrar’s Office and the CAASS. Introduced in October 2018, the Transfer Student Coordinator assists students with transferring to the Mount from one of our partner institutions through an articulation agreement (2+2 program). The Transfer Student Coordinator is 2+2 students’ main contact, assisting them from the admissions process through to academic advising.
2+2 Programs at the Mount Students who complete diploma programs at a partner institution can transfer 50% of a degree program. Among others, the Mount has articulation agreements with: • Bermuda College • Holland College • Lasalle College • New Brunswick Community College • Nova Scotia Community College • Various International Institutions
Supporting 2+2 Students Over 50% of the Mount’s student population is comprised of transfer students. Many are in 2+2 programs. The needs of 2+2 students differ from others because, with only half of their degree remaining, they require immediate guidance on how their transfer credits meet degree requirements so they can select appropriate courses. They may also enter university without a feeling of belonging. The Transfer Student Coordinator helps 2+2 students see themselves at the Mount. Page 23
“Helping students make sense of the academic requirements for their program and explaining how the transfer credits they have received will work in the overall scheme of things is very rewarding.” Cindy Huelin Transfer Student Coordinator
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Writing Centre
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2018-2019 Highlights • Over 1000 points of 1-to-1 contact for Mount students over fall and winter, including booked appointments and drop-ins • Student requests for appointments continue to grow - a 20% increase between 2016-2018 • Partnership with the Writing Initiatives Committee enabled extra tutor hours on weekends at the end of winter term
SATELLITE HOURS DROP-IN WRITING TUTOR IN THE CAASS Designed to attract more undergraduate students to the services provided by the Writing Centre, we offered drop-in appointments with a writing tutor in the CAASS from late January to the end of the winter semester. The semester was a success, with some students dropping in to ask quick questions about grammar while others spent more time reviewing structural components of upcoming research papers.
FIRST ANNUAL BRICK BOOKS POETRY PRIZE Clare Goulet, Writing Centre Coordinator, presented the inaugural Brick Books Poetry Prize at the Mount Student Awards Banquet in March to Akua Agyare (also a Mount Mentor). The prize, a full season of books by the press, recognizes an outstanding body of work in poetic inquiry by a Mount student.
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“The wonder of English learning is revealed in a beautiful room: The correct use of words is pointed out by knowledgeable tutors with ease. The addition and deletion of each sentence brings the written work a step closer to a masterpiece. Praises shake off the shackles of learners. We start to care about the expressions we use. Time freezes when we concentrate with your guidance! Thank you, my learning hub!” Mount student (weekly Writing Centre visits)
msvu.ca/caass
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