eSource for College Transitions 19.1

Transforming Living Learning Community Roles

and Models of Student Engagement

Rodney Eksteen, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

Leon McClinton Jr., Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

Higher education is under increased pressure to recruit and retain students, thus intensifying the need to improve and execute recruitment and support efforts (Busta, 2020). This article will highlight one support effort through a strategic partnership at Oklahoma State University (OSU) between the Department of Housing and Residence Life and the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT). This student support strategy considered adjustments to existing programs that broadened the scope of traditional faculty-in-residence positions, resulting in modified in-residence learning community models to support first-year student success and positively influence recruitment and retention.

Student Success and Residential Settings

Housing programs recognize the critical nature of co-curricular activities and learning on college campuses. The residential setting should provide an opportunity to impact the holistic growth of students (Riker & DeCoster, 2008). Since students spend most of their time in their residential space, housing practitioners are responsible for finding ways to help students make the transition to college seamless and successful. Moreover, housing programs are integral to retaining first-year students through meaningful engagement (Soria & Taylor, 2016).

Over the last 25 years, many universities’ residential life departments have established intentional learning communities called Living Learning Communities (LLCs) (Arensdorf & Naylor-Tincknell, 2016; Mach et al., 2018). Living learning communities are residential programs incorporating academic themes and building community through common experiences (Brower & Inkelas, 2010; Arensdorf & Naylor-Tincknell, 2016). Living learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

communities can be academic (i.e., students living together based on the same courses or major) and/or be based on common interests, identities, or characteristics (i.e., leadership development, students interested in outdoor recreation, LGBTQIA+, and more) (Brower & Inkleas, 2010).

Moreover, LLCs are considered high-impact practices in higher education because of the many ways they enhance student engagement (Kilgo et al., 2015; Kuh, 2008). Another high-impact practice among LLC models are faculty-in-residence roles (Brower & Inkleas, 2010). Historically, faculty-inresidence positions emerged in the 1640s on U.S. college campuses such as Harvard. These faculty were responsible for teaching courses and coordinating co-curricular activities while living at the college (Healea et al., 2015). Today, institutions with faculty-in-residence positions contribute to a culture of thriving student engagement (Schreiner, 2012). The residential life partnership with colleges at OSU is critical in developing and maintaining these facultyin-residence positions.

Strategies for Student Success and Residential Life at OSU

The academic programs at the CEAT are some of the most rigorous on the Stillwater campus. OSU prioritizes overall student success – thus committing to first-year student success. In 2016, the department of residential life proposed to the CEAT to consider adopting and placing all the CEAT-affiliated LLCs in one residence hall instead of being dispersed throughout multiple residential communities. The selected hall was initially constructed in the 1960s and currently houses over 200 first-year engineering students, providing a common living space near programrelated campus facilities. The department

Transforming Living Learning Community Roles and Models of Student Engagement

5 7

Innovative Teaching to Prepare Students for Life after College

The Juggling Act: Considering the Multiple Role Memberships of Undergraduate Students

9 Connecting College and Career in First Year Advising

11 The Toolbox: Engaging Students with an Interactive Graphic Syllabus

Amber Manning-Ouellette, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

of residential life’s initial LLC proposal to the CEAT was a $2.5 million renovation to the residence hall to support student access to resources.

Establishing Space for Maximum Living and Learning

The collaboration between the residential life department and the CEAT identified key areas of advancement in planning, such as renovating existing spaces located within and in the proximity of the residence hall. The improvements included a renovated basement converted to a study hall with printing amenities and tutoring space, an old dining facility transformed into a classroom, and an upgraded apartment for the faculty-in-residence.

Transforming the Faculty-in-Residence Position

The most unique aspect of OSU’s faculty-in-residence position is that the residential life department was forced to think more broadly about the position due to faculty availability limitations. In this initiative, the residential life department and the CEAT found an opportunity to hire a doctoral engineering student and rename the position to CEAT inresidence. The “live-in” arrangement provides a space for meaningful engagement, which includes frequent formal and informal interactions with the CEAT in residence. The position supports student engagement, promotes leadership, and fosters relationship-building skills among academic mentors.

The CEAT LLC and the in-residence position supports a variety of interactions: student-to-student, student-with-mentor, student-withfaculty, and small group to larger hall interactions. Additionally, the CEAT in-residence position implements academic and intellectual activities to strengthen a sense of belonging and social interactions between students in strategic locations in the LLC. To reach a broader range of students, the in-residence position designs engagements with targeted programming based on the timely needs of students.

Moreover, since the in-residence position is a graduate student, they train with the housing staff and gain valuable experience designing and implementing co-curricular programs.

Strategies to Increase Student Engagement and Community: A Model

A critical strategy in the CEAT LLC and the in-residence position is to incorporate the mentors’ interactions with smaller groups of students in intentional locations, increasing belongingness. Moreover, each floor of the hall has unique characteristics and student populations. For example, one floor, called Maude’s Squad, maintains single-sex rooms and targeted programming for women in engineering, while another floor focuses on diversity and inclusion efforts. As the benefits of engaging students in the LLC emerged over the past few years, the inresidence position developed a CEAT LLC student engagement model (Figure 1).

Created in 2018, the CEAT LLC student engagement model was developed from concerns about low student engagement. The CEAT student engagement model conceptualizes a multi-level approach to student engagement that includes considerations for the individual student, intragroup interests, floor level, and programming for the entire LLC.

The CEAT LLC incorporates unique events, activities, and forms of engagement for students that increase community and sense of belonging, coordinated by the CEAT in-residence position. Therefore, some of the most successful programs include movie nights, the foam glider build-off challenge, board of director engagement, CEAT group dinners, paint parties (image 1), and service-learning projects throughout the year (image 2). These programs bring student communities together across floors and the entire building.

Figure 1. CEAT LLC Engagement Model

In-Residence and Student Engagement Model Findings

In CEAT LLC, high engagement and intentionality are critical components in the transformed in-residence role. The CEAT student engagement model helps facilitate opportunities to interact across student differences, providing the in-residence with proactive and strategic ways of engaging diverse student populations. The model capitalizes on existing community environments to create opportunities for engagement wherever and whenever they occur. The model supports an approach to enable successful outcomes in the LLC, such as psychological well-being, positive interpersonal and intragroup interaction, and student retention. One participant stated,

The community is amazing and something that I will definitely miss. I loved being able to go to the lobby or the basement and see my friends, especially when I needed to talk to someone. The abundance of support was amazing I wish I could live there next semester.

Given the support structures of the LLC, the in-residence position, and the intentional student engagement model of the last few years, overall GPAs, the impact on minoritized student success, and CEAT LLC retention have been positive. During the first year of the LLC, students GPAs increased significantly (9.5%) from 2018 to 2019, with a small decrease (1.1%) in GPA during the pandemic (Figure 2). Another unintended impact is the positive influence on minoritized student retention, which increased yearly from 2018 to 2020 (81.8% in fall 2018, 82.4% in fall 2019, and 85% in fall 2020) (Figure 3). Finally, overall retention increased from 84% in 2018-2019 to 87% in 2019-2020 (Figure 4). One student reflected, “I feel like the community was great, especially with the CEAT residents. They have provided endless support and entertainment through the movie nights and other activities.”

Retention

Discussion and Implications for Future Practice

The increases in diverse student enrollments, GPA, and retention reveal the impact of the new in-residence position, building renovations, intentional student engagement, and innovative ways of considering space and design in LLC student success. An essential consideration of the transformed in-residence role and the student engagement model is the improved relationship dynamics that doctoral student and their family have had in the LLC. The role has diminished how positional power has influenced other faculty-in-residence roles in the past and allowed for more balanced interactions and student camaraderie between the LLC and the in-resident.

Image 1 Team Building with PEATE’s

Image 2. CEAT LLC Service-learning project

Figure 2. GPA Scores for CEAT LLC

Figure 3. Historically Minoritized Students Enrolled in the CEAT LLC

Figure 4. CEAT LLC Overall

Further, the flexibility of the live-in component allows for more organic work with minoritized students. The in-residence role can gather insights from frequent informal interactions, resulting in more community support for historically marginalized groups to feel an increased sense of belonging in the LLC through one-on-one interactions in living quarters, casual conversations including personal invitations to activities and events, as well as a reflective follow up after the programming has commenced. Most importantly, the CEAT in-residence role provides a continuous opportunity for meaningful engagement with all students, creating environments that enhance student learning, persistence, and academic achievement.

Lastly, the OSU residential life department seeks adaptive ways to establish additional major-specific LLCs on campus that foster student success among other colleges and diverse students. The residential life department also explores more ways to assess LLCs and their impact, which continues to evolve based on the knowledge gained through new roles and models. Other institutions may consider minor adaptions such as transforming a faculty-in-residence role, new models of engaging students through virtual methods or maximizing current residence hall space to accommodate major-specific academic support.

References

Arensdorf, J., & Naylor-Tincknell, J. (2016). Beyond the traditional retention data: A qualitative study of the social benefits of living-learning communities. Learning Communities: Research & Practice, 4(1), 4.

Brower, A. M., & Inkelas, K. K. (2010). Living-learning programs: One highimpact educational practice we now know a lot about. Liberal Education, 96(2), 36-42. https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/ living-learning-programs-one-high-impact-educational-practice-we

Busta, H. (2020, June 4). College recruitment rolls into a competitive and uncertain summer. Higher Ed Dive. https://www.highereddive.com/ news/college-recruitment-rolls-into-a-competitive-and-uncertainsummer/579243/

Healea, C. D., Scott, J. H., & Dhilla, S. (2015). The work of faculty-in-residence: An introduction and literature review. Work, 52(3), 473-480.

Kilgo, C. A., Sheets, J. K. E., & Pascarella, E. T. (2015). The link between highimpact practices and student learning: Some longitudinal evidence. Higher Education, 69(4), 509-525.

Kuh, G. D. (2008). Excerpt from high-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 14(3), 28-29.

Mach, K. P., Gordon, S. R., Tearney, K., & McClinton, L. (2018). “The help I didn’t know I needed”: How a living-learning program “fits” into the first-year experience. The Journal of College of University Student Housing, 44(2), 1026.

Riker, H. C., & DeCoster, D. A. (2008). The educational role in college student housing. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 35(2), 8085.

Schreiner, L. A. (2010). The “Thriving Quotient”: A new vision for student success. About Campus, 15(2), 2-10.

Soria, K. M., & Taylor Jr, L. (2016). Strengths-Based Approaches in College and University Student Housing: Implications for First-Year Students’ Retention and Engagement. Journal of College & University Student Housing, 42(2), 60-75.

CONTACT

Amber Manning-Ouellette amber.manning-ouellette@okstate.edu

Innovative Teaching to Prepare Students for Life after College

April Perry, Western Carolina University

In this article, research on the post-university transition is presented along with a description of how the research findings have informed practice through innovative curricula. This curriculum’s teaching strategies and pedagogical interventions serve as a launching point for student success and the transition after graduation. The paper concludes with the transferability and applicability of transition support and preparation strategies in and out of the classroom.

Research Context and Overview

Higher education initiatives for students in transition began with a focus on first-year students (i.e., those transitioning into the university experience). Empirical evidence suggests that these initiatives have increased student retention rates, cognitive skills (active thinking, intellectual engagement, and academic skills), personal (social and emotional) development, satisfaction with the institution (faculty and peers), and engagement in the learning experience (Engberg & Mayhew, 2007; Friedman, 2008; National Resource Center [NRC], n.d.). As interest and research regarding first-year initiatives increased, more attention was given to final-year students and support initiatives for those leaving the university. Exploring the literature revealed a scarcity of evaluative research on the transition leaving college, in contrast with the extensive research focusing on the transition into college. Therefore, a longitudinal qualitative study (Perry, 2012; Perry, 2022) based on an interpretive paradigm through symbolic interactionism and narrative theory was conducted to explore three research questions:

1. What are the experiences of young, recent university graduates?

2. What are the perspectives of young, recent university graduates?

3. What are the resultant recommendations for institutions wishing to support their graduating students?

Young graduates were defined as those who attended university immediately after high school and were transitioning into a full-time, non-academic environment for the first time. Recent graduates were defined as those who had graduated within the previous year. Twenty graduates participated in six months of research by engaging in monthly interviews and self-reflective journaling. All participants were graduates of the same university and broadly represented their university’s student population in terms of degree attained (i.e., the sciences, liberal arts, education), race, and gender.

In exploring research questions one and two, the data indicated four main themes of the post-university transition: shifting identities, searching, unmet expectations, and stabilizers. Sub-themes within shifting identities illustrated that life (in terms of comfort zones, relationships, interests, perspectives, routines, and living situations) differed for the participants before graduation and that their perceptions had shifted (or were shifting). Within the theme of searching, sub-themes represented more emotional elements of transition—aspects of life that the participants did not have (e.g., certainty and direction) but were seeking (e.g., fulfillment, happiness, and meaningful relationships). The sub-themes in unmet expectations exemplified the participants’ perceptions

of themselves, their degree (entitlement), job searching, the workplace transition, earning potential, finances, the economy, and other challenges in the post-university transition. Although these findings illustrated that graduates were experiencing difficulties in their post-university transition, the data also indicated that participants found stabilizers that helped to support and balance their transition. These included support systems, groups/activities, faith, health, and accepting uncertainties by living for the moment. Based on the findings, recommendations for institutional support around this transition (research question three) provided practical strategies within three primary categories: career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills.

Research in Practice

The research findings for institutional support (career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills) have been used as a guide to design curriculum for capstone courses to better prepare students for life after study. For career preparation, students are taught to compose documents such as a resume, cover letter, philosophy statement, writing samples, and an electronic portfolio to showcase their work. Class sessions are dedicated to teaching the students skills on job searching specific to their discipline, networking, mentoring, social media management, and participating in mock interviews. The required course readings for emotional support comprised stories about others who had transitioned into their specific field. Each class period includes discussions about transition, how students can create support systems, and manage their expectations about the transition. With practical life skills, panelists and guest speakers present on personal financing, loan repayment, salary and benefits negotiation, job fit, navigating workplace conflict, moving to a new city, and more.

Due to the intentionality of this curriculum, students/graduates from these courses/programs have seen an increase in job attainment and more stability in their post-college transition. Additionally, these courses are often rated highly in student course evaluations and alumni surveys. One student evaluation said, “The reflection questions and discussions were helpful on this journey. I was appreciative of the time took to care for our group not only academically but emotionally and with our mental health.” A recent graduate said, “This class was a good opportunity for me to learn about the inner workings of becoming a professional, and I can truly say that it gave me the confidence I needed to accept my first job.”

Transferable Strategies for Application

There is a need to guide students in managing their expectations (about transition and life after college) by helping them understand their shifting identities and the uncertainty that often accompanies the post-university transition. Additional strategies that center around career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills may include, but are not limited to:

• Final-year seminars/courses (that encompass all three elements of support): An example may include an interdisciplinary

transition course, similar to (but on the opposite continuum of) first-year experience courses, providing a bookend course to the college experience (Gardner & Van der Veer, 1999).

• Offering more rigorous internship programs: The more opportunities students have for in-depth experiential learning and transferable skill development, the more likely they will be able to identify meaningful work after graduation (Spencer & Perry, 2015; Perry & Perry, 2015).

• Providing networking opportunities with professionals in their field: Examples may include alumni social gatherings, mentor-matching, informational interviews, or shadowing opportunities.

• Offering career-skills development training: This may include resume creation, mock interviews, job-searching strategies, and opportunities for developing transferable soft skills that employers desire regardless of industry (Gardner & Perry, 2011). This could be facilitated through the career center and/or an academic discipline.

• Providing ongoing career and counseling services for recent graduates: Access to critical campus services for a period of time after graduation

• Facilitating support groups for recent graduates: This could be organized through their academic discipline, campus affinity groups, or the alumni association.

• Implementing transition awareness education: Campus professionals can help students manage their expectations about life after college. Conversations may include discussions with students about how a degree (albeit important and a great privilege) does not mean they will not navigate hardship post-graduation.

• Offering financial literacy training: Such training could include more in-depth information about the long-term implications of student loans (Perry & Spencer, 2018).

• Providing life-skills training: This may include information about personal financing, home mortgages, taxes, and insurance. It may also involve guest lectures from professionals, such as bankers and insurance agents.

Conclusion

While the mission of educational institutions is to educate the next generation of the citizenry to be the critical conscience of society, it is also essential for educators to prepare students for their futures by equipping them with professional, practical, and personal transferable skills. This is particularly relevant in uncertain times, such as economic downturns. Therefore, using the empirical findings to inform course curriculum and additional institutional support initiatives is imperative and transferable to various disciplines and modalities.

References

Engberg, M. E., & Mayhew, M. J. (2007). The influence of first-year “success” courses on student learning and democratic outcomes. Journal of College Student Development, 48(3), 241-258.

Friedman, D. (2008). Assessing first-year seminars. Presentation from FirstYear Assessment Conference: San Antonio, TX on October 13, 2008. Retrieved from http://www.sc.edu/fye/events/presentation/national_ assessment/2008/2008Handouts.html

Gardner, J. N., & Van der Veer, G. (1998). The senior year experience: Facilitating integration, reflection, closure, and transition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (n.d.). Center surveys. Retrieved from http://www.sc.edu/fye/ research/surveys/survey_instruments/index.html

Perry, A. (2012). Treading through swampy water: Graduates’ experiences of the post-university transition. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://aprilperry.weebly. com/uploads/4/5/6/1/45613049/april_perry_phd_dissertation.pdf

Perry, A. (2022). A comprehensive view of the post-university transition: A longitudinal study. National Resource Center Research Brief Series, 7, 1-4.

Perry, A., & Perry, L. (2015). Final-year transition and service-learning: Working together as a vehicle for student engagement, development, and life preparedness. The International Journal of Research on ServiceLearning and Community Engagement 3(1), 1-10.

Perry, A., & Spencer, C. (2018). College didn’t prepare me for this: The realities of the student debt crisis and the effect it is having on college graduates. The William and Mary Educational Review, 6(1), 1-9.

Spencer, C., & Perry, A. L. (2015). Helping students maximize their degree as a competitive tool: The value of experiential learning. The William and Mary Educational Review 4(1), 25-33.

The Juggling Act: Considering the Multiple Role Memberships of Undergraduate Students

Jessica M. Nicklin, Ph.D., University of Hartford Katie Linehan, University of Hartford

Students face balancing many roles when they enter college, yet little attention is paid to how competing demands impact firstyear students. The workplace literature, however, has recognized for decades that multiple role memberships (work, family) can create perceptions of conflict, resulting in a host of negative consequences such as increased stress, burnout and turnover, and reductions in performance, engagement, and commitment (e.g., Amstad et al., 2011). While conflict is expected and reasonable occasionally, frequent and sustained conflict results in negative outcomes. Yet, research also shows that multiple role memberships can reap positive outcomes due to resources generated in one role (e.g., work) enriching another (e.g., McNall et al., 2010). For instance, a parent who must miss a child’s soccer game due to working late is a work-family conflict. Still, the same parent may build self-efficacy and flexibility at work that can positively enrich the family. The same phenomena occur for students. Students may miss class due to family responsibilities (picking up a younger sibling from school) but may gain support from classmates that can help buffer the stress of family demands. While there is far less research applied to undergraduate students than working professionals, empirical evidence demonstrates that work-school conflict leads to negative outcomes, such as reduced grades and retention. In contrast, workschool enrichment leads to positive outcomes, such as increased grades and satisfaction (e.g., McNall & Michel, 2010). Conflict and enrichment are bi-directional and not mutually exclusive. Work can spill over to school, and the school can spill over to work. The same goes for the family: family can impact school, but the school can impact the family positively and negatively.

This topic is increasingly important for consideration as more students than ever report high levels of stress and burnout, concern over finances, working while going to school, and increased family responsibilities (e.g., ACHA, 2022). Faculty may attribute low engagement to a lack of motivation or ability when resources are depleted due to managing work, athletics, family, social, financial, personal, and academic obligations. From an intersectionality lens, it is essential to consider that work, family, and school prioritization differs widely by culture. For instance, Latin cultures emphasize family and often expect older siblings to look after younger ones and help with household chores (Fuligni et al., 2009), which may affect Latinx students’ prioritization. Therefore, to foster an inclusive and supportive first-year experience, faculty and staff must consider the whole student and the experiences brought to the classroom, which is only one of many life domains. Moreover, because many first-year students live and work on campus, it is difficult, if not impossible, to create appropriate boundaries among work, school, and social domains. To complicate the issue further, the availability and prevalence of social media create a 24/7 culture, which leads to increased stress and anxiety (e.g., McKee et al., 2022) due to fear of missing out (also known as FOMO). For instance, a student looking at their phone while studying for an exam in the library might see that all their friends are at a party, which may create stress and anxiety. First-year students also feel pressured to devote time to “home friends” and

“school friends,” parents may put undue pressure on students to come home and spend time with family during the first year. Therefore, it is unsurprising that conflict between personal life and school has been shown to lead to more stress than any other source of conflict for undergraduate students (Nicklin et al., 2020). Yet, there is a gap in preparing students and families for recognizing and responding to role conflict. Preparing students and families for managing multiple roles is a missed opportunity, given that simple awareness of these issues students face in their first year can reap many positive benefits. Below are recommendations for students and institutional leaders to manage the challenges of juggling it all.

Recommendations for Students

Seek out supportive relationships. Students should seek out quality relationships that provide social support to navigate competing demands. The need for relatedness reflects the desire to be valued, respected, and regarded as necessary by others and to have meaningful relationships (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Social support is critical for successful academic performance, persistence, and wellbeing (e.g., Nicpon et al., 2006), and this may be even more true for BIPOC students (e.g., Strayhorn, 2008). Students should seek meaningful and reciprocal relationships with their friends, family, classmates, advisors, faculty, and community and freely share what they need from these relationships to succeed in college.

Quality over quantity. It is not the number of relationships and experiences that matter but the quality of those relationships and experiences. In this 24/7, highly connected world, it is impossible to experience everything and meet everyone’s expectations. Students should focus more on quality experiences in their academic pursuits and personal relationships rather than the number of A’s earned or parties attended. A significant part of this is an awareness of one’s values and feeling empowered to say “no” when conflicting priorities exist.

Self-care. Students must incorporate self-care practices into daily routines to curtail conflict and stress. This does not need to be an arduous or expensive task. For instance, higher levels of mindfulness and self-compassion have been shown to reduce perceptions of school-personal-life conflict in undergraduate students (Nicklin et al., 2020). Therefore, something as simple as a mindful minute or self-compassion break can go a long way to buffer the effects of conflict and reduce stress and anxiety during the first year.

Recommendations for Institutions

Training. Mirroring the recommendations listed above, academic advisors and faculty must be aware of the challenges students face in transition and given tools and resources to respond to their evolving needs. Ongoing and new employee training should include a module on managing multiple role memberships and what this means for first-year students. Students also benefit when faculty and advisors are authentic and model how they navigate their competing demands. Furthermore, institutional

leaders should invest in training products that aid in developing knowledge and skills of mental health issues, such as Kognito or Mental Health First Aid, which are both focused on skill-based learning for mental health and well-being. This will allow faculty and staff the opportunity to learn and grow continuously.

Orientation and first-year programming. Similarly, first-year seminars and orientations should cover topics such as recognizing and living one’s values, time management, and prioritization to support students in navigating their competing demands. For instance, when the mindfulness program Learning to BREATHE (L2B) was offered to first-year college students, there was a significant improvement in the students’ depression and anxiety levels and overall well-being (Dvořáková et al., 2017). When students can create space to reflect on their wants, needs, and values, they will be better equipped to manage the complexities of their lives. Further, conversations with parents around the pressures of conflicting roles should happen at orientation so they are better equipped to support their students while transitioning to college.

Self-care in the classroom. Faculty should give space for selfcompassion and mindfulness experiences in the classroom. A oneminute mindfulness breathing break during class can help students reset their attention (e.g., O’Brien-Richardson, 2019). It has been shown that their attention wanes when students are focused on a singular task for an extended time. Because of this, a brief detour in attention is warranted (Ariga & Lleras, 2011). As students build skills in the classroom, they can apply those skills in other areas of their lives.

Conclusion

When students are underperforming or lack engagement, it is easy to assume that it is due to a lack of motivation or ability. However, leaders, faculty members, and academic advising staff must recognize students’ complex lives in their first year and beyond. The role of a student is only one of many competing roles, and how roles are valued and prioritized varies widely based on personal circumstances, cultural norms, and familial expectations. The same is true for academic leaders, who must also take time to recognize their sources of conflict and enrichment and how this impacts their relationships with students. Small systemic changes can reap large benefits for the academic community.

References

ACHA: American College Health Association (2022). National College Health Assessment: Undergraduate Student Reference Group. Retrieved from: https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_SPRING_2022_ UNDERGRAD_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf

Amstad, F. T., Meier, L. L., Fasel, U., Elfering, A., & Semmer, N. (2011). A metaanalysis of work-family conflict and various outcomes with a special emphasis on cross-domain versus matching-domain relations. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16(2), 151-169. https://psycnet.apa.org/ doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0022170

Ariga, A., & Lleras, A. (2011). Brief and rare mental “breaks” keep you focused: Deactivation and reactivation of task goals preempt vigilance decrements. Cognition, 118(3), 439-443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cognition.2010.12.007

Dvořáková, K., Kishida, M., Li, J., Elavsky, S., Broderick, P. C., Agrusti, M. R., & Greenburg, M. T. (2017). Promoting health transition to college through mindfulness training with first-year college students: Pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of American College Health, 65(4), 259-267. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2017.1278605

Fuligni, A. J., Telzer, E. H., Bower, J., Irwin, M. R., Kiang, L., & Cole, S. W. (2009). Daily family assistance and inflammation among adolescents from Latin American and European backgrounds. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 23(6), 803-809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2009.02.021

McKee, P. C., Budnick, C. J., Walters, K.S., & Antonios, I. (2022). College student fear of missing out (FoMO) and maladaptive behavior: Traditional statistical modeling and predictive analysis using machine learning. PLoS ONE 17(10): e0274698. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274698

McNall, L. A., Nicklin, J., & Masuda, A. (2010). A meta-analytic review of the consequences associated with work-family enrichment. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(3), 381-396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869009-9141-1

McNall, L. A., & Michel, J. S. (2010). A dispositional approach to work-related conflict and enrichment. Journal of Business and Psychology, 26(3), 397411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9187-0

Nicklin, J. M., Brown, K., & Ketay, S. (2020). Managing Multiple Roles for Generation Stress: An Exploratory Investigation of Positive Resources Impacting Conflict and Enrichment in College Students. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https:// www.nationalwellbeingservice.org/volumes/volume-4-2020/

Nicpon, M. F., Huser, L., Blanks, E. H., Sollenberger, S., Befort, C., & Kurpius, S. E. R. (2006). The relationship of loneliness and social support with college freshmen’s academic performance and persistence. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 8(3), 345–358. https://doi. org/10.2190/A465-356M-7652-783R

O’Brien-Richardson, P. (2019, October 14). 4 self-care strategies to support students. Harvard Business Publishing Education. https://hbsp.harvard. edu/inspiring-minds/4-self-care-strategies-to-support-students

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

St. Amour, M. (2019, November 18). Most college students work, and that’s both good and bad. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www. insidehighered.com/news/2019/11/18/most-college-students-work-andthats-both-good-and-bad

Strayhorn, T. L. (2008). The role of supportive relationships in facilitating African American males’ success in college. NASPA Journal, 45(1), 26-48. https://doi.org/10.2202/1949-6605.1906

CONTACT

Jessica M. Nicklin

nicklin@hartford.edu

RETURN

to Table of Contents »

Connecting College and Career in First Year Advising

Elizabeth Polzin, Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor

The value of a degree in higher education is under scrutiny by students who find it challenging to connect careers and the world of work to the requirements of their degrees. Additionally, the cost of a degree has only increased since even the previous generation was in college (Tretina, 2023). Given this scrutiny, connecting students’ college experience and academic plan to their vocational goals through Purpose First thinking is critical.

Purpose First, initially coined by Complete College America, is a strategy institutions deploy to engage students in career exploration alongside academic planning early in their higher education experience. Fostering the college and career connection helps students avoid “spinning their wheels” in a variety of majors and aids in understanding how their academic plan aligns with their interests and future career.

Approaches to academic advising and career engagement can be intertwined to aid students in self-discovery and promote Purpose First thinking. While universities have moved to the advisor support model for academic and career engagement more recently due to limited resources and budget constraints, this model is not new. Terry O’Banion suggested this model over fifty years ago within a community college setting. O’Banion (1972) states that the following are the critical dimensions of advising students, (1) exploration of life goals, (2) exploration of vocational goals, (3) program choice, (4) course choice, and (5) scheduling courses. These dimensions are just as pertinent to advising today. Students who know themselves and understand the purpose of attending college are more likely to retain and graduate (Complete College America, 2019). Failure to connect a student’s goals for life and work with an academic program will continue the scrutiny as to the relevance of a degree. Institutions can increase the likelihood of students building momentum in their first year, as well as staying on track to graduate with a clear pathway toward a career, by utilizing Purpose First thinking through several means:

• Establish advisors that serve students both in academic and career planning. Training advisors to help students with academic and career planning may seem daunting, but the benefits to students can be significant. From the point of initial contact with advising, students engage in conversations about their interests, talents, and strengths in relation to career goals. Advisors assist students in identifying their motivation for a degree in higher education and explicitly link their academic program to specific careers. Furthermore, as advisors interact with students uncertain about their reason for pursuing a degree or direction for a career, they can leverage tools to help students in selfdiscovery. With academic and career advisors, a one-stop shop is created for academic planning and career services, eliminating the need to track down resources toward a single end from multiple places.

• Explore student interests, talents, and strengths. Most undergraduates entering college are not familiar with their natural interests and abilities. While adults returning to earn a degree may have a general idea of their strengths,

they may be just discovering the connection between their interests and career. Tools like the Focus 2 Career, Pathway U, and Career Coach guide students through a self-assessment and provide personalized results that can be used to explore career options further. These tools also direct students to majors available within an institution and connect them seamlessly with sites like Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to help them explore career growth projections and potential salaries based on locations. Inventory results can serve as excellent groundwork for conversations surrounding why the student is pursuing a degree and their desired outcomes.

• Connect career exploration early in the admissions process. Career exploration or purpose-first thinking may sound impractical in the admissions process. However, its value for students is vital to help them build momentum in their first year. Engaging students in Purpose First thinking to ensure that they make informed decisions about their career choice based on their “interests, skill set, and financial goals.” It leads to an increase in student success and completion rates (Completed College America, 2019). The Purpose First strategy also allows students the opportunity for career exploration, possibility eliminating the number of students who have an undeclared major for long periods. Complete College America (2019) offers implementation guides for institutions that may consider the best way to develop this strategy on their campus.

For most, integrating a career interest assessment tool (Focus 2 Career, Pathway U, and Career Coach) in the admissions process is a feasible step toward implementing this strategy more fully and relatively inexpensively. Using assessment results, admission counselors and academic advisors can engage the student in conversation and intentionally connect college courses, experiences, and opportunities to careers. Orientation for first-year and transfer students is another place to embed the connection between college and career. Hence, students start to see how decisions in college can aid them in their career trajectory. This may be accomplished by ensuring students have time to process what they are learning about themselves and how it links to their desired major/career path. This can be accomplished in groups during an in-person orientation day or one-on-one with an advisor before course registration. Leveraging this strategy allows for early contact with academic and career advisors for self-discovery, career exploration, and academic planning. It also helps students and their families identify tangible means by which the institution commits to preparing students for the workforce.

• Link academic pathways to careers with key milestones. Advisors are crucial in linking academic and career planning, especially within a student’s first year. Advisors have a depth of knowledge specific to the programs they serve. The advisors can recommend internships, help students find internships, share undergraduate research opportunities, seek out clubs and organizations students could join that

would benefit their goals, connect students with faculty mentoring, and help the student understand the connection between course requirements and future outcomes. These connections become key milestones for students as they progress in their degrees and help build momentum toward degree completion.

Purpose First thinking benefits not only students but institutions as well. By connecting college and career with Purpose First thinking, institutions retain more, and students graduate with a degree relevant to their career, providing student success measures critical to an institution’s health. Connecting college and early career development at The University of Oregon, within the School of Journalism and Communication, led to an increase in retention and student satisfaction (Complete College America, 2019). Utilizing academic and career advisors at Concordia University Wisconsin has led to a steady increase in the number of students who have completed an internship, clinical experience, practicum, or field placement within their discipline while enrolled as a student, as well as an increase in graduation rates (First Destination Survey Results, 2021-2022, 2023). Connecting careers with degree requirements explicitly demonstrates the value of the investment in higher education. Early and frequent intervention through the Purpose First strategy at the junction of college and career leads to positive student and institutional outcomes.

References

Complete College America. (2019, March). College, on purpose. http:// completecollege.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/03/PurposeFirst_ Report_Full.pdf.

Career Dimensions (2023). Focus 2 career. https://www.focus2career.com/ Focus2Career.cfm.

Concordia University (2023). First Destination Survey Results. https://www. cuw.edu/academics/services/student-academic-resources/caace/ employer-engagement/_assets/first-destination-survey.pdf?v=052522

O’Banion, T. (1972). An academic advising model. Junior College Journal, 42(6), 62-69.

Tretina, K. (2023, January 3). Is college worth the cost? Pros vs. cons. Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/advisor/studentloans/is-college-worth-it/#:~:text=Despite%20the%20rising%20 cost%20of,only%20a%20high%20school%20diploma.

CONTACT

Elizabeth Polzin elizabeth.polzin@cuw.edu

THE TOOLBOX

A Teaching and Learning Resource for Instructors

Engaging Students with an Interactive Graphic Syllabus

Sarah Schaller, University of Northern Colorado

Brianne T. Dixon, University of Northern Colorado

Molly M. Jameson, University of Northern Colorado

Angela L. Vaughan, University of Northern Colorado

How often do students ask questions that are easily answered by consulting the syllabus? Syllabi contain a wealth of information to benefit students—everything from course requirements to campus resources. But lengthy textual syllabi are boring and hard to understand, and the information is effectively lost. What’s more, syllabi typically give students an undesirable first impression of the class. They read like a subpoena to a dull, uninteresting semester and are crammed full of policies that may present the instructor as an adversary rather than a helpful resource. Clearly, syllabi must be presented in a way that doesn’t hamper understanding and motivation. In this issue, a simple one-sheet interactive graphic syllabus is recommended that can benefit students and instructors. As an educator, you know the uncertainty on your students’ faces as they enter the classroom for the first time. They enter warily, perhaps wondering if they’re in the right place. First-year students are in a period of overwhelming transition. They’re on their own, navigating new freedom and new responsibility. During this time, students are inundated with communication—in the classroom, across campus, and through electronic platforms. Receiving this flood of information is like drinking from a firehose.

One of the first things instructors do in the classroom is drag students through the syllabus. This might be five or fifteen pages of 12-point font, detailing course requirements and campus resources, paragraph after paragraph groaning under the weight of “legalese.” Simply put, syllabi are boring and hard to understand. Even in the field of marketing, where faculty are experts in effective forms of communication, instructors create “dull, difficult-to-read textual documents” (Taylor, 2019, p. 271). For some students, this syllabus finds a place neatly organized in a binder. For others, it ends up in the trash or on the floor of their dorm only to disappear under their bed.

Syllabi are information-heavy because they need to be: the information they contain is important. Even items that don’t seem relevant to the student right now might be critical later. Yet because syllabi are inaccessible (Wilson, 2017), most students will not know how to find support when they need it. They may be confused about something as simple as getting the proper textbook, or students may have more serious problems, such as finding services in times of crisis. For example, Gray and Pin (2016) found that when 88% of students received information about sexual assault, 78% of them

still didn’t know how to report it (as cited by Magnussen & Shankar, 2019). Clearly, syllabi need to be accessible and engaging. Students with diverse needs and backgrounds should easily understand what is expected of them and how they can get support (Beyene et al., 2020; Thompson, 2018).

Even before students enter the classroom, the syllabus shapes their expectations of the instructor and the course. Research on student responses to syllabi shows that after viewing a traditional syllabus, students expect the course to be uninteresting—a lecture class with an instructor droning on at the front of the room. These syllabi

are packed full of rules and policies that leave students feeling like their instructor is “cold, uncompromising, and unfriendly” (Palmer et al., 2016, p. 40). Worse, these students believe their instructor does not expect them to be successful. On the other hand, syllabi that are student-centered and visually interesting indicate that the instructor is enthusiastic and approachable. Students with these syllabi feel more comfortable and more motivated (Palmer et al., 2016). When you send your syllabus to students, you are sending them an invitation to a learning opportunity. Does the invitation you are sending match the tone of your class?

The more you know the more you see, buy the converse is also true, the more you see, the more you know.

— Aldous Huxley, English writer and philosopher (1894-1963)

It is proposed that a more effective alternative could be used in a first-year seminar that matches the purpose of supporting students’ successful transition to the university, a one-page graphic syllabus summary as an interactive guide to the course. By making the syllabus a welcoming, practical tool that students will keep and use, we break down barriers to student success. New evidence has shown that students are more engaged with a one-page graphic syllabus, and they find it more useful, which improves their attitudes toward the course and their instructor (Taylor, 2019). Students with an infographic syllabus retain more information (Mocek, 2017), and report feeling more excited (Mikhailova, 2018) and less anxious about the course (Kaur, 2021). When students access the simple, colorful syllabus through the learning management system, they have hyperlinks to course content and campus resources right at their fingertips. At first contact, students are invited to an interactive learning opportunity. Students can also screenshot this visual “big picture” syllabus for information at a glance.

INSTRUCTO R INF O

Name Email Office: Location

Student / Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 2:00 - 3:30

PEER MENTOR INFO

Look at the syllabus in Figure 1:

• The upper half of the syllabus has everything students need to get started. At the top, instructor, and department information: email address, student hours, and office location or Zoom link.

• Contact information for the peer mentor is also provided. With the peer mentor’s permission, their phone number or GroupMe link provides one-touch access to communication.

• The class time and location are at the center so students can plainly see when and where to show up.

• In the Course Materials section, hyperlinks take students directly to the textbook purchase page and to the online research supplement.

DEPARTMENT INFO

Director Name

Director Email

Office: Location

Student / Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 12:30 -2:00

Name Days: Tues & Thurs Time: 3:30 - 4:45pm

Textbook

Phone:

Email:

GroupMe: join.groupme

Location: Bldg & Rm

WHAT WILL I LEARN IN THIS CLASS?

This course will help you navigate the challenges and meet the expectations of being a college student. You will learn reading, writing, critical thinking, and communication skills to become independent learners.

STUDENT RESOURCES

COVID-19

Disability Resources

Food Insecurity & Basic Needs Land Acknowledgement

Name in Use/Pronoun Change

Title IX & Sexual Misconduct

Writing Center

Reading & Research Supplement

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Reading Quizzes

Goals Paper

Midterm

Major & Career Paper

Research Project & Night

Final Exam

GRADING

Participation 10%

Homework Assignments 25%

Research Project 30%

Major and Career Unit 15%

Midterm & Final Exam 20%

ASSIGNMENT CHECKLIST

COURSE SCHEDULE

Please see syllabus for full information.

Figure 1. Graphic Syllabus

The lower half of the syllabus gives information about course content and grading:

• A simple summary of the course objectives answers the question, “What will I learn in this class?”

• The major course requirements are listed with hyperlinks to the assignments on the campus learning management system.

• Through these links, students have access to comprehensive assignment instructions, rubrics, submission portals, etc.

• The section titled Grading is sure to attract students’ attention; this shows how different units of the course are weighted in their grade. For other classes, a breakdown of numerical points may be more helpful.

Quick access to university webpages is provided to connect students to support on campus:

• Whether this is for reporting sexual violence, requesting accommodations with disability resources, getting help from the Writing Center, or other concerns, students are more likely to explore these resources when they are just a click away.

• In the bottom corner of the syllabus, links take students to the full assignment checklist, course schedule, course homepage, and finally, the traditional syllabus which provides full details for everything highlighted on this tidy summary.

By now you’ve used technology in many effective ways to reduce the load on students. Why not your syllabus? Why is this key resource the last hold-out from a time of chalkboards and trapperkeepers? Whatever your legitimate answer to this question, weigh it against the success of your students. How can you make a graphic syllabus your own?

References

Beyene, W. M., Mekonnen, A. T., & Giannoumis, G. A. (2020) Inclusion, access, and accessibility of educational resources in higher education institutions: Exploring the Ethiopian context. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1817580

Kaur, A. W. (2021). “Dope syllabus”: Student impressions of an infographicstyle visual syllabus. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(2) https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2021.150206

Magnussen, J., & Shankar, I. (2019). Where is it? Examining post-secondary students’ accessibility to policies and resources on sexual violence. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 49(2), 90-108.

Mocek, E. A. (2017). The effects of syllabus design on information retention by at-risk first semester college students. Syllabus, 6(2). (Publication No. 10106076). [Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University of Pennsylvania]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Mikhailova, E.A. (2018). Enhancing soil science education with a graphic syllabus. Natural Sciences Education, 47(1) 1-6. https://doi.org/10.4195/ nse2017.12.0025

Palmer, M. S., Wheeler, L. B., & Aneece, I. (2016). Does the document matter? The evolving role of syllabi in higher education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 48(4), 36-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2016.11 98186

Taylor, D.G. (2019). First impressions: The impact of graphic syllabi on student attitudes: An abstract. In: Rossi, P., Krey, N. (Eds.), Finding new ways to engage and satisfy global customers (pp.271-272). Springer International Publishing. https://doi-org.unco.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/978-3-030-025687_66

Thompson, T. L. (2018). Disability resources in higher education, part 4: Digital accessibility. Dean & Provost, 19(9). https://doi.org/10.1002/ dap.30453

Wilson, J. D. (2017). Reimagining disability and inclusive education through universal design for learning. Disability Studies Quarterly, 37(2), 8. https:// doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v37i2.5417

CONTACT

Sarah Schaller

sarah.schaller@unco.edu

August

E-Source for College Transitions (ISSN 1545-5742) is published by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208. The National Resource Center has as its mission to support and advance efforts to improve student learning and transitions into and through higher education.

The First-Year Experience® is a service mark of the University of South Carolina. A license may be granted upon written request to use the term The First-Year Experience. This license is not transferable without the written approval of the University of South Carolina.

The University of South Carolina is an equal opportunity institution.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

E-Source for College Transitions is accepting submissions for future issues.

Articles on a variety of topics related to student transitions are welcome, including those focusing on

• college transition issues;

• innovative and creative strategies to support student learning, development, and success;

• organizational structures and institutional resources for supporting college success; and

• reviews of books and other resources supporting the work of student success practitioners.

SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES

For complete guidelines, see http://www.sc.edu/fye/esource Articles should adhere to guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Audience: E-Source readers include academic and student affairs administrators and faculty from a variety of fields.

Style: Articles, tables, figures, and references should adhere to current APA (American Psychological Association) style.

Format: Submissions should be submitted online as a Microsoft Word document, to esource@mailbox.sc.edu

Length: Original feature-length articles should be 1,000-1,500 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions for length.

Please address all questions and submissions to: Brad Garner, Editor Email: esource@mailbox.sc.edu

PUBLICATIONS STAFF EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Brad Garner

E-Source Editor

Annie Kelly

Assistant E-Source Editor

Stephanie McFerrin

Graphic Design

Rico Reed

Managing Editor

Jennifer Keup

Executive Director

Tracey Glaessgen Missouri State University

Charles Haberle Providence College

Theresa Haug-Belvin

Utah Valley University

Amy McEvoy

Dalhousie University

Amelia Noel-Elkins School of Art Institute of Chicago

Emily Shreve

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Michael Sparrow

Northampton Community College

Elizabeth Stoll Turton Central Oregon Community College