College of Natural Sciences: An Open-Enrollment College—You Want Us, We’ll Take You CNS Twelfth-Class Day Enrollment 1997-2006240321222267233423292562198622782185272180708135824584998537889784968411796582590100020003000400050006000700080009000100001997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006YearEnrollmentFirst Time StudentsTotal EnrollmentCNS First-Time Student Enrollment 1997-200625622403212222672334232919862278218527210500100015002000250030001997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006YearEnrollmentTotalFall FreshmenTransferCAPSummer Freshmen Gender: 53% female and 47% male Ethnicity: Anglo Asian Foreign African-American Hispanic UT 57 14 9 4 15 CNS 48 26 3 5 17 TIP 36 15 0 15 32 Entry-level majors: 50% Biology and 20% Undeclared (Health Professions)The long-standing problems with CNS attrition and graduation rates In the early 1990s, nearly 75% of students left CNS with out graduating Why did they leave? The perception was that CNS was hard and did not provide post-graduate opportunities. Reconciling increasing academic standards with open enrollment responsibilities Calculus is now required for every degree plan in the College of Natural Sciences but the top-10% rule now delivers a higher percentage of non-calculus ready students Expanding post-graduate options for students 70% of incoming freshmen indicate an interest in the health professions but only about 20% will enter a post-graduate program in the health professionsSolution: Create Community with Novel Freshman Programs that Cater to Student Success Needs Guiding Principles for CNS Freshman Programs: • Tailor programs to student interests and capability • Create sense of selectivity in program assignment • Diversification of duties of Program Coordinators and Advising Staff • Substantial upper-division student mentoring and tutoring • Development of front-end critical thinking and inquiry courses: how does a scientist think? • Expansion of supplemental instruction and learning communities • Early experiential learningFirst Time CNS Student Advising-- • First-Year Advising Center (FYAC)—Serving 2000 freshmen in entry level degrees • Transitional Advising Center (TrAC)—Serving 1700 transfer, migrating and undeclared students Freshman Success Initiatives • Freshman Interest Groups—32 FIGS serving 700 first semester CNS freshmen • Emerging Scholars Program—serving 150 second-quartile chemistry and calculus students • Biology Scholars—serving 40 second-quartile—100% underserved biology freshmen • Women in Natural Sciences—serving 100 first and second quartile CNS women • Dean’s Scholars Honors Program—Serving 50 top-5% honors students • The Freshman Research Initiative—Serving 400 CNS students—50% underrepresented students • Texas Interdisciplinary Plan—Serving 300 CNS and CLA third and fourth quartile students—50% underrepresented studentsCNS Trends in Graduation and Freshman Drop Out Rates37%28%29%28%33%28%16%14%13%12%11%10%9%9%8%7%0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004YearRate5-Year Graduation RateFreshman Dismissal/Drop OutA small academic community for first-year students that provides:2006-07 cohort172 students (selected from 498 applicants) earned 3.0 or higherfall 2006TIPn a t u r a l s c i e n c e s4 year college retention ratesasian61% 36%black34% 29%hispanic45%32%white42%32%overall51.2% 35.8% TIPControlTIP Control3.02.92.82.72.62.569%Control44%notable achievementsJAMP (Joint Admissions Medical Program) 3 TIP students have won the award, and 2 TIP students were finalists in 2005–06 fall 2006 gpa42% First Generation42% Underrepresented49% Male 51% FemaleAverage SAT 1121Of current freshmen:4 Gates Millenium Scholars10 President’s Achievement Scholarships 4 Texas Exes Scholarships3 Presidential Freedom Scholarshipscontact Sue Harkins, EdD, [email protected] Scholars ProgramTexas Interdisciplinary Plan GRG 234Control: 567 freshmen in the College matching the admissions criteria for TIP 3.082.68• reserved seats in core academic courses• a balance of small and large classes • a Critical Thinking seminar to enhance reasoning skills• an academic peer mentor and free tutoring• connections to faculty and academic advisors, and• a community of students with similar academic interests.graduated in natural sciences56.5% 45.2%graduated in 4 years or less51.1%TIP ControlTIP49.2%ControlA small academic community for first-year students that provides:2006-07 cohort125 students (selected from 370 applicants) earned 3.0 or higherfall 2006TIPl i b e r a l a r t s4 year college retention ratesasian80% 40%black75% 41%hispanic70%53%white80%46%overall77% 48% TIPControlTIP Control3.23.13.02.92.82.72.672%Control53%notable achievementsRapoport Scholarships6 of 12 were awarded to TIP students in 2005fall 2006 gpa42% First Generation52% Underrepresented43% Male 57% FemaleAverage SAT 1114Of current freshmen:4 Gates Millenium Scholars10 President’s Achievement Scholarships 4 Texas Exes Scholarships3 Presidential Freedom Scholarshipscontact Sue Harkins, EdD, [email protected] Scholars ProgramTexas Interdisciplinary Plan GRG 234Control: 567 freshmen in the College matching the admissions criteria for TIP 3.212.76• reserved seats in core academic courses• a balance of small and large classes • a Critical Thinking seminar to enhance reasoning skills• an academic peer mentor and free tutoring• connections to faculty and academic advisors, and• a community of students with similar academic interests.graduated in liberal arts67% 64%TIP Controlgraduated in 4 years or less89%TIP79%ControlThe FreshmanResearch Initiative:A new model forteaching through researchThe Freshman Research Initiativ e (FRI) m odel incorporates authenticfaculty research as a m eans of teaching large num bers of stu dents ona timeline spanning their first two years at UT:Recruitment - Research Methods - Teaching through Research - Advanced ResearchRecruit ment – 300 freshman in chemistry and allied sciencesare recruited to participate (including 50% women and 50%underrepresented groups)Research Met hods – The first freshman course in ourprogram introduces the students to critical thinking, theresearch enterprise, data interpretation, hands-onexp erimentation and help s th em select a
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