'Connections' at USU helps keep freshmen coming back

By Michelle Bills Butler

March 19, 2008 | The freshman year represents a stressful transition for many college students. Although most people look forward to the new freedoms and social experiences that are associated with college, many students are unable to successfully manage the transition and dropout during or near the end of their freshman year.

According to an article on the predictors of academic achievement, it is estimated that over 40 percent of college students will leave their higher education before earning a degree and that nearly 75 percent of such students leave within the first two years of college. Along with that, the same study found that the freshman year experiences higher dropout rates than any other academic year, with rates commonly as high as 20-30 percent.

This has become a growing concern for many universities across the United States. According to M. Scott DeBerard, who co-authored the Predictors of Academic Achievement article, for every student that leaves a university before completing a degree, it costs that college or university thousands of dollars. This occurs from the unrealized tuition, fees, and alumni contributions. The decision to drop out is also harmful for the student, says DeBerard. Their decision will often leave them in a job that will earn much less than if they had earned a degree.

Universities around the nation have conducted numerous studies to learn why many students don't finish their college education. Elizabeth Gehrman says one problem is in the transition from high school to college.

"The 'go to class, pass your courses' philosophy of most of today's urban high school students is not giving them the strategies they need to get through college," Gehrman emphasized. "Work on college means they'll actually have to do something in high school between freshman and senior years."

This large gap between high school education and the expectations of college classes leaves many incoming freshman overwhelmed and unable to handle new expectations. The increase in classroom size alone can leave a student feeling lost and they quickly fall behind.

Many colleges have begun studying the reasons why so many freshman drop out and have created programs to help students adapt to college life. These programs have been dubbed "freshman survival courses" and teach freshman study techniques, time management, and how to meet new friends. "Basically we're teaching students how to learn at the collegiate level and how to enjoy their new environment," says Raymond A. Brown, dean of admission at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Utrah State University's program is called the A-Team. It's an organization composed entirely of current students, and their main purpose is to help with student retention. They do this through a program called SOAR. It stands for Student Orientation, Advising and Registration. SOAR is mandatory for all incoming freshman and occurs over the summer.

According to the SOAR manual, the program was started 20-25 years ago to insure that the incoming freshmen received guidance and help, and most importantly, to make sure that students had a positive first year experience. While many students don't look forward to college orientation and many skip out on it, according to Randall S. Hansen, orientation is one of the first steps to having a successful freshman year.

Said Hansen, "Go to all orientations. The faster you learn your way around campus--and around all the red tape--the more ease you'll feel and the better prepared you'll be when issues arise."

When students attend their one day SOAR session, they receive a wealth of information, the most important being how to take control of their education and make the most from their time at USU. Students are placed in groups of 15-20 and each group is assigned an A-Team member. The members of the A-Team have been in training since the beginning of the year and are now able to relay important information.

"The A-Team is so important. It allows the incoming students to have a way to connect with the university and start on the right foot," said Lisa Hancock, the A-Team program administrator.

Hancock is the one responsible for the A-Team's training. Getting the A-Team ready for SOAR and its many responsibilities takes a lot of work and starts early in the school year. Recruitment begins in November, with applications available for anyone who is interested. Potential candidates go through an interview, and are then filtered out until the 30 available positions are filled. Many of the people who form the A-Team are returning for a second or third year.

"I love the A-Team. I get to be a part of campus in a way few are. Also, the rewards are well worth it. I've made so many great friends, and you get to see firsthand the students you help," said Sarah Reale, an A-Team coordinator. "Also, you work with the incoming freshmen in so many different ways."

After being selected to join the A-Team, new members realize for the first time just how much work is ahead of them. Every spring semester, a mandatory class is held on Thursdays at that dreary time of day, 4:30 pm. It's during these classes that the A-Team is taught how to register students and deal with the many problems encountered with registration. They learn the history of campus and fun facts that they will later pass on to the students at SOAR.

Come summer, each A-Teamer will have to be ready to answer questions, whether from a distraught student or irritated parent. For many of the incoming freshmen, those of the A-Team are their first contact with the university.

And it's this contact that has shown to be helpful in the retention of students. Near the end of the summer, a program called Connections runs the week before classes begin in August. Originally called "Survival," it was started as a course to help students distinguish between high school and college expectations. Now called Connections, it is a course that students can earn two credits from, but more importantly, it gives students a week to adjust to campus and meet new friends.

"I liked coming to Connections a week before classes began. It helped me get accustomed with campus," said third-year student Rachel Johnson.

One of the driving ideas behind Connections was for the A-Team members to act as peer mentors for the incoming students. After the course ends half way through the semester, A-Team members continue to interact with the students. Weekly e-mails are sent out, informing the students of different activities and important events during that week, and as the semester draws to an end, each A-Team member sends an individual e-mail to every one of their 20-30 Connections students.

The e-mails are meant to check on each student's status, see how their first semester went, how they're doing in their classes, and then to help them register for the next semester. The e-mails continue throughout the year, and help give the students someone to go to for questions or help. For many of the A-Team members, they remember how much help they received from the A-Team and how it helped them adjust that first year. That experience is one reason why many on the A-Team joined.

"I wanted to help the incoming students just like I was helped as a freshman. I still remember who my A-Team member was and really appreciated her help and concern," said Reale.

This extra concern and support has helped many incoming freshman handle the many uncertainties that arise throughout the year. Having a friendly face to go to has kept many students from returning home.

"I really appreciated the support and help of my A-Teamer, Christie," said Jennifer Bills, a first year student. "I was really nervous beginning classes and making sure I took the right classes and where my classes where. Christie made sure that I had the right classes and during Connections walked around with me on campus and showed me the building my classes would be in. Plus, she kept in touch throughout the semester and made sure I was still doing all right."

For Utah State University, they have found great success through the A-Team. For many of the incoming freshman, the warm smiles and friendly personalities are just what they need as they begin to tread unfamiliar waters. In the time that the A-Team and especially Connections has been around, the freshman retention has increased and more freshmen have remarked that they experienced a great first year.

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