Running head: FINAL PROJECT PAPER

Final Project Paper

Bobby Helton
Seattle University

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Over the course of my independent study, I had the opportunity to connect with
several higher education practitioners across Central Kentucky to discuss best practices in
retention efforts at their respective institutions. These interviews certainly shaped my
perception of whose responsibility it is to lead retention efforts within a university. As an
undergraduate working for a learning assistance center, I viewed retention as endeavor
best suited for professionals on the academic side of the house. However, as my
knowledge of student affairs theory and practices has broadened in my time at Seattle
University, I now understand retention as an effort that must include professionals from
every division within the university. As I visited four distinct institutions this summer, I
learned about how student demographics and student need shape the ways in which
universities focus their retention work. Although the focus of my study was aimed
primarily at the needs of first generation students, I also connected with professionals
about more general retention efforts at their university. Consequently, the interview
process has opened my eyes to unique, and potentially controversial, best practices that
are emerging in higher education and student affairs.

Specific Practices and Programs

The interview process informed my perception of the subjectivity of best
practices. That is to say, understanding institution type and student need are instrumental
in providing the appropriate student services. The focus of the interviews centered around
three best practices in particular: engaging students in active learning, helping students
develop coherent and ethical values, and setting high expectations for student learning.
When conducting this study, I asked participants to name how they incorporate the

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aforementioned best practices into the work they do as student affairs professionals. As
expected, interviewees responded in ways that mirror the needs of their institution types.
The following visits provided examples of unique best practices from each institution:
Nathan Smith Student Support Services at Bluegrass Community & Technical College;
Mandy Eppley Common Knowledge Program at Eastern Kentucky University; Dr.
Shane McKee Office of Student Involvement and Leadership at Transylvania
University; Becky Jordan Associate Dean of Students at the University of Kentucky.

Best Practices Examples from Campus Visits

Nathan Smith Student Support Services, Bluegrass Community & Technical
College (BCTC): Nathan noted the ways in which engaging students in active learning is
a missing piece of the student experience at BCTC. Most of the students enrolled in the
Student Support Services program at BCTC are first generation, non-traditional students
that work full time and/or have families. As a result of work and familial obligations,
most students in the program do not have the opportunity to engage one another in active
learning. Nathan and his office have tried to make up for this lack of engagement by
providing students with an electronic portal that provides students a platform to
communicate with other students in the program, as well as the Student Support Services
staff.
Mandy Eppley Student Support Services Manager, Eastern Kentucky University
(EKU): Perhaps the most apparent best practice in Mandy Eppleys role as the Student
Support Services Manager of the Common Knowledge Program is the ways in which she
values active learning through peer-to-peer education. The Common Knowledge Program

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is a student services center that provides students with tutoring, student success
workshops, and technology services. All of these services are provided for students by
students. Mandys idea to make the program student-run stems from the idea that students
learn best when they actively engage one another in educational dialogue.
Dr. Shane McKee Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, Transylvania
University (Transy): An interesting aspect of Transylvanias culture is that the
administrators deem the term first generation (and any other demographic specific
initiatives) as stigmatizing and divisive. Instead of providing specific first generation
programs, the university hopes to retain students through campus involvement. Transy
boasts a 55% enrollment in Greek Life. Statistically, this has proven to be a huge
retention tool for the university. Dr. McKee hopes to engage the 45% of students not
involved in Greek Life through a new leadership program called the Pioneer Leadership
Program. The aim of the program is to involve students in campus and community
service opportunities as a means to make students feel more connected to the university.
Dr. McKee noted that he hopes the Pioneer Leadership Program will be successful
because it is intended to engage students in active learning and help them develop
coherent ethical values through service learning and leadership opportunities.
Becky Jordan Associate Dean of Students, University of Kentucky (UK): Dean
Jordans role is unique because as Associate Dean of Students, she oversees many
retention efforts but does not directly facilitate them. However, she noted that the UK 101
and UK 201 required courses for all first year and transfer students has been an effective
retention tool because it incorporates all three of the aforementioned best practices.
Particularly, Dean Jordan noted that the courses set the foundation for high learning

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expectations at the university. As supervisor of the program, she ensures that the
instructors set the educational bar high and hold their students to excellent standards of
learning. Additionally, there are sections of UK 101 and UK 201 that are for first
generation students. This allows the unique needs of this population to be met directly by
providing a distinct space for this population.

Research Supporting Best Practices

Nathan Smith Student Support Services, BCTC: The experience of students in the
Student Support Services program at BCTC is a unique one. Interestingly, Nathan Smith
looked at his programs service from a deficit perspective. Instead of providing research
and theory to support his offices practices, he noted the ways in which lack of student
presence impacts retention. In particular, Smith discussed how a tie to the university
statistically causes a student to persist. This is something lacking within the population
of students his office services. The office has aimed to supplement this through online
initiatives, but according to him, it is no substitute for actively engaging students in
person through programs, student clubs and organizations, and regular meetings.
Mandy Eppley Common Knowledge Program: Mandy Eppleys goal with the
Common Knowledge Program was to encourage peer-to-peer education. The program is
rooted in the practices mentioned in Paulo Freires Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Eppleys
hope was to provide a space for students to actively engage with one another outside of
the formal classroom. Through interaction with both Student Affairs and Academic
Affairs at EKU, Eppley understood that many formal classroom settings were not
providing space for students to actively grow and learn from one another. Through a

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peer-to-peer education model led by student leaders, she hoped to give students the
opportunity to engage around subject matter and assist one another in the learning
process.
Dr. Shane McKee Office of Student Involvement and Leadership: Dr. McKees
Pioneer Leadership Program is based primarily off of the Higher Education Research
Institutes Social Change Model. The Seven Cs Consciousness of Self, Congruence,
Commitment, Collaboration, Common Purpose, Controversy with Civility, and
Citizenshipdirectly mirror the best practice of helping students develop coherent and
ethical values.
Becky Jordan Associate Dean of Students: Dean Jordan noted that she roots her best
practices in student connection and involvement. In particular, Dean Jordan referenced
Astins Involvement Theory in her work. Through UK 101 and UK 201, bridge programs
for academically rigorous courses, and extensive Welcome Week programming, Dean
Jordan hoped that giving students strong academic and social ties to the university early
on in their educational experience would increase retention.

Integrating Assessment into Best Practices

Nathan Smith: Staffing issues have led to challenges with programming assessments.
However, because Student Support Services is a government-run program, the office is
required to provide data to the government when re-applying for their grant. Despite this,
Nathan provided no concrete retention numbers for his programs services.
Mandy Eppley: The Common Knowledge Program tracks student numbers through a
program called Academia. Academia provides information about the number of students

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using the Common Knowledge Programs services, as well as specific demographics of

the students being served. Before major student staff cuts last winter, the Common
Knowledge Program assisted over 2,500 students in the Fall 2013 semester. Additionally,
the program boasted an 85% persistence rate for students who sought services provided
by the Common Knowledge Program.
Dr. Shane McKee: Students involved in the Greek Life system at Transy have over a
90% chance of graduating. The Pioneer Leadership Program is just being implemented
this academic year, so there is no data to support its services. However, Dr. McKee is
hoping to achieve results similar to those of the Greek Life system by modeling
programming and leadership opportunities in a similar manner.
Becky Jordan: Dean Jordan did not disclose specific retention numbers. However, she
did note that the Office of Institutional Research assesses each retention program at the
university.

Implications for Student Affairs

Perhaps the most resounding theme from all the interviews was assessing where
universities are allocating their resources. As resources become increasingly limited,
administrators at each university I visited are looking more closely at where to focus their
retention efforts. In particular, professionals from Transy and EKU noted that they have
opted to lessen their efforts for the most at-risk students, and instead focus on students
who are average academic performers but might otherwise go unnoticed. The logic
behind the decision at both universities is that inevitably some high needs students will
leave the university. Instead of directing the majority of time and effort at this

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demographic, administrators have decided to center their services on students who fall
somewhere in the middle in terms of academic achievement. Administrators admitted that
this decision does not always ethically sit well with them. However, because of limited
staffing and money, they argued that it makes the most sense to allocate resources to a
larger population of students.

Retention and Student Success

All of the interviews conducted were centered on retention and student success.
However, as part of my educational growth and research, I opted to explore many
different programs and services. Through this process, I have learned that there is not just
one way to provide services that keep students at the university. Depending on university
type and availability of resources, programs range from regularly meeting one-on-one
with students to providing study abroad opportunities solely for first generation college
students. Indeed, after conducting this research, I now understand that there is a multitude
of ways to creatively engage students in order to keep them at university. Additionally, I
now have a greater understanding of the unique needs of first generation college students.
As a first generation student, I have often thought about how my educational experience
might have been different had these services been around when I started college.
Nonetheless, the knowledge I have gained through this experience will undoubtedly
shape my perspective as a student affairs practitioner.