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S.07-86

()II'ICE OF THE

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC AND ASSOCIATE PROVOST

MEMO

ATTENTION Senate

FROM Bill Krane, Chair

Senate Committee on Underaraduate Studies

RE ?

Student Success program - special exemptions from Undergraduate Academic

Standing and Continuance Policy

DATE June 26. 2007

The Student Success program has been proposed as a two—semester pilot project

which will address issues of retention during Fall 07 and Spring 08. Two groups

of undergraduate students - International across the University and domestic

students in the Faculty of Applied Sciences - have been selected to participate in

this pilot which will be reviewed at the end of the Spring 08 semester.

S ?

Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies at a

meeting held June 12, 2007 gives rise to the following recommendation:

"That Senate approve that exemptions be made to existing Standing and

Continuance policies as follows:

At the end of the first enrolled semester subsequent to being placed on

Academic Probation, International and Faculty of Applied Sciences students with

both a SGPA and CGPA below 2.00, rather than being Required To Withdraw

(RTW), will be invited to enroll in the "Student Success" program. If they

choose this option, then their academic standing will be changed to Continuing

Academic Probation (CAP). Students who do not take up the program will

remain RTW, and will be required to meet the normal readmission

requirements.

At the end of Semester One of the "Student Success" program, if both the

SGPA and CGPA are below 2.00, a student will only be RTW if they have not

completed the prescribed non-credit modules. This is the only exception to the

current evaluation policy for students enrolled in the program. At the end of

Semester Two, the current evaluation policy will apply to all students.

A student enrolled in the "Student Success" program will not be permitted to

exceed 9 credit hours of regular course enrollment, with the exception of

S ?

students whose CGPA

2.00 at the end of Semester One. These students will be

in Good Academic Standing.

And that these exemptions be reviewed by the end of the Spring 2008 semester."

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

THINKING OF THE WORLD

Director, Academic Advisi

and Student Success

Student Success Program - Special Exemptions from Undergraduate

Academic Standine & Continuance Policy

MEMO

0

Student Services

MBC

3000

8888 University Drive

Further to my memo of April 25, 2007, I am providing clarification and additional

detail regarding the "Student Success' program and proposed changes to the Academic

Standing and Continuance policy. The attached document seeks to address concerns

and questions raised by SCUS at its meeting on May 1, 2007. Also, previously three

amendments to the Academic Standing and Continuance policy had been proposed.

These are now put forth as a request for 'exemptions' to the current policy. The

'exemptions' that will be required for the students who are selected and enroll in the

pilot program are as follows:

1. Current:

An undergraduate student's academic standing is evaluated upon

• completion of 9 credit hours. If a student's CGPA is below 2.00, they are placed on

Academic Probation (OAP). Upon completion of a subsequent semester, regardless

of the number of credits completed, a student is RTW if both their SGPA (semester

grade point average) and CGPA (cumulative grade point average) are below 2.00.

If their SGPA is

2.00 and CGPA is :5 2.00, then the student's standing is Continued

on Academic Probation (CAP).

Proposed:

At the end of the first enrolled semester subsequent to being placed on

Academic Probation, international and Faculty of Applied Sciences students with

both a SGPA and CGPA below 2.00, rather than being RTW, will be invited to

enroll in the "Student Success" program. If they choose this option, then their

academic standing will be changed to CAP. Students who do not take up the

program will remain RTW, and will be required to meet the normal readmission

requirements.

Current:

A student whose academic standing is CAP will be RTW if both their

SGPA and CGPA are below 2.00 in a subsequent semester. If their SGPA is

2:2.00

and CGPA is :5 2.00, then the student's standing remains CAP.

Proposed:

At the end of Semester One of the "Student Success" program, if both the

SGPA and CGPA are below 2.00, a student will only be RTW

they have not

completed the prescribed non-credit modules. This is the only exception to the

current evaluation policy for students enrolled in the program. At the end of

Semester Two, the current evaluation policy will apply to all students.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

THINKING OF THE WORLD

Current:

A student whose academic standing is OAF or CAP will not be permitted

to enroll in a course overload.

Proposed:

A student enrolled in the "Student Success" program will not be

permitted to exceed 9 credit hours of regular course enrollment, with the exception

of students whose CGPA

2.00 at the end of Semester One. These students will be

in Good Academic Standing.

If approved, the above policy exemptions, in conjunction with the "Student Success"

program, should be reviewed at the end of the Spring 2008 semester. At that point the

program will have been in place for two semesters, which should provide an adequate

review period. Using both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, the

program's affect on student success will be measured, and a recommendation will be

brought forward regarding the program's future.

c. Nello Angerilli, Associate VP, Students and International

Nancy Johnston, Senior Director, Student Learning and Retention

Kate Ross, Registrar & Senior Director, Student Enrollment

Richard MacLeod, Director (Acting), Records & Registration

07.

SIMON

FRASER

UNIVERSITY ?

THINKING

OF THE WORLD

Standing Required for Continuance

Every student is expected to maintain an acceptable standard of scholarship. Specifically, a student must maintain a

minimum CGPA of 2.00. A student who does not do so shall be considered to be performing unsatisfactorily in his/her

studies.

• upon first admission to Simon Fraser University, a student shall be placed in good academic

standing

• academic performance shall be evaluated on Simon Fraser University courses that have assigned

grades ('assigned grade' include grades A+ through to D, F, and N, but exclude P, W, CR, AE, CC,

DE, GN, FX, IP and AU)

Academic Alert

A student whose semester grade point average (SGPA) falls below 2.00, but who is not placed on any of the academic

standings given below, shall receive an 'academic alert' notification and shall be advised to seek guidance at

Academic Advising and Student Success in Student Services.

Academic Probation

A student who has a CGPA of less than 2.00 shall be placed on academic probation (OAP). A student on academic

probation may not register in a course overload. A student on OAP standing may not receive a 'letter or permission' to

attend another university or college.

Re q

uired to Withdraw

S ?

A student may be required to withdraw (RTW) after one or more semesters on academic probation (see 'outcomes for

a student on academic probation' below). A student on RTW standing may not receive a 'letter or permission' to

attend another university of college.

Extended Withdrawal

A student may be placed on extended withdrawal (EW) after she/he is required to withdraw (RTW), is readmitted and

subsequently is on academic probation for one or more semesters (see Outcomes for a Student on Academic Probation

below). A student on EW standing may not receive a 'letter of permission' to attend another university or college.

Outcomes for a Student on Academic Probation

A student on academic probation shall be evaluated at the end of each semester. If at the end of the semester

• the SGPA and the CGPA are each 2.00 or higher, the student shall be in good academic standing

• the SGPA is 2.00 or higher, but the CGPA is less than 2.00, the student shall continue on academic probation

• the SGPA is less than 2.00, but the CGPA is 2.00 or higher, the student shall continue on academic probation. (This

could occur if a student repeats a course.)

• both the SGPA and the CGPA are less than 2.00, the student shall be required to withdraw (RTW) from the

university or, if previously required to withdraw (RTW), shall be placed on extended withdrawal (EW)

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

THINKING OF THE WORLD

Withdrawn

Students

the University (required to withdraw or placed on extended

withdrawal) may apply for readmission based on performance achieved in external academic course work completed

after she/he last registered at Simon Fraser University (see below for details).

Readmission after Required to Withdraw

A former student who is required to withdraw (RTW) shall be eligible for readmission if she/he completes externally

further transferable academic work according to the following schedule (any of the following five options):

• 12-17 credit hours with a minimum

3.50

GPA

• 18-23 credit hours with a minimum 3.00 GPA

• 24-29 credit hours with a minimum

2.75

GPA or with the acceptance GPA (see

Acceptance GPA

below)

whichever is higher

• 30 or more credit hours with the acceptance GPA (see

Acceptance GPA

below)

• a completed 2 year technical diploma with a 70% minimum average and at least 12 credit hours of

transferable course work with a minimum 2.75 GPA. (The transferable work may be within the diploma

program or supplementary to it.)

Readmission

Students on Extended Withdrawal

A former student on extended withdrawal (EW) shall be eligible for readmission if she/he completes further

transferable academic work according to the following schedule (any of the following five options):

• 24-35 credit hours with a minimum 3.50 GPA

• 3647 credit hours with a minimum 3.00 GPA

• 48-59 credit hours with a minimum 2.75 GPA or with the acceptance GPA (see

Acceptance GPA

below),

whichever is higher

• 60 or more credit hours with the acceptance GPA

• a completed two year technical diploma with a 70% minimum average and at least 24 credit hours of

transferable course work with a minimum 2.75 GPA. (The transferable work may be within the diploma

program or supplementary to it.)

Acceptance GPA

The acceptance GPA refers to the minimum admission GPA in effect for that semester for British Columbia college

transfer students, according to enrolment limitation measures. The acceptance GPA may vary.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?

THINKING OF THE WORLD

Discussion Paper. 'Improving Retention using an Integrated, Collaborative Approach to Student Success'

Under the current policy on Academic Standing and Continuance, an undergraduate student's academic standing is evaluated upon

completion of 9 credit hours. If a student's CGPA is below 2.00, they are placed on Academic Probation. Upon completion of a

subsequent semester, regardless of the number of credits completed, a student is Required to Withdraw if their SGPA (semester

grade point average) and CGPA are both below 2.00. To be considered for readmission, students must complete transferable courses

at another post-secondary institution; readmission is based on the number of transfer credits and CGPA achieved in transfer courses.

Background Data

Students on Academic Probation or Required to Withdraw within 2 Years of Admission (Admit Year=200412005P

Admitted

OAF

% OAF

# RTW

% RTW

OAP

% RTW

Dom

Intl

Dom

Intl

Dom

Intl

Dom

Intl

Dom

Intl

52% of BC High School students with admission averages between 3.00 and 3.25 were on Academic Probation within two years of

admission, compared to 27.7% with admission averages between 3.25 and 3.50 and 8.7% between 3.50 and 3.75. Similarly, almost

twice as many BC College Transfer students with admission averages below 2.50 were on Academic Probation compared to those

with averages between 2.50 and 3.25.

Students with Unsatisfactory Academic Standing2

OAF/CAP

Total

Enrollment

#RTW/PW

Enrollment

The percentage of registered students that are RTW each term has been generally increasing since about 2000. While the percentage is

small, the increasing SFU student population translates into even larger increases in the number of RTW students. It is important to

note that the proportion of international students with unsatisfactory academic standing is higher than the proportion of domestic

students enrolled in any given term. In terms of overall numbers, it is estimated that approximately 10 to 15% of students in poor

academic standing are international students.

Based on Dynamic Student Retention Reporting Tool provided by Analytical Studies

Sources: SIMS Query and Analytical Studies Enrollment Reports

RTW Students Outcom&

RTW Undergraduate Students Admitted Fall 1996 to Summer 2006

BOA%

The main demographic differences between the groups that did and did not return are:

• ?

Returners are less likely to be international students,

• returners are more likely to have been admitted to SFU from BC-12,

• and returners are more likely to have been in the Faculty of Science at RTW.

Problems with Current Practice

The intent of the current policy is to ensure that students maintain a minimum academic standard during completion of their

program. However, because it is based on a very narrow set of criteria with fixed outcomes, it does not give due consideration to

individual student situations. As such, we continue to turn away bright, capable students. It must be recognized that there are many

factors that contribute to a students poor academic achievement, particularly in their early semesters. These include, but are not

limited to, inadequate learning and study skills, difficulty balancing work and study, transition issues, inappropriate course

load/course selection, etc. Although there are a number of resources in place at the University that provide academic and personal

support to students, they are largely uncoordinated, and under-utilized by those students who need them most.

Recommendations

In response to the growing number of students with poor academic standing, and the institutional objective to improve student

retention, we must develop proactive strategies that support student success and retention. More importantly, these should be

integrated and delivered collaboratively across the University. As part of this more progressive approach, we propose the following

mechanism for assessing academic success based on broader criteria:

All students who would normally be Required to Withdraw under the current policy should be required to enroll in a one or two-

semester Student Success' program which incorporates the following elements:

• a written agreement between the student, their academic advisor, and faculty designate outlining an action plan for the

student based on a student self-assessment, an advisor assessment, and any other assessment deemed appropriate (e.g.

learning specialist, counselor, etc.)

• mandatory one or two semester course designed to teach skills for academic success which incorporates learning and

writing skills, peer mentoring, on-line resources, facilitated study groups, English language resources, library skills, etc.

• utilization of prescribed resources, e.g. Health and Counselling, Student Learning Commons, SFU International, Centre for

Students with Disabilities, peer mentorship, etc.

• participation in prescribed workshops and seminars aimed at improving study skills, learning skills, time management, etc.

• regular consultations with an assigned academic advisor who will monitor and evaluate progress, approve course selection,

make appropriate referrals, and update action plan, as necessary, in consultation with faculty designate

• where necessary, successful completion of preparatory courses, such as FAL and FAN

• restriction on course load to 9 credits per semester

Upon completion of each term in the 'Student Success' Program, a student's academic standing will be evaluated by their advisor and

faculty designate. If the student has satisfactorily completed their action plan, then, depending on their level of academic

achievement, they will either be reinstated to their regular academic program, on Academic Probation or in Good Academic

Standing, or they will be required to enroll in the 'Student Success' Program for a subsequent semester. Details regarding minimum

GPA requirements need to be determined.

t,.

Based on Academic Standing longitudinal study provided by Analytical Studies

Anticipated Revenue from

:Tuition

Fees for 250 Students

Rned

Dortesti Students (125)

$372,798

y.:.ttIdents (125)

Currently, a significant number of these students will expend their tuition dollars at other institutions after leaving SFU. With an

estimated success rate of 60% (as per University of Alberta), we stand to retain an additional

125 international students annually. A

recent longitudinal study of academic standing undertaken by Analytical Studies shows the proportion of students returning to

complete their degrees at SFU after being Required to Withdraw is already low and is decreasing. This is likely due to many factors,

but we believe it is primarily a result of increased competition for students across the country. Given the relatively low cost of this

initiative, the potential for a significant decrease in lost tuition revenue, and a unique opportunity to improve our reputation with

our students and in the community, we recommend this proposal be considered for immediate implementation.

Submitted by Rummana Khan Hemani & Ring Lee,

Academic Advising and Student Success

Updated May 9, 2007

Student Success Program

Additional information requested by SCUS:

What is the cost to students for enrolling in the program?

The cost for the two-semester program will be $500 (total for two semesters), and will be the same for both

international and domestic students. The full amount will be charged at the beginning of the first semester. Students

who are eligible to continue at the University, i.e. not Required to Withdraw (RTW), after completion of the second

semester will receive a $250 tuition credit towards their subsequent semesters tuition fees. In addition, students can

enroll in up to 9 credit hours of regular courses. Normal tuition and fees will apply to credit courses, with

international students admitted Fall 2003 and onwards paying the differential rate.

What contextual changes are driving this program?

In response to the growing number of students with poor academic standing, and the institutional objective to

improve student retention, we must develop proactive strategies that support student success and retention. This

type of program has been proven to improve retention rates amongst students who are struggling academically. Data

shows that our RTW and OAP rates have been generally increasing since 2000. Given the declining admission

averages of our new students, we can anticipate this trend to continue. Therefore, it will become increasingly

important for us to support students who are facing academic difficulties. We know that improved retention rates

results in improved reputation, which, over the long term, leads to greater success in recruiting high quality students.

We can consider this program an investment in our students that should have long lasting returns.

subsequent phases of the program would be expanded to

include OAP students. Given the challenges the University is facing in meeting new student targets, we are more

reliant on continuing or returning students. As a 'stop-gap' strategy, an immediate reduction in student attrition can

be realized by reducing the number of students who are RTW. We know that significant numbers of these students

are not returning to the University for various reasons that merit further investigation. It would certainly be a

desirable long term strategy to implement this program for students on academic probation, or even earlier, and

actually, reduce the number of students who reach 'academic crisis'.

Why is this program being targeted to International students?

The primary reasons for targeting international students:

• International students are overrepresented in the group of RTW students (see tables 1 and 2)

• International student retention is an area of significant concern, particularly as it becomes increasingly

difficult to recruit new international students to meet enrollment targets

• Data shows that, after being RTW, International students return to study at the University at significantly

lower rates than domestic students (see table 3)

• During the discussions regarding partnering with IBT, in response to concerns raised by students, the

University promised to enhance activities for international student retention

Table 1 shows the proportion of international students versus domestic students, admitted in a given year, who

became RTW.

I ?

q. ?

Revised June 15, 2007

Percentage of Registered Domestic Students "RTW"

or Ineligible to Reregister, by

Semester

Domestic

--Fall

199r,971997-981998-991999-002000-012001-02

Academic year

---

--/

Table 1: Students Required to Withdraw within 2 Years of Admission (Admit Year=200412 005)

Admitted

RTW

RTW

11.0

10.5

15.3

9.0

15.6

Table 2 (a) shows the percentage of registered international students who were RTW over a 10 year period and Table

2 (b) shows the percentage of registered domestic students who were RTW for the same period.

Table 2(a)

Percentage of Registered International Students

"RTW" or Ineligible to Reregister, by Semester

international

1996-971997-981998-991999-002000-012001-02 2002- 2003- 2004- 2005-

03 ?

04 ?

05 ?

Academic year

Note: This plot includes both h,tanatiored A (unfunded) and International B (grandfath&ed) Students

Table 2(b)

/ ?

Revised June 15, 2007

Table 3 shows the proportion of domestic students versus international students who returned to the University after

being RTW.

Table 3: RTW Students Outcomes

RTW Undergraduate Students Admitted Fall 1996 to Summer 2006

%RTW

5. What is the program budget?

Student Success Program ?

Budget 2007/2008

Costs

Module development

$20,000

1.0 FTE Program Coordinator

$81,661

1.0 FTE Academic Advisor

$65,524

On-line assessment tools

$3,091

1.5 FTE Learning Skills Coordinator

$296,768

We will have to factor in resources required at the faculty level for additional advising

Revenue

Program Fee for 250 Students @ $250/ea

$163,750

from

Incremental Tuition

& Fees for

2cfl Students

Domestic Students (125)

$372,798

International Students (125)

$1,122,948

Total

$1,495,745

6. What are the resource implications for the Faculties?

The pilot program is being developed for students in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and International students. All

students entering the Student Success program will be assigned an academic advisor in Student Services. Where a

student has a declared major, their assigned academic advisor will consult with their department or school advisor to

1/. ?

Revised June 15, 2007

develop an appropriate course plan for the student. This will typically average one hour per student. The large

•

majority of International students who are RTW do not have a declared major, and therefore, they will primarily seek

academic advising in Student Services. The following table shows the breakdown of International and Applied

Sciences RTW students by program and declared major:

RTW International Students (excluding Applied Sciences)

3pring 2007 Term

(lUll

Actual)

Prog

Intl A

Intl B

Declared

Undeclared

BA

28

1

2

27

BSC

13

0

7

6

BUS

5

0

5

0

HLTH   

1

0

1

0

Total     

47

1

15

33

* non-degree seeking Arts

Summer 2007 Term

(1074

Projected)

Prog

Intl A

Intl B

Declared

Undeclared

BA

19

1

1

19

BSC

5

0

3

2

BUS

1

0

1

0

HLTH   

0

0

0

0

Total     

25

1

5

21

all 2007 term (1077 Projected)

Prog

Intl A

Intl B

Declared

Undeclared

BA

41

1

3

39

BSC

3

0

2

1

BUS

0

0

0

0

HLTH    

0

0

0

0

Total      

44

1

5

40

RTW Applied Sciences Students (Domestic and International)

Spring 2007 Term (1071 Actual)

Prog

Intl A

Intl B

Domestic

BACH   

1

0

22

BGSAP   

1

0

1

CMNS   

1

0

9

CMPT   

2

0

15

ENSC   

2

0

10

IAT

2

0

1

IATA     

0

0

2

KIN

0

0

9

PCMPT   

1

0

0

Total     

10

0

73

/ ?

ia. ? 

Revised June 15, 2007

Summer 2007 Term (1074 Projected)

Prog

Intl A

Intl B

Domestic

BACH

BGSAP

CMNS

CMPT

ENSC

PCMNS

Fall 2007 Term (1077 Projected)

Prog

Intl A

Intl B

Domestic

BACH

BGSAP

CMNS

CMPT

ENSC

PCMNS

7. What is the program curriculum?

• The program curriculum is being developed by a working group with staff and faculty from Student

Learning & Retention, Student Learning Commons, Health and Counselling, Faculty of Applied Sciences,

Mathematics and Statistics, and the FAL (Foundations of Academic Literacy) program

• Students will be allowed to take up to 9 credit hours per semester of regular courses, as prescribed by

their academic advisor, in each of the two semesters

• Several individual academic advising consultations per semester

• A written agreement between the student and the program outlining expectations from each party

• Every student will receive an assessment of their study/learning skills and other academic skills, e.g.

writing and numeracy; areas requiring strengthening and support will be identified

• Every student will develop a personal learning plan prescribing resources, workshops, and non-credit

modules

• All students will be required to take a core study/learning skills module (non-credit); topics covered will

include time management, motivation, exam anxiety, academic writing, library/research skills, etc.

• Where appropriate students will be directed to take FALX99 and/or FANX99

• Additional non-credit modules (two to four weeks) will be prescribed as required:

-International student transition

-English as an Additional Language modules for reading, writing, and oral skill development

-Budgeting workshop offered by Financial Aid & Awards

-Computer skills, e.g. MS Word, Excel, SPSS

-On-line instructional modules for improving study/learning skills

-Discipline specific modules will be developed by instructors/faculty

• Students will also be encouraged to participate in facilitated study groups led by peer educators and

other peer led programs, such as the International Mentorship program

13.

Revised June 15, 2007