Admissions/Recruitment 3. VIP Admissions in an R1 HSI: A Pilot for Inclusive Engagement
Jill Hernandez, Texas Tech University
At public institutions facing challenging enrollment declines and decreased funding, it is imperative that Honors students persist, especially given that universities with Honors programs generally have overall higher student GPAs and better four-year graduation rates (Bowman & Culver, 2017). Honors administrators (and research on Honors engagement) focus primarily on persistence of students who come into the University as first time in college students (FTICs), although new research has begun to investigate the importance of meeting the needs of transfer students in Honors (Bahls, 2018). No studies to date, however, evaluate programs designed to include currently enrolled, academically excellent non-Honors students into the university’s Honors College or program.
At Texas Tech University, one of 21 R1 HSI universities in the country, the Honors College is reimagining our matriculation pool, to create access to excellence for non-FTIC students. The VIP admission program is one result of this reimagination. The new VIP program at Texas Tech combines direct admissions invitations with co-curricular experiences, Honors College community events, required advising, and the promise of a VIP-only scholarship competition to bring accomplished, dedicated students into Honors who seek the community the College fosters. Each term, 1800 students at Tech earn between 15-50 SCH with the minimum cumulative 3.5 GPA required for retention in the Honors College, but are not in the College. VIP students receive a direct invitation to join the College, and complete three academic sessions designed for the cohort, have an individual advising session with a VIP advisor, and attend four official Honors College events in the semester they are invited, after which they may enroll in Honors College courses and compete for VIP-only scholarships.
Data from the pilot are unequivocal: VIP students retain at nearly 30% higher rates than FTICs, have more engagement in community and service experiences during subsequent semesters, and seek out Honors College leadership positions.
Our project evaluates the success of the pilot and the subsequent scale of it on overall retention and engagement. The VIP program improves four measures within the College: overall College retention, a reported sense of student belonging within the Honors College and university writ large, persistence in Honors after the VIP experience, and overall 4-year graduation rates from the Honors College. A surprising observation for all staff who mentor VIP students is that, whereas FTICs reportedly join the Honors College for the academic rigor and perceived prestige of the curricula (and typically enjoy community-building aspects their first year), VIP students accept the invitation to join Honors because they have missed being a part of an academic community, and are not enthralled by the perceived rigor and prestige. The VIP program will become a signature piece of the Honors College’s ability to serve the institution, include students who are new to the Honors College model, and build peer mentorship with FTICs who come to the Honors College for academic (and not social) reasons.
