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Chapter 6: Student Services
Criterion Three: The institution is accomplishing its educational and other purposes.
ABSTRACT: This chapter presents evidence that the university is fulfilling criterion three by the existence of policies and procedures that support academic goals and programs of the institution and by providing nonacademic services that support degree completion under a wide range of circumstances. Programs and services discussed in this chapter reflect ongoing efforts to create and maintain an environment that supports students in every aspect of university life.
Student services comprise a multitude of academic and nonacademic functions. Student service functions include recruitment, enrollment management (the registrar, admissions), scholarships and financial aid, orientation, advising, retention, career management, and a range of specialized services. Under the best system of organization, this diversity of offices and functions is a challenge to manage. At Indiana University South Bend, recent years have witnessed frequent reorganization, unanticipated changes, and shifting lines of authority in the Office of Student Affairs.
In September 1999, Chancellor Perrin invited two consultants to campus to evaluate the current state of affairs and to submit a report with recommendations. The principal recommendation is to integrate student services and academic programs by repositioning student services under the purview of the Office of Academic Affairs. Thus, the consultants recommend that the enrollment management officer report to the vice chancellor for academic affairs and that financial aid functions be incorporated within enrollment management. They also recommend that Freshman Division in its entirety be moved to academic affairs. Finally, they recommend that the position of vice chancellor for student affairs be replaced by an associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of students reporting to the vice chancellor for academic affairs. These recommendations, if acted upon, will help to stabilize the current situation in student affairs and, by forging a closer link between student services functions and academic affairs, will focus the collective energies of faculty and staff on the primary mission of serving the needs of the students. The restructuring of student services is part of the work of the vice chancellor of academic affairs and is expected to forge linkages between student services and academic affairs.
Student enrollment reached a peak in 1992 at 7,801. This total included undergraduate and graduate degree seeking and nondegree seeking students. Since 1992, enrollment has ranged from 7,660 in 1994 to 7,070 in 1999. (Table 3.6) During the same period changes in credit hours and student FTE indicate that a smaller number of students are taking more courses now than in 1992. (Table 3.5) This change reflects the shift away from a nontraditional part-time student body toward a traditional full-time student body. In 1992, 45 percent of the undergraduate students were full-time students. In 1999, 55 percent of the undergraduates were full-time students. The student body is becoming more diverse as well, with 9 percent of the undergraduates classifying themselves as minority (American Indian, Asian American, African American, or Hispanic American) and an additional 5 percent classifying themselves as non-United States citizens. The student body is primarily from nearby communities and 94 percent are Indiana residents. The majority of the student body (64 percent) is female. Degree-seeking graduate enrollments, though a small part (13 percent) of total campus enrollment in 1999, have increased over the last decade.
For the period 1995-1999, Indiana University South Bend entering students have come from the top half of their high school classes. Approximately 63 percent of the entering students have taken the SAT exam, while 9 percent have taken the ACT. SAT scores of entering students have increased steadily since 1995 when the mean composite score was 855. In 1999, the mean SAT composite score was 960. During the same time period, ACT scores, available for a much smaller proportion of entering students, have remained steady. High school GPA is available when students are admitted, but these data have not been recorded on a regular basis, an oversight that should be corrected. These data are summarized in Table 6.1.
IUSB Beginning Undergraduate Mean High School
Percentile Rank, SAT, and ACT Composite
| Dataset | HS Percentile Rank | SAT Total | ACT Composite | |
| 1995 | ||||
| Mean N Std. Deviation Median |
55.32 585 23.05 56.32 |
855.45 433 169.57 850.00 |
20.06 78 3.95 20.00 |
|
| 1996 | ||||
| Mean N Std. Deviation Median |
54.41 596 22.61 55.39 |
929.03 496 164.42 940.00 |
20.35 82 4.12 20.00 |
|
| 1997 | ||||
| Mean N Std. Deviation Median |
54.27 598 22.76 53.51 |
934.78 521 172.50 930.00 |
19.50 82 4.82 20.00 |
|
| 1998 | ||||
| Mean N Std. Deviation Median |
52.64 714 23.48 53.16 |
948.19 623 154.94 940.00 |
19.32 77 3.77 19.00 |
|
| 1999 | ||||
| Mean N Std. Deviation Median |
53.78 581 22.91 53.85 |
960.02 497 152.37 950.00 |
19.04 52 4.62 19.00 |
Enrollment Management Services
The Office of Enrollment Management Services has been streamlined since the 1989 self-study. In November 1997 the Office of Admissions and the Office of Student Enrollment were combined to be administered by a single director. In July 1998 the title of the office was changed to the Office of Enrollment Management Services. This office currently includes the functions of the former Office of Admissions and Office of the Registrar. The core functions of the Office of Enrollment Management Services include recruitment, admissions, registration, record keeping, and auxiliary student services (e.g., certifications, VA certifications, transcript printing). The office is staffed by four full-time professionals (including three assistant directors), two technical support staff, five and one-half student services specialists, two student services representatives, and a full-time receptionist. This area is fortified with part-time student workers as necessary. As noted above, consultants have recommended that financial aid be incorporated into enrollment management and that enrollment management report to the vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Admissions officers assess the academic qualifications of prospective undergraduate students, using established university standards and guidelines to determine admissibility. In addition to reviewing applications, admissions officers interview prospective students (both beginning and transfers) and evaluate college transcripts for transferability of credits.
The Indiana University Board of Trustees sets the basic criteria for admission to Indiana University. Indiana University South Bend operates within this set of basic criteria. Current high school students are expected to follow the Core 40 high school curriculum adopted by the state of Indiana. Only students under 21 years of age must submit SAT or ACT scores. Criteria used in making admission decisions incorporate the following items: high school class rank in the upper half, 2.0 or grade of C on a Core 40 curriculum (score of 52 on the GED), 930 SAT or 20 ACT (if required) or 2.0 on previous college work. Indiana University South Bend also offers a variety of admissions options. These include beginning freshman, transfer student, special re-entry/transfer, special adult, high school student, and guest student.
The flexible admissions criteria and the diversity of admissions options increases accessibility of higher education to those seeking it. At the same time, however, the diversity of preparation and motivation that students admitted under these contingencies may bring to the classroom creates teaching challenges.
Recruitment, Access, and Retention
The Office of Enrollment Management Services develops and coordinates all activities related to student recruitment, including the formation of strategies to increase the enrollment of targeted populations. Programs designed to enhance enrollment include high school and junior college visitations, as well as on-campus programs for prospective students, their families, and high school counselors. IUSB ON TOUR is a campus visitation program that allows prospective students and their families to tour campus, to interact with the full complement of student services, and to gain first-hand knowledge of the academic area of their choice.
Indiana University South Bend has maintained a professional admissions position focusing on minority recruitment for the past 10 years. This position plays a crucial role in aligning the campus with key community resources for the referral of under-represented students. Activities include high school visits, college fairs, campus visitations, community outreach, and related programming to encourage under-represented student participation in higher education at Indiana University South Bend.
Since 1991 Project Success, a collaborative effort between the South Bend School Corporation’s Bilingual Department and Indiana University South Bend, has facilitated the transition of area Hispanic and other minorities into campus degree programs. Although designed originally to serve the Hispanic community, Project Success currently serves a diverse constituency. Its focus is to create an environment that encourages undergraduate degree completion with an emphasis on remaining in the community as Indiana University South Bend graduates. The impact of minority recruitment efforts, including Project Success, have been captured in an annual Minority Enrollment Report compiled by the Office of the Registrar. Minority enrollment constitutes approximately 9 percent of total enrollment at Indiana University South Bend.
As noted above, under the current organizational structure, the director of enrollment management services also
holds the position of registrar. The Office of the Registrar has primary responsibility for the maintenance of
student records through registration, schedule adjustments, and grade processing; the certification of enrollments
and processing of diplomas and transcripts; the production and mailing of the Schedule of Classes; preparation
of class rosters; classroom scheduling; and the preparation of demographic reports and enrollment analysis such
as the Enrollment Report and numerous ad hoc reports for individual departments, campus administration, and central
university administration.
The assistant director of enrollment management services position was added in August 1998. Staffing includes two full-time professional staff members in addition to the director. The office is staffed by three full-time support staff members, along with a small number of hourly employees who work mainly at peak activity periods such as registration. The office conducts both touch-tone telephone and on-line course registrations prior to fall, spring, and the two summer sessions. Recent campus improvements to computer and phone technology give students access to a touch-tone grade reporting system each semester.
The campus continues to implement a computerized degree audit system, IUCARE, which provides both students and their advisors with up-to-date information about each student’s progress toward completion of degree requirements. System programming and data entry for some divisions have been completed, but full implementation is a few semesters away. Among the problems to be overcome in implementing the system are the time-consuming programming required by more complex degree programs and managing simultaneous degree templates with multiple academic departments. A university-wide enhancement to this system has Internet accessibility to a Web based version of this system for faculty and students.
Recent enhancements to the Office of Enrollment Management Services have been the development of comprehensive Web pages and dedicated e-mail addresses to improve access and information sharing. These services were designed with prospective students, current students, faculty, and staff in mind. The Web addresses are: www.iusb.edu/~admissio, www.iusb.edu/~regr, and www.iusb.edu/~regr/vet.html.
Freshman Division: Orientation, Advising, and Retention
University Division changed its name in 1994 to Freshman Division in order to better reflect the emphasis on the freshman year experience, although the division continues to serve upper class students as well. Freshman Division consists of a director, three permanent full-time academic advisors, two half-time academic advisors, two full-time support staff, and one part-time support staff.
Freshman Division serves the largest constituency of students on the Indiana University South Bend campus. The enrollment within Freshman Division decreased during fall 1999 when 1,958 students were enrolled in 20,309 credit hours. This is a decrease of 136 students (-6.5 percent) and 1,164 credit hours (-5.4 percent) compared with fall of 1998 when 2,094 students were enrolled for 21,473 credit hours. This decrease in enrollment was especially costly for the campus because budget projections for 1999 were predicated on enrollment increases to match fall 1998, when students increased by 155 (8 percent) and credit hours by 1,860 (9.5 percent) compared with 1997. In the long term, care must be taken to forecast enrollments that are not unduly optimistic. One need in that regard is the development of a reliable database for use by student services administrators. The restructuring of student services is designed to move the university toward improvements in enrollment management.
The mission of Freshman Division is to ease the student’s transition into the campus environment and to maximize each student’s potential for success. Students remain in Freshman Division until they are certified into a degree-granting division achieving sophomore status in good standing and successfully completing the necessary requirements for entry as determined by the degree-granting division. Freshman Division comprises several major service areas that support its mission including orientation, advising, and retention.
A student’s initial contact with the division is through the New Student Orientation Program. A total of 562 students attended the four orientation programs for fall 1999, a decrease of 12.7 per cent from the 1998 orientation programs. During 1999, faculty members participated for the first time in the small group information sessions with students; 15 faculty members from a variety of disciplines participated. At the conclusion of the small group sessions, students made appointments with academic advisors to formulate a first semester schedule, to answer questions, and to build rapport.
While students meet in small groups, parents and guests attend a session tailored for them. Guests have been responsive and have attended in significant numbers, often outnumbering the students themselves. For example, more than 800 friends and family members attended the summer 1999 orientation series. Not only has the program itself been expanded, but the population of students is more inclusive as well, now including students from direct admit programs (i.e., dental assisting, radiography, nursing, the arts) who do not pass through Freshman Division.
Since 1990-1991, Freshman Division has conducted Freshman Information Sessions. These are abbreviated orientations for those students who were admitted and completed placement testing too late to attend a formal orientation program during the summer. The total number of students who attended a Freshman Information Session for fall 1999 was 260 compared to 267 for fall 1998.
Freshman Division provides comprehensive advising services for most new students including transferring, returning, and reinstated Indiana University South Bend students who have not yet met the requirements for certification into the academic division of their choice. Upon completion of the freshman year in good standing, students are transferred to a degree-granting division for advising. Those students who are uncertain of their major are transferred to the Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences for further advising.
In recent years, academic advising has taken on an entirely new perspective to meet the ever-changing needs of the student population. Academic advising is no longer centered around registration, but is a continuous process of outreach and support. Advisors use a caseload approach in serving new students and submit a comprehensive, written plan for working with their students throughout the semester. The advisor/student relationship begins at orientation when advisors assess student needs through the use of academic records (high school transcript, college transcript, entrance examinations, etc.), a student survey, and placement exam scores (writing, mathematics, reading, and foreign language). Advisors continue to monitor student progress through faculty referrals and mid-term and final grades. Through small group and individual advising sessions, they work with their students to identify educational needs, career development issues, and social development opportunities. Freshman Division works closely with the academic units to provide advising sheets that outline degree requirements. In addition, Freshman Division provides handouts dealing with study skills and publishes a newsletter, Freshman Connection, four times a year for current students and stop-out students from the previous semester. A special edition of Freshman Connection is created by peer mentors for incoming students. Workshops on Learning Styles, Study Skills, Goal Setting, and Time Management are conducted each semester for students who have been reinstated. In addition, reinstated students, as well as other students in academic difficulty, are placed on a contract, which is updated each semester, until the student reaches good standing.
The Peer Mentor Program, established by Freshman Division in 1988, was reorganized in 1997 to further develop the relationship between entering and continuing students. The purpose of the program is to facilitate the link between incoming freshmen and experienced, successful Indiana University South Bend students. Through both individual and group interaction, the program seeks to establish rapport among students, provide guidance and support, and enhance the academic and social transitions to higher learning and collegiate life. Peer mentors are responsible for their students throughout the semester. For the 1999-2000 academic year, 27 peer mentors have been assigned either an advisor for assisting in working with the advisor’s students or to an instructor teaching EDUC U100 Threshold Seminar (see below) to work with the class members. In addition to advisor contacts, peer mentors contact students throughout the semester and use a variety of activities such as study groups, meals, or social activities to facilitate the student-to-student relationship. The Peer Mentor Program Training Manual and related materials have been included in the NCA Resource Room.
The Threshold Learning Community (TLC) is an initiative begun in 1996 and designed specifically to serve the needs of first year students. TLC was begun with the support of a Strategic Directions Grant (funded through the office of Indiana University President Myles Brand). TLC is an interdepartmental, collaborative effort to improve student retention. Its three main components consist of a threshold seminar, a corps of instructional assistants to provide tutorial support for selected freshman courses, and a set of Learning Communities to connect and extend the activities of threshold seminars.
Freshman Division advisors and peer mentors work as a team with the Division of Education to offer the course EDUC U100 Threshold Seminar for most beginning students. This course supports entering students by teaching about the college environment and by providing an opportunity to develop the communication, study, and research skills necessary for success in college. A 3 credit version of EDUC U100 is required of all beginning freshmen admitted on probation; a 1 credit version is available for all other students. During fall 1999 semester, 319 students (38.8 percent of beginning freshmen) enrolled in a Threshold Seminar.
Supplemental instruction, the second component of TLC, is a nonremedial, peer-assisted program that targets traditionally difficult courses. The supplemental instructors (SIs), students who have previously taken the course and have demonstrated a mastery of the course content, provide regularly scheduled, after-class tutoring sessions. SIs receive intensive training before and during the semester to learn about specific teaching techniques, motivation, and study skills. SIs attend all class sessions, take notes, read all assigned materials, and conduct three 50-minute tutoring sessions each week. During fall 1998, supplemental instruction was offered in 12 different courses on the Indiana University South Bend campus; of those 12, three courses offered SI leadership in two sections taught by different faculty members with 15 SI leaders. Overall, nearly 187 students were served. The students were enrolled in traditionally difficult courses taken predominantly by freshmen or sophomores.
The original goal of TLC was to increase student retention by 10 percent in three years by providing an extensive orientation to the campus and academic culture, by improving performance in freshman courses, and by enhancing students’ motivation and sense of connectedness to the campus. The targeted 10 percent increase in retention was considered attainable with full funding of the program and participation by all entering freshmen. However, only $50,000 of the requested amount was awarded for year one and $75,000 for year two and three.
From 1996 to 1999, TLC was funded by a Strategic Directions Grant. In 1999-2000, Indiana University South Bend absorbed the TLC program cost. Since the EDUC U100 class began in 1996, an increasing number of students have participated in the activities. Course evaluations have shown that students have a strong desire for more interaction at Indiana University South Bend and that their experiences have been positive. There is evidence that this initiative has encouraged students to remain at Indiana University South Bend. Compared with 1997, there was an increase in retention to the second year from 54 percent to 61 percent for fall 1998 and an increased percentage of entering students who earned a first semester GPA of 2.0 or greater. Since EDUC U100 has been required only for students admitted on a probationary basis, the students in this course are disproportionately at-risk for poor grades and low retention, making their achievement even more impressive for being less likely.
In 1996, the Lilly Endowment Program of Indiana extended Indiana University an invitation to participate in a program to increase the graduation rate of students in four-year public universities. Funded for five years, 1999-2000 is the third year of the grant’s operation at Indiana University South Bend. The Lilly grant supports one full-time professional position and one part-time staff position to focus on student persistence.
The Office of Student Persistence began in July 1998 when the coordinator assumed her duties. The purpose of the Lilly initiative is to increase the number of students who graduate from Indiana University South Bend with a bachelor’s degree. The first step to be implemented was a warning system for students who experience academic difficulty. STAY@IUSB is a pilot program that coordinates faculty referrals with advisors and intervention services. This program is intended to give faculty a way to communicate their concerns about students whom they perceive to be experiencing academic difficulty. Faculty are encouraged to refer students by sending e-mail to the student persistence coordinator. Student persistence data are available for review in the NCA Resource Room.
Interventions to Increase Retention of Currently Enrolled Students
STAY@IUSB serves as a referral service for students in danger of failing to successfully complete a particular course. During the program’s first year, faculty referred 954 students as being at risk of failing. These referrals were forwarded to academic advisors, who contacted the students and counseled them about academic interventions, attendance, and motivation. Specific interventions or help offered by the advisors was reported back to the referring faculty member by the Office of Student Persistence.
Feedback on the STAY program has been in many cases anecdotal or an expression of appreciation from referring faculty. There was an increase in referrals from first semester (448) to second (508) in the academic year 1998-1999. The high rate of use (77 faculty participated in fall 1998 and 79 in spring 1999) indicates widespread awareness of the importance of early intervention and the acceptance of faculty responsibility to act on behalf of students who experience difficulty in their courses.
The Office of Student Persistence compiled, printed, and distributed a pamphlet detailing the services available to help students on campus. This pamphlet is available at several locations on campus. Beginning fall 1999, all students enrolled in ENG W031 and ENG W131 (45 sections) received a copy of Help is Here. Other faculty and advisors have requested copies to distribute to students.
In conjunction with Freshman Division in spring 1999, the Office of Student Persistence sponsored a series of six lunchtime discussions called Table Talk, designed to bring together faculty and students in an exchange of ideas. During fall 1999, five additional Table Talks took place. Attendance at Table Talk typically ranges between 50 and 75 depending upon the topic being discussed. It is hoped that increased student-faculty contact will improve retention.
Another new program, College Buddies, groups students by majors or interests in an attempt to alleviate the isolation many students experience at a commuter campus. All students in the 18 sections of EDUC U100 received a College Buddy card and were encouraged by their instructor to participate in the program. By December 1999, 54 students had been grouped for the 1999-2000 year.
Interventions for Stop-Out Students
In April 1999 a stop-out population of 2,567 was identified as students who had been enrolled fall 1997 or later, but not during spring 1999. These former students received a letter of introduction from the student persistence coordinator and a two-page questionnaire asking for information about the student’s background, educational goals, experiences while attending Indiana University South Bend, plans for returning to Indiana University South Bend, and needs from the Stop-Out Program. An open-ended question solicited participant comments.
Responses totaled 292 (11 percent). These indicated an interest in maintaining contact with Indiana University South Bend and a strong desire for more information, especially financial aid information. The Office of Student Persistence hosted two financial aid sessions for stop-out students with invitations sent to all 292 individuals who had returned the questionnaire; only three people attended. Students who returned the questionnaire were invited to participate in a focus group to discuss what the university could do for them while they are not enrolled; only four students attended the focus group. An e-mail was sent to all Indiana University South Bend full-time faculty asking if they were interested in discussing the needs of stop-out students. Only five faculty participated in the faculty-staff focus group.
In order to keep students connected to Indiana University South Bend and update them about upcoming registration and events, the Office of Student Persistence has initiated a stop-out newsletter, Hiatus, to be mailed twice yearly to students who have stopped out for a year or less. In October 1999 this newsletter was mailed to 1,704 stop-out students, including those persons who had returned the questionnaire. Five students contacted the student persistence coordinator for information about how to re-enroll in the university.
In fall 1999, four members of the Indiana University South Bend faculty and staff were appointed to a committee to review the Lilly initiatives and make recommendations. Their comments about the efforts of the Office of Student Persistence were positive, although they recommended statistical analysis of the programs, particularly STAY. As a result, the office planned to track referred students in order to correlate academic success with the advising they received as a result of the STAY referral.
The Lilly Grant that funds the Office of Student Persistence charged the program to focus on students who began college and left prior to completion of their bachelor’s degrees and to thereby facilitate their return to a degree program. However, stop-out students seem to be an unlikely population for increasing retention: they have already left the institution, usually for factors beyond the university’s control. Only a small percentage of those who can be contacted seem willing to come back to campus to participate in programs or activities.
It seems preferable to spend grant resources on programs to help enrolled students so that they are successful and continue through graduation. The administrator for the Indiana University Lilly grant has concurred with a shift toward currently enrolled students, while still providing some services for stop-out students. Research has shown that it is more cost effective to retain current students than to attract stop-out students back to campus.
International Student Services
International Student Services was reorganized in September 1999 and placed under the purview of the Office of International Programs. As a result of the reorganization, the director of International Student Services resigned and by December 1999 had not been replaced. The services for international students will continue within the new administrative structure, as described in Chapter 4.
The IUSB Child Development Center provides affordable quality child care for the children of students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the community. The center is currently staffed by 15 child care employees, 6 of whom are full-time staff. The center is funded by a combination of student activity fees, direct child care fees, and in-kind support through space allocation, utilities, and insurance. A degree in early childhood education is required for the full-time lead teacher positions.
This office processes educational benefits for current and former members of the armed forces. It also serves as a liaison contact for the Indiana University South Bend veteran student organization, ROTC programs, and regional military recruiting stations. The office is supervised by the assistant director of enrollment management services and undergoes regular state and federal audits. The office is staffed by two to three veteran work-study students year round. Approximately 300 enrollments per year are certified.
The Safety and Security Department operates 24 hours a day every day of the year. The full-time staff includes a director, two security police supervisors, a campus environmental health and safety manager, six police officers, and three security officers. The director and supervisors are also Indiana certified police officers. In order to maintain a presence on campus with around the clock protection, the department also currently employs nine part-time security officers and one part-time police officer.
The mission of the IUSB Safety and Security Department is to work in partnership with all members of the Indiana University South Bend community to minimize the potential for harm and to provide a safe and secure environment for all. The departmental philosophy is one of helping, of fair enforcement of laws, rules and regulations, and of service to the campus community.
There are two aspects of the mission:
- Security and public safety
- Environmental health and safety
Security related activities focus on structured procedures designed to minimize the potential for loss. Public safety issues are approached through a number of avenues with an emphasis on training, education, and prevention. Environmental safety programs are developed through an organized approach that involves evaluation, identification, organization, prioritization, development, and implementation.
In addition to efforts within the department, the office receives input from the campus community through the Campus Safety Committee. The purpose of the committee is to share information with all departments and divisions that are affected by safety regulations and to coordinate activities related to environmental health and safety on a campuswide basis.
Improvements since 1989 include a structured approach to service delivery and improved internal organization of the office and its procedures. Training of staff, including certification, has been upgraded to provide more consistent service delivery. The department delivers services efficiently with limited resources. The department has a goal of finding future resources to increase crime prevention education for its constituents.
Daily activity logs include notations regarding services rendered. Such items include: doors locked and unlocked, security checks, service calls for escorts, vehicle jump starts and lockouts, medical assists, and other service calls. The content of the record-keeping is good, but the department is seeking new ways to analyze and evaluate data to help in planning department activities. Data on crime statistics, emergency calls, and trends since 1992 are available in the NCA Resource Room.
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is staffed by three full-time professionals and a part-time administrator, two support staff, and one temporary support staff. The office evaluates all applications for federal and state financial aid, performs needs analysis and verification as required by federal and state regulations, and determines appropriate awards. The office also administers all institutional and departmental awards, as well as private donor awards. Indiana University South Bend has been a direct lending school since 1995-1996 and has participated in the Experimental Site and Quality Assurance programs since 1996.
For academic year 1998-1999, the office received 4,614 applications for financial aid. An additional 1,875 applications were received for summer 1999. In addition, the office processed approximately 550 institutional and private donor awards for students who were not required to file financial aid applications. A total of $13,737,410 was disbursed to students in a total of 8,898 awards.
Students are able to access information about their financial and academic information via Indiana University INSITE on the Internet. The financial aid office also has its own Web page with links to various governmental sites, as well as an e-mail address for current and prospective students to use in contacting the office.
An annual report is generated by Student Information and Fiscal Services in Bloomington, which serves all Indiana University campuses and lists the amount and type of aid by specific student types (full time, part time, male, female, etc.). The university is conducting studies and preparing specifications for an entirely new computer system to replace the current and outdated Financial Aid Management System, the Bursar Accounts Receivable System, and the Student Data System for the registrar.
The IUSB Counseling Center provides mental health and life skills counseling for students, staff, and faculty. Individual, couples, and group services are provided, in addition to crisis management, consultation, outreach, psychological testing, and psycho-educational workshops. Counseling center staff provide orientation and training to new students, faculty, and peer mentors. Campus screenings and wellness initiatives are also part of the annual programming.
The counseling center is managed and staffed by Madison Center and Hospital, a not-for-profit comprehensive mental health center. Indiana University South Bend and Madison Center have maintained a contractual arrangement since 1992. Specialized services are easily accessed for such problems as psychiatric medication, chemical dependency, and inpatient hospitalization. The director of the counseling center is a licensed clinical psychologist, who supervises one full-time office manager and three to six graduate practicum students per year. The approximate number of clients served annually has ranged between 400 and 500 for all services, including outreach. The most frequent problems are relationship problems, academic concerns, and life adjustment issues. Limited career counseling services are provided by the counseling center for nonstudents. Students are referred to career management services for career counseling.
The Office of Career Management Services (formerly Career and Placement Services) consists of a director, one secretary, and one quarter-time work-study student. Additional staff are currently supported through a Degree Attainment Grant from the Lilly Foundation, which funds a full-time career coordinator, one half-time secretary, and two quarter-time graduate assistants. Services are designed to provide support for career exploration and decision making, to assist in introducing clients to prospective employers, and to educate students and alumni about occupations, career decision making, job search tactics, employment opportunities, and career management skills.
A multi-media Career Information Laboratory contains books, videotapes, handouts, a computerized career guidance and information system (DISCOVER), word processing, and Internet access. An office Web site is located at www.iusb.edu/~career to promote office services, job vacancies, campus interviews, job fairs, and educational programs.
The Major Alternatives Program (MAP) helps students evaluate and explore college majors and identify viable career paths. These services are provided by individual sessions, group sessions, and workshops.
Office of Student Life and Judicial Affairs
The Office of Student Life and Judicial Affairs consists of a director and one clerical support person. The office is responsible for the supervision of all organizations and interest groups funded by the student activity fee. It serves 50 student clubs and interest groups on campus and works with other offices and divisions to further promote and encourage student involvement in the university. Additionally, the office is responsible for training and consulting with the Student Government Association and its related programs such as intramural sports, student publications, and event programming.
In November 1997 the office assumed responsibility for judicial affairs. Allegations, complaints, and the protection of students’ rights are investigated and handled by this office with recommendation for action being submitted to the vice chancellor for student affairs. Prior to 1997, responsibility for both investigation and action were assumed by the vice chancellor for student affairs.
Student Government Association
The legislative student organization at Indiana University South Bend is the Student Government Association whose mission is to represent all students enrolled at Indiana University South Bend or the Purdue University School of Technology program(s). The organization consists of 12 senators and an executive board composed of the president, vice president, comptroller, and secretary. Its members are elected each spring semester by the student body. The organization may present student viewpoints and concerns on the 14 faculty senate standing committees and several ad hoc committees. The organization has budgetary authority over student publications, student activities, and intramural sports as well as partial support of the child development center and athletics. Student Government Association, together with the Office of Student Life, actively promotes Indiana University South Bend in the local community.
Student Publications is funded by the Student Government Association and guided by a board of five faculty members and a student representative. The number and diversity of student publications have increased since the last NCA self-study. The campus newspaper, the Preface, is intended to be published bi-weekly throughout the academic year. Analecta is a journal of literary works and fine arts projects by students. Both publications have received awards recognizing their high quality. Two new publications have been added recently. The Undergraduate Research Journal publishes student research in science and mathematics, and New Views on Gender explores the subject of gender through scholarly essays and papers. The three journals are published annually in the spring semester. Copies of all of these publications are on display in the NCA Resource Room.
The primary programming organization of Indiana University South Bend is the Student Activities Board. The Student Activities Board is funded by the Student Government Association and operates under the general supervision of the Office of Student Life. It carries responsibility to initiate and plan programs and events that reflect the wide range of interests of all of Indiana University South Bend’s students.
Intramural Sports and Recreation
Intramural sports provides students physical and recreational opportunities outside the classroom that complement their educational experience. A former golf course, recently purchased by Indiana University South Bend, serves as a location for field sports such as soccer and flag football. Intramural sports has also formed a partnership with the local YMCA and South Bend Parks Department to further round out the program with softball, basketball, golf, and swing dancing. The recently funded Student Activities Center will be a major benefit to intramural sports and recreation at Indiana University South Bend. Groundbreaking for the new building was held during fall 1999. This new building will also be home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams. For the past years these teams have had to play their games off-site at a local high school or middle school.
The purpose of the Office of Campus Diversity is to serve the entire campus with a special emphasis on under-represented students, faculty, and staff. The office is staffed by one professional, one coordinator, a half-time secretary, and is assisted by a broad-based diversity committee, consisting of faculty, staff, students, and community people. The unit began as a project funded by the Lilly Endowment in 1995, and became a campus-funded unit in 1997.
The Office of Campus Diversity gained national recognition when it was listed as a “Promising Practice” on President Clinton’s Promising Practices Website as a result of the annual Conversations on Race. It is an event where day-long, small group dialogues on race take place on campus. The day culminates with a keynote speaker by such luminaries as Dr. Cornel West (1997), Jaime Escalante (1998), former congressional representative Rev. Walter Fauntroy (1999), and Arun Gandhi (2000).
The office has institutionalized celebrations on diversity such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Gay Pride, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Disabilities Awareness, and Asian Heritage Month. The focus of the symbiotic relationship between the campus and community has been a large part of the success of this office. A complete description of the activities of this office and an assessment of its impact on the campus can be found in the NCA Resource Room.
As a result of widespread dissatisfaction with the bookstore’s services, an outside audit and review of operations was commissioned by the Indiana University South Bend administration. A consulting firm analyzed the operation of the bookstore and suggested necessary changes to improve the level and efficiency of bookstore service. There is a new bookstore manager who has implemented the recommendations of the consultants. Student and other customer service at the bookstore appear to be improving. The reorganization, however, has only been in effect for one year.
The Disabled Student Services (DSS) Office provides service in support of the educational experiences of students with disabilities. Currently this office is staffed by one member of the full-time professional staff, whose time is divided between this and other advising activities. The DSS Office provides students and faculty with assistance and information in meeting the requirements of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The program serves as an advocate in affirming a disabled student’s right to maximize his/her educational opportunities and as a liaison for integrating students with disabilities into the mainstream of campus life. In the fall 1999 semester, the DSS Office served 137 currently enrolled disabled students.
The office counsels students in making adjustments that may be necessary for success in their academic careers. Among the services provided by this office to students are preadmission counseling, priority registration, academic advisement and such special arrangements as room changes, readers, interpreters, note takers, tutors, and technical equipment assistance. For faculty, the DSS Office may render invaluable advisory services. The office may be consulted for special adaptations for disabled students and for whatever questions that arise in accommodating the needs of disabled students in the classroom.
The DSS Office works with students who either identify themselves or are referred by family, outside agencies, faculty, or administrative personnel. Prior to receiving program eligibility the student is required to present documentation from a qualified professional source verifying the disability. Services are approved on a course-by-course, term-by-term basis where a disability-based need is deemed valid by the coordinator.
The Dental Hygiene Clinic provides preventive oral health services that includes oral health assessment, home care instructions, prophylaxis (teeth cleaning), fluoride treatments, sealants, and dental x-rays. The clinic is open to the public as well as to Indiana University South Bend students. Treatment is provided on an appointment basis. Fees for treatment are reasonable, and Indiana University South Bend students receive a 50 percent discount on the basic services. Patient services are rendered by student clinicians, who receive 150 hours of education and training before starting their clinical work. Once students begin to provide treatment in the clinical setting, they are supervised by a staff dentist and dental hygienist to assist them and to ensure treatment follows accepted protocols and standards.
Indiana University South Bend is accomplishing its purpose of providing a wide array of educational experiences while maintaining a commitment to access and service delivery for a diverse population of students. Indiana University South Bend has admissions and retention policies and procedures that support the academic goals and programs of the institution. Indiana University South Bend will continue to provide a wide range of financial aid as well as other services that encourage degree completion under a wide range of circumstances. A major challenge facing Indiana University South Bend is to increase retention rates.
Indiana University South Bend offers considerable strengths in the area of student services, including a diverse and dedicated team of counselors, ongoing assessment of the quality of student services, efficiency of the Office of Financial Aid (low loan default rate), and new retention initiatives. Nevertheless, changes in the organizational structure of student services are anticipated. Implementation of the 1999 recommendations of the student services consultants will lead to an integration of student services with academic affairs. These changes may address some of the extant concerns in student services, including an advising system that is poorly integrated with the academic units into which students move after leaving Freshman Division. A smoother transition than now exists might have a positive impact on retention and student progress to degree completion. Similarly, admissions policies that maximize accessibility of a college education for students of varying academic preparation need to be monitored carefully and reviewed on a regular basis. With the reorganization of student services, financial aid applications will be processed more efficiently. The financial aid office and the admissions office will be more closely integrated. The integration of student services with academic affairs will more closely align the Academic Resource Center with advising, retention, and persistence functions. Another concern in student services is the apparent duplication of services by academic and student services. By consolidating similar functions under the Office of Academic Affairs, lines of responsibility will be clearer.
There are still other concerns that might not be resolved without further reorganization and/or attention. For example, the Office of Enrollment Management Services encompasses many functions and all are subsumed under a single director. Whether this is the optimal arrangement or whether the registrar, admissions, and financial aid offices will need some degree of autonomy remains to be seen. Minority student enrollment has grown during the past few years, but there is considerable potential in this area that is not being realized. Finally, there is a need for a freshman year academic experience, as part of a general education curriculum, that is missing now. This might be addressed effectively within the Office of Academic Affairs. Finally, whether entering students are headed for careers in business, nursing, fine arts, education, or one of the liberal arts and sciences, all would benefit by exposure to a common vision of general education. Providing a comprehensive campuswide general education program is a goal currently being undertaken by the vice chancellor for academic affairs.