Fiscal Year 1994-1995
Introduction
This report includes assessment results for the following components:
The Following remaining components will be reported on in the annotated year: General Education (1996), Undergraduate Retention and Attrition (1996), Procedures for Student Development (1996), Library Resources and Services (1996), Administrative and Financial Processes and Performance (1997), and Facilities (1998).
CHE is responsible for the following components: Program Changes, Success of Entering Students in Meeting College or University Admissions Prerequisites, and Minority Student and Faculty Access and Equity.
The following components do not apply to our institution: Majors or Concentrations, Performance on Licensing and Certification Exam, Academic Performance of Student Athletes, and Research.
1. General Education
This component was reported on last in 1992. Based on the schedule of reporting, this component will be reported next in 1996.
2. Majors or Concentrations
This component is not applicable to our institutional type.
3. Performance of Professional Program Graduates on Licensing and Certification Exams
This component is not applicable to our institutional type.
4. Reports of Program Changes that have Occurred as a Result of External Program Evaluation
There have been no changes in 1995 as a result of external program evaluations.
5. Academic Advising
Academic advising provides students with an understanding of their rights and responsibilities for completion of their degree, program and/or career preparation. Academic advisement at USC Salkehatchie involves faculty and student services personnel providing assistance to students about how the institution can assist them in meeting their educational, career, and personal goals.
Indicators: Student satisfaction with their personal experience with advisors and the quantity and quality of information they receive from them is a prime indicator of success in this area. Also, the actual accuracy of the information provided to them is a significant factor assessed.
Assessment Methods: USC Salkehatchie regularly surveys its students to determine their satisfaction with many aspects of their Campus experience, including academic advising. Until 1994, only general satisfaction was measured, but beginning last year additional items were included to address aspects of advisement, for example, availability, willingness to listen and help, and helpfulness of information. An even more extensive survey was administered to a focus group of Student Government Association (SGA) Officers in spring 1995. Additionally, student services and academic affairs personnel get informal feedback from students on their experiences with advisement.
Assessment Results: Over the last three years, the level of student satisfaction with advisement as measured by a general survey has been as follows: 1993 (75%), 1994 (76%), 1995 (62%). The institution is concerned about the drop in satisfaction this year. However, rates have fluctuated over the years, and at this point close monitoring is in order.
The more detailed survey administered to SGA officers in a focus group setting reveals a much higher level of satisfaction with advisement. Selected results are as follows:
Item Percent Satisfied Amount of time spent with advisors 92% Accuracy of academic information 83% Advisor's willingness to listen 100% Information about campus services 75%
In light of these results and the fact that student services and academic affairs personnel report few problems with advisement, the Campus is in general satisfied with the quality of advisement students receive.
Use of Assessment Findings: Because USC Salkehatchie has recently expanded the number and depth of indicators used in surveying students on advisement, we will need to evaluate the results over a longer term than one year to assess the reliability of results and to identify trends. The recent decrease in student satisfaction is certainly an area to be monitored closely. Advisement will be a topic to be considered during faculty meetings next fall.
One change that has occurred in advising is involvement of faculty in the advisement of new students during summer. To assist in this area, a sample two year or more curriculum for all USC majors was developed as a guide for both faculty and students.
6. Entry-Level Placement and Developmental Education
Entry-level skills are defined as the skills in reading, writing, and mathematics necessary for students to succeed in higher education. Students determined not ready for college work are placed in developmental courses.
Indicators: Indicators include placement rates in developmental courses, gains made in the courses as determined by comparing pre- and post-test scores, and the rate of success of students in follow-up courses to the developmental ones.
Assessment Methods: For placement, the ASSET test is used in reading and English, and a local test is used for math. Referral rates are monitored and compared year to year. Another version of these tests is given as a post-test at the end of the courses to measure gains in skills. English and math students' performance is tracked in the follow-up English or quantitative course; for reading, students' cumulative GPR is tracked, as well as their performance in later reading intensive courses (currently government and sociology).
Assessment Results: Referral rates into developmental courses have remained consistent over the past two years. For fall, 1994, they were 27% for English, 30% for reading, and 59% for math. Post-test gains continue the recent upward trend : an increase of 4.14 out of 36 items for English, an increase of 2.96 out of 24 items for reading , and an increase of 6.77 out of 30 items for math.
In terms of the performance of developmental students in subsequent courses, 62.2% of students enrolled in ENGL 100 passed ENGL 101, with more than half of them making the same or a higher grade. 60.7% of MATH 100 students passed the next math or other quantitative course, with 2/3 of them getting the same or higher grade. About half our developmental reading students earned a cumulative GPR of 2.0 or better. Consistently more than half of our developmental English and reading students earned the same or a higher grade in a subsequent government or sociology course.
Use of Assessment Findings: Success rates of students exiting developmental courses and completing subsequent courses dropped between last year and this one. Salkehatchie personnel are assessing the situation, particularly in reading, and note that the Fall 1993 to Fall 1994 retention rate for developmental students was only 34%. Since our retention rates for these students have ranged over the years from 47% to 63%, we believe the results for that year are largely situational and are proceeding cautiously with any changes. Preliminary informal feedback for 1994-95 shows definite improvement. This situation will be closely monitored.
7. Success of Entering Students in Meeting College or University Admissions Prerequisites
This component is not applicable to our institutional type.
8. Achievement of Students Transferring from Two to Four-Year Institutions
An important mission of USC Salkehatchie is to provide at least the first two years of a baccalaureate education. Most Salkehatchie students move to USC Aiken or USC Columbia to complete their education and are not transfer students; rather they change campuses within the University. Their progress is monitored.
Indicators: Indicators of success are the progression of these students to higher grade levels and their cumulative grade point ratio (GPR) at the senior campuses.
Assessment Methods: Using data provided by USC Columbia, we studied the progress of change of campus students enrolled at USC Salkehatchie in Spring 1992. Their performance was tracked at USC Aiken and USC Columbia through Spring 1994.
Assessment Results: Assessment of the performance of these students at the senior campuses reveals that they make very good progress, an especially remarkable result since only 35.1% of those moving to Columbia and 7.6% of those moving to Aiken originally met the eligibility requirements for admission to those Campuses. We do note a slight drop in grades the first semester after students move, understandable since they are moving from a rural area to a more urban one, but then grades stabilize or even improve.
Summary results for the indicators mentioned above include the following. With regard to progression to upper class status, by Spring 1994 86.5% of Salkehatchie students moving to USC Columbia had attained junior or senior status, while 80.8% of those moving to Aiken had attained that status. As for aggregate GPR by Spring 1994, those students moving to Columbia had attained a GPR of approximately 2.74, while those moving to Aiken had a GPR of approximately 2.71.
Thus we believe that their experience at USC Salkehatchie prepares students well to succeed in their baccalaureate work.
Use of Assessment Findings: USC Salkehatchie is very satisfied with the level of success of students changing campuses. It validates our mission of providing the opportunity for a baccalaureate education to those who might otherwise not have the chance.
Because the quality of advisement is important in facilitating change of campus, our current emphasis is on upgrading the effectiveness of advisement, an issue addressed elsewhere in this report.
Supplemental Information
The following is information concerning performance of students changing campuses from USC Salkehatchie to the baccalaureate-granting institutions of the University of South Carolina Aiken, Columbia, Spartanburg and, because of when these students were enrolled, Coastal Carolina. This information was produced from ongoing research efforts by the USC Regional Campuses Office. The cohort consists of those students who changed campuses after the spring semester from 1985 through 1990. These six groups of students were combined, thus producing a large cohort that encompasses many years. Lastly, this cohort represents a population, not a sample.
The 479 students left Salkehatchie with an average of 49 earned hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.99.
During the first semester at their respective "new" campuses, these students earned an average GPA of 2.45. Their cumulative average was 2.78.
Two academic years after leaving Salkehatchie, 118 (25%) of these students had earned a B.A./ B.S. degree while 261 (54%) were still enrolled. Six students (1%) were suspended and 88 (18%) of these students were not enrolled at a USC campus.
Three academic years after leaving Salkehatchie, 217 (45%) had earned a B.A./B.S. degree while 132 (28%) were still enrolled. Ten students (2%) were suspended and 110 (23%) of these students were not enrolled at a USC campus.
Four academic years after leaving Salkehatchie, 284 (59%) had earned a B.A./B.S. degree while 47 (10%) were still enrolled. Eleven students (2%) were suspended and 125 (26%) of these students were not enrolled at a USC campus.
9. Analysis of Undergraduate Retention and Attrition
This Component was reported on last in 1994. Based on the schedule of reporting, this component will be reported on next in 1996.
10. Minority Student and Faculty Access and Equity
This component will be reported on next in 1996 by CHE.
11. Academic Performance of Student Athletes
This component is not applicable to our institutional type.
12. Procedure for Student Development
This component was reported on last in 1993. Based on the schedule of reporting, this component will be reported on next in 1996.
13. Library Resources and Services
This Component was reported on last in 1992. Based on the schedule of reporting, this component will be reported next in 1996.
14. Administrative and Financial Processes and Performance
This Component was reported on last in 1994. Based on the schedule of reporting, this component will be reported on next in 1997.
15. Facilities
This Component was reported on last in 1994. Based on the schedule of reporting, this component will be reported on next in 1998.
16. Public Service
Public service includes the following activities at USC Salkehatchie: providing cultural experiences at the Civic Center, providing continuing education activities for both personal enrichment and professional training and retraining, providing service to public schools through the Salkehatchie Consortium, providing library services to community patrons, and providing personal services to community groups or agencies.
Indicators: Indicators of success in public service include the level of participation of community members or Salkehatchie employees in the above activities and the level of satisfaction with the activities.
Assessment Methods: The USC Salkehatchie Office of Institutional Research gathers and compiles data from various sources on participation in Civic Center events, continuing education activities, library usage, and Consortium activities. Salkehatchie personnel report on their community service during the annual evaluation process.
Assessment Results: The USC Salkehatchie Civic Center has sponsored five plays over each of the last three years, with the following attendance numbers: 1992-93 (76 participants), 1993-94 (357), 1994-95 (324). Especially the number of children attending has increased dramatically, in part a result of the decision not to charge admission to children's plays beginning in 1992-93.
Data concerning the activities of the Office of Continuing Education are as follows: 1992-93 (142 participants), 1993-94 (366 participants), 1994-95 (100 participants to date). In general, the performance of this office has been a mixed success. Though the quality of the offerings remains high, it seems that total numbers will decrease this year. On the other hand, the office has made a serious attempt to reach out to businesses, with success in training workers at Scotsman, Inc. of Fairfax over the last two years. Additionally the Summer Youth Program, with participants over the last three years of 37, 25, and 27, already has 40 enrolled for this summer.
The Salkehatchie Consortium of school districts has maintained stable membership and continues to provide a significant level of partnership between higher education and K-12 education.
During the 1994 election season, the Campus sponsored three forums at which candidates for various offices spoke, with a total attendance of more than 500.
While no hard data are available yet, the Campus libraries in Allendale and Walterboro provide significant library services to community patrons, especially high school students and students from other colleges in the region.
Salkehatchie faculty and administrators report their own activities in the community. They report giving talks to more than 50 groups during the 1994-95 year and report serving in leadership roles in more than a dozen community organizations.
Given the rural nature of the area served, the size of the Campus, and the relatively small number of people involved, USC Salkehatchie provides useful service to the public.
Use of Assessment Findings: In its ongoing assessment of public service, the institution decided not to charge admission to children's plays presented at the Civic Center, resulting in a major increase in attendance. As a result of internal assessment and the feedback provided by focus groups of community residents, the Continuing Education program is being reevaluated at this writing, and the Salkehatchie Speakers Bureau is being revitalized.
17. Research
This component is not applicable to our institutional type.