Promising Practice: SYE at Morgan State University

As practitioners embarking on a new school year, it is common to reflect on which populations that our departments serve well and who we want to serve better. We think about which students are engaged and successful, and how we can reach populations that have fewer interactions with our departments. Morgan State University initiated a program last academic year to serve and engage their sophomore students. The development of this program provides an interesting case study for practitioners hoping to get a new program off the ground.

In April of 2019, the Lumina Foundation for Education highlighted the introduction of the Second-Year Experience Program (SYE) at Morgan State University. SYE sought to engage students in continued self-discovery during the famed “sophomore slump,” when students frequently lose motivation or confidence in their majors or their postsecondary education as a whole (Lumina).

The SYE Program is housed within Morgan State’s Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA), and focuses broadly on tailored experiential learning (James, 2019). Students continue involvement with their freshman advisors to craft an individualized plan that will help provide the exposure, development, and experiences that are most interesting or helpful to the student. There are opportunities to engage in research with faculty members, study abroad experiences, or career-focused field trips to workplaces. Students also have a variety of student involvement opportunities to choose from, including service-learning and leadership development programming (“Welcome Second Year Students,” n.d.). 

The SYE Program launched in the 2018-2019 school year, and the Lumina article provides helpful insight on the successes and challenges of its first year. Focus groups indicated that students who participated in the program found great value and positive development from the programming. That said, participation wasn’t as strong as staff members hoped, and students provided thoughtful suggestions for how to increase engagement in the program, including adding ambassadors at each school and creating more upbeat marketing materials (James, 2019). 

As we look into the new school year, reflecting on case studies like Morgan State University’s Second Year Experience Program can provide inspiration, best practices, and lessons to guide us. Check out the full article, linked in the references, for a deeper dive.

References

James, B. (2019, April 11). In Their Own Words – The SYE Program at Morgan State University. Lumina Foundation News & Views. Retrieved from https://www.luminafoundation.org/news-and-views/in-their-own-words-the-sye-program-at-morgan-state-university

Welcome Second Year Students. (n.d.) Morgan State University. Retrieved from https://www.morgan.edu/sye

Jen Lombardo

Assistant Dean of Students: Academic Services & Advising

Harris Public Policy
, The University of Chicago