Student Life Committee Meeting September 16, 2022
Present from the board
- Lee Vreeland, Ed.D. (Chair)
- The Honorable Richard S. Bray
- Regina Brayboy
- Steven Kast
- C. Larry Pope
- LTC (R) Boris G. Robinson
Present from Administration, Faculty, and Students
- Dr. Lisa Duncan Raines, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success
- Dr. Kevin Hughes, Vice President for Student Affairs
- Rob Lange, Dean of Admission
- Dr. Rocio Gordon, Faculty Senate Representative
- Celine Rosario, Student Government Association President
Not in attendance
- Sean Miller
Visitors
- Dr. Robert Colvin, Interim Chief of Staff
- Julianna Wait, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services and University Registrar
Call to Order
Committee Chair Vreeland called the meeting to order at 9 a.m.
Approval of Minutes
Steven Kast motioned to accept the minutes from the June 2022 Student Life Committee meeting, with Regina Brayboy seconding the motion. The minutes were unanimously passed.
Freshman Admission
After introductions, Dean Lange shared a message from the President and CEO of the Association of Governing Boards. He read an excerpt calling for boards and senior leaders to discuss enrollment trends and their impact on business models.
At census last week, Lange reported that the Fall 2022 freshman class included 1,161 new freshmen, exceeding our goal of 1,150. He emphasized that a higher percentage of applicants were admitted than in past years to meet our goal, but that the academic profile of the class remains strong with an average GPA of nearly 3.8 and an average SAT score of 1,191. We have returned to meeting our annual, pre-pandemic goal of 400 new President’s Leadership Program freshmen, exceeding that number. 120 incoming freshmen are entering as participants in the Honors Program, and 28% of the class are students of color. This percentage was at 20% less than ten years ago. The biggest challenge moving forward remains the already declining yield rate prior to, but exacerbated by COVID. Early indicators for next year’s class are optimistic. Christopher Newport accommodated over 1,500 campus visitors this summer, and interviewed 500 rising seniors. These interviews will continue daily throughout the year. Applications went live August 1, and there are 4,296 applications in various stages of submission. Compared to this time last year, interviews have increased by 12% and applications by 14%. The deadline for Early Decision applications is November 15, and the Early Action application deadline is December 1. We are on track for the first normal recruiting season in three years with our recruiters on the road visiting high schools and representing the University at college fairs. This fall, we plan to attend 250 college fairs and visit 500 high schools. In addition to these travel recruitment activities, we have also returned to the traditional schedule of on-campus recruitment events.
Enrollment and Student Success
Dr. Duncan Raines welcomed the Committee and began highlighting the division-wide summer planning which happens each year in preparation for the fall semester. As a result, programming and support services are updated each fall to further enhance student success. Many of these student support services were outlined in the document shared in BoardDocs. Dr. Duncan Raines emphasized that our second-year students have experienced more than one year of “COVID learning,” and current freshmen have experienced more than two years of this very different learning environment. In Virginia, the responses to learning during COVID have varied for a variety of reasons. Regardless of the variety of learning approaches, students continued to graduate and have transcripts in support of their completion. Experiences have differed from student-to-student, and with this in mind, we have learned to look at student learning differently. An important lesson learned from last year’s freshman class is that they seem to respond better to individual attention versus a larger setting. Dr. Duncan Raines reported that this information was a factor in planning, designing and implementing student support services.
Dr. Duncan Raines discussed the roughly 4,600 enrolled students, indicating that 18% are first generation college students, 16% are student athletes, 54% are female, 46% are male, 13% are legacy students, about 20% are students of color and 110 students are enrolled in a graduate program at Christopher Newport University. Our relationships with these students begin before they ever come to campus as we collect information, put class schedules together and assist them in the transition to university life. We continue to work closely with these students throughout their years at Christopher Newport University, and in fact beyond, as our career center continues to provide services to alumni. Each year, our career center surveys the recent graduates regarding graduate school and employment, with the most recent survey including our 2021 graduates. Our students do very well, with the most recent information reflecting that 96% of our 2021 graduates are in graduate school or employed with over a 70% response rate. This survey is conducted annually, and in the various categories of interest, Christopher Newport consistently exceeds our peer institutions by at least seven percent in terms of our outcomes rate.
Fall semester involves a number of fairs for our students. The Accounting Fair was hosted last week, with 23 firms participating to include representation from the Board, 70% of whom are ranked by Inside Public Accounting as a top firm. Next week the annual Fall Jobs and Internships Career Fair will be on campus, followed by another boutique type fair targeting students in computer science and cybersecurity type majors and then the Graduate School Fair. Many of these fairs will be repeated in the spring semester. Because it is so important to start working with our students early, first year programming includes major exploration and the development of a four-year plan to include coursework and soft skills development such as talking with employers, finding internships. Individual student appointments in this area are up 30% in the first three weeks of the semester.
Dr. Duncan Raines discussed the robust peer education program, offering tutoring for over 130 courses in 30 disciplines. There are currently nearly 60 tutors, and hiring will continue as needs arise. Peer mentoring is also offered to populations of students, with about 30 peer mentors and roughly 100 students involved in this program. This support helps students transition to university life.
Dr. Duncan Raines confirmed there are currently four 4 cohorts of students participating in the Community Captains program; cohorts 1 and 2 are first- and second-year students enrolled at Christopher Newport. The retention rate for Cohort 1 is 95%, having lost student as the result of a medical issue, and that student intends to return in spring if able. Cohorts 3 and 4 are juniors and seniors in high school, engaged with our program both on- and off-campus. Of the 25 students enrolled at Christopher Newport University, nine are in the President’s Leadership Program (PLP), two are Bonner Scholars, one is a Wason Scholar, four earned Dean’s List honors last year, one is a Canon Scholar with a built-in internship, and one won the Dean’s Service Award for Student Affairs.
When asked to elaborate on the Community Captains program, Dr. Duncan Raines indicated the program began more than five years ago, with our previous provost, Dr. David Doughty, desiring to reach local talent in our public schools. These students were not enrolling at Christopher Newport University for any number of reasons, such as cost, the fear of not being admitted, and etcetera. The goal was to find a way for these students to enroll with us, earn their baccalaureate degree and give back to the community. Born in partnership with the Newport News Public Schools, the Director of the Community Captains Program and the Director of Admission Operations visit Newport News public high schools to recruit Community Captains. Program requirements include a 3.4 high school GPA which must be maintained, a PSAT score of at least 1,150, first generation college student status or a socio-economic challenge identified by the school system. The model accommodates up to 75 students in each, which we exceeded in the first year. Students in the program are engaged during their junior and senior years of high school, both on- and off-campus. Just before we began to work remotely at the beginning of COVID, Christopher Newport brought our campus to An Achievable Dream, complete with the pep band and busses of staff and students. The program involves a great deal of interactions and events to include families and school counselors. In addition to programming, a service element is also built in in keeping with the Christopher Newport philosophy. Cost is not an issue, as we cover a large portion of their direct charges. From a recruitment standpoint, the program involves transition to the university setting, and then admission and enrollment.
Dr. Vreeland discussed one of the Community Captains who has recently been spotlighted at An Achievable Dream. The student discussed the leadership that was instilled in her throughout COVID as a result of the Community Captains program. Steve Kast elaborated on the overall support, and how this well-thought out program is doing exactly what it should be doing; supporting the best and the brightest of the local students in hopes of them joining the Christopher Newport family and eventually giving back to our local community.
One of the lessons learned is that this program is not limited to support during the high school years; following and supporting these students once they enroll is critical. Programming has been updated to include a shared core advisor, a shared course—which many of these students indicate is their favorite class, and residence hall living arrangements which allow them to be near one another and still surrounded by other Christopher Newport students. These students participated in a community service project last year building beds for children who are bedless and residents of the Newport News community. This particular service event will be repeated this year, and two additional days of service have been added, to involve both students enrolled at Christopher Newport and our high school program participants.
The freshman class has just received three-week grades to provide an indication of how they are doing, and this information will be available to Dr. Duncan Raines later today. Mid-term grades will be available for all students around week eight. Advising and registration will begin in the third week of October.
Dr. Duncan Raines was asked about the Captains Care referral system, which is a resource available to faculty and staff to identify concerns regarding students. Based on concerns, students are referred for follow-up; for example, mental and physical health issues are referred to the Health and Wellness Center, academic issues are referred to the Center for Student Success for tutoring, time management tips, and etcetera. Many students have needed assistance with adjustment, retraining and refocusing in the post-COVID environment. Student success coaches are available to meet with students based on their individual needs with the intent of transitioning them to academics on their own with follow-up as needed. General updates are provided to the referral source to confirm that assistance has been provided. Dr. Vreeland attested to the full-circle assistance provided to students, as she has discussed the assistance provided with her former students who are now enrolled.
Student Affairs
Dr. Hughes began discussing the emphasis placed on transitioning students to the University over the summer. This year, academics were a primary focus, elaborating on the expectations of college professors and study habits, with a clear message on how to adjust their thinking for success. In addition, the meaning of being part of the Christopher Newport community was highlighted to include the importance of service. Dr. Hughes discussed the transition program for students in the President’s Leadership Program, which involves a co-curricular relationship with a leadership minor or second major with out of classroom experiences. Concepts are introduced in the June Leadership Adventure Experience that will later be taught in the course in which all freshmen with a leadership minor enroll. When students participate in Welcome Week, which occurs the week before classes begin, messages are reinforced about the values of the institution, the importance of a sense of community and the obligation to serve, which is highlighted in Day One of Service. This service opportunity involves students, faculty and staff, and is beneficial to us and the community, and students know this campus is expecting them to be engaged.
As this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the President’s Leadership Program, now having a few thousand alums – there is a great deal of excitement surrounding the program. We are intentionally working on expanding our reach and reputation, making plans to attend and present at five or six international conferences on leadership. Due to the success we have had, Christopher Newport University is a major player in leadership education and the application of it. Dr. Hughes advised the Committee he would be providing more information regarding upcoming events as they occur.
Dr. Hughes was pleased to report that life on campus is bustling, with thousands of students attending events. However, our students are returning with real hurdles to overcome. Today’s student population is facing very different challenges, especially given the impact of COVID. We have seen as much in the need for clinical services. With clinical visits well ahead of last year at this same point in time, we are pursuing a grant through the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to help us better assist our students. Accommodation requests from this freshman class have doubled and include learning-based accommodations such as distraction-reduced environments to take tests and longer test times to allow for slower processing. In addition, some accommodation requests are mental health driven and are related to anxiety, the number one challenge both on our campus and nationally. He noted that students expect the same level of accommodations they received in high school, which may or may not be how things are handled at the collegiate level. Waiving a foreign language is not something we do, but this may have been done in high school. Dr. Hughes indicated that this does not only apply to students who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In general, many students are underprepared for the rigors of university; their high school experiences may have included minimum grades, rolling gradebooks, and the ability to retake tests often. Social skills are also proving to be a challenge as students navigate from largely online participation to in-person interactions.
Steve Kast reminded Dr. Hughes of training he provided in the last four to five years relating to the increase in mental health challenges. He recalled it being a great presentation involving trends on our campus and comparisons with other institutions. Mr. Kast indicated that an updated training would be helpful to the Committee as they make decisions moving forward, and asked Dr. Hughes if he could facilitate this training for the Committee.
Dr. Hughes provided the Committee with the Revision to University Policy 9015 – Hazing Prevention and Response Policy. New legislation has been passed and is incorporated, driven by the death of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) freshman. Updates include training for all new students, which is already in process, a limited amnesty clause and a reporting requirement to the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform at The Pennsylvania State University. This policy is not limited to Greek organizations, and affects any organization or team dealing with membership requirements.
Student Government Association (SGA)
Celine Rosario greeted the Committee, confirming that the campus is busy with student participation. The Student Government Association hosted their first major event of the year, Light the Night, which was a huge success. Over 400 t-shirts were given to students as well as other promotional items, with anchor organizations present to discuss their clubs and organizations in hopes of recruiting students. Greek life is also in full swing, with very positive discussions on Adam’s Law and training involved with the new policy. The Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) welcomed back Pi Kappa Phi, with 10 new founding fathers and, as a whole, welcomed 37 new members into their eight chapters last week. The Panhellenic Council partnered with IFC and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) to present campus wide, Greek-related programs. They are now mainly focusing on pre-recruitment and Spring recruitment. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is working on a new proposal to have laundry dues included with housing, and is collecting statistics from other colleges to support this initiative. Other initiatives include working with parking to address specific concerns, and working with Information Technology Services (ITS) regarding the bandwidth on campus. Many students have complained about service, and ITS reported that only 14% of students access the cable television service provided to them. ITS discussed the statistics, and indicated that we sign a seven-year contract with the provider. We are planning to cancel the cable subscription and use that same budget of $100,000 to increase the bandwidth on campus, specifically in the residence halls. Celine indicated she is hopeful for spring, but certainly by fall, students will be able to utilize televisions on campus to stream and game with improved access. Also, to provide better cell service on campus, micro towers will be posted around campus on light posts to enhance signals. To date, Verizon has been the only provider to respond to requests to do so. Celine said she is working hard to listen to students, to see what they would like to see changed.
Adjournment
With no further discussion, Committee Chair Vreeland adjourned the meeting at 10:14 a.m.