Access to Success

The Connecticut State University System ("CSUS") has launched an unprecedented multi-year, multi-tier effort to increase the number of students entering and graduating from Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Connecticut State Universities, with special focus on minority and low-income students, recognizing Connecticut's changing demographics and the increasing demands of global competition. The initiative includes participation in national efforts to achieve similar goals and is part of a national partnership with the National Association of Systems Heads (NASH), and the Eduction Trust (EdTrust).

"Changing demographics are upon us, and it is incumbent upon us to address these changes if we are to meet the economic challenges we face here in Connecticut and across the country," said CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter. "By providing students with access to success, and supporting their efforts to achieve success, we will not only make a difference in individual lives, but in the future of our state and nation."

In October 2007, CSUS was one of 20 public university systems making a public commitment to enhance student access to and success in higher education, joining an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of System Heads in partnership with the Education Trust. The university systems agreed to publicly pursue aggressive goals aimed at improving overall student outcomes by the year 2015.

The primary objective of the initiative is to reduce by half the gaps in access and success that separate low-income and minority students from others, while improving overall student success rates. The initiative has the formal endorsement of the CSUS Board of Trustees and CSUS has now launched a system-wide agenda which includes both system-wide and institution specific efforts.

"The Access to Success initiative underscores the efforts of the Connecticut State University System to intensify efforts to ensure that our universities are affordable and accessible, as well as working effectively to provide students with the academic resources necessary to succeed and excel," said Lawrence D. McHugh, Chairman of the CSUS Board of Trustees.

CSUS, with more than 35,000 students, is Connecticut's largest public university system. Undergraduate enrollment is at the highest level on record, and minority enrollment has increased 51 percent in the past decade. The number of degrees conferred by the System has increased by 10 percent since 2001.

However, recent forecasts predict that the number of young people with bachelor's degrees in Connecticut will shrink by more than 4% between 1993 and 2020, even as the percentage of jobs requiring a college degree continues to grow rapidly. Nationwide, nearly 30 percent of college freshmen must enroll in at least one remedial course because they are not prepared for college-level work in a particular subject. In addition, financial barriers prevent 48 percent of college-qualified high school graduates from low-income families from attending a four-year college and 22 percent from attending any college at all.

The CSUS agenda will focus on three main areas, and will include nearly a dozen national and local initiatives, many of which are already underway. The three areas of focus will be:

• Increasing student success in remedial courses and in large-enrollment, introductory courses (especially in English and math);
• Working more closely with K-12 systems and community colleges to improve the preparation of entering students; and,
• Maximizing financial aid for low-income students.

As part of the initiative, special attention will be paid to managing costs and investing in student success. In addition, data will be analyzed to identify and eliminate roadblocks that slow student momentum.

NASH/EdTrust have been periodically working with designated system liaisons and system data leaders to develop an action agenda, refine metrics, and secure resources to help finance our collective work.

All systems participating in this initiative have commitments to:

• Cut in half gaps in access and success that separate low-income and minority students in our systems from others
• Report on annual progress
• Work together on the core strategies outlined in the three areas below in addition to the work we do in our own system

Improving Undergraduate Results
To increase student success in remedial courses and other large-enrollment, introductory courses will include tackling obstacles that impede student success and interfere with "momentum" toward the degree. This includes identifying early warning indicators linked to proactive support interventions to promote student success and the assessment of student learning outcomes. The following initiatives focus on improving undergraduate results:

• American Diploma Project Network
  
  A coalition of 30 states, is dedicated to aligning K-12 curriculum, standards, assessments and accountability policies with the expectations of post-secondary institutions and potential employers. Chancellor Carter serves on the Advisory Board of the Network, and the Connecticut State Board of Education recently decided to participate in this initiative.
  More at www.achieve.org
  
  
• Teacher Workforce Recruitment Retention & Collaboration
  
  With a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), the four universities of CSUS established university-school district partnerships and developed innovative programs to better recruit, prepare and retain new teachers in state-defined shortage areas and in priority districts, including Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury and Danbury. Follow-on initiatives are being developed, including one targeting paraprofessionals interested in pursuing teaching degrees.
  Teacher Shortage Initiatives (pdf)
  
  
• Bridge to Achieve Student Success
  
  Developed at Western Connecticut State University and on-going since 2003, the innovative program pairs Western math and English faculty members with high school teachers in Danbury and Bethel to improve student preparation for college-level work and has resulted in greater curriculum alignment and improved student preparation. Western has seen dramatic reductions in the number of remedial courses needed by participating students, as well as improvements in overall student retention between freshmen and sophomore years. The program is now being broadened to include science, and plans are underway to establish similar university-high school partnerships between the other CSUS universities and their local school districts.
  More about the Bridge Program
  
  
• Plan to Increase Graduation Rates
  
  Each of the CSUS universities has designed and is moving forward to implement a graduation rate plan, with a strong commitment from the highest levels of university leadership and close collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs functions. Efforts include a special focus on the first year experiences of students, systematic use of assessments and analysis of data to set goals, guide initiatives and validate results, and a long term commitment to sustain the plan.
  
  
• Connecticut PK-20 Education Council
  
  CSUS is participating in coordinated state efforts to integrate early learning, kindergarten through grade 12, and postsecondary education systems, with common goals of: (1) reducing remediation and improving student achievement at all educational levels; (2) aligning high school educational expectations with college admission standards; (3) improving college access across racial groups and income levels; and (4) improving teacher quality.
  Connecticut PK-20 Council Presentation (powerpoint)
  
  
• Connecticut Secondary School Reform
  
  The State Board of Education has developed a plan to improve the high school experience for students and raise standards of performance. A process of public participation has begun that includes collaboration with stakeholders, including CSUS, to refine and shape the final proposal. The proposal aims to increase the rigor of high school programs through the addition of graduation requirements, a core curriculum of required courses, and end-of-course assessments. Once adopted, CSUS universities will work with the State Department of Education to design teacher training programs that will best prepare beginning teachers to meet these new standards and respond to newly revised certification requirements, and will continue their work with area high schools in preparing students for college level work.
  
  
• KnowHow2GoConnecticut
  
  Studies from the U.S. Department of Education show that 8 out of 10 students expect to earn a college degree or higher, but students often do not fully understand what they need to do to be prepared for college. In response, a coalition of Connecticut organizations, led by the Departments of Education and Higher Education and including the Connecticut State University System, have joined forces in KnowHow2Go, a national multimedia public awareness initiative, aimed at middle school and high school students, that provides information on four basic steps students can follow to actively guide their preparation for a postsecondary education.
  www.knowhow2goct.org
  
  
• Proficiency for College Level Courses
  
  CSUS Board of Trustees Policy requires that all students demonstrate proficiency and complete proficiency courses within their first 24 academic credits. To accomplish this, each university determines what mathematics and English proficiencies are necessary for the completion of each bachelor degree it offers, establishes a proficiency curriculum, and defines proficiency scores on standardized pre-admission tests. Faculty is currently reviewing the proficiency determination process across the System.
  
  

Maximizing Aid for Low Income Student College Transfers
To assure that the full needs of low-income students are met before using institutional aid for other students will involve maximizing the number of state dollars invested in grant aid for low-income students, maximizing the number of students in the system who qualify for and receive federal Academic Competitiveness and SMART Grants, while working towards maximizing federal investments in Pell Grants. The following initiative will focus on maximizing aid for low income students:

• Project Compass
  
  Funded by a Nellie Mae Education Foundation grant, the Project aims to increase the number of young people from under-represented populations who graduate with four-year degrees. Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University are two of only six institutions in New England that have been chosen to participate in the Project and each will be awarded an initial grant of $100,000 to support a year of planning and capacity building. Western's initiative is called "Project IMPACT," which stands for "Improving Minority Paths to Achievement through Community Transformation," and aims to help attract, retain and graduate Latino students, especially from the Danbury area.
  
  Western's initiative, "Project IMPACT" (Improving Minority Paths to Achievement through Community Transformation), aims to attract, retain and graduate Latino students, especially from greater Danbury. Eastern will collect and analyze new data about students' needs and develop a targeted, comprehensive support services delivery strategy.
  More online at www.nerche.org/compass/compass.html
  
  

Community College Transfers
To improve upon preparation and transition among entering students, there needs to be a clear pathway designed for students who begin in two year colleges to complete degree programs in four-year institutions. The following initiatives will focus on community college transfers:

• Common Course Numbering Plan
  
  To facilitate student transfers into and between CSUS universities, courses will be examined and evaluated for comparability and/or equivalency by committees comprised of faculty from similar disciplines and departments. Faculty will examine such aspects as course titles, descriptions, prerequisites, objectives, expected outcomes, and standards. Initial focus will be on courses primarily at the freshman/sophomore level, which are generally targeted to meeting general education requirements and are often taught at both two and four-year institutions. The plan will be implemented over a period of five years, to ensure the integrity of students' educational programs and the maintenance of a quality academic program.
  
  
• Transfer Agreements with Community Colleges
  
  A memorandum of understanding between the Connecticut State University System and the Connecticut Community College System was signed in 2007, with the goal of streamlining the process by which students from any of Connecticut's twelve community colleges interested in continuing their educations beyond the associate degree (2-year) level may transfer to the institutions within the Connecticut State University System. Transfers from community colleges accounted for roughly 14 percent of new students enrolling in 2005 at CSUS universities. Overall, 61 percent of CSUS students transfer from other Connecticut institutions, with two-thirds of those transferring from community colleges. University and community college faculty members and administrators have begun to develop comprehensive transfer agreements between their institutions. The agreements build on agreements at all four universities in specific disciplines, a longstanding agreement between Eastern and area community colleges, a transfer agreement between Western, Naugatuck Valley Community College and Norwalk Community College that was signed last year.