Fairmont State University Institutional Team Presentation

First2 Network Virtual Conference

May 16, 2022

Presenters: Samantha O’Brien, Steven Roof, Beth Thompson, Deb Hemler, Brittany Cuchta, Anthony Gilberti, Erica Harvey

What does First2 mean to Fairmont students?

“First2 helped me meet other people in college and make connections with others.”

“I was extremely worried about making friends my first year of college, but the members of the First2 Network here at FSU are an incredible support system and amazing friends.”

“I learned more about the campus community and helped others to study.”

“A great group of people who helped me get acclimated to college!”

“Students have been able to develop themselves professionally through research and/or tutoring instead of having to take on jobs off campus that would not have anything to do with their fields.”

“Provided important research opportunities as a freshman.”

“The First2 Club has connected me to individuals on campus who have faced the same struggles I have faced being a first generation student and provided a support system made up of peers as well as faculty and staff members across campus.”

“First2 means a place that I can feel welcomed and normal with my love of engineering, science, and mathematics.”

“First2 means mentoring underrepresented STEM freshman through their first two years of college. First2 is meant to provide tools for first generation STEM students to succeed.”

What are you proud of around Fairmont First2 Club?

~15 members currently (club is open to all students)

• Formed December, 2019
• Faculty Advisor: Kristy Henson
• Officers: Gabby Broski, Alyssa Pettry, Hannah Bonham, Amber Meadows
• Fairmont Student Directors: Gabby Broski, Rebecca Rutherford
• Fairmont First2 Scholars: 6 for fall 2021; 10 for spring 2022

Fairmont Faculty and Staff Allies currently active with First2 club:

• Kayla Lantz, Beth Thompson, Deb Hemler, Brittany Cuchta, Erica Harvey, and Mark Flood

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Casual structure of club meetings allows to students to relax and focus on building a support system with each other.

What are you proud of related to first-generation persistence initiatives on your campus?

Persistence in CHEM 2205 Analytical Chemistry with embedded First2 peer mentor and lab report writing support

What are you proud of related to first-generation persistence initiatives?

Administrative support across the institution

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First-gen status added to admission application using First2 definition, May 2021:

• 139 first-gen (46% of 301 respondents)
• ~574 more didn’t respond - many had applied before May

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Freshmen in STEM majors as of Spring 2022 also ~46%

• 7 first-gen, 8 not first-gen, 91 didn’t answer on application

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From National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 2021:

• first-year students: 54% (+/- 5.3%) first-gen
• seniors: 60% (+/- 7.5%) first-gen

What are you proud of around math support?

• Began at Fairmont State in 2014. Full-scale in Fall 2015.
• Replaces former developmental and remedial math programs- some students used to take up to 4 semesters of remedial math before starting their gateway math course.
• Provides credit-bearing courses and pathways for students upon entrance to the college--no minimum test score requirements.
• Math Support courses are 4 credit hours but meet for 5 contact hours per week. Students meet the same requirement for math course whether they take support or non-support course.
• Fairmont State’s Math Support courses provide:

- “just in time” tutoring

- review of essential study skills

- hands-on activities and discussions to reinforce fundamental concepts

- compassionate instructors that work closely with students and other instructors

- smaller class sizes, currently capping at 18 seats

What are you proud of around math support?

Math Support Courses Offered

•1430 College Algebra with Support

For STEM, engineering technology, aviation, business, education majors

•1407 Fundamental Concepts of Math with Support

For non-STEM majors, nursing

Total students enrolled in: 1430: 877/1228 ~71%

1530: 351/1228 ~29%

Total students enrolled in: 1407: 662/827 ~80%

1507: 165/827 ~20%

-Math 1530 is College Algebra

-Math 1507 is Fundamental Concepts of Math

These courses are the non-support courses and have minimum test score requirements of 21 ACT (or equivalent) for 1530 and 19 ACT (or equivalent) for 1507

What are you proud of around math support?

The success of this math support program impacted other departments and colleges on campus.

• Engineering Technology Department: Technical Math redesign
• entry engineering math course
• Freshman English: now has adopted a similar model
• Elimination of remedial English courses
• Adoption of “Accelerated” English 1101 course
• Extra hour embedded weekly for students who do not meet the ACT/SAT prereq
• Students receive 4 credits (regularly 3 credits)
• Freshman majors biology- considering the model
• Observed high D,F, W rate after elimination of ACT Science Reasoning prereq
• now considering the addition of supplemental hour for underprepared students

What are you proud of around participation in improvement science (PDSA) and working groups?

Broad involvement from Fairmont State:

• 13 faculty, staff and students involved in 13 pdsa’s
• 7 Ambassador presentations in high schools by 7 students, 2021-22
• 3 grant proposals involving 16 faculty; S-STEM funded for 2022
• 15 presentations about First2 by Fairmont scholars and faculty
• 6 student research presentations by First2 Scholars per year
• 3 professional development sessions related to First2 and first-generation issues
• 5 faculty, staff and alumni have served as Working Group co-chairs for First2

Fig. 1 Total presentations given by First2 Scholars and Faculty by year

Change the Parts You Can:

Fairmont State in First2 Improvement Science (Plan-Do-Study-Act)

• First2 Summer Immersion:
• 2020 (virtual) and 2022: Kristy Henson, Mark Flood, Matt Scanlon, Amber Meadows, Cass Whitlatch, Skylar Lane, Katie Conley, Samantha O’Brien, Alyssa Pettry, and Karlena Boyce
• 2017-2019: Erica Harvey, Adam Smith, Sarah Starcovic, Lindsey LaNeve, Ashley Ruza, Jessica Johnson, Andrea Allman, Rebecca Rutherford, Kaylee Andersen
• First2 Club: Kristy Henson
• Mental Health Awareness: Kayla Lantz
• Math Boot Camp - Rock Your STEM: Brittany Cuchta, Kayla Lantz
• Embedded Student Feedback and Just In Time Teaching:
• Brittany Cuchta, Lindsey LaNeve, Cass Whitlatch, Nadira Ghattas, Erica Harvey
• Peer Teaching: Nadira Ghattas, Erica Harvey
• STEM Ambassadors: Deb Hemler, all Fairmont First2 Scholars and Directors
• WV STEM Hub: Beth Thompson, Erica Harvey, Barb MacLennan, Josh Revels

What does First2 mean to Fairmont faculty and staff?

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with passionate student advocates that truly want to level the academic playing field, break down unnecessary barriers, and advance initiatives that help institutions be student-ready.”

“As a first generation college student, involvement in this project has been such a revelation. Engaging in the research has validated every challenge I’ve ever experienced as first gen and woman in STEM. I hope my experiences and hurdles help this new generation of students realize that success awaits them as they recognize these roadblocks, adopt a growth mindset, and celebrate persistence. I wish I had this support system during my first years of college.”

“My involvement with First2 has been limited thus far. I have attended a couple of the presentations. My interest is high, as I was a first-generation student, and my path to College was likely similar or worse than many other first-generation students. I was not a good student or person in high school. To this day I remember the exact words a guidance counselor told me when I asked about going to college. It was painful and humbling, but those words likely helped more than she knew.”

“The First2 Network has given me the chance to connect with individuals across the state who are all passionate about student success. Each meetup, whether large or small, always leaves me inspired and excited to try new things in my courses. By learning from people in a variety of roles, I'm able to see how I can affect changes in my own role and what roles I can get support from.”

What are your challenges?*

For students:

• Concern about sustainability- students use First2 funds to support themselves through research and tutoring instead of working an outside job that would prevent them from having time to do research and/or tutoring.

For faculty and staff:

• Knowing which students are first gen to be able to be proactive and engage early. Short of asking in class… how can this information be obtained?
• Ensuring that students are aware of all available resources… which means also making faculty and staff aware of the resources available
• Lack of flexibility in SOAR (First Year Experience) structure/timing

For faculty, staff and students:

• Pulled in different directions
• Meeting time conflicts
• Common metrics, making sure that everyone is measuring whatever outcomes we want measured and we look at the data (really across the state)
• There were 4 meetings with administrators arranged by the students that were either canceled or the administrator did not show. Who reschedules/follows up on this?
• Communication and clear/static objectives from First2 Network to the institution.

Appreciation

for

Administrative support at Fairmont State

Mirta Martin, President

Dianna Phillips, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs

Merri Incitti, VP for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Operations

Joy Hatch, VP /Chief Information Officer - Information Technology

Christa Kwiatkowski, VP for Administrative and Fiscal Affairs

Ken Fettig, VP for Student Success and Affairs, Enrollment Services

Steve Roof, Dean of the College of Science and Technology

Deb Hemler, Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences

Anthony Gilberti, Chair of the Department of Engineering Technology

Jacob Abrams, John Devault, Susan Rodriguez, JaRhonda Staples, Brittany Cuchta, Emily Swain, Fran McClure, Christy Burner, Amantha Cole, Jolie Carpenter, Monica Cochran, Holly Fluharty, Debbie Russell, Sarah Pickett, Sharon Carpenter, and many more

Thank you!

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Questions?

https://first2network.org