Substance Misuse Transitions Between Adolescence and Young Adulthood: Impacts on Young Adult Self-Sufficiency

Substance misuse during the transition to adulthood can be problematic, but it is also socially celebrated. There can be negative short-term impacts associated with intoxication, but are there negative long-term impacts of substance misuse on the transition into adulthood? Let us pause for a moment. Many individuals may have just glazed over thinking, “Adulthood? I’m not doing that any time soon.” But when you consider what qualifies individuals as adults, this research may seem more pertinent. Adults make their own choices. Adults take responsibility for those choices. Adults are financially independent. So, while the notion of adulthood may conjure images of the suburbs and stability, adulthood as actually the ability to be self-sufficient. Something we are all working towards. This research looked at the young adult self-sufficiency outcomes between individuals who have patterns of substance misuse as they transition to adulthood and those who had minimal misuse. Specifically, we considered individuals who Matured-Out of substance use and individuals who continued to use. Continuing users were further divided into Continuing-Cannabis or Continuing-Illicit patterns. For the most part, those who Matured-Out by young adulthood had similar developmental outcomes compared to those who did not misuse substances during the transition to adulthood. Those who continued to use cannabis or illicit substances into young adulthood, however, were less self-sufficient as young adults. These findings have important implications for policies that promote cannabis legalization. As cannabis becomes increasingly available, policymakers and community leaders should have an eye on providing the necessary supports to help young adults gain self-sufficiency regardless of legalization status

University Academic Advising: Impact Analysis

abstract: Academic advising performs a pivotal contribution to student success by providing information about university expectations and avenues towards graduation. The impact of academic advising is routinely assessed to explore its influence on student persistence. This report explores the impact of academic advising between 2016 to 2019 on student persistence to the next term. METHODS: Academic advising met with nearly 40% of students at USU each semester. Students who had a record of meeting with an academic advisor were compared to similar students who did not. Students were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who met with an advisor were matched with students who did not based on their persistence predication and their propensity to participate. The groups were compared using difference-in-difference testing (DID). FINDINGS: Students were 99% similar following matching. Students who met with an academic advisor were significantly more likely to persist at USU than similar students who did not (DID = 0.052, p \u3c .001). The unstandardized effect size can be estimated through student impact. It is estimated that academic advising assisted in retaining 667 (CI: 618 – 715) students each year who were otherwise not expected to persist

Fraternity & Sorority Life: Impact analysis Spring 2016 to Fall 2019

Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) is a valued part of the USU community It connects students with leadership and philanthropic opportunities throughout their time at university. Many students cite their time spent associated with FSL as one of the biggest contributing factors of their university experience. METHODS: Student’s membership in a FSL is recorded each semester on rosters. These rosters were used in identifying which students participated in FSL. Students were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who participated in FSL were matched with non-participating students based on their persistence predication and their propensity to participate. FINDINGS: Students were 98% similar following matching. Participating and comparison students were compared using difference-in-difference testing. Students who participated in FSL were significantly more likely to persist at USU than similar students who did not (DID = 0.0268, p \u3c .001). The unstandardized effect size can be estimated through student impact. It is estimated that FSL assisted in retaining 20 (CI: 10 to 30) students each year who were otherwise not expected to persist

Student Nutrition Access Center: Impact Analysis 2019

Introduction: Access to nutritional food items is crucial to student well-being, which in turn is crucial to student success. Student success emerges from “the amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience” (Astin, 1984). Campus nutrition programs help students eliminate food security issues so that they can devote more energy to the academic experience. However, creating efficient and convenient nutrition programs requires that administrators understand the complexities of their implementation, their effect on specific student segments, and their effect on decisions to either persist at or leave an institution. This report explores the impact of student nutrition services at Utah State University on student persistence. It also disaggregates results to identify which segments of students benefit most and explores the impact by level of use and timing. METHODS: Students who used SNAC were compared to similar students who did not use SNAC. They were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. This technique matched students who used SNAC with non-users based on their persistence prediction and their propensity to participate. The differences between predicted and actual persistence rates were compared using difference-in-difference testing. FINDINGS: Students were 98% similar following matching. Analysis of the matched group revealed that those who participated in SNAC were significantly more likely to persist at USU than similar students who did not participate in SNAC, (DID = 0.0156, p \u3c .05). The unstandardized effect size can be estimated through student impact. It is estimated that SNAC assisted in retaining 18 (CI: 2 to 34) students each year who were otherwise not expected to persist

How do USU Students Use University Support Services?

The central mission of USU is to be one of the nation’s premier student-centered universities. This is accomplished by fostering academics and offering opportunities to expand students’ vision of the world around them through co- and extra-curricular activities. These auxiliary activities are designed to support academic achievement and to engage students in meaningful opportunities to practice and enhance their personal and professional well-being. This analysis describes how students are using co- and extra-curricular services. It investigates the most salient student-facing programming in supporting student retention

Connections Impact on Student Persistence: Impact Report Spring 2015 to Fall 2018

Connections is Utah State University\u27s (USU) first-year seminary. A primary objective of Connections is student persistence. It is designed to help students become learners. While being a learner is not synonymous with being a college student, it aligns students’ expectations with what is required to succeed in college and at USU. This impact report explores the influence of Connections participation on student persistence to the next term. Participation in Connections is associated with a 1.4% increase in persistence to the next term. The positive impact of Connections is increasing with strategic programmatic changes

Exploratory Advising Impact Report: Spring 2016 to Spring 2019

Academic advising performs a pivotal contribution to student success by providing information about univeristy expectations and avenues towards graduation. Exploratory student advising has the additional task of supporting students in major selection. This analysis investigated the relationship between academic advising and student persistence for exploratory students to better understand the impact of current advising practices. METHODS: Exploratory academic advisors met with an average 53% of exporatory students each semester. Students with a record of meeting with an academic advisor were compared to similar exploratory students who did not. Students were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who met with an advisor were matched with students who did not based on their persistence predication and their propensity to participate. The groups were compared using difference-in-difference testing (DID). FINDINGS: Students were 99% similar following matching. Students who met with an academic advisor were significantly more likely to persist at USU than similar students who did not (DID = 0.099, p \u3c .001). The unstandardized effect size can be estimated through student impact. It is estimated that academic advising assisted in retaining 91 (CI: 74 to 107) exploratory students each year who were otherwise not expected to persist

Aggie Recreation Center Impact Report Fall 2015 to Spring 2019

Recreation facilities are an integral part of the university community. The Aggie Recreation Center is a place that helps foster a well balanced student. The ARC provides students with a myriad of opportunities for recreation, exercise, and community that can support students on their academic journey. This report explored the association between ARC facility use and student persistence to the next term at Utah State University. METHODS: Students recreation center use was captured with entry log-ins as students entered the facility. Students who had a record of using the facility were compared to similar students who did not have a record of facility use. Students were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who used the recreation center were matched with non-users based on their persistence predication and their propensity to participate. FINDINGS: Students were 99% similar following matching. Participating and comparison students were compared using difference-in-difference testing. Students who access ARC resources were significantly more likely to persist at USU than similar students who did not use library resources (DID = 0.0115, p \u3c .001). The unstandardized effect size can be estimated through student impact. It is estimated that library resources assisted in retaining 130 (CI: 87 – 173) students each year who were otherwise not expected to persist

Writing Fellows: Impact Analysis Fall 2015 to Spring 2019

The Writing Fellows program strategically places high performing writing mentors in courses with rigorous writing requirements. Writing Fellows work with each student in a course by reviewing their writing and offering mentoring to improve their written communication skills. Persistence is a secondary objective of the Writing Fellow program. As such, an impact evaluation on persistence should only be used as part of an evaluation of the influence of the Writing Fellows program on student wellbeing. This impact evaluation on student persistence found that students in courses with a Writing Fellow experienced a significant increase in persistence to the next term 1.2%

Passport Experience: Impact Analytics Fall 2014 to Fall 2018

Utah State University (USU) dedicates substantial resources to support student transition to higher education. The Passport Experience cuts across all university domains to support early student participation in curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities. Students are invited to attend a variety of events, when milestones are reached, students are rewarded. Persistence is a primary objective of the Passport Experience. The Passport Experience helps students develop an increased awareness of campus events, broad their engagement in the university experience, and become more involved in the University community. This report explores the association between the Passport Experience and students’ persistence toward graduation. METHODS: Passport participation was captured through card swipes. Students who had enough records of Passport participation to receive a reward were compared to similar students who had no record of participation. Students were matched for comparison using prediction- based propensity score matching. Students were matched with non-users based on their persistence predication and their propensity to participate. FINDINGS: Students were 97% similar following matching. Participating and comparison students were compared using difference-in-difference testing. Students who participated were significantly more likely to persist at USU than similar students who did not (DID = 0.054, p \u3c .001). The unstandardized effect size can be estimated through student impact. It is estimated that the Passport Experience assisted in retaining 6 (CI: 1 – 9) students each year who were otherwise not expected to persist. When data collection procedures were improved in 2017, the impact of the Passport Experience increased to an estimated retention of 37 (CI: 1 to 72) students. Further tracking of this program is warrented given improved data collection and new practices