|
 |
List of all Retention Council Agendas & Minutes
Agenda & Minutes for March 14, 2001
| |
Agenda of the Retention Council
Bartlett Room, Newhouse II 10:30 - 12:00
| I. |
Announcements |
|
| |
Welcome
Minutes from 2/21/01 meeting
Future Meeting Dates Confirmed
March 28, April 11
|
|
| II. |
Discussion of the matrix
Interventions and their impact across sub-populations
These are the items discussed at the last two Retention Council meetings formatted to facilitate analysis of the potential application of interventions to various sub-populations.
Discussion of the 1st Draft Retention Action Plan distributed by Ron Cavanagh at the last Retention Council meeting.
Development of a priority list for intervention implementation over the five-year time frame of the strategic retention plan.
Development of the action plan for implementing the interventions.
|
Minutes of the Retention Council
In Attendance: Ronald Cavanagh, Peter DeBlois, Thomas Ellett, Bea Gonzalez, Rosanna Grassi, Judy Hamilton, David Kohr, Lena Rose Orlando, David Potter, Amie Redmond, Hanna Richardson, Barbara Settel, Anne Shelly, Horace Smith, Eric Spina, Martha Sutter, Seth Tucker, Anastasia Urtz, Barry Wells, Barbara Yonai,
I. Announcements
Retention Council Minutes will be passed along to the Steering Committee.
Minutes from 2/21/01 meeting were approved with revisions.
The writing sub-committee's goal is to have a draft document ready for review by 4/11/01
II. Discussion of the Matrix
Barry Wells - will the Steering Committee's input would be included in the matrix?
Horace Smith - items from the preliminary report would be included in the matrix.
Rosanna Grassi - What about financial issues, residential issues, Greek issues, judicial affairs (victims). There are other groups not currently in the matrix - victims of crime, students that don't get Greek housing, those that can't afford it, etc.
Hanna Richardson - We can't lose larger cultural/social issues that aren't captured in the matrix.
Horace Smith - Matrix only covers last 2 meeting's ideas.
Bobbi Yonai - Council wanted an organizing strategy for the information.
Anastasia Urtz - What about the students performing well. Haven't dealt with this.
Peter DeBlois - Recognition of achievement - financial reward for Dean's List achievement. To be awarded above/beyond other aid the student might receive. Utilize PeopleSoft transcript system to follow performers.
Barb Settel - Seniors with only a few credits needed aren't on the matrix. Money as an intervention should be considered for this and other sub-groups.
Judy Hamilton - Need more focus on good students. 614 (likely more) eligible and honors can only take 45 this semester. Students regularly report boredom. We don't have the infrastructure to accommodate good students. Proposed faculty involved with these students should be brought together to brainstorm ideas to address these students' issues.
David Potter - Doesn't support fiscal rewards but promotes discussion (guest speakers) lunches or other academic rewards should be considered.
Horace Smith - What about recognition in the Record? Or other public vehicle?
Barb Settel - Attempted recognition program. Not a huge turnout but very effective with those that attended.
Horace Smith - Engineering had awards ceremony that was excellent.
Rosanna Grassi - Newhouse has a ceremony for recognition as well.
Tom Ellett - Many institutions do such ceremonies in the residence hall to connect academics to the hall.
Ron Cavanagh - Special Admissions students e.g. Athletes - if you are eligible for NCAA, SU will take you. There is supposed to be an academic plan on file for each student. e.g. Legacies - Should we insure that these students have suport?
Peter DeBlois - Could the S/C dean's offices attach special awards to PeopleSoft so they could be printed on transcript?
Eric Spina - Argues additional money for Dean's List would not be as effective as making merit scholarships more valuable to students.
Judy Hamilton - while rewards are important, the academic environment is a more pressing issue. How challenging is our environment? We don't have Rhodes/Marshall scholars not because they aren't good enough, but because we don't prepare them adequately. SU Honors is designed for incoming (recruiting) and some 2nd semesters, but 3rd semesters tend to be frozen out. We need perhaps another Honors Program for these high performers. Also, look carefully at minimum AP score we take for credit. We are low and that suggests less rigor. Also, we might raise GPA required for Dean's List.
David Potter - A&S has shown some success along changing structural academic lines. We can change institutional culture.
Horace Smith - Are there sub-populations that retain well? Why do they retain well? Newhouse?
Rosanna Grassi - We do attract good students and that's part of it, but some is project driven classes and small class size and faculty attention that holds them.
Horace Smith - African-American students are migrating in larger numbers to African-American curriculum. Should we be looking at what connects students?
Barry Wells - Students expectations are increasing and we have to look at our environment and raise the challenge for students. Also, students hate course fees. They proliferated because they added money to S/C coffers. This is a persistent irritant to students.
Hanna Richardson - We aren't just talking about population interventions. This is also about institutional values.
Barb Settel - Most approaches are S/C specific because of different research expectations, teaching loads.
Hanna Richardson - We should make the case perhaps for promoting teachers. This type of student involvement is necessary to transform the institutional culture toward student focus.
Ron Cavanagh - We have to investigate university policies with regard to their impact on student engagement.
Hanna Richardson - Can this committee look at broader issues like tenure, promotion? Do we have this mandate? I'm not happy just looking at sub-populations.
Rosanna Grassi - Regarding student fees - we don't have money to support professional student organizations. Why don't they get student fees?
Barry Wells - This is a legacy of an old system that leaves student fee money in the hands of the student association. They froze the amount collected years ago and with inflation they now cannot support all needy groups. We can change this but only with institutional support in the face of lively student criticism.
Horace Smith - Sub-group populations aren't the only focus. Institutional issues are to be included in the final report.
Rosanna Grassi - Cell #8 should include all faculty.
David Potter - We need to be imaginative in bringing faculty along. We can't club them into focusing on more students.
Judy Hamilton - Mandatory grades on mid-semester progress reports (MSPR's) proposed. The MSPR communicates just passing satisfactory/unsatisfactory. This suggests we value mediocrity.
Hanna Richardson/Rosanna Grassi - Some courses can't be structured to give grades at mid semester. The faculty that are able give grades.
Rosanna Grassi - Students that show 2.4-2.5 and lose scholarships. Is there anyone dealing with these students?
Judy Hamilton - Proposes we review MSPR and its application.
Ron Cavanagh - Presented his proposals - heavily backs a sophomore intervention and another Honors Program among others.
David Potter - Do we need an intensive Saturday experience to work through this?
If so, must have:
- Clear goals
- Materials out well in advance.
|
| |
|
