FRINQ + FYE Collaboration

In one effort to address success for students who live in campus residence halls, University Studies formed a partnership with the residence life program creating first-year living-learning communities for freshmen. These communities directly connect the academic, social, and community worlds of the students. As part of Portland State Universitys participation in the AAC&U Give Students a Compass project, University Studies data were connected with student success data to examine the impact of the Freshman Inquiry/Residence Life partnership on student success. Project Working Group Rowanna Carpenter, Christopher Carey, Christina Shafer Project Description For the fall 2007 and 2008 cohorts of freshmen enrolled in FRINQ, students who reported living with their parents had higher fall-to-fall retention rates than students who lived on campus or who lived in private apartments. For fall 2007, that rate was 72% compared with 62% and 63%, respectively and in 2008, retention for students living with parents was 77% compared with 64% and 68% respectively. Beginning in 2007 University Studies and Residence Life initiated a dynamic partnership to offer new learning opportunities for first year students living on campus. This arrangement reinforces learning inside the classroom and provides first year students with the opportunity to meet other students who share similar interests, classes, and social activities. Four Freshmen Inquiry (FRINQ) courses have been designated solely for residents participating in the First Year Experience (FYE) program; two of which cluster students together on the same floor within FYE. Students participating in the Civic Leadership Living Learning Community (CLLLC) and the Sustainability Living Learning Community (SLLC) will be given housing assignments on the same floor in the Broadway building and will be enrolled by the University in the corresponding FRINQ course for that theme, On Democracy for Civic Leadership Living Learning Community and Sustainability for the Sustainability Living Learning Community. The other two (Work of Art themed) FYE-only FRINQ courses will have students in the FYE program but will not be clustered in on the floor. Previous research supports the benefits of FYE programs when they are integrated within academic settings, with activities that connect to the students learning within the classroom. Specifically, studies of integrated academic seminars organized around theme-based courses demonstrate greater student satisfaction within the institution, academic advising, and the campus community. Action Items Gather data in one place to inform support for students living in residence halls Connect data from Prior Learning survey with student success data Implement initiatives aimed at improving success for students living on campus and in Living Learning Communities Assess results of initiatives and expand/retract programs as needed Intentional focus on academic support in the University Success Center (located in the residence hall) Additional training for the Learning Community Assistants (connected with students in the LLCs)
These actions will reduce

Key Barriers University financial constraints Lack of student participation

These actions will achieve

Goals Gain a better understanding of the connection between residence life programs and student success. Support success for students living in residence halls
These actions will ultimately lead to

Improved persistence of freshman living in residence halls.

FRINQ+FYE Faculty Coord

Council of Academic Deans

Assessment Coordinator P P

Project Working Group

Executive Committee

University Studies

Input Provider 2

Public Meetings

Director UNST

Residence Life

Faculty Senate

Decision Matrix Key: (R) Recommend, (A) Agree, (P) Perform, (I) Input, (D) Decide. Establish FRINQ+FYE partnership D Design/decide Curricular structure and activities Gather data in one place to inform support for students living in residence halls Connect data from Prior Learning survey with student success data Implement initiatives aimed at improving success for students living on campus and in Living Learning Communities Assess results of initiatives and expand/retract programs as needed

D R R R I P I P P I

Recommendations and Decisions Results from Initiatives: Students who participated in an LLC during 2009, 2010, and 2011 generally earned higher GPAs and more credits than their peers who lived in housing and did not participate in an LLC Retention rate for students participating in the LLCs jumped from 60.3% to 73.3% between 2008 and 2009 and stayed at 70% for 2010; Retention rate for students living with their parents still shows the highest rate among all groups examined. Research Demographic profile for students across housing groups: First-generation students made up a much smaller proportion of the students living in campus housing when compared to students living with their parents. Different ethnic/racial profiles across housing groups o For some ethnic/racial groups, representation across housing types did not vary substantially, but Asian students were much more likely to fall into the group who were living with their parents or families and white students were much more likely to live on campus. o No Black students participated in the FYE-FRINQ program during 2009. There were no gender differences across housing types. 2011 Data 1252 Freshmen enrolled in FRINQ; 81 in LLC, 369 in FYE not LLC, 31 in other campus housing Fall to fall retention for first-time full-time freshmen at PSU: 72.24% Retention for freshmen in LLCs (part-time + full-time): 70.4% Overall FRINQ freshman retention (part-time +full-time) - 69.6%

Website

Provost

ARC

Retention by Housing Type - Retained through fall 2011 All Freshmen* (FT+PT) Housing Type FRINQ-FYE (LLC) FYE other FRINQ Parent Off campus Other campus housing other FRINQ Missing Info N % N % N % N % N 81 100.0% 369 100.0% 424 100.0% 174 100.0% 31 Retained 57 70.4% 245 66.4% 319 75.2% 119 68.4% 18 FT Freshmen** 75 100.0% 357 100.0% 385 100.0% 154 100.0% 29 100.0% 155 100.0% 1155 100.0% Retained 57 76.0% 237 66.4% 298 77.4% 108 70.1% 16 55.2% 106 68.4% 822 71.2%

% 100.0% 58.1% N 173 114 % 100.0% 65.9% Overall N 1252 872 % 100.0% 69.6% *Students enrolled in FRINQ for fall 2010 with freshman status. Includes part-time students, whose retention is generally lower than full-time freshmen **Full-time students enrolled in FRINQ for fall 2010 with freshman status.

Based on the initial research, the following are recommendations as we move forward: Continue to focus on academic success in housing Examine the profile of students living on campus to determine the kinds of support that may be helpful. In particular, non-residents of Oregon make up a much larger proportion of students living on campus than in other housing situations and may need particular kinds of support to integrate with the campus and experience success. Examine roles of mobility and community connections on retention rates Continue to monitor participation rates in the FRINQ-FYE LLC program, particularly as the program expands. Funding Required UNST LLC Faculty coordinator Timeframe and Metrics 1994 2002 2007 2008 2009 2010 2010 2011 General Education Program Adopted University Studies Prior Learning Survey Initiated University Studies and Residence Life Partnership Begins Data Review Retention for Freshman Living in Residence Halls Initiatives Implemented for Increasing Persistence of Freshman Living in Residence Halls Added 2 New Sections of FRINQ-FYE Courses Formula # of students served by gender, race/ethnicity, first-gen status GPA, number of credits attempted and completed Retention rate compared with students living with parents and FRINQ students in housing not in an LLC

Metric Name/Description Student participation Academic success factors Retention