MEDIA RELEASE: Contact: Richard Lake, CSN Public Relations Specialist, 702-651-7715, Richard.Lake@csn.edu
College of Southern Nevada Students Achieve New Heights
Historical high achieved for semester-to-semester persistence
Las Vegas, Nev. (May 3, 2016) – The College of Southern Nevada is excited to announce students involved in an expanding Achieving the Dream pilot program continue to make gains in persistence, according to new preliminary data from the fall 2015 semester. As part of this project, the new-to-CSN, degree-seeking, recent high school graduates who enrolled in CSN this fall from the Clark County School District achieved record levels of semester-to-semester persistence, according to the data provided below.
“Eighty-one percent of these students persisted from fall-to-spring semester, which is a historical high for this population,” said CSN President Michael D. Richards. “This indicates our work to create evidence-based student success strategies is working.”
CSN became an Achieving the Dream college in 2012, joining a select group of institutions as part of this data-based, community college reform network. In September, CSN obtained Achieving the Dream (ATD) Leader College status —a national distinction awarded to community colleges that use evidence to make informed decisions that lead to significant institutional change.
As part of this effort, CSN surveyed and completed focus groups with students in addition to evaluating historical persistence and completion data. The result was an overhaul of its enrollment process and academic guidance procedures to create a program called First Steps. Started in fall 2014, this project directs students to complete milestones critical for student success prior to beginning their first semester. All new-to-CSN, degree-seeking recent high school graduates from the Clark County School District are required to complete First Steps, which includes orientation, English, reading, and math placement tests, and meeting with an advisor/success coach. These students are then required to meet with academic counselors within their majors prior to their second semesters. The following table shows the latest positive results for first-semester-to-second-semester persistence.
Faculty and staff remain dedicated to the student success movement. This fall semester, CSN will expand first steps to all new-to-CSN, degree-seeking recent high school graduates. As part of its Leader College designation, CSN faculty and staff have had the opportunity to share the First Steps program and other ATD practices and programs with peers across the country. The Leader College designation also opens up additional grant opportunities for the college.
About CSN:
Founded in 1971 and educating thousands of students a semester, the College of Southern Nevada (csn.edu) is the state’s largest and most ethnically diverse higher education institution. CSN students can choose from over 150 degree and certificate options in more than 90 areas of study, including 25 degree and certificate programs available entirely online. Students create flexible, personalized schedules, including day, evening, and weekend classes taught on three main campuses and multiple locations throughout Southern Nevada. CSN — your future starts here. CSN is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. For more information, visit http://www.csn.edu/nondiscrimination
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