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OCTOBER 2023 | NO.
CONTINUING AND EXPANDING ADVISING WORK WITH STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAMS Althea Counts, TRIO Programs Director, University of South Carolina This is the fourth and final issue of a newsletter series that will serve as a report and thematic summary of content shared in the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition’s (NRC) multi-pronged engagement of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) programs and their work with the Advising Success Network (ASN). The NRC and ASN envisioned a Professional Learning Community (PLC) of SSS staff members. This learning community would amplify the voices of programs that have promoted access and advocated for equity on college campuses. The SSS PLC was established as an exchange
An initiative of the Advising Success Network and the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition
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site for framing, learning, and sharing best practices to maximize advising effectiveness within TRIO SSS programs. Formation of the SSS PLC brings to the forefront the voices of professionals engaged in access, equity, and student success work since SSS programs were established by law in 1968 (U.S. Department of Education, 2020). The SSS PLC employed a series of virtual engagements and in-person symposium, a full-day event preceding the NRC’s Students in Transition Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. These activities enabled SSS PLC participants, including 30 staff from a diverse group of higher education institutions, to participate in additional professional development opportunities, receive funding to attend the symposium, and share best practices in advising and program services. Aligning with the ASN’s vision of advising, SSS programs take a comprehensive approach to advising, using wraparound services to focus on students’ needs. Such wraparound services address the whole student, including financial, family, and health concerns (Hunt Institute, 2022). As mandated by law, SSS programs must provide advice and other help with course selection, assistance with financial aid resources, and access to services to help maintain or improve academic performance (Higher Education Opportunity Act, 2008). However, the SSS program advising model goes further, addressing the student as a whole to promote success, retention, and graduation. Advising students on soft skills development, navigating academic demands, and negotiating financial and personal concerns is integral to the work of SSS staff. While TRIO programs are networked through national, regional, and state associations, the SSS PLC provides a more intimate community, allowing participants to exchange ideas and grow connections. Activities and conversations within the SSS PLC focused on pushing students toward success and continuing advocacy work on participants’ respective campuses. The small-group atmosphere of the SSS PLC promoted a working relationship that encouraged trust and respect among participants and facilitated the sharing of success stories, as well as daily challenges SSS staff face in their work. Through this collaborative environment, participants realized further interactions were welcome and needed.
Meeting the Needs of a Growing First-generation Population Currently, there are more than 1,100 funded SSS programs that serve nearly 210,000 students nationwide. While the number of funded programs might seem ample, this is not sufficient to provide the required support for eligible students. Nearly 5 million undergraduates identify as first-generation college students (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 2020). In addition, in 2020-21, 32.1% of undergraduates were awarded Pell Grants (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021). At the intersection of that first-generation status and students demonstrating financial need, as indicated by Pell Grants awarded, lies a significant number of students needing SSS support. To increase the number of funded SSS programs for eligible students is vital. Congress must prioritize access to higher education and commit more funding. Higher education institutions will have an opportunity to apply for TRIO Student Support Services grant funding in 2024. The U.S. Department of Education will host a competitive grant competition to help determine which programs continue to receive support and whether new programs will
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receive funding. These events are dependent on the level of appropriations from Congress. TRIO advocates and alumni are instrumental in telling success stories of TRIO SSS programs to make the case for continued funding.
Institutional Commitment Institutions have a responsibility to provide appropriate support to their enrolled students. Engstrom and Tinto (2008) contend that “providing access without support is not opportunity.” It is not enough to admit students, you must ensure they have the resources they need to be retained and graduate to productive lives and careers. Taking notice of student needs, many institutions have created first-generation programming to reach students. Such programs range from first-generation centers designed as hubs or home bases for students to summer bridge programs, college/major-specific groups, student organizations, honor societies, and scholarship support. These efforts were developed with firstgeneration students and students from low-socioeconomic families in mind. Through a more cohesive institutional approach and scaling the SSS program services on their campuses, institutions can support SSS-eligible students, first-generation and from low-income families, whom SSS programs cannot serve due to limited capacity. Institutions should include TRIO staff in the planning and implementation of these services as they can provide essential expertise on serving students.
Conclusion The SSS PLC accomplished the ASN and NRC’s goal of bringing to light the advising work of SSS professionals. Through virtual engagements and the symposium, participants shared successes and solutions to challenges, contributed to scholarly practices, expanded their networks, and engaged in thought leadership. SSS PLC participants gained a subset of colleagues for potential partnerships. The SSS PLC initiative aims to increase support and create institutional environments where SSS and SSS-eligible students can thrive and complete their degree requirements. In doing so, institutions can ultimately create a culture of college attendance and degree completion for families who did not consider it a possibility before.
References Engstrom, C., & Tinto, V. (2008). Access without support is not opportunity. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 40(1), 46–50. https://doi.org/10.3200/CHNG.40.1.46-50. Higher Education Opportunity Act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 402D (2008). https://www.congress.gov/110/ plaws/publ315/PLAW-110publ315.pdf The Hunt Institute. (2022, April 5). Attainment for all: Postsecondary pathways centering equity in wraparound student services (A4A brief). https://hunt-institute.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/04/final-A4A-brief-april-22.pdf
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National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). (2020). Meeting an urgent need. About the Center for First-Generation Students. https://firstgen.naspa.org/#theneed National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2021). Percent of undergraduates awarded Pell grants. Trend generator. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/trendgenerator/app/answer/8/35 U.S. Department of Education. (2020, December 8). History of the federal TRIO programs. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/triohistory.html
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