Retention
Increase English and Math Enrollment in First Year

Clarify ‘new student’ pathway to encourage English and math completion as soon as possible. Students are putting off enrollment in math and English which impacts their progress and our SCFF funding. Working with the Office of Outreach and the Office of Communications, we will update student onboarding materials and messaging (printed and web-based) for new students at the high schools and integrate the new messaging into the orientation process.


Lead: Casie Wheat

Plan Timeline

Winter 2024


Status:

Spring 2024

  • Project lead made call for staff/faculty participation.
  • Workgroup formed and outlined project goals and objectives. Goals and objectives included:
  1. Consult Institutional Research to get a better understanding of which student populations might not be completing English and math in their first year.
  2. Conduct meetings with campus partners to understand any regulatory changes or campus initiatives that might impact math and English enrollment (i.e. AB 1111, AB 1705, etc.).
  3. Meet with Support Services to identity any barriers that impact math and English enrollment.
  4. Conduct an inventory of onboarding materials for new students, and determine where updated English and math enrollment messaging may need to be integrated.
  5. Develop materials that Support Services can use to encourage students to start English (or ESL) and math (by ed goal) in their first year. Translate materials into multiple languages, if possible.
  6. Consult the Office of Communications to develop a strategy and/or materials that encourage English and math enrollment during a student's first year at De Anza.
  7. Begin to incorporate the new messaging/materials into onboarding and new student communication to new students.
  8. Monitor changes in student enrollment and completion of English and Math in their first year. Capture feedback from campus partners and students. Assess project strategy and materials, adjust as necessary. Post project, evaluate the rate at which students are enrolling in math and English in their first year.
Status: Completed

Fall 2024

  • Met with Office of Communications to discuss project foundation.
  • Met with IR with requests for student quantitative data outcomes to 1) identify any student populations that might not be completing English and math in their first year and 2) identify any student barriers relating to English and math course completion. Findings used to direct project activities.
  • COUN 5 section surveyed to capture qualitative feedback from students on registration issues and onboarding needs relating to ESL/English and math classes.
  • Counselors were surveyed for the purposes of identifying already existing English and Math registration resources.
  • Support Services were surveyed to capture feedback on what is getting in the way of English and math course completion.
  • Met with Admissions and Records and learned about technical issues impacting English and math registration (with consideration to co-requisites).
  • Participated in AB 1705 and AB 1111 meetings.
  • Completed a robust review of other college webpages and gathered best practices for student matriculation (apply, assessment, prerequisites, ed planning, registration) website information.
Status: Completed

Winter 2025

  • COUN 5 section surveyed for a second time with hopes to capture more student voices.
  • Completed both Banner SSB9 and SSB8 registration error testing. Each error test instance was documented.
  • AB 1111 and AB 1705 conversations continue to advise any newly developed student communications and materials.
  • Gathered and reviewed financial aid information for new student messaging.
  • Drafted a “New Student Next Steps” Canvas course in collaboration with the Office of Outreach and High School Relations. Course purpose: To teach new students about their next steps after application workshop and before Orientation; including how to get help, and who to get help from (Admissions, Assessment, Ed Planning, Registration, Paying for College/Financial Aid, etc.).
Status: Completed

Spring 2025

  • Analyze student qualitative data captured from COUN 5 survey. Develop messaging strategy/materials development based on survey findings.
  • Brainstorm on ways to capture more student voices, if needed.
  • Analyze registration errors captured; meet with Admissions and Records to explore possible student messaging options associated with registration.
  • Continue to follow AB 1111 and AB 1705 conversations, and incorporate any changes impacting English and math enrollment in draft materials.
  • Continue to collaborate on the “New Student Next Steps” Canvas course development; gain approvals to move project forward; pilot with incoming new students identified by the Office of Outreach.
  • Analyze student matriculation and registration messaging from other colleges; adopt examples of best practices for De Anza messaging.
  • Meet with the Office of Communications to establish project milestones and timeline for materials request, and student communications strategy. Request to translate materials into multiple languages, if possible.
Status:

Fall 2025

  • Continue to work with the Office of Communications and track project milestones.
  • Begin to incorporate the new messaging and materials into on-boarding and communication to new students.
  • Share out materials with Support Services through workshops and presentations at meetings and in-service training (MPS, EPS, Guided Pathways, etc.) and with discipline departments (math, English) to encourage students to start English and math in their first year.
Status:

Winter 2026

  • Continue to work with the Office of Communications.
  • Begin to incorporate the new messaging and materials into on-boarding and communication to new students.
  • Share out materials with Support Services through workshops and presentations at meetings and in-service training (MPS, EPS, Guided Pathways, etc.) and with discipline departments (math, English) to encourage students to start English and math in their first year.
Status:

Spring 2026

  • Continue to capture both student, community, and Support Services feedback on materials. Implement any changes.
Status:

Fall 2026

  • Continue to capture both student, community, and Support Services feedback on materials. Implement any changes.
Status:

Winter 2027

  • Reopen project request with Institutional Research to evaluate the rate at which students are enrolling in math and English in their first year.
Status:

Spring 2027

  • Summarize project findings.
Status:

Fall 2027


Status:
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