Tulsa Community College

OPEID: 00976300

Tulsa Community College has served Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma since 1970. Now 

Oklahoma’s largest, multi-campus community college, TCC serves approximately 20,000 

students in college programs annually. As a large, multi-campus institution serving a population 

that is 47% students of color, 41% low income (Pell recipients), and 27% first generation to 

college, TCC is distinctly situated to test the proposed intervention and provide insight for other 

institutions on improving retention for underserved students.

TCC is addressing Absolute Priority 1 in its Early-Phase proposal – “Start Smart:

Contextualizing the First Year Experience to Improve Postsecondary Outcomes” – and is 

addressing the Competitive Preference Priority.

TCC aims to improve success for underserved and underrepresented students by 

redesigning its First Year Experience (FYE) course. 

For degree/certificate-seeking participants, the Project Objectives are to: 1) Increase 

first-year credit accumulation; 2) Increase retention rates; 3) Increase the completion rates; 4) 

Increase the transfer rates; 5) Reduce average time to credential; and 6) Increase the # credentials 

conferred above the baseline for each.

Activities: Within the FYE redesign intervention, TCC will deploy two strategies – 1)

contextualization of the course consistent with the intended major and 2) embedding of “Smart 

Start” sessions within the course so students receive specific information about their program of 

interest, meet the program faculty, and learn about the requirements and the academic rigor from 

someone in the program. Utilizing the framework of Complete College America’s Purpose First 

Pillar, there will be intentional interaction with advisors and career development specialists—

every position in their success network at the College. The pilot study will focus on 500 students

who declare a major in Social Sciences.

The proposed project intervention is grounded in evidence-based research. The What 

Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report on “First Year Experiences Courses: Supporting 

Postsecondary Success” noted that: “first year experience courses were found to have 

potentially positive effects on credit accumulation, degree attainment (college), and general 

academic achievement (college) for freshman college students” (July 2016, p. 2). In the 2009 

Jamelske study cited in the report, the first-year experience courses were linked to a specific 

course topic (e.g., biology, economics, psychology), were capped at 20 students, and included 

small group peer activities, close work with a faculty member, and an upperclassman as a student 

peer mentor. The WWC confirmed that there was a statistically significant difference between 

first year experience course participants and comparison participants on cumulative grade point 

average. The WWC characterizes this finding as a statistically significant positive effect 

(WWC: FYE Courses Intervention Report, p. 7).

Intended Outcomes: The evaluation will examine the effects of the FYE Course 

redesign intervention on four outcomes – successful completion of FYE course; student 

persistence (in any program); student retention (in any program); and attainment of an 

Associate’s degree or transfer to Bachelor’s degree-granting institution