Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/10
Outputs
The overall purpose of the project was to increase the enrollment of students, particularly minorities in the family and consumer sciences areas here at Kentucky State University ( Area of Applied Human Sciences-formerly the Department of Home Economics. Its intent was to develop an active recruitment and retention program to increase the number of both traditional and nontraditional students within family and consumer sciences degree programs. Objective of the projects were 1) Design and implement a comprehensive recruitment mechanism, which will effectively identify potential family and consumer sciences undergraduate minority student majors, particularly African-American and Hispanic students, 2) Increase the number of minority family and consumer sciences student majors particularly African-American and Hispanic students by 50% in Fall 2008 semester over the number of African-American and Hispanic students enrolled in the Fall 2007 semester, which would have been a projection of twenty-three(23) students, and 3) Develop and implement a student retention program via mentoring and experiential learning that would result in an 80% retention rate in the Area of Applied Human Sciences by the end of Spring 2010 semester. The family and consumer sciences faculty along with the Recruitment/Retention Counselor ensured success in the project by identifying and assessing participants for the project, product development and dissemination, counseling, mentoring and advising participants. Objectives of the project were fulfilled. As a result of the project, 42 additional African-American student were recruited and admitted to the program. Twenty in year one of the project and twenty-two during year two of the project. During the scope of the project 35 student majors were awarded scholarships, college work-study, apprenticeships and part-time employment. To enhance recruitment efforts, a program brochure was developed and disseminated to local and surrounding schools, churches, 27 KSU alumni chapters across the U.S., and seventy-five community colleges across the nation. Over 3,500 degree programs were disseminated. To retain student majors, the financial aid provided by the grant played a major role. With such increase in tuition cost the scholarships, part-time employment, college work-study, and apprenticeships play a major role in recruiting as well as maintaining students in the program. PRODUCTS: Student scholarships, college work-study, part-time employment, and apprenticeships were awarded to 30 student majors during the scope of the project. A degree program brochure was developed and disseminated during both years of the project. Over 3,500 degree brochures and prospective student rosters were disseminated to prospective students, community colleges, and local and surrounding high schools. Three family and child development courses were overhauled for on-line and distance learning and available for fall 2010. OUTCOMES: A field-based practicum was developed for junior level student majors to obtain experience working in child care centers and family services agencies resulting from the experiences students gained via their apprenticeship and college coursework. The three family and children care courses with we modified for online and distance learning will greatly benefit nontraditional learners and those students who travel some distant to the university to take evening courses. Financial assistance was a means for maintaining program enrollment and recruitment of students to the program. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The project's annual summary report was disseminated at the end of each grant year with sister 1890 institutions agricultural sciences deans and directors and Kentucky State Department Agricultural and Family Consumer Sciences officials to inform them of the project successes and innovation. Three thousand five hundred degree brochures and prospective student rosters were developed and disseminated to high school students, community colleges, and university alumni chapters to recruit prospective students. A family and consumer sciences web page is continuing to be developed and placed on KSU's website to acquaint subscribers with program offerings and for the recruitment of student majors. The page is expected to be completed at the end of spring semester 2011. During year one of the project four students attended the Kentucky Early Childhood Annual Conference with their major professor who presented a workshop relative to young children's growth and development. During year two students attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Annual Conference. The project was also presented on the local cable television during year one and year two of the project. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Degree brochures and prospective student rosters will continue to be used as a means of recruiting students via high schools and community colleges. The field-based practicum which was developed for students to gain field experience in child care settings and family agencies will continue to be provided to junior level student majors in family and consumer sciences degree programs. Additional courses will be overhauled for online and distance learning for nontraditional and traditional students who travel to the university from long distance for evening courses.
Impacts
As a result of modification of three courses for online and distance learning, non-traditional student enrollment in online and distance learning courses is expected to increase by 15%. Those non-traditional learners who currently work in child care settings or drive long distance for courses will now be able to engaged in additional coursework via the internet or via distance learning. Students who successfully fulfill the field-based practicum experiences will now have greater opportunity for obtaining employed resulting from having engaged in a high quality field experience. Several of those student majors may become employed by the agency where they complete the field experience.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
The recruitment and retention program goal for 2008-09 was to increase the number of African American and Hispanic students in the Area of Applied Human Sciences at Kentucky State University. In the fall of 2008, the program appointed a Recruitment and Retention Counselor to facilitate recruitment and retention of student majors. The target of recruitment was geared towards African American and Hispanic middle and high school student throughout Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. High school recruitiment activities included contacting counselors, attending college days, communicating and follow up with potential students and visitations.During spring 2009, the Recruitment and Retention Counselor traveled with the University's Transfer/Project Graduate Coordinator to two community colleges in Kentucky. Four students were referred to the program by the Transfer Coordinator. As a result, six transfer students expressed interests in pursuing the programs degree options. Also, during spring 2009, two campus visitation days were hosted for high school juniors and seniors. As a result of the visit, five students expressed an interest in the program. For fall 2009, seventeen traditional and nontraditional students were being recruited in Child Development and Family Relations degree program. Seven were admitted and currently attending the University and enrolled as majors in the degree program.To fulfill intent of the project, the project has designed and implemented a comprehensive recruitment mechanism, which will effectively identify potential agricultural sciences undergraduate minority students majors, particularly African-American students. PRODUCTS: To recruit as well as to retain student majors, financial assistance was made available to incoming freshmen, transfer and current student majors. Financial assistance was awarded by means of scholarships, apprenticeships, college work-study, and part-time employment. For the 2008-09 academic year, thirty-one student majors were awarded financial assistance in the amount of $50,197. A program brochure is currently being revised for recruitment purposes and will be completed during the 2009-10 academic year. OUTCOMES: A field based practicum experience will be put into place for junior level student majors in local public school child care programs and kindergartens so that student majors will be able to implement the experiences they have gained via their apprenticeship and college coursework. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Spring 2009, recruitment letters were sent to church minister, junior college official, and public school guidance counselors. Included in the letter was a student prospective roster sheet to be completed and mailed back to the office of the Recruitment and Retention Counselor. The program was also presented on the local cable television channel. FUTURE INITIATIVES: None as of this reporting period.
Impacts
The Child Development and Family Relations core courses will be updated during the second year of the grant to infuse new issues, content, and information gained via the Mentor Network and from apprenticeships engaged by students involved during the scope of the grant. As a result of this work 80% of the students being recruited into the program will remain in the degree and complete their degree without a desire to change to a new degree program.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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