Student Success End of Semester Report (Fall 2023)

STUDENT SUCCESS

Academic Success Center

Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration

Campus-Wide Advising Initiatives

First-Year Experience

Undergraduate Research & Fellowships

University Honors

UT Success Academy

Veterans Success Center

Table of Contents

Division of Student Success

Our Shared Vision

Student Success Mission

Principles

Signature Programs

Academic Success Center

Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration

First-Year Experience

Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

University Honors

UT Success Academy

Veterans Success Center

Initiatives

Volunteer Faculty Fellows

END OF SEMESTER

The Division of Student Success

Our Shared Vision

The University of Tennessee has set forth a bold vision for our future. The work we’re doing to transform the student experience supports key objectives within our Strategic Vision. Our goal is to help each undergraduate student maximize their individual strengths and understand how those strengths contribute to their academic dreams, career paths, and personal well-being Following the conclusion of the fall semester, the division reports the following outcomes for this vision.

Student Success Mission

The Division of Student Success at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, works to engage each student scholar’s experience by supporting their unique strengths and goals.

We collaborate with UT faculty and staff to help each student scholar maximize their individual strengths and understand how their strengths contribute to their academic dreams, career paths, and personal well-being.

Principles

Support Exploration

Eliminate Barriers

Engage Academically

Develop Strengths

Make Data-Driven Decisions

Transforming the undergraduate Volunteer experience

END OF SEMESTER

Signature Programs

Academic Success Center

Vol Success Teams

The Vol Success Teams continued their efforts to impact first-year student scholars through academic and student support services. Each team is comprised of a student’s academic advisor, academic coach, One Stop counselor, and faculty, and is designed to assist student scholars in their holistic development.

Through the efforts of the Vol Success Team:

99%

96%

of the first-year class has meet with a member of their Vol Success Team in fall 2023.

of the first-year class were in academic good standing at the end of fall 2023, the highest percentage on record ending a fall semester and a key measure of the academic health of undergraduate scholars.

Vol Study Center

Providing course-based, peer-led learning assistance in a variety of studentcentered methods and modalities (individual and group study sessions, Supplemental Instruction, online and in-person), the Vol Study Center (VSC) helps undergraduate students master course content and grow into better learners. As the table on page 6 indicates, in comparison to previous fall terms VSC numbers for fall 2023 have increased considerably.

Vol Study Center Engagement

The 32,902 VSC total student contacts represents a 16 percent increase from fall 2022. Within that figure, we see a decrease in drop-in visits (-6 percent), but healthy increases in study sessions (29 percent increase) and SI sessions (23 percent increase).

Student engagement with our course-based learning assistance (study sessions and SI) demonstrates the success of targeted, course-based peer assistance and the growing trust undergraduates are placing in our resources.

TOTAL VOL STUDY CENTER VISITS

32,902

96%

Best Ever Academic Standing Rates for First-Year Students

Academic standing is a key measure of the academic health of our undergraduate scholars, and credit for the positive trends belongs to the entire campus.

96%

of first-year Vols with positive academic standing

Academic Coaching

In fall 2023, the number of coaching interactions was down slightly (3 percent) from the previous fall, primarily because the number of academic alerts – the percentage of scholars who were identified as needing intentional outreach from their Vol Success Team to assist in meeting course performance goals –was down by 36 percent compared to fall 2022.

END OF SEMESTER

Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration

To support positive career outcomes for student scholars, the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration (CCDAE) has over 14,973 student scholars engaging with career development workshops, events, and presentations – a 36 percent increase from fall 2022.

91.4% POSITIVE CAREER OUTCOMES

Positive Career Outcomes

Career outcomes were collected for 81 percent of the class of 2023 bachelor’s graduates. 91.4 percent of students experienced positive career employment and graduate school outcomes, a 1.4 percent increase from 2022:

64.1% 27.3%

gained employment

attending graduate school

5.5% still seeking

3% other or not seeking

Spotlight: Vol to Vol: Map Your Major

The inaugural Vol to Vol: Map Your Major event was hosted in October 2023.

167 exploratory student scholars attended the event.

Representatives from all 12 undergraduate colleges were on hand to discuss their majors with exploratory students.

97 percent of undergraduate scholars who attended either decided on a new major because of the majors fair or had ideas of what major they wanted to pursue and scheduled a meeting with an Academic and Career Exploration (ACE) coach to discuss further.

END OF SEMESTER

First-Year Experience

To enhance student scholars’ persistence and sense of belonging, the FirstYear Experience (FYE) supports undergraduate scholars through their first year with programs and activities to help ease the transition to UT and accelerate success.

New Vol Orientation

99 percent of all confirmed undergraduate scholars attended New Vol Orientation

712 events were offered during Big Orange Welcome, taking place during the first six weeks of each semester and encouraging students to explore campus and connect with other Vols.

98 percent of first-year students felt prepared for UT because of their orientation experience.

First-Year Studies 101

6,694 student scholars, or 97 percent of the fall cohort, enrolled in First-Year Studies 101 or their college equivalent course during the fall 2023 semester, representing continued success from fall 2022 when 97 percent were also enrolled.

94 percent of Peer Mentors, undergraduate student leaders who assist FYS 101 instructors, felt that their position helped them develop their professional skills.

Identifying Strengths

Additionally, undergraduate scholars completed the CliftonStrengths assessment to identify their top five strengths. Over 6,000 first-year students successfully completed their CliftonStrengths assessment, and their top five strengths are noted in the table below and compared to previous cohorts.

FALL

FALL

Restorative Achiever Empathy

Adaptability

Positivity

Restorative Restorative Restorative

Achiever Achiever Achiever

Competition Competition Competition

Adaptability Relator Relator

Empathy Positivity

Adaptability

2020

1. 2.

3.

4.

5.

2021

FALL 2022

FALL 2023

END OF SEMESTER

Spotlight: Dr. Arthur Brooks Speaks to First-Year Students

On November 14, 2023, Office of First-Year Experience, in partnership with the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, hosted a fireside chat with Dr. Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor, social scientist, and best-selling author, for over 300 FYS 101 undergraduate scholars. During the conversation Brooks shared insights on happiness, leadership, and personal fulfillment.

As a result of attending the event:

85% of first-year scholars in attendance reported the event helped them think about different experiences from their own and consider a new perspective.

84% of first-year scholars in attendance reported that after attending this event they have a better understanding of strategies they can implement to improve their own happiness.

Undergraduate Research & Fellowships

Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (URF) supports UT student scholars in their pursuit of undergraduate research, nationally competitive fellowships, and creative activity. URF funds undergraduate research year-round, offers topical workshops, and coordinates campus-wide exhibitions.

As a result, outcomes included:

The annual Discover Day exhibition featured 115 student researchers from 7 colleges and 41 majors under the guidance of more than 74 individual faculty members.

More than 80 undergraduate scholars were hired across more than 40 departments through the Faculty Research Assistants Programs (FRAF).

Supported 44 student scholars as they applied to the Fulbright Scholarship.

Supported 39 student scholars as they applied for the Gillman scholarship, resulting in seven recipients.

Supported seven National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program applicants, all of whom are seeking STEM-focused graduate school support.

Supported applications for the following awards aimed at graduating seniors or young alumni seeking graduate school or career development:

Five Marshall

Four Mitchell

Three Rhodes

Two Knight Hennessy

Two Soros

Three Pickering

Three Rangel

One Gates Cambridge

One Hertz

One National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

One White House Fellows

END OF SEMESTER

University Honors

University Honors made deep student connections through unique coaching visits and engagement interactions while hosting several important programs this semester.

University Honors has seen a significant increase in applications for both the Chancellor’s Honors and Haslam Leadership Scholars programs:

5,453 Chancellor’s Honors Program applications, a 44 percent increase from the previous year

1,300 Haslam Leadership Scholars applications, a 69 percent increase from the previous year

6,753

TOTAL HONORS APPLICATIONS

mean applicant GPA 4.5 mean applicant ACT score

Curriculum Development

The University Honors and Haslam Leadership Faculty Fellows continue to revise curriculum. Three new UNHO courses have been designed and approved for a new problem-solving curriculum while a new internship course has been approved and a curriculum map has enhanced the Haslam program.

UT Success Academy

Originally designed to maximize Black and Hispanic men’s transition to college, the UT Success Academy enhances the undergraduate experience by creating and supporting access and engagement opportunities for student scholars through an innovative four-year cohort experience focused on empowering each student to discover, connect, and lead through their strengths.

In its third year, scholars in the first cohort (Fall 2021) focused on experiential learning opportunities. The program is designed to support and connect students with experiential learning opportunities including having scholars participate in the Vol EDGE pilot, attend several career/networking events, and meet with an experiential learning coach.

Program Outcomes

73 percent fall-to-spring persistence rate for third-year UTSA scholarsexceeding pre-UTSA third year persistence rates for Black and Hispanic men by over 10%

79 percent fall-to-spring persistence rate for second-year UTSA scholars

97 percent fall-to-spring persistence rate for first-year UTSA scholars

Over half of third-year UTSA scholars have completed an internship, research experience or study abroad experience

In addition, UTSA saw an over 130% increase in UTSA applications (year-to-date).

END OF SEMESTER

Veterans Success Center

The Veteran Impact Program is a program designed to support incoming student veterans academically and socially to the University of Tennessee.

Program outcomes follow.

90% 91%

completion rate of fall 2023 VIP cohort

VIP participants reporting they utilized academic support resources by the VSC

3.37 average GPA of fall 2023 VIP cohort (highest first-semester GPA of all VIP cohorts

Overall, [the program was] very helpful and mostly just made me comfortable and feel the University really cared.

- Veteran Impact Program Scholar

END OF SEMESTER

Initiatives

Volunteer Faculty Fellows

Central to UT’s Strategic Vision, the Volunteer Experience is a comprehensive, university-wide approach to promoting student well-being and career readiness in all aspects of a student scholar’s experience. The Volunteer Experience Faculty Fellows program comprises 18 faculty across the university interested in engaging in well-being pedagogy and promoting well-being constructs amongst the faculty in their use of a well-being framework to promote best practices in respective undergraduate instruction departments.

Outcomes

18 Volunteer Experience faculty fellows completed their yearlong fellowship.

Over the 12 months of 2023, this group learned much about the PERMA model of well-being and disseminated this information to their respective units across the campus.

Faculty fellows presented to over 40 distinct audiences, including UT Faculty Senate, UT First-Year Faculty Teaching Institute, UT Commission on Disability, various Undergraduate Councils, department units’ individual faculty meetings, and Graduate Teaching Assistant/Associate Orientations.

2023-2024

Faculty Fellows

Cultivating a Culture of Well-Being

Student Success Grants

To support UT’s Strategic Vision, UT has committed funding to prioritize active, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments to increase academic achievement and support UT faculty in reimagining learning experiences from this perspective. Grants are awarded to departments to redesign a course or a set of sequenced classes. Desired results for Student Success Grants include:

– Increasing course success rates in high-enrollment, entry-level courses

– Enhancing student well-being

– Closing academic achievement gaps

In fall 2023, faculty within two departments, Biological Sciences and the Department of English, were actively working with Student Success Grant project partners.

Outcomes

5 percent more undergraduate scholars were successful in biology courses where faculty utilized the Student Success Grant to redesign their course compared to the overall rate of these courses.

Nearly 4 percent more undergraduate scholars were successful in English courses where faculty utilized the Student Success Grant to redesign their course compared to the overall rate of these courses.

END OF SEMESTER

Path Forward

First-Year Experience

In December 2023, the Division of Student Success merged the New Student Orientation office with the Office of First-Year Programs, forming a consolidated entity named the Office of First-Year Experience (FYE). The goal is to transition from a one-time orientation experience to a comprehensive onboarding journey lasting the entire first year. In embracing these changes, we are not just reorganizing; we are evolving to better serve our students.

Math Success Grant

The Department of Mathematics has received a Student Success Grant to redesign the Math 119-123-125 series: college algebra, finite math, and basic calculus. The series redesign will standardize course content of the introductory math curriculum across multiple sections and provide more active learning strategies. Angela Gentry, Math 119 course coordinator and senior lecturer, will lead the two-year initiative.

University Exploratory

Beginning in fall 2024, the University Exploratory program will be housed in the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration (CCDAE), transitioning from the College of Arts & Sciences. Students in the University Exploratory program will be advised by Academic & Career Exploration (ACE) coaches who provide integrated academic and career planning support. The program is intended for students who are still undecided on their major or those who are trying to decide among majors that are not in a single college. The University Exploratory program will provide specialized support including undergraduate scholars having an ACE coach as a part of their Vol Success Team, tailored orientation experience, specialized first-year studies class, career assessments, and exploration programming.