ACUHO-I News Blog

Conducting background checks on prospective students is an occasional topic of conversation on ACUHO-I’s forums and listserv. Most institutions don’t do it, usually for a variety of reasons–logistics, expense and doubts about efficacy–but a few do. And many are often curious about the process and usefulness of the results. So when I saw this story on Inside HigherEd on conducting background checks on potential students, I thought of y’all.

Inside HigherEd’s article is based on a panel discussion that took place at the National Association of College and University Attorneys annual meeting. In addition to the  complications mentioned above,the possibility of creating an unwelcome atmosphere for students–either those with criminal histories who intend to stay on the straight-and-narrow, or law-abiding students who simply feel uncomfortable with the privacy issues involved.

On the panel was Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Nassirian discussed an AACRAO survey on backgrounding: While 66% of respondents reported collecting some information on arrests, convictions and crimes, only about 6% of those conduct background checks. A representative of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington said that school only requests background checks from a minority of students whose applications “raise red flags.” The students pay the $20 fee.

Some on the panel wondered if future behavior can be determined by background checks. People change rapidly in their teens and twenties, and young adults are known for making stupid mistakes. Most will never repeat those mistakes again. Also, some information on criminal background is self-reported, which limits its reliability.

Does your institution conduct background checks? Has it been considered? What’s the reasoning for doing so–or not?

In 1980, only three of every four Xavier University freshmen would return for a second year. Fewer than that would eventually graduate. These days at Xavier, a university with 6,996 students in Cincinnati, nine of every ten students return for their second year, and eight of ten ultimately graduate in six years. What changed? Not the students–they’re essentially, academically and fiscally, the same. It was Xavier’s retention efforts.

Adrian A. Schiess, as director for student success and retention, devotes his days to ensuring students who want to persist at Xavier are able to do so. He’s held the directorship since 1990; he was a professor at Xavier before that. Students with issues that may prevent them from continuing their educations are referred to Schiess. He’s assisted with many financial concerns–the most common problem–as well as mental health, academic and interpersonal issues. Post-freshmen year “melt” is a big concern for Xavier and most other institutions; freshmen drift and don’t return as sophomores. Thanks to Schiess’s and his staff’s efforts, Xavier’s freshmen retention rate is 86% for the last three years. (It was a bit higher, but the economy tamped it down.) This is better than the national mean for similar institutions, at 81.4%. Many problems that would prevent students from returning can be resolved. Often students who need extra help, whether in the form of financial aid, counseling or tutoring, are simply unsure of where to find it, and unfamiliar with navigating offices and advocating for themselves. Schiess’s office helps them do that, making it more likely the student will graduate, and strengthening the student’s bond with Xavier, the school that stuck with them.

Is there someone–or someones–on your campus whose entire job is devoted to retention? How does the housing office work with that person? If there isn’t a “retention position,” what efforts fill the gap?

Okay, that post title might be a bit cynical. But forgive me; it’s January in Ohio. I’m feeling a bit cynical, just like everyone in the Midwest does during these gray days of winter.

Anyway, once again America’s college freshmen have been surveyed for their opinions on everything from politics, to society, to what they’ll be when they grow up. According to the freshmen:

Most, 66.7%, have major or some concerns about paying for college. Just over 53% plan to cover some expenses with loans. Both of these numbers are up slightly since 2004.

Perhaps because of this, a vast majority of respondents, 78.1%, say “being very well off financially is an essential or very important goal.” According to the U.S. Census 2008 Current population survey, all those under 65 with a bachelor’s degree have mean earnings of $58,613, but y’know, bright eyes, bushy tails, all that. And $58K is hardly shabby.

So what have the future titans of America been doing in the meantime?

Well, 66.5% take notes in class; 53.9% ask questions in class; 57.8% support their opinions with logical arguments (that won’t be necessary for the 20.8% who plan to influence the political structure); and 30.9% research topics independently, when not required for class. While 51.2% “seek solutions to problems and explain them to others,” fewer are interested in  seeking solutions to problems they have: 47.3% look for feedback on academic work, and 46.6% revise their papers to improve their writing.

Many, 44%, identify as politically moderate. About 24% say they’re conservative or far right; 31.8% say they are liberal or far left. Students who identify with either political extreme are in a tiny minority; less than 4%.  On major issues of the day, 64.9% feel same-sex couples should be able to legally married; 62.8% feel only volunteers should serve in the armed services and 37.4% feel students from “disadvantaged social backgrounds” should be given preferential treatment for college admissions.

In addition to piles of money (perhaps to swim laps in, a’la Scrooge McDuck), most of our freshmen hope to have a family (74.7%), help others in difficulty (69.1%), and become authorities in their fields (58.5%). Fewer hope to excel in the creative arts; about 16% want to create artistic works, such as sculptures and paintings; 16% wish to become accomplished in a performing art, and 16% hope to create original works such as poems or novels. Hopefully, these students aren’t the same ones who find it extremely important to be wealthy. My post-college life has been very clear on one thing: creativity is nice, but it doesn’t bring in the big bucks.

As for their parents, 46.5% of respondents have fathers who do not have a college degree; 45.2% of their mothers don’t have one either.

During their first term, most plan on living in the residence halls (79.5%); 14.2% live with family, 2.8% live in a private apartment or house and 2.7% live in some other form of campus housing.

To see these numbers and more, check out The American Freshman: Fall Norms for Fall 2009, published by the University of California – Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute. The Chronicle of Higher Education and the Higher Education Research Institute have conflicting numbers when it comes to how many students were surveyed and how many institutions were involved. If we can get some clarification, we’ll post it here.

And keep in mind, if they were in Ohio in January when the survey was conducted, their answers might have been a lot different.

St. John’s University on Staten Island, NY, has partnered with local schools to create community service opportunties for its freshmen. It’s a win-win-win: The schools get necessary chores done; the freshmen bond with each other; and St. John’s basks in the glow of both of these benefits.

1. Tips for Parents of College Freshmen: These are good, solid, if not ground-breaking tips: Establish ground rules about money; sbe helpful but don’t try to fix everything; it’s okay if your son or daughter is undecided about a major or changes it (once or a few times). What would you add to this list? Do you provide such lists for parents of incoming freshmen? Do you think parents rely on them?

2. Advice from Those Who Have Been There, Done That: College graduates offer their advice to incoming freshmen, from “join an extracurricular activity” to “bring the things you really care about, even if they’re ‘childish.’” Once again, we ask: What would you add to this list?

3. 10 People You Should Know on MU’s [the University of Missouri] Campus: Who are the 10 people on your campus that freshmen should know?

4. The fourth is this list! Very meta of us, huh?

Whitman College, located in the mightily-fun-to-say Walla Walla Washington, sends their incoming freshmen a box of sweet onions to welcome them to the community. We blogged about the issue of “summer melt” a few weeks ago; Wabash College attempts to staunch this by sending incoming freshmen t-shirts, then requesting the students post a picture of themselves wearing it. Does your institution send any gifts to freshmen over the summer to reinforce their college choice?

Here’s a charming essay from an associate professor of English on the unusual bond that formed when he taught a two-semester freshman course. He mentions that his visits to the students’ residence halls helped him understand their lives in a better, more holistic way, and this improved his teaching.

Last weekend brought us the Education Life supplement in The New York Times. Obviously, it’s one of our favorite pieces to look through to see what others have to say about the higher ed profession.

For this issue, the paper tapped a number of students to write their reflections on the freshman life; many of which should be familiar to ACUHO-I members. There are stories of roommate squabbles, a student writes of her efforts to avoid common freshmen failings, and another recounts her economic struggles, along with other tales.

Another article profiles The Gen-1 Theme House at the University of Cincinnati. (Sound familiar? It was profiled in the latest issue of The Talking Stick.) Finally, helpful charts show what United States campuses send the most students to study abroad and which ones accept the most students from outside the U.S.

Lots of good material here. Check it out and share your thoughts in the comment section.

This story in the Boston Globecaught my eye. The Boston Foundation, a clearinghouse for charity dollars in Beantown, is giving $655,000 this year to several nonprofits that help students apply for college, request financial aid, and adjust to college life. Among the recipients is Bottom Line, an organization that says its students graduate from college at the same rates as more affluent, advantaged students do. Many institutions have programs that offer similar help, usually for lower-income or first-generation students, whose parents aren’t able to offer a great deal of monetary or social support for their college lives. The Boston Globe article, and similar ones I found, made me wonder… do nonprofit programs work with your institutions, your R.A.s, hall directors, and counselors? Are these partnerships formalized or on an as-needed basis? Comment here.

The Survey of Entering Student Engagement, (SENSE) the first-year student, community college counterpart to the National Survey of Student Engagement is still in its formative stages. However, SENSE results have already suggested issues for further study.

SENSE’s findings, released last week, suggest that first-year community college students don’t take advantage of the campus resources because they don’t know about them. Most students were able to register for classes and get other necessary paperwork completed, but didn’t know about remedial courses, tutoring, or their adviser’s ability to assist with schedule planning and prioritizing.

“It is also not deliberately designed to make readers feel really old!”

That’s a disclaimer from the introduction to the 2008 Beloit College Mindset List from the study authors, Ron Nief, Director of Public Affairs and Tom McBride, Keefer Professor of the Humanities and Professor of English. Intentional or not, however, that’s the result.

This year’s freshmen-the class of 2012-enter college with the following life experience:

• Seinfeld has always existed.
• The doctor has always used an ear thermometer for temperature-taking.
• The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno.
• IBM has never made typewriters.
• Harry Potter would be a college freshman now. (If you needcollege after finishing at Hogwart’s.)

Now that we’ve tortured ourselves with that (more at the link if you’re masochistic), this 2000 grad (that’s two years before the first Beloit Mindset for those of you keeping score) is going to take a Centrum Silver (circa. 1990) and lie down for a little while.

The youth…they are so young.