DATE: September 19, 2000
TO: Board
of Regents
FROM: Willard R.
Weaver
Dean, Montana State
University – Great Falls College of Technology
RE: Campus
Report for the September 2000 Board of Regents’ Meeting
RETENTION EFFORTS: PROMOTION STUDENT SUCCESS
Montana
State University—Great Falls College of Technology is committed to promoting
students’ persistence in their pursuit of educational goals. This commitment is reflected in the
following retention strategies in place at the College:
1.
The
Med Prep Collaboration. Historically,
academically unprepared students have difficulty persisting in the College’s
allied health programs. In a pro-active
effort to address this problem, the College has collaborated with the Great
Falls Public Schools and the Helena Public Schools to increase high school
students’ awareness of the desirability and demands of allied health careers
and to develop an innovative curriculum preparing students for those demands.
2.
Tech
Prep. In higher education, time really is money. By identifying high school course work that
meets the demands of equivalent technical course work at the College, the “Tech
Prep” program offers students the opportunity to complete their postsecondary
training in less time and for less money.
The College has tech prep articulation agreements with 36 high schools
in north-central Montana, as well as the college of technology in Helena and
MSU-Northern.
3.
Encouraging
Student Affiliation with the College. Research indicates that students who are
involved in just one “extracurricular” element of campus life are significantly
more likely to persist. The College
encourages such involvement through its student government, honorary society,
and community service programming.
However, because many of the College’s students have families and jobs
in addition to their academic commitments, cultivating an active campus life is
a challenge. The faculty respond to
this challenge by using teaching methods that encourage students to make
connections with each other in the classroom setting. These connections, too, contribute to student persistence.
4.
Identification/Intervention
Processes. The College uses the
following strategies for identifying and assisting students struggling to
persist:
·
Support services for
special populations
·
Pre-assessment and
course placement tests
·
Crisis intervention
counseling
·
Pre-requisite
enforcement for certain courses
·
Telephoning students
who miss class
·
Identifying high-risk
courses and providing special help
·
Referral for personal
needs
·
Emergency fiscal
assistance
·
Job
placement/transfer assistance
·
Contacting
non-returning students
·
Follow-up advising
for students on academic probation
·
Exit interviews
5.
College-wide
Emphasis on Academic Advising. Faculty and staff from Student Services
collaborate to ensure that academic advising is timely, individualized, and
coordinated. Faculty evaluation and
professional development emphasize the importance of advising.
6.
Academic
Support Services. Academic support is a major focus at the
College. Developmental classes offer
individualized instruction in academic skills.
Beginning this fall, our Learning Center provides walk-in assistance and
tutoring in all subjects, resources for improving reading/writing/study skills,
and computer access and assistance. The
Learning Center Coordinator provides a free six-week study skills program, a
series of brown-bag sessions on academic success issues, and personal career
growth workshops.
7.
Student
Success Committee. This fall semester the College established a
committee charged with overseeing, guiding, and evaluating the College’s
retention efforts. The committee is
comprised of faculty from each department, the Learning Center Coordinator, and
the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.
LOOKING UP AND REACHING
OUT: FALL ENROLLMENTS
Enrollments for Fall
Semester 2000 bring good news to MSU—Great Falls College of Technology. One area of continuous growth is our
distributed learning program. This fall
342 students are enrolled in 20 courses offered over the Internet. Over one-third (36%) of these students live
outside Great Falls in communities such as Ekalaka, Silver Star, Twin Bridges,
West Yellowstone, and Glasgow. The
College plans to offer courses from all general core categories by Spring 2001. Another growth area is in our Outreach
Department.
This fall MSU—Great
Falls College of Technology will provide customized training for a consortium
of early childhood development agencies, Cendant of Montana, City of Great
Falls, Green Thumb, Montana Job Services, and Malmstrom Air Force Base.
COMING SOON: SPECIAL EVENTS
Regents are cordially
invited to these special events at the MSU—Great Falls Campus this fall:
Sept. 28 Gubernatorial candidates Judy Martz
and Mark O’Keefe debate in Heritage Hall.
7:00 p.m. Co-sponsored
by MSU – Great Falls College of Technology, Great Falls Tribune, and Montana
Economic Development Association
Oct. 5 The
second annual Storefront University, a community event organized by the College
5:15 – and sponsored by a variety of Great
Falls organizations and businesses.
Business owners will
8:30 p.m. offer 75 fun-filled workshops,
restaurants will give special discounts, and the Great Falls Trolley will give
free rides throughout the evening.
Oct. 12 Montana State University—Great Falls
Campus Open House. Join us for the
official
5 – 7 p.m. introduction
of this unique Campus to the community.
Nov. 3-4 The first annual Tech Fair,
co-sponsored by the College and the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, City of
Great Falls, Great Falls Public Library, and SoFast. The College will play host for high-tech exhibits, special
events, and 35 technology sessions – all free to the general public.
