University Times

Mid-term progress reports planned for frosh

Freshmen in 25-30 College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) courses would receive mid-term reports on their academic progress, under a proposed pilot project that's expected to begin this fall.

The idea is to tell freshmen by mid-October or early November how they are doing in at least some of their classes. That way, freshmen in academic trouble would have time before the end of the term to seek help.

Pitt offers a variety of excellent services to assist students academically, but freshmen in particular "are often not alert regarding the quality of their academic work, assume that the level of their work is acceptable according to University standards, and then are surprised to find themselves on academic probation," said Kathryn S. Atman, chairperson of the University Senate's admissions and student aid committee.

Atman reported on the proposed pilot program at the May 10 Senate Council meeting.

"The thought is…when students go home at Thanksgiving and their parents say, 'How are things going?' and the students say, 'Great' — well, the student and parents may know it's not going great, because this [mid-term] information has gone out," said At man, whose committee endorses the program.

Mid-term reports would be sent to students' mailing addresses, and would give students an "S" or "U" (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) progress rating for each course covered under the pilot project.

Originally, the project was to have targeted 12-15 "problem courses" that traditionally have given freshmen trouble, such as chemistry and trigonometry. But the current plan is to include a full range of courses that Pitt freshmen typically take, includin g math and science as well as history, psychology and writing classes, according to Beverly Harris-Schenz, CAS associate dean for Undergraduate Studies.

A complete list of those courses isn't final yet, Harris-Schenz said in an interview. She is leading the effort to launch the mid-term reporting system.

"A number of surveys nationally have shown that the primary reason freshmen leave the institution is lack of academic success," she said. "I think this [mid-term program] would give us a great opportunity to get academic feedback to students in a timely w ay, before it's too late."

The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville already offers mid-term reports, two UPT faculty members told Senate Council. A Johnstown campus professor said UPJ formerly provided such reports.

A number of Pitt's fellow members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) — including Carnegie Mellon, Ohio State and University of California at Berkeley — also provide mid-term reports, Harris-Schenz said.

Pitt's pilot project will involve only freshmen, not first-year transfer students.

"Ultimately," Atman said, "we might want to think about mid-term grades as standard for all courses."

But Provost James Maher pointed out that such a system may be inappropriate for certain courses, including those in which faculty members believe it's too early to evaluate students at mid-term. Maher said he expects CAS leaders to go through normal arts and sciences review procedures before instituting a permanent mid-term review system.

The pilot project is part of an ongoing effort to keep Pitt undergrads from dropping out or transferring, the provost noted. Other retention programs for freshmen have included Pitt's one-credit, voluntary freshman studies course and school-specific "fres hman socialization" programs aimed at helping Pitt freshmen adjust to life at a large, urban campus.

Senate Council member Jack Ochs suggested that a major retention problem involves academically unprepared students who transfer to Pitt from community colleges.

"Almost everyone realizes," Chancellor Mark Nordenberg replied, "that there is greater pressure these days to enter into articulation agreements [for transfers of community college students to universities] and to permit the freer flow of students from institution to institution, particularly within the public system of higher education in the Commonwealth.

"Conceptually, our position has been: That's a good goal. But both Jim [Maher] and I have been involved in meetings just in the last couple of weeks where we have tried to advance what is your underlying concern," Nordenberg told Ochs. "And that is: The systems created have got to produce at least the likelihood of success when a student moves from one institution to another."

Maher said he's asked CAS to review the academic performances of undergrads who transferred here from community colleges.

Soon, he said, the administration will have the data it needs to discuss with community college leaders whether their students are receiving proper academic preparation for Pitt — and whether the University is giving community college students a fair ind ication of whether they are ready to transfer here.

— Bruce Steele