2015
Division of Student Affairs
REPORT
VISION
Dear Bearcats, Comprising a year’s worth of accomplishments is challenging. Every year presents itself with inspiring activities but also with the challenges of the ever changing landscape of higher education. Providing this annual report serves several purposes: it renews our commitment to our students; it acknowledges the hard work of our greatest resources, the professionals within the division; it celebrates key accomplishments; it educates others about the Division of Student Affairs and it demonstrates accountability to our stakeholders.
Students Affairs: Continuously reimagining the student experience.
MISSION
Through our engagement with students, they progress academically, discover their values, develop their identity and realize their full potential.
OBJECTIVE
Operating from a culture of evidence to deliver high impact programs and ensure diversity and inclusion among and throughout all strategic priorities.
The 2014-2015 academic year provided numerous successes which helped us increase enrollment and retention, selectivity and diversity, and it reinforced UC as a best value in higher education in the state of Ohio. We are opening the 2015-2016 academic year with, for the third consecutive year, record-breaking total enrollment. We will have over 44,000 students arriving for fall semester and the academic success of the first-year class is making records, too, with a historic number of National Merit/National Achievement Award scholars, totaling 50. The Division of Student Affairs is committed to our students. They are the reason we are here. The Division of Student Affairs continues to provide high impact programs to UC students, and for that I could not be more proud of our staff. This report contains a summary of the programs, events and services that were available to students in 2014-15 and highlights the evidence of student success that resulted from them. I look forward to the coming academic year as we continue to reimagine the student experience at UC. Best,
Debra Spotts Merchant, JD Vice President of Student Affairs
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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The Learning Assistance Center student staff completed nearly 58,000 student contact hours over more than 43,000 visits. Overall, across all programs, the LAC supported 5,116 unique students. These numbers represent enormous growth from the previous year, when the LAC completed 43,000 student contact hours over more than 30,965 visits and saw 4,275 unique students.
6,449 total exams
Academic Excellence and Support Services
Testing Services delivered a total of 6449 total exams. 2782 of those were academic support exams (classroom tests or math placement), and 3667 were licensure, certification, entrance or other outside, revenue generating exams, which represented a 43% increase from the previous year!
Academic Excellence and Support Services
Disability Services Learning Assistance Center Testing Services Office Veterans Programs and Services
• Students who utilized Peer Tutoring seven or more times during the semester for many high-demand classes were more likely to earn a C- or better than students who did not attend tutoring. • The Academic Coaching program saw more students than in any prior year during the 2014-2015 academic year, boasting a 37% increase in unique student participation. • Students who saw an academic coach 7+ times over a semester improved their GPA more than students who attended less, and achieved an average GPA increase of .89 grade points.
Creating Accessible Learning Opportunities
2782 classroom exams were delivered by Testing Services to students receiving academic accommodations, representing:
• Over 300 students, 550 instructors and 385 different courses during the academic year. The Disability Services Office provided in total of 5,228.25 hours of CART and American Sign Language/English Interpreting to 15 d/Deaf/Hard of Hearing students, which was a 34% increase in services from the prior academic year.
Evidenced Based Programs Supporting Students on Academic Alert Students on Academic Alert who utilized Learning Assistance Center resources: • Saw an overall GPA improvement of .708
Student Voices “Thank you for all the help you have given me to get me this far in my education. I could not have done it without you.” —Student who utilizesTesting Services
“I was really nervous about how my accommodations would transfer from high school to college, but the Disability Services staff did an excellent job at working with me and setting up an excellent plan for me.” —Disability Services Office visitor
• 21% increase from the 2013-14 academic year which represents a 51% increase over a two year period.
Veteran Strong
Veterans Programs and Services serves 1,300 veterans and dependents of veterans using GI Bill or other military education benefits at UC. In an effort to create a more inclusive community, the newly established Female Veterans Advisory Council gathered for its inaugural meeting this year. The Council serves as a communication channel between female student veterans and faculty, staff, and the office of Veterans Programs and Services.
“My tutor’s grasp of the course material is impressive, as well as her style of tutoring. I am able to talk out loud about concepts without interruption within a welcoming academic setting which she fosters with me.” —Peer Tutoring visitor
Veteran Strong.
(That’s what we call Cincinnati Smart.)
• Raised their GPA by an average of .89 points when completing at least 7 appointments. • Had a 24% higher retention rate than other first-year students in their college who earned a 2.0 GPA during their first semester at UC. The newly designed Cincinnati Pride Grant reinstatement model allowed for 80% of all students who had the grant reinstated after losing it due to academic performance to maintain grant eligibility in subsequent semesters by increasing their GPA to 2.0 or more, compared to only 53% in the previous year.
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Enhancing Academic Performance
Academic Excellence and Support Services
Breaking Records
University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
@ucvets uc.edu/veterans
Impact Report 2014–15
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Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness Products A variety of health and wellness products are available to students in the Student Wellness Center and at programs and events on campus; including condoms, Band-Aids, ibuprofen, cough drops, cold medicine and antacids. These products help keep our students healthy on campus and help them feel better when they are not feeling well. This year, the Center provided 36,879 health and wellness products to students on campus.
Counseling and Psychological Services Student Wellness Center
“The Student Wellness Center has exceeded my own personal goals and expectations of professional development. My experiences the past two years with this office have immensely diversified my perspectives and knowledge, and allowed my interpersonal and group communication skills to advance to larger levels. All in all, this office has given me the desire to further my education and experience within the public health field.”
Increase Demand for Care
• During the last two academic years, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) increased direct services by 46%. • CAPS provided a 24-hour helpline for the first time in 2014-2015. This free service yielded 98 clinical calls after-hours. • Since starting the ARISE program, a sexual assault prevention and support program in August 2014, CAPS hired two full-time counselors dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault. These counselors waived $21,180 in fees to sexual assault survivors during the 2015 academic year.
Improving the Quality of Student Lives
Health and Wellness
Student Voices
Health and Wellness
–Peer educator
As a result of group therapy from Counseling and Psychological Services: • Students indicated that, as a result of group therapy, they were more likely to stay at UC, felt they were performing better in their lives, felt better about themselves in general and experienced improvements in their overall wellbeing. • 67% of students attending CAPS groups agreed with the statement, “Group counseling helped increase my ability to perform better academically.”
36,879 health & wellness products
• 72% of students attending CAPS groups agreed with the statement, “Group counseling has positively affected the chances I will stay at UC.” In Spring 2015, CAPS introduced two new Wellness Rooms for students, free of charge. The Meditation Room provides quiet, tranquil space where students can meditate. The Biofeedback Room is an alternative medicine approach which uses digital feedback to assist users in body and thought control. CAPS saw 74 students use these services this year. • As a result of Student Wellness Center Health and Wellness Workshops, 81% of the 5,000 students who attended felt comfortable applying concepts that they had learned in the program to their everyday lives. The Student Wellness Center saw a 45% increase of students who attended the workshops from the 2013-2014 academic year.
Cultivating Peer Educators
Annually, the Student Wellness Center peer educators participate in the NPES, a national study that uses the outcomes of practical competence, cognitive complexity, intrapersonal development, interpersonal development, and knowledge acquisition, construction, integration, and application to determine peer educator learning and development. The nine Student Wellness Center peer educators from 2014-2015 scored above the national average in four out of the five categories.
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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Inclusion and Retention
Making Test Prep a Priority The McNair PREP program partnered with KAPLAN test prep to offer students the opportunity to take graduate-level admissions tests two times a year. This year, 57 students participated. The McNair Scholars Program created partnerships with UC College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, providing unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research for students of color and first generation college students.
African American Cultural and Resource Center Ethnic Programs and Services LGBTQ Center McNair and Stars Scholars Creating Strong Bonds
The African American Cultural and Resource Center (AACRC) welcomed over 700 incoming African American students through Akwaaba. Over 900 students attended Ethnic Programs and Services’ Asian Student Welcome event during Welcome Weekend, connecting incoming and returning Asian students with key administrations, faculty and students. The LGBTQ Meet and Greet at the beginning of fall semester drew over 300 students and included a special welcome from Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Beverly Davenport
Achieving Academic Excellence
The McNair Scholars program enrolled 26 scholars in the 2014-15 academic year, each completing a 9-week intensive summer undergraduate research internship with a UC faculty member. The UC TRIO McNair/Stars Research Symposium attracted 55 McNair Scholars from 16 universities across the country to present their summer research projects and interact with faculty from the UC graduate school.
Advocacy and Education
692 students attended the LGBTQ Centers’ Safe Zone Training; an intensive workshop designed to shape a campus culture that is accepting of all people regardless of sexuality, gender identification/expression, or any other difference. This represents a 68% increase from the prior year.
Creating Cultural Connections
Ethnic Programs and Services’ BEARchats program, a conversation partner program that pairs domestic students with international students, creates cross-cultural friendships and enhances student understanding of UC’s diverse student body. Fall semester 2014 yielded 82 participants; due to its popularity, the program grew 30% Spring semester 2015.
Global Reach
McNair Abroad provided 18 students with a service learning experience working with elementary children in Ecuador. The AACRC Annual Spring Tour took 37 students and 7 staff on a trip through southern U.S. states to learn about the history of HBCUs and African American experiences in higher education. EPS continued to sponsor the Midwest Dhamaka Bollywood Fusion Competition. This highly competitive and engaging event drew 750 attendees, an increase of almost 50% from the previous year.
Celebrating Success in Culturally Meaningful Ways
Tyehimba is an Afrocentric graduation celebration. 94 students and 40 dignitaries, faculty and staff participated in the event, which was held in Fifth Third Arena for the first time in a decade. The Rainbow Celebration celebrates achievements of graduating LGBTQA students. Over 150 students, faculty and staff participated in the event, which honored 17 graduates this year.
Student Voices Regarding the LGBTQ Ally Training Curriculum: “I leave this workshop feeling empowered and informed.” –Student participant
“I enjoyed the support system of the Turner Scholars program. I felt like I had another family to lean on when times were rough. Being involved and having a sense of security given UC’s size was important to me.” –Turner Scholar
Inclusion and Retention
Inclusion and Retention
“The Transitions program has greatly improved my freshman experience, as I entered into college. The program provided me an environment that allowed me to meet students similar to me, and helped me navigate through the different obstacles that you face in college. Without being a transitions student, I know that my first year of college wouldn’t have gone as well.” –Transitions student
The Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program consisted of 136 total Turner Scholars. Highlights from this year’s cohort: • 96.8% retention rate • Cumulative GPA of 3.40 • Over 3900 hours of community service completed
“My mentor actually created a schedule with me. We sat down and talked about everything I have to do on specific days and how long it normally takes to do my homework and she helped me generate a schedule so I could manage my time and stay on task.”
The AACRC Transitions program provides academic and community supports to increase retention and graduate rates for African American students; 92% of the 2013-14 Transitions cohort were retained into 2014-15.
–Student from AACRC STEER Mentor Program
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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Leadership and Engagement
Nearly 300 university faculty and staff participated in a new, annual community service event called “UC Serves.” True to the Bearcat Bond, the Just Community Principals, and the Creating our Third Century initiative— when it comes to community engagement, faculty and staff not only talk the talk but they walk the walk. UC was selected as one of three campuses in Ohio, and one of 10 in the nation, to implement a Campus Readiness Assessment, in partnership with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. The Women’s Center directed this year-long project. The project aimed to build capacity and support effective, comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.
Center for Community Engagement Student Activities and Leadership Development UC Women’s Center Connecting Campus and Community through Service
Through collaboration with CCE and Fraternity and Sorority Life, more than 300 students in Greek Organizations served the community through the Community Plunge. The Center for Community Engagement, College of Allied Health Sciences, and the Learning Assistance Center partnered to offer an ACT Prep Course to Hughes High School students called College Bound Career Ready. 26 UC students tutored 18 high school students. Of the 18 students that participated, 62% of them increased their ACT score by an average of 2.2 points, with four students increasing their scores by 3 or more points. 526 students served as tutors in high-poverty Cincinnati Public Schools through the Bearcat Buddies tutoring program. Tutors provided 11,463 hours of community service to children grades K – 12. As a result, Bearcat Buddies tutors are more willing and better equipped to take action in their communities after participating in the program.
Intensive Leadership Education
Women in Leadership and Learning (WILL) provides students the opportunity for a year-long program focused on feminist leadership and creating change; WILL cohort students also led ACT (Activists Coming Together), CONNECT Conference for Women and Elect Her—all program aimed at providing leadership development for women. As a result of the Emerging Ethnic Leaders Institute, 80% of participants reported increased understanding of what their leadership roles on campus could look like. 40 students participated in the Racial Awareness Program (RAPP), where upon completion, members self-reported an 8 (out of 10) point increase in their understanding of racism, sexism and cissexism.
Advocacy and Education
RECLAIM peer advocates hosted 18 #consentculture programs that reached over 490 students in 2014-15. As a result of these programs: • Participants noted a 64% increase in understanding consent and nearly double their understanding of sexual violence and healthy relationships. • The overall program was rated well and at least 82% agreed that the program was “useful in their life.” Student Activities & Leadership Development funded 14 programs and awarded $14,000 in funding through the Diversity Funding Grant; a program aimed at educating the university community about race, ability, gender, sexual/gender identity, religion and other diverse topics.
Creating Community
The 35-member Programs and Activities Council hosted 16 campus-wide programs resulting in 12,000 touch points. Of the 42 active club sport organizations, 15 participated in national championship competitions, and two brought national championships back to UC—Club Boxing and the Women’s Rowing Club.
Student Voices “I have not just grown as an advocate for others in RECLAIM, but I have realized my own personal power as well. Advocating for the basic human rights of others has been truly transformative because I have realized, accepted, and internalized my own worth and dignity.” –RECLAIM Peer Advocate
“The Diversity Funding Grant made it possible for me and my brothers to attend a conference on race out of town that challenged us to be better. We can’t wait to bring our ideas back to campus.” –Student recipient of the Diversity Funding Grant
Leadership and Engagement
Students aren’t the only Bearcats giving back!
Leadership and Engagement
“My opinion of community service has changed over the past few months. I never recognized tutoring children as service. It makes me feel good that I’m helping our community and making an impact on children.” –Bearcat Buddies tutor
Fraternity and Sorority Life experienced 13% growth across all organizations from 2013-14, with 2,828 active members in the UC Greek Community.
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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Offices of the Dean of Students
Bearcat Bands Gen-1 Theme House Office of University Judicial Affairs Resident Education and Development
“Being a part of the Bearcat Bands has given me the opportunity to get involved in the university and use the skills I have been learning in class in a real world context.”
Campus Living
“After talking with the Judicial Affairs staff, I realized that I want to leave this community as a positive role model for my peers.”
–Bearcat Band student
Residence Education and Development employed 110 undergraduate Resident Advisors (RAs). 77% of the RAs from 2014-2015 will be returning in the same position for 2015-2016! The Academic Recovery Plan was developed for Resident Advisors whose GPA falls just outside of the requirement to maintain the position. This past year, those students who participated saw an average increase of .87 in GPA after one semester of participation.
Supporting First Generation College Students
The Gen-1 Theme House, founded in 2008, promotes the academic success of first-generation, Pell-eligible college students. • The retention rate from the first cohort in 2008-2009 was 57%. Since then, the retention rate has been over 90% each year. This success rate demonstrates the meaningful impact of supportive programming for first-generation students throughout their college experience.
–Undergraduate student
Bearcat Bands
The Bearcat Bands membership continues to increase each year and has over 300 members. There are multiple bands in the program: • Bearcat Marching Band: Membership of 240 or more undergraduate students.
Offices of the Dean of Students
Student Voices
Offices of the Dean of Students
• Bearcat Pep Bands: Includes four separate bands, 50 undergraduate students each. • Bearcat Concert Bands: Includes two separate 85-piece concert bands. • Bearcat Military Band: Includes one 45-piece military concert band. • Bearcat Bands Jazz Ensembles: Has two 20-member “Big Bands” and a Dixieland Band • Bearcat Bands Percussion ensemble: Includes 30 undergraduate students. • Bearcat Bands Indoor Guard: Includes 20 undergraduate students.
External Support for the Gen-1 Theme House
The Gen-1 Theme House received a $30,000 grant from the Woodward Trust. The Trust was established in 1827 by a local couple to support educational opportunities for Cincinnati’s underserved populations.
The retention rate of students returning to one of the 5 bands each year is over 75%. The average GPA of a Bearcat Bands member is 3.3
Just Community
This year, the Office of University Judicial Affairs supported 655 students who were assigned 669 sanctions for violating the Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions are designed to be educational, supportive and enriching rather than punitive. Through them, students learn that they have the power to make good choices for themselves and their communities.
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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Offices of the Vice President
Career Development Center Family and Ceremonial Services Office of the University Ombuds Diversity and Community Relations Title IX Connecting Students and Employers
Over 3,000 students and 300 employers attended the Fall Career Fair and over 3,000 students and 300 employers attended the Spring Career Fair (these held in collaboration with three UC colleges) 94% of graduates from the 2015 class accepted positions in their field of study. As a result of attending the Part-time Job Fair, 88% of students indicated that they had developed 1-5 leads for potential jobs.
Career Readiness Support
The REDI’Cats intensive interview preparation program processed 1,015 face-to-face practice interviews, and 95% of students surveyed indicated that they were confident in their ability to interview as a result of the program.
Office of University Ombuds Resources Awareness and Training
The Office of the University Ombuds (OUO) provided 19 training workshops to students, faculty and staff on conflict resolution skills and resources. Evaluation results demonstrate that 84% of participants strongly agreed or agreed they felt better equipped to manage conflict.
Student Voices
For the first time in 35 years, all levels of degrees participated in the Summer ceremony • 1,188 students reserved their spot to participate in the ceremony, including 111 associate degree candidates; 476 bachelor’s degree candidates; 513 master’s degree candidates; and 88 doctoral degree candidates
“I really enjoyed meeting a Career Coach and feel much more confident in my resume and netowrking. I feel more informed on how to market myself to employers.”
Summer 2014
• Commencement Address delivered by UC President Santa Ono
Fall 2014 (two ceremonies)
• 1,387 students reserved their spot to participate in two ceremonies, including 80 associate degree candidates; 800 bachelor’s degree candidates; 500 master’s degree candidates; and 85 doctoral degree candidates • Doctoral hooding and master’s recognition address was delivered by Robert J. Herbold, retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Corporation • Undergraduate commencement address was delivered by Andrew Young, American politician, diplomat, and ordained minister
Spring 2015 (three ceremonies)
• 4,995 students reserved their spot to participate in the ceremonies, including 398 associate degree candidates; 3,198 bachelor’s degree candidates; 1,124 master’s degree candidates; and 2,758 doctoral degree candidates.
• 34% of cases involved conflict coaching from OUO staff
• Diverse staff recruitment and professional development
New Student Convocation
UC welcomed 3,447 new Bearcats at the New Student Convocation Ceremony in August 2014. This included students from all colleges, including UC Blue Ash and Clermont. Harvard Professor and Author Michael J. Sandel welcomed the students through his keynote address highlight the first-year common reading, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do.
Engaging Parents & Families
Following New Student Convocation, over 1,000 parents and families attended the Welcome Cookout with President Ono.
University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
“The OUO training was really helpful—thank you. The conversation really helped me see my options and helped me understand my strategy for managing conflict moving forward.” –Graduate student
“The OUO facilitation allowed us to work through the conflict in a meaningful and effective way.” –Undergraduate student
Diversity and Community Relations
Conflict Resolution Casework
• 8% of all cases were referred to a formal resolution process
–Career Coaching participant
• Kirk Perry, President, Google Brand Solutions delivered the Commencement address.
In 2014-15, Student Affairs Executive Director for Diversity and Community relations worked closely with the Student Affairs Diversity Committee to develop the division’s first 5-year and Inclusion Diversity Plan. The group chose three guiding principles for the division: • Accessible and universally designed infrastructure and language
While the OUO is a resource for the entire university community, about 65% of casework pertains to students; 2,685 students contacted the OUO in 2014-15 • 83% of student cases were informally resolved as a result of working with OUO
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Commencement
Offices of the Vice President
Offices of the Vice President
• Promoting diversity and inclusion through student programming Look for the full report on www.uc.edu/sa
Preventing Sexual Harassment & Discrimination
The Division of Student Affairs implemented Think About It, an online training program that educated students about consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. In its inaugural year, over 40% of first-time students participated in the training.
Impact Report 2014–15
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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University of Cincinnati | Division of Student Affairs
Impact Report 2014–15
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Student Affairs 630 Steger Student Life Center PO Box 210638 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0638 513-556-4836
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UC6534
uc.edu/sa