Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Understanding and Engaging Under-resourced College Students
January 5 – January 20, 2015
Seminar Notes
Text: Becker, K.A., Krodel, K.M., Tucker, B.H. 2009. Understanding and engaging under-resourced college students: a fresh look at the
influence of economic class on teaching and learning in higher education. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc.
Seminar Participants: J. Hoffman; A. Martin; A. Salmeto-Johnson; B. Carr; B. Brewster; B. Gatzke; C. Wade; C. Craig; C. McDole; C.
Troxell; C. Connely; C. Karmas; D. Devonis; D. Skinner; D. Bartholomew; D. Hurt; J. Challie; J. Abraham-White; J. Bolinger; J. Ruckman;
J. Franklin; J. Breshears; K. Bash; K. Still; L. Long; P. Hoffman; P. Mothershead; S. Glazer; T. Everett; T. Sinnott; G. Heisserer; B. Smith
Email Preparation for Seminar, 1-29-14
From Brian Smith, Chair, Quality Initiative Committee
Title of Seminar: Understanding and Engaging Under-Resourced College Students
Name(s) of Proposer(s): Jay Hoffman, Donna Hurt, Brian Smith
Description of Project:
11 lunch-hour meetings in the Harpham Heritage Chapel beginning Tuesday, January 5, 2015
Week 1: Donna Hurt will offer four learner-centered presentations over the first 4 chapters of Understanding and Engaging
Under-Resourced College Students. This week will be presentation with some interaction –an extension of what Donna
offered in the past 2 professional development days:
o T Jan 5 – Ch. 1 – Colleges, Resources, and Economic Class
o W Jan 6 – Ch. 2 – What Are the Causes of Poverty?
o TR Jan 7 – Ch. 3 – Internal Resources
o F Jan 8 – Ch. 4 – External Resources
Week 2: Participants will read important chapters from the text, and come together to discuss, share, and learn from one
another. Jay Hoffman and Brian Smith will facilitate; Donna Hurt will attend as a resource person.
o M & T Jan 11 & 12 – Ch. 5 – In Action – the Why and How of Learning Strategies
o W Jan 13 – Ch. 6 – In Action – the Why and How of Instructional Design
o TR Jan 14 – Ch. 7 – Paradigm Shifts in Higher Education
o F Jan 15 – Chs. 9 & 11 – Building Synergy Among Stakeholders & Developing Human and Social Capital
on the Campus and in the Community
Week 3: Participants will develop plans for their courses or wherever they interact with students outside of class
o M Jan 18 – Develop Individual Action Plan
o T Jan 19 – Discuss and Refine Action Plan/Design Follow-up
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/5/15
Facilitated by Donna Hurt
Chapter 1 – Colleges, Resources, and Economic Class
“Many of today’s students are under-resourced – that is, without the advantage of fully available financial, personal
and support system resources necessary to well-being. Many cannot read, write, and compute at the college level
and have years of baggage from their school experience. For college personnel to achieve maximal effectiveness in
reaching these students, paradigm shifts are needed in the ways teaching and learning are understood and
actualized on campus.” Page 1
4 Challenges that Under-resources Students Face (pages 3-4)
1. Under-resourced students usually lack the intergenerational transfer of knowledge about higher education,
concepts of provosts, advisors, financial aid are unfamiliar
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
2. There is in every institution and among economic classes a set of “hidden rules” – cueing mechanisms that are
not deliberately taught by parents nor are they deliberately taught at a college; they are modeled and implied…not
knowing/using the hidden rules of middle class is often equated with not being intelligent.
3. Under-resourced students may not have developed “future stories”, or plans for moving from poverty to
prosperity and are trapped in the “tyranny of the moment”
4. Individuals from poverty may be lacking the social capital or bridging relationships that give them the linkages to
overcome the challenges of college and career exploration.
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/6/15
Facilitated by Donna Hurt, Notetaker Diane Bartholomew
Chapter 1 - Colleges, Resources and Economic Class (continued)
Chapter 2 - What Are the Causes of Poverty?
Under-resourced: lack financial and/or social support. Focus on economic.
Based on patterns within the environment. All patterns have exceptions.
Generational poverty (more than 2 generations) and situational poverty.
To what extend an individual does without resources. (Book identifies 11 resources.)
 Financial
 Emotional- choose and control emotional responses
 Mental- cognitive
 Spiritual- if a divine, then hope.
 Physical – health and mobility
 Support system – friends, family in times of need
 Relationships/role models – frequent
 Knowledge of hidden rules- unspoken habits of a group
Challenges
 Lack intergenerational transfer of knowledge about higher ed
 Institutional and economic classes have hidden rules (and in each classroom)
 Might not have developed a future story
 May be lacking social capital or bridging relationships that give them the linkages to overcome the
challenges of college and subsequent career exploration.
Chapter 2: Causes of Poverty
Both/and approach v. either/or approach
Poverty:
RELATIONSHIPS – needed to get what is needed (driving factor and reciprocity needed)
Not very futuristic
Lack of choice.
Tyranny of the moment – the need to act overwhelms any willingness to learn. Many of the items are inter-related
Middle Class:
ACHIEVEMENT
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/7/15
Facilitated by Donna Hurt, Notetaker Diane Bartholomew
Chapter 3: Internal Resources Understand internal resources that are necessary to academic success so that
we can support and assist student in their development of them.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Hidden Rules – unspoken; p36 – Could you live with:
Possessions
Poverty – people (find happiness outside the material possessions)
Middle class – things
Wealth – one of a kind objects, legacies, pedigrees
-In order to achieve, one may need to give up relationship (at least for a time)
Time
Poverty – present is most important; decision made for the moment based on feelings / survival;
Good problem solvers for the moment, but not long-term
Middle – future most important; decision made against future ramifications
Wealth – traditions and hx
Money
P – to be used, spent, and shared (on entertainment – escape the moment)
M – managed
W –conserved, invested
Personality
P – entertainment (sense of humor is highly valued)
M – acquisition and stability; achievement is highly valued
W – for connections; financial, political and social connections are highly valued)
Clothing
Destiny
P – fate; choices limited
M – believe in choice; change future w/ choices
Education
P – valued and revered as abstract, but not reality
M – crucial for climbing success ladder and making money
W – necessary for maintaining wealth and building connections
Language
P – casual register; about survival
M – formal register; about negotiation
W – formal register; about networking
Driving Forces
P – survival, relationships, entertainment
M – work, achievement, material security
Jay Hoffman: Just a friendly reminder to keep thinking and listing those “Hidden Rules” that we have at GU. These
are the assumptions we make about what students “should” know. We had a great start today!
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/8/15
Facilitated by Donna Hurt and Jay Hoffman
Chapter 4, External Resources
Table from page 63 (Joos, 1967):
Register
Explanation
Frozen
Language that is always the same, eg: Lord’s Prayer, wedding vows.
Formal
Standard sentence syntax and word choice of work & school.
Has complete sentences & specific word choice.
Consultative
Formal register when used in conversation.
Discourse pattern not quite as direct as formal register.
Casual
Language between friends, characterized by a 400- to 800-word vocabulary. Word
choice general and not specific. Conversation dependent upon nonverbal assists.
Sentence syntax often incomplete.
Intimate
Language between lovers or twins. Language of sexual harassment.
Jay Hoffman: For Monday and Tuesday, as you read Chapter 5, look at each of the 4 areas referenced on page
85 (Hidden Rules of Class and College, Relationships of Mutual Respect, Mental/Cognitive Resources, Language
Resources). As you go through each of those sections think about one of the strategies you have implemented and
explore why it did or did not work. Also look for a strategy/method within each section you have not used and think
about how you might implement that in one of your courses/programs (why that method?). We will spend the
majority of the next 2 days discussing each of those 4 sections in Ch. 5. We will facilitate discussion and not
formally present on these areas. If you want to bring copies of specific assignments/programs to illustrate, share, or
work on…that may be helpful and would help you all on our activities for the last two days of the workshop.
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/12/15
Facilitated by Donna Hurt and Brian Smith
Chapter 5 - In Action – the Why and How of Learning Strategies
-
Small Group Discussion -
Brian Smith: Preparation for next meeting
Brian’s claim: whether explicitly or implicitly, we’re often acting as teachers, or we could be.
Before you begin the chapter, take 5 minutes to write down answers to these 3 questions:
What is the most important thing you teach? Why is it important? And how do you teach it now?
After reading the chapter – what’s the most important thing you teach? Given this chapter – how would you show
that it is important, and how would you teach it?
And – one thing that’s so important that you want to share it with someone else.
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/13/15
Facilitated by Brian Smith and Donna Hurt, Notetaker Brian Smith, Donna Hurt
Chapter 6 – In Action – the Why and How of Instructional Design
-
Small Group Discussion –
Some of today’s good ideas:
Relationships of Mutual Respect
Many under-resourced students don’t think they belong here. So we have to convince them that they do. Show
that you care about what they say, do, and think – whether by attending activities or circling interesting comments
on homework or by giving them your undivided attention when they speak.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Emphasize that we’re all always making choices. Be explicit: if you choose [A], then [good thing is likely to
happen]. If you choose [B], then [bad thing is likely to happen.] Always mention both the potential positive and the
potential negative – this will help students build a future orientation.
Mental/Cognitive Resources and Language Resources
Students need to feel safe in class (see mutual respect above) – but they also must be accountable. Call on
students at random using tongue depressors with names or 3x5 cards with photos to ensure calling is random.
The testing effect rules. The idea is that retrieving information – even unsuccessful attempts at retrieval – are far
better ways to learn (even though they may feel uncomfortable) than re-reading, or just looking something up in the
book or one’s notes.
Break larger assignments into components – and attach time estimates to each. Also ask students to make their
own estimate – then track how much time they actually spent.
Hidden Rules of Graceland University ~ List created by faculty and staff 1/13/15
Hidden rules are defined as the “unspoken understandings that cue the members of any particular group
concerning expectations and behaviors”. They are patterns, not stereotypes. It is often assumed that everyone
knows these rules…common sense. Knowledge about hidden rules is often mistakenly equated with intelligence.
These hidden rules need to be explicitly taught and modeled for our under-resourced students.
 Students check email and campus mail daily.
 Appointments made must be kept.
 Formal register is used. Cursing and the “n” word are NOT considered Formal register and are not allowed
in professional and public environments.
 Faculty does not work 8-5. They have set office hours, in which to set appointments or drop in.
 Students may have to buy more than just books. The University doesn't supply other materials.
 Property belongs to someone. “Borrowing” without permission is not acceptable.
 There is a chain of authority: a process to follow when there is a grievance. The University President is not
the first step.
 Students will plan ahead and notify someone when they will be absent.
 Community is important.
 Harassment is not allowed.
 Students earn grades; teachers don’t give grades.
 The syllabus is a contract.
 Group conversation will adhere to the class topic.
 People are well groomed.
 Most staff and faculty are here to help and do care about student success.
 Preparation for class is essential.
 Students take initiative/responsibility for their learning.
 Tests are purposeful – designed to measure student learning and participation, therefore completing the
work and studying is necessary to succeed.
 Students will ask for and seek help when needed.
 Students will be self-motivated.
 Students will show interest and find relevance in all of their learning experiences.
 There is a certain “volume” in public conversation that is considered acceptable.
 Professors operate their classrooms differently and have different expectations, rules, etc.
 Leaving class for a drink, to use the restroom, take a call, chat with a friend etc., is perceived as rude
behavior.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
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Students will read feedback on graded assignments and adjust/make corrections accordingly.
Being active and engaged in the self-governance style of the housing system is important.
Students are here to learn and become well-rounded, life-long learners, not just to get a grade or a degree.
Attendance is expected, regardless of your mood or how you are feeling.
Students do not speak when others are speaking. It is perceived as rude.
Students will know their professors and how to address them appropriately.
Students only take what they will eat in the commons.
Students will be grateful and use the resources and materials that we give to them and not give them away
or sell them.
There are specific behaviors expected in the classroom to exhibit professionalism.
Much learning will take place on the student’s own time outside of the classroom – homework assignments,
etc.
Brian Smith: I know we’re a large group – and I missed our first 2 meetings – but I’d like to suggest that we
introduce ourselves to our table mates, if we haven’t done so already. Tomorrow I also may ask you to share your
name when you share comments with the whole group. That will help name-challenged folks like me, as well as
newer members of the GU community. Pardon the non-formal language – but I think what we’re doing together is
really cool. I hope you feel the same.
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/14/15
Facilitated by Donna Hurt, Jay Hoffman, Brian Smith, Notetaker Brian Smith
Chapter 7 – Paradigm Shifts in Higher Education
How do we collaborate? How do we find more ways like this to talk with each other?
And how do students become part of the mix – see the reading
How do we help students learn resilience? How do they learn to deal with failure? Another great point – this is
another place where Dweck’s mindset work could be useful, along with helping students (and likely faculty and
staff) change their explanations (attributions) for failure.
What is Graceland’s identity?
How do we encourage students to question their assumptions? How can we help each other question our
assumptions, too?
"What is student success for our under-resourced students?"
Who is answering this question; the under-resourced student, or each of us?
I can imagine very different responses, based on who the respondent is meant to be.
As we think about the question, we may ask ourselves if the idea of student success changes
at all…maybe, maybe not.
We may also want to look at it within the context of the University’s Strategic Goals*, much like we did as a
faculty and staff this summer.
*GU Strategic Goals 2015-2025
All About Student Success
1. Student Success: Transform the learning process by integrating deliberate, bold, qualitative strategies for delivering highimpact learning and meaningful engagement experiences, in and out of the classroom, to the broad range of 21 st Century
Students.
2. Community – Respectful of the inherent worth of all persons, Graceland will foster collaborative partnerships and inclusivity in
planning and action.
3. Invest in an increasingly vibrant and integrated community, energize supporters to expand the resource base, and maintain
profitable, sustainable revenue streams that provide exceptional learning opportunities that are financially accessible.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
4. Brand Graceland: Engage all community members in strategizing to integrate Graceland’s identity into all levels of
promotional processes in order to raise the institution’s stature regionally and nationally.
5. Focus Learning Environments – Design and maintain physical and technological environments that are commensurate with
a national center of learning and that enhance the quality of the physical and virtual learning and living experiences.
Regardless of how we answer the question, we will need to build bridges. What will these look like? Ideas? What
resources are needed? What stakeholders/synergies need to be in place? How can this happen?----And we know
we cannot complete this until we have student input, but we can start the conversation.
Slightly revised schedule:
Thursday:
1. What is student success for our under-resourced students?
2. Share existing proposals that hope to improve success of under-resourced students.
Then generate more ideas – and begin thinking about how we make those ideas happen.
Jan 16 – Now just Ch. 11 –Developing Human & Social Capital on Campus & in the Community
Jan 19 – Develop Individual Action Plan
Jan 20 – Discuss and Refine Action Plan/Design Follow-up
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/15/15
Facilitated by Brian Smith, Donna Hurt, Jay Hoffman, Notetaker Katie Bash
Donna Hurt: The ‘Righting Reflex’
The righting reflex cuts directly to the corrective action for the student without creating a clear understanding of what issues are being
addressed, nor explaining why the situation or condition occurred. In this incomplete mediated learning experience, students are told how
to do something to ‘make themselves better’ without an explanation of what and why these issues are being addressed for them. (p. 164)
We call people unmotivated when they are not doing what we want them to do.
Discussion Guide (p. 162): Reformulating the Premises of Higher Education
Traditional Assumptions
New Paradigms
Students
Students prepared with internal & external resources,
Under-resourced students with multiple learning barriers, less-thanfocused on educational priority
ideal background preparation, and competing demands brought on as
a result of highly complex life conditions
Unprepared students seen as remedial, high risk
Under-resourced students seen as problem solvers and creators
Learning Environment
Faculty as discipline-specific experts
Faculty as learning facilitators using discipline-specific expertise to
Unsupported, autonomous, competitive learning env.
engage students in supported, relational, cooperative learning env.
Didactic teaching of decontextualized and theoretical
Knowledge created through service &community engagement models
knowledge
involving multiple individuals from diverse backgrounds, formal
planning documents, 7 work for a given cause.
Students isolated from each other & the community in
Contextualized 7 situated learning connects students to each other
the learning tasks
and to the community in the learning tasks
Institutions
Enrollment-driven
Student retention, persistence, achievement & completion as top
priorities
Pricing & funding
Focus on cost & value as instructional recipe for student success
Development of human & social capital secondary to
Intentional structured development of human & social capital for
scholarship & research
achievement, sustainability, & prosperity
Institutional outcomes connected to self-sustainability & Institutional outcomes become connected to community sustainability
infrastructure
Accreditation based on institutional assets & $ resource
Relatively low accountability
Discussion Question: Examine the extent to which we explicitly or implicitly operate under the traditional assumptions of higher
education. To what degree do we endorse the new paradigms on the right side of the table?
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Reports from small groups:
Group 1: Spokesperson Adam Martin
Class profile – do we know? That information
must be shared across faculty and staff offices
to better marshall resources. Bring all the
stakeholders involved together – on one page. If
we bring a certain type of students, we need to
meet the needs of that type of student. What do
we mean by achieving students? What are the
markers of success. Honors? Then we need to
assess the honors program – do students
understand it? Value it? Know about it?
Rigor of standards – what resources do we
bring to under-resourced students? Do we
provide resources to all types of students? Does
it take place inside or outside the classroom? If
both, it will take the time of faculty and staff.
Silent majority – We have A,B, & C students
who we assume are fine but they ae the ones
most likely to transfer. They don’t get attention.
They need to be included in any discussion
about serving/teaching students.
Group 2: Spokesperson Brad Carr
›Is there a cost to the high-achieving
students?
›Is the GU ‘gameplan’ to enroll more and
more under-resourced students. › Weren’t
we recently talking about being a premier
institution? What is premier? Is that the
direction we are moving and how does that
fit with more under-resourced students?
Can we serve both groups?
Assumptions -Students come to learn to better themselves
and contribute to society.
-Students know how to “Act” in class –
maturity levels.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Group 3: Spokesperson Carrie Wade
Money underlies everything Graceland does:
Graceland is enrollment-driven.
Graceland will accept everyone
Graceland cannot survive without athletes
Things we do well:
Human capital
How do we get everyone to drink the
Graceland koolaid? Experience is positive
We see under-resourced students as
problems, not as problem solvers.
Group 4 Peggy Mothershead
(reported 1/16)
Buy-in from everyone (staff, faculty, etc)
New paradigm
Future story/mission, vision, values
Shared lexicon (re: student success) to help
progress the conversation
Connecting the groups across campuses (
breaking down siloes,
creating a communal space that facilitates
constructive interaction)
Assumptions
Creating a safe place (communal space, food) for
campus employees will facilitate buyin and
breakdown siloes
We should hold ourselves to our enrollment criteria
or change as a campus to meet the new
paradigms.
Group 5 Diane Bartholomew, Brian Smith
(reported 1/16)
We followed the Brookfield model of exploring
perspectives, and had open discussion and
brainstorming
There was variation in opinions in each area.
GU Assumptions
Perspective
s
Traditional
vs New
Paradigms
What & why
Action (how)
Whole
University
Caring
Faculty
/Staff
Administratio
n
Students
External
stakeholders
(BOT,
admin,
communities
, families)
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Notes from Seminar Meeting 1/16/15
Facilitators: Jay Hoffman, Donna Hurt
We don’t have all the answers. How can we create win-wins in our departments and classrooms where we are
using our expertise to drive decisions at a department or university level. For example the new VPAA and her team
are encouraging all to demonstrate the learning that takes place in activities and programs. Student Life is working
on expanding the profile of student leaders and is working with Donnna Hurt to better understand and engage
under-resourced learners in Student Life activities and program.
How can we involve students in helping us teach and in helping other students learn? Consider projects, activities,
programming (baby steps) that better engage students in developing wins. Use the following table (from p. 6 of the
text) to give context to your discussion.
Behaviors of the Individual
Definition: Research on the
choices, behaviors,
characteristics, & habits of
people in poverty.
Sample topics:
Dependence on welfare
Morality
Crime
Single parenthood
Breakoff of families
Intergenerat’l character traits
Work ethic
Racism & discrimination
Commitment to achievement
Spending habits
Addiction, mental illness,
Domestic violence
Planning skills
Orientation to the future
Language experience
Absence of
Human & Social Capital
Definition: Research on the
resources available to
individuals, communities, &
businesses.
Sample topics:
Intellectual capital
Social capital
Availability of jobs
Availability of well-paying jobs
Racism & discrimination
Availability & quality of edu.
Adequate skill sets
Childcare for working families
Decline in neighborhoods
Decline in social morality
Urbanization
Suburbanization of manufac’g
Middle-class flight
City & regional planning
Exploitation
Definition: Research on how
people in poverty are
exploited because they are
in poverty.
Sample topics:
Drug trade
Racism & discrimination
Payday lenders
Subprime lenders
Lease/purchase outlets
Gambling
Temp work
Sweatshops
Sex Trade
Internet Scams
Political/
Economic Structure
Definition: Research on the
economic, political & social
policies at the international,
national, state, & local levels.
Sample topics:
Globalization
Equity
Corporate influence on
legislators
Declining middle class
Deindustrialization
Job loss
Decline of unions
Taxation patterns
Salary ratio CEO:line worker
Immigration patterns
Economic disparity
Racism & discrimination
Reports from Groups:
Group 1 Jen Abraham-White
Residence Life
Have leaders guide training practices/topics (ie.: sturvey results)
Transitioning leadership → leadership, student leaders include new majority representatives
“Captains Council”/academic component
Co-Curricular
Ask students - peer educator program (get input from students about talking to other students)
Curricular
INTD Super Sections, give students the microphone
Leadership course with curricular/co-curricular componetns
Experiential learning
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Group 2, Tiffany Sinnott (Reported 1/19/15)
Foundations
Community
Disconnect
Peer
Educators
Resource
Voice problem
finding/solving
trust
Research/inventory
Identifying power
Empower
Structure
faculty/staff
committees
How can we expect students to feel like they have a voice or power when they know faculty and staff don’t have
much of a voice or power at Graceland? How can students trust us if we don’t trust Graceland?
Passive programming vs active programming
Group 3, Brian Smith (Reported 1/19/15)
I think I can
labeling, tolerism
affirmations
constructive criticism
Mindset beliefs
Ability
Relationships
Emotional Intelligence
Empathy
What’s this mean?
Do students value relationships w/us?
Motivation
Relevance
Hope, resilience, grit
time management/balance
Achievement
Success is defined by…
Curiosity
What do relationship mean?
Notes from Seminar Meeting Monday, 1-19-15
Facilitators: Jay Hoffman, Donna Hurt, Notetaker K. Bash
Micro-level Strategic Planning Ideas:
Deb Skinner, re: all Strategic Goals
Every year hall directors take on “collateral assignments”
Colby Connelly – has a passion for social justice issues, fall housing conference provided an excellent model that
Res Life is working on implementing in 2016-17:
15-25 upper division students become Peer Educators (after very selective process)
Peer educators select and present topics, themes for passive programming,
eg: individual indicators of privilege game followed up on at house meeting
Peggy Mothershead, re: Strategic Goals 1, 2, and 3
Reviewing and evaluating the enrollment checklist to see if it is being as effective as we thought it would be when
we did it. Is it making a positive impact? Saving students time and stress? Review by focus group that includes
staff and students. Report out to other departments.
Also improve the climate in our own offices – make sure we look like we’re working together
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Check to make sure students are receiving our communications (may not be checking web or email)
Chad McDole: Strategic Goal 4
Make books affordable, more easily accessible, eg: include in tuition.
Adam Martin: Strategic Goals 1 and 2
Early warning system provides info more broadly, to include faculy, to understand issues in students’ lives that may
be impacting classroom performance
Preparation for tomorrow: Jay Hoffman
First 10 minutes, commit yourself to something that you can do this semester. Refine your idea, small group then
larger group discussion. Roots must be in text. If you have already begun to design something and can
bring/share, even better!
Understanding and Engaging Under-Resourced College Students Seminar
Notes from cards collected January 19, 2015
Educate ALL Graceland Employees to prepare us to understand and assist under-resourced
students. On-going education – challenges to all employees/All departments.
 Keep talking about under-resourced students
 Enlist help from students to tell their stories
 Keep providing chances for faculty/staff
 Provide incentives to faculty/staff to learn more! Participation in education process.
B.C.
“Early Warning System” (aka Flag report on steroids)
→Community→Empowerment→Achievement
 When a student starts going below a C in more than one class, The following parties will
immediately be notified via MyGraceland and personal email
o All professors of classes, advisor(s)
o TRIO and/or CAP Center (whichever applies)
o House President/Chaplain?, coaches
→Faculty and staff can then be on the lookout for what larger environmental factors, together, are
effecting students, and be mindful of how to assist in ALL areas of life
A.M.
“Common Theme: - Have a common theme throughout Gen-Ed courses
“F-track” – This is an icloud product that organizes emails, notes, deadlines, duties all in one palce
to centralize information sharing
“Strict Observing” – Track attendance, help initiate strategies learning in “Boot Camp”
Hold hands, hold accountable, motivate each of our under-resourced students
“Boot Camp” – Teach resources available to all new students
“Mini-Spec” – Ent. Roundtable concept, bring in leaders/music groups etc. and create passion,
excitement and education on topic of spirituality and Christianity
“Books with Tuition” – Find a way to loan students money with tuition costs or other ideas to include
books within class costs.
C.M.
1. Academic Prep Summer Program (D.Hunt & G.Heisserer met w/VPAA Jan.20): Proposal
“endorsed” by E&P & OIP Cmtes, funding available; Academic approval process to begin next week
2. Building Community via the creation of SSN – Student Success Network
I have no idea exactly what this is, but I’d like a way for all to know what we are doing, what we can
do, and how individuals can participate.
G.H.
Strategic Goal 1 Student Success
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Avoiding Structured Failure - Increasing Chance of Student Success
Identify courses that require a minimum level of college-level reading & writing and make enrollment
conditional on demonstrating competence (St. Louis Comm. College model).
Don’t enroll FF students in these classes even if 1000 level. Stakeholders: Faculty who teach those
courses, CAP Center, Coaches for Athletes, TRIO staff, instructors of DEVL courses
S.G.
Resources Addressed: Knowledge of hidden rules, Mental ?tive,Integrity/Trust
Bridging Idea/Title: Enrollment
Revisit checklist that is on MyGraceland
Describe Idea: Evaluate effectiveness of enrollment checklist – what else can be done to help
student to be done before school starts
Model Accomplish – Reach Out to consider society, improved climate
Who’s involved? Students, support offices, admissions – registrar – student life
Resources needed: Evaluation of resources, retaining – programming. Time.
P.M.
Strategic Goals #1 Student Success and #2) Community
Resources Addressed: Knowledge of hidden rules, relationships/role models
Bridging idea: Integrated Internship Program
Catharine, Adam, Jan, Nancy, Mary, Jim, Chad, Stu, Alum
Team of CAP Ctr, faculty, administrators, and alumni board work together to create networking,
mentoring/internship opportunities for students
Accomplishes: Reach out to broader society
Who: Faculty, Staff, Administration, Alumni, & communications department
Resources: ↑ Time/Communication materials/Student Training resources
C.C.
(Strategic Goals 1 Student Success (HIPs) and 3 Invest, “Practical opportunities for students to learn while building
Graceland’s image through electronic & social media”
Resources – relationship, emotional
Bridging Idea – Develop relationship with local agencies to link students to governmental assistance
available to them for food or housing to make their experience financially feasible.
-Meet with student, assess eligibility for local assistance, help them make necessary contacts.
-Accomplishes – affordable housing and meals, sense of stability
-Who involved - a CAP Center or Financial Aid Advisor who has access to personal financial
information. Act as mentor
-What resources needed – training and education on local resources available.
K.S.
Strategic Goal 3 Invest
Description: Requiring students to take a specific number of writing-intensive classes or complete
research-oriented projects as a general education requirement for all majors.
Under Essential Learning Outcomes, info literacy, critical thinking, written and oral communication
are addressed. Undergraduate Research is a High-Impact Practice.
What does it accomplish: Develops a dynamic landscape for learning.
Who needs to be involved: Students, faculty, library staff
Resources Needed: Curriculum resources investment in HIP, time to work with students, more
electronic research databases!
Resource Addressed: Mental/cognitive; motivation/persistence; language
Bridging Idea: Required writing intensive or X # of research classes/papers to graduate as Gen Ed
requirement
Strategic Goal 1 Student Success
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C.W.
Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Resources Addressed: Emotional, hidden rules, language, support systems, integrity/trust,
cognitive, relationship/role models
Bridging Ideas/Title: Personal Advisors
Briefly describe: Staff & upperclassmen across campus who are interested/trained act as personal
advisors who invest in under-resourced students by developing relationships that offer support &
information that are concerns of the students; ie. Organizational skills, time management skills,
relationship with instructors, hidden rules, formal register.
Accomplish: Building competencies of staff and students
Who: Staff and students
What resources? Training, resource packets, a system for students to find an advisor
Advertising to students and staff
J.B.
Strategic Goals 1 Student Success and 2 Community
→Club for “First-Generation” students (“Day”/Dinner)
→Info/Tip sheets for faculty: eg – Hidden Rules, Relationship-building Prompts
→Group to support PG women
C.K.
Strategic Goals 1 Student Success and 2 Community
Resources Addressed: All 11 internal and external
Bridging Idea: Develop & evaluate student leader training by presenting to students, staff, & faculty
and asking for feedback
Idea: Assess leadership Training with ELO & Professional Standards and present to students, staff,
faculty and administration for feedback/rework.
Involved: Students, staff, admin, faculty
Resources: Time, professional resources
A.M.
Strategic Goals 1 Student Success and 2 Community
Resources Addressed: Emotional Motivation Relationships
Bridging Idea: Invite students from majority population into collaboration with all campus programs,
eg: Student life, Housing, Financial Aid, Health Care, Athletics, Academics) to enhance/improve
campus environment.
L.L.
Peer Educators – Social Justice, U of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
14-25 student work assignments – upper division students meet twice/month. Passive & Active
programming. Work with Residence Life for Residence Hall programs.
*Bring faculty to the residence halls by 2016-17. 1 faculty appointment in the male and in the female
residence halls (2 total).
Strategic Goal 5: Focus Environments
D.S.
Bridging Idea: Unifying our view of ourselves, Provide a brief description (vision/mission statement) C.T.
of what we are as a university and every employee can describe how they fit into that to others. To
do that we should hold focus groups that involve Deans, VPs, Team Captains, Diverse Groups of
Other Students. This would allow students to describe what we currently, actually provide to students
rather than what we say we provide.
Dynamic, participatory.
Needed: Time, motivation
Brand, community, environment
Resources Addressed: Motivation, trust, spiritual, language, relationships, support
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Bridging Idea: Community Agreement
3 or 4 weeks into the Fall semester, each House President facilitates their house coming up with
community standards. Any rules outside of the Code of Conduct that the house wants to abide by.
This will bring up Hidden Rules in a verbal & written format. The standards should be posted on the
floor, and the HP should explicitly explain the meaning & importance of the agreement. Have
everyone sign.
Resources Addressed: Trust, relationships
J.R.
Strategic Goals: 2. Community; 5. Focus Environments
Resources addressed: Motivation, trust
Bridging Idea/Title: process based learning of design, market to market
Description of Idea: Build models, proposals, budget toward space, money
Faculty meetings involving councils and titles
Model: House meetings? Democratic congress. Design modules.
Who needs involvement: MORE FACULTY. More resources for faculty members. Design and
studio faculty.
Resources needed: network, investment of space
T.S.
Strategic Goals: 1. Student Success, 2. Community, 3. Investment, 5. Focus Environments
Listen; capture and implement ideas, look for synergies, reward performance, foster trust, seek
funding for resources to implement ideas
K.B.
Assignment for final session tomorrow, Jay Hoffman
Complete and bring the worksheet. It will serve as our resource for discussion. We want to get a commitment to
implement at least one strategy learned during this workshop into our spring term:
Worksheet
Understanding & Engaging Under-Resourced Students
Committing to Action
Purpose: This exercise will require each of us to make a commitment to action. We are asked to carefully select a
method/strategy for our class/program/department in an effort to better understand or engage our students, especially if we may
suspect they are under-resourced. We will explore the who, what, when, where, how, and why of our commitment. We will also
examine potential pitfalls and strategies for navigating those “murky” waters.
1. Who is your intended audience?
2. What method/strategy have you selected (consider Ch. 5 & 6)?
3. When do you feel the best time is to use this method/strategy?
4. Where will you use this? (classes, units, curriculum, etc?)
5. How will you use or implement this? (process, resources, media?) Please provide an example if you can.
6. Why did you select this particular method/strategy? Why do you think it will be successful?
7. What potential pitfalls or challenges do you foresee? How will you overcome these potential barriers?
Notes from Final Seminar Meeting Monday, 1-20-15
Facilitators: Jay Hoffman, Donna Hurt, Notetaker K. Bash
JF: See Action Plan already posted on this group’s MyGraceland page re: student worker service learning
experience.
JH: Collaborative effort between myself, Chad, Brian: Lifetime health & fitness class that utilizes the concepts
learned in this seminar. Set goals to implement ideas. Assess. Encourage failure – in the sense that its good to try
and failures can teach.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
CM: A simple one - Students are struggling to upload labs on MyGraceland but are not communicating with me
about problems. We will do them together, in class, for the first 4 weeks, and demonstrate how to upload them.
AM: Time – there’s never enough time. Making some time outside of class for me to conduct a 1-hour, student
driven (content) session for US Govt. students – how to take notes, how to write a research paper, how to study for
a recent test. Identify problems and help students find ways to overcome them. Need to consider how to get
students to come. Require all students to come to at least one (weekly, 14 during semester)? Build in requirement
that students with C or below must come? Not sure requiring it would help. Giving students the opportunity to
recover points, which may be motivational? I can’t slow down the bus but I can put more time into meeting
students’ needs.
Assess: Ask students what most helped you here/what least helped you here.
CK: Traditional 321: 3 things I have learned, 2 things I have applied, 1 thing I will never forget. Students found it
overwhelming to do this every week. Instead: 3 things I have learned from writing about the text; 2 things I have
learned as a result of listening to/talking with classmates or the instructor (focused on relationships); and 1 thing I
will never forget, will probably use or will share with someone else this semester. Collect and redistribute 1x during
semester. Discuss why we are doing this (I am trying to help you learn).
JC: Students are conditioned by the time they are in Kindergarten to either seek help from teachers or to not ask
for help. Students don’t see that its easy to approach me. Wow’s and Wonders. At the end of the class (see
readings. What are 2 Wows and 2 Wonders that you still have. Also help students understand that the
assignments I’m asking them to do are to prepare them for the next step in their career ladder.
CT: Work with students in residence halls on casual register vs formal register. In the past I’ve adapted to casual
register by working to understand. My plan now is to go a step further and help the students understand the
registers and perspectives of the faculty/staff they deal with to learn how to get what they need from the people who
seem to be holding them back. Instead of giving them what they need, I will help them get what they need.
Donna Hurt: Its sometimes the simplest things we do that make the biggest differences.
TS: When I hear a phrase in casual register, I parrot it back in formal register. Often students acknowledge that it
is what they were trying to say.
SG: In my largest classes, note-taking is very important. On the 2nd day of class, I will have a student who is a Jr
or Sr History major come into the class, take notes during class, and again on the 4 th day of classes during a film,
and then have visiting student share their model of thorough, organized notes. Discuss with students during 3 rd and
5th classes. Set it up by explaining why we are doing this one-time thing. Help them identify important themes (sort).
Seminar Conclusion
Jay and Donna:
How would you like to see this going forward:
Informally – set something up thru the group page like a discussion, or a regular sharing time…
Get together in a couple of weeks? At midterm?
Email, scan ideas and share with Jay who will pass them on via MyGraceland.
TE Announcement: Town Hall meeting re: Racial Tension, Wednesday, February 25
Students will be given research questions and will come prepared for academic discussions.
FYI: could fit within someone’s curriculum.
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Seminar Notes Jan. 2015
Brian Smith Announcement:
One hour presentation re: fostering Hope and Empathy talk February 4, 4:00 p.m., Kathy Rowell
Jason Hoffman:
We have come to the end of a new beginning. We were so thankful to have you collaborate with us this Winter
Term. We are excited about what our future has to bring.
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