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NE WS NEWS V . 2, Issue 3, 2015 Vol
Vol. 2, Issue 3, 2015
DEAN’S PERSPECTIVE In the course of a lifetime, 12 years is a pretty big chunk of time. For a traditionally aged first-year college student, 12 years represents 67 percent of one’s lifetime devoted to being a student (not counting kindergarten!). An awful lot of habits develop during primary and secondary education, as well as beliefs about learning – what it is for and how to do it well.
For some lucky students, these beliefs and habits align very well with professors’ expectations for college-
level learning, and those students generally sail through the freshman year without skipping a beat. For most students, though, the first year is a bit bumpy. It may be challenging to find friends or may feel overwhelming to select a major. There are considerable adjustments that must be made in terms of time management, how priorities are juggled, academic expectations, and the actual mechanics of studying.
Most college professors hold students to a higher level of being able to generalize and apply what is learned
to new situations. This deep learning, not just rote memorization, is essentially impossible to accomplish through slapdash approaches to studying (or “studying” while simultaneously texting a friend, watching a movie on Netflix, and posting to Tumblr). Effective studying depends heavily on time, effort, attention, and deep immersion in one’s reading, thinking, and writing. The payoff is learning that will stick due to the formation of new memories that have been encoded and integrated with existing knowledge to become part of what we know about the world. Anyone can learn this way if the conditions are right, but they’re typically not right at the beginning of college.
University College’s first-year experience is intentionally framed around three concepts intended to
smooth bumps in the transitional path from high school to college. Our first objective is to facilitate students’ sense of belonging to the IUPUI community. Whether through orientation, the Summer Bridge program, or firstyear seminars, our goal is to connect beginning students with their peers, instructors, and advisors so that there is a personal support network in place by September. Our second objective is to support all students in transitioning to IUPUI by helping them to develop academic skills and behaviors that strengthen college learning. We also seek to help students to better understand themselves, often through dialogue with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. Finally, we guide all beginning students in planning in order for them to take full advantage of the IUPUI undergraduate experience by exploring majors, minors, and career paths, as well as opportunities for learning outside of the classroom.
I’m terribly proud of the faculty and staff who work so hard to welcome new students and help them to
accomplish these goals – often in highly creative and compassionate ways. It’s what helps to make IUPUI a studentcentered research university and what gives our campus a sense of “small town” community in the midst of a dynamic and thriving city.
KATHY E. JOHNSON, PH.D. DEAN, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
University College News is an e-publication that brings readers in-depth stories about academic programs and successes of IUPUI University College. Its partnerships with other IUPUI schools and departments help University College build stronger learning outcomes. The News is sent to the IUPUI campus community, friends of University College, and Indiana businesses. University College is the academic unit at IUPUI that provides a common gateway to the academic programs available to entering students. University College coordinates existing university resources and new initiatives to promote academic excellence and enhance student persistence. It provides a setting where faculty, staff, and students share in the responsibility for making IUPUI a supportive and challenging environment for learning. University College News magazine is a recipient of the Hermes Creative Awards
CONTACT EMAIL hbennett@iupui.edu ADDRESS IUPUI University College 815 West Michigan Street Suite 3140E Indianapolis, IN 46202 TELEPHONE 317-274-5036
and MarCom Awards. These awards are for projects that possess creative concepts, exceptional writing and design, and emerging technology.
DEAN, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE: KATHY E. JOHNSON
IUPUI
UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE
NEWS
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: HARRIETT BENNETT COPY EDITOR: LYNN TRAPP WRITERS: JEREMY PRATHER, HOPE MCGOWEN, JO FOX, CLAIRE BRUMBACK, HANNAH BRICKEY DESIGNERS: KATIANA MONTENEGRO, ARIANA CASALE, ROB CHASTAIN, BRIANA METZGER PHOTOGRAPHERS: JEREMY PRATHER, CLAIRE BRUMBACK, ARIANA CASALE CONTRIBUTORS: RODNEY BURNS, SHAWN PATRICK, EDDIE HANSEN, CRYSTAL GARCIA, NANCY GOLDFARB, ALYSSA WICKHAM, MARK HARPER, JESSICA ROACH, KEITH ANLIKER
Vol. 2, Issue 3, 2015
University College News 1
FEATURES 4-13 First-Year Programs Find out how faculty are introducing new and vital approaches in teaching first-year students.
12-13 Innovate
MOST VALUABLE COURSE ASPECTS
MOST VALUABLE COURSE ASPECTS
THEMED LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Take a look at the many benefits of the first-year programs.
SUMMER BRIDGE
PROPERLY MANAGING TIME TO MEET RESPONSIBILITIES
DEVELOPED SENSE OF COMMUNITY
“I learned how to manage my time and establish a study schedule for my schoolwork .”
“I made close friends who became my support system.”
INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM SUPPORT “Everyone was friendly and nice and they actually care about helping us out in our future.”
COLLEGE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE “I was informed of many opportunities offered at IUPUI. It helped me make an easy transition from high school to college.”
CAMPUS NAVIGATION AND TOURS GR0UP ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSIONS “I enjoyed the activities we participated in as a whole, and the icebreakers that we did before class.”
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“The program helped me find my way around campus.”
14-15 The Real World See how students are taking a step into the real world with Rodney Burns.
16-17 Inspire Read how student advocate, Shawn Patrick, guides students toward success.
18-22 Invigorate Get the latest news on University College staff and events.
University College News 3
Connections Inspire Confidence By Hannah Brickey
On the first day of fall classes, entering freshmen can easily be spotted in large crowds. They are the ones with hesitant footsteps and troubled looks on their faces as they search for buildings and classrooms. Freshmen who have attended Summer Bridge, however, experience a sense of ease and calm on their first day of class. Summer Bridge allows students the opportunity to settle in to campus life two weeks before the fall semester begins and to gain knowledge about the campus, faculty, staff, resources, and their major. For sophomore Eddie Hansen, a bridge participant last fall, he not only gained knowledge about the campus and a good comfort level regarding the campus, he also gained personal relationships with other students and faculty. “Bridge is a summer program that I believe every freshman student should enroll in,” said Hansen describing his reaction to the program. “This experience provided me with an outlet for my [educational] motivation by allowing me to [connect with] campus resources and faculty members more effectively to secure exciting volunteer and internship opportunities.” During his first year, Hansen struggled to manage time for family, friends, and homework. Bridge, however, had provided him with information and tools he could rely on to help him overcome his challenges. He tapped into helpful study tips he had received from professors and into resource centers such as the Mathematics Assistance Center (MAC) and the University Writing Center (UWC). His prior knowledge of these resources from his bridge experience allowed him to engage their assistance quickly and reduce the time it was taking him to complete his homework.
have an exciting first year marked by both academic and personal success, but will also continue to propel me in these areas throughout the remainder of my collegiate career as a Jaguar.” Although he is grateful for the number of opportunities and amount of growth that bridge provides for students, Hansen most appreciates the relationships he developed during the program. “I felt an immense feeling of positivity being surrounded by people who had some of the same aspirations as me, and we wanted to see each other succeed….You cannot find this level of positive energy in many places. All of these experiences have combined to allow me to have a balanced college experience by succeeding in both my academic and personal life.” Unlike other programs, Summer Bridge specializes in educating students for their anticipated major. “I participated in a School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA)-led criminal justice and public safetyoriented bridge program called ‘Dangerous Minds, Dangerous Policies,’” stated Hansen. “This experience further cemented my desire to work in the field of public safety and criminal justice.” Students enter bridge knowing it’s a guide to how to be successful during their first year of college, but they ultimately leave with lifelong memories. “My experiences with bridge were highly meaningful and will forever stick with me,” said Hansen. The steps of freshmen on their first day and throughout their first year of college can be much more confident with the help of Summer Bridge.
“The on-campus resources I learned about, coupled with the skills I developed, and the friends I made through bridge not only allowed me to
SUMMER BRIDGE The World of SPEA Summer Bridge By Hope McGowen and Claire Brumback
Crystal Garcia Summer Bridge: Faculty
University College News
“My experiences with bridge were highly meaningful and will forever stick with me.”
Eddie Hansen Summer Bridge: Student
College freshmen often struggle with the transition from high school to college, but IUPUI offers a program to ease that transition and help incoming freshmen and international students get acquainted with college life: Summer Bridge. Since 2001, IUPUI has offered Summer Bridge to help students learn how to succeed during their first year. Most schools on IUPUI’s campus participate in the program which takes place two weeks before the fall semester begins. Students are divided into groups based on their anticipated major. During the program, students meet various faculty members and mentors in their future school, they are given an immediate link to librarians as well as to advisors in their major, they learn expectations about college-level work, meet new students, and familiarize themselves with the campus. “We are trying to make a difference,” said Crystal Garcia, director of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) bridge program since 2009 and teacher in the program for six years. According to Garcia, Summer Bridge is a good idea because it helps students find a home on campus and fosters meeting new people. It also helps students build a trusting relationship with faculty and staff in their major. Developing these close relationships gives the students “safe” individuals to go to during times of need, which they may not have otherwise.
The SPEA bridge team is always looking for ways to create academically unique experiences for their bridge students. For example, students majoring in criminal justice tour the Indianapolis Reentry Education Facility (IREF) and meet with several residents who participate in Toastmasters International. The students then work with these residents throughout the semester. Jumping right into the program allows them to start having hands-on experiences with what they will be doing in the future. Getting an early start also gives them a chance to see if the program is right for them. The SPEA program plans to expand in the coming years to create a third bridge section, and with that, they hope to create a bigger role for the faculty. SPEA wants as many of their faculty members involved as possible. In addition, they want more of their students to go through bridge. “My goal eventually is for every incoming freshman [coming into SPEA] to go through bridge,” stated Garcia. She also wants to create a SPEA bridge program for transfer students. Doing so will allow more students to get acquainted with their major and campus, and giving all students the opportunity to connect with campus early on will help them succeed throughout their college career.
“I think it is amazing, mostly with [regard to] the comfort level that comes with it,” said Garcia. “Immediately the students’ preconceived notions of college seem to go away.” Garcia says her favorite part of the program is getting to know the new students and introducing them to the program. “I like connecting with the new students. I love showing them my world. It’s exciting,” said Garcia.
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Community Fosters Commitment By Hope McGowen and Claire Brumback
Nancy Goldfarb First-Year Seminar: Faculty
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR Alyssa Wickham didn’t have many expectations going into her first-year seminar course at IUPUI. “I didn’t really know what it was,” she admits. “I knew we’d probably talk about issues with first-year students and just general life things with coming to college and making that transition. And then when I got to the first-year seminar class, it was actually a lot more fun than I anticipated!” Wickham came to IUPUI in the fall of 2014 as a pre-nursing student and has grown to love university life so far. Upon finishing her second semester in college, she had some time to reflect on her experiences and activities. Her first-year seminar course, taught by Nancy Goldfarb as part of a themed learning community for pre-nursing students, was a huge motivator and source of success. “Nancy was a lot of fun,” Wickham recalls. “I think our favorite thing to do was make her laugh. Once Nancy laughed, everybody in the room was laughing. She was always super positive and encouraging, and she took the class and tailored it to go in the direction we wanted, [including] our interests as a class. That was really neat.” According to Wickham, Goldfarb really went the extra mile to make her first-year seminar course engaging, supportive, and memorable. “Our class went beyond just the classroom,” Wickham explains. “We went out one night and played laser tag. And we went and served a meal at the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul together. We also went to the Kennedy King Memorial [Martin Luther King Memorial Park in Indianapolis], and we were able to relate that experience to what we had been talking about in class.”
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In addition to that kind of active learning and collaboration, Wickham gained some valuable knowledge from her first-year seminar that she was able to implement in her life as a freshman. Being a new college student, having friends, doing schoolwork, and being part of the Honors College Student Council, Honors Adventure Club, Honors Arts and Culture Society, and the University College Student Council, Wickham had a lot on her plate. In her first-year seminar class she learned the importance of balancing your life. “We had one assignment in which we wrote everything we would do in a day,” she remembers. “We looked at how much time we allotted to each of those [activities], and so it kind of made us recognize how much time we were really spending on each one. And then afterwards, we ranked the importance of them all.” Wickham was surprised at the dissonance between what was important to her and what she actually spent time doing, like watching Netflix. Learning how to balance her life with meaningful activities was just one of the many great lessons Wickham received from her first-year seminar course. She also met some great people in the class. “We all got really close,” she says. “We went out and we served together and we had fun together. That was my favorite part.” She is now in new classes with many of those same people. They continue to get together outside of class to work on assignments or just have fun. An engaging first-year seminar helped develop those friendships, and she is forever grateful.
College freshmen can be lost and overwhelmed when they first come to campus. Workloads, classes, and expectations are much different from high school, so University College at IUPUI offers first-year seminar (FYS) courses designed for entering students to help them learn key information and skills they need to succeed in college. Nancy Goldfarb and her instructional team teach one of the first-year seminar courses. Goldfarb designs the course and leads the instructional team which includes a student mentor, an academic advisor, and a librarian. The team helps students get acquainted with campus, adjust to the demands of college life, and become familiar with resources IUPUI has to offer. Goldfarb has taken an interactive learning approach in the design of her FYS course, leading her team and students in community volunteer work. One such activity is helping Burmese refugees who are high school juniors and seniors write essays for their college applications. Another volunteer opportunity found Goldfarb and her FYS students aiding recently arrived refugees adjust to life in the United States. Small groups of students visited refugee families in their homes to welcome them to Indianapolis, answer their questions, provide an opportunity to practice their English, and lend a hand with everyday tasks. The students helped the families feel more comfortable in their new environment. Goldfarb said the activity, which stretched the students beyond their comfort level, was a tremendously positive learning experience. In both projects, students were happy to have the chance to help out a group of community members in need. This hands-on approach allows the students Wto learn through active group work on campus and in the community instead of learning solely through reading or discussions. The students have these shared learning experiences which help them connect to each other on a deeper level. These classroom relationships are one of the most beneficial aspects of the course, according to Goldfarb.
Taking the FYS students off campus and getting them involved in the community helps give them a sense of belonging. She also believes the service learning projects help students stay committed to school and gets them excited for the future. “Some of the students were not fully committed to school,” Goldfarb says, “but when they saw how much they could help other people, it really helped them find their way in school.” The projects Goldfarb assigns give students a chance to see the impact they can have on those around them. The first-year seminar course also allows ample space for creativity and flexibility, which is one of the aspects Goldfarb likes the most. She enjoys watching her students grow throughout the semester and their college career. “My favorite part is watching the students,” she says. “They come to me like little seeds, and I see them blossom while they are here.” Each year, she tries a new activity to see how it works with the class and the instructional team. “I’m an innovator. I like to try new things and see how they work,” Goldfarb explains. Whereas some teachers are content to repeat the same project each semester, Goldfarb enjoys the challenge of continually experimenting in search of something even more effective. Her favorite ways to assess the effectiveness of new ideas are to read students’ reflections and to review photographs of the activities. If students appear engaged and happy in the pictures, she keeps the idea for the next class. First-year seminar professors want to give their students in their first semesters of college at IUPUI the best experience possible, and that’s exactly what they get when they have an instructor as innovative and dedicated as Goldfarb.
R Life Lessons, Learning, and Collaboration By Hope McGowen
Alyssa Wickham First-Year Seminar: Student
University College News
Focused on Connections, Reality, and Goals By Hope McGowen
Mark Harper TLC: Faculty
THEMED LEARNING C “I’ve loved photography since I was in high school,” stated Jessica Roach, a junior photography major in Herron School of Art and Design. “I love taking pictures of people. I think it’s something that’s really timeless, capturing moments that you can remember forever.”
Transitioning from high school to college and adapting to the workload that college presents was the biggest challenge for Roach. After coasting through her senior year of high school, coming to college and taking on a grueling workload was daunting. However, the TLC helped her get through it.
When she was a freshman at IUPUI, Roach participated in the Herron themed learning community (TLC), and that is one snapshot in time she will never forget. The Herron TLC involves all the foundation classes, including drawing, two-dimensional design, three-dimensional arts, color theory, the creative process, art history, and writing. Wait, writing? That seems a little out of place with all those art modules.
Roach feels like it was a little bit easier to start off college in a TLC, as opposed to having different classes with different people every day. “It was a lot less intimidating,” she admits. “Having the same group of people in all my classes was a major part of what made my freshman year easier. It was a nice transition from high school. You start to grow this close knit community with these people who are all around you every day, and you make connections. I think that was really helpful for me starting my freshman year of college.”
In fact, the writing course did fit in with her art classes. Because she was part of the TLC, Roach had classes with the same people and the same professors for two semesters in a row. Since this Herron community of learners and teachers centered around the arts, the writing class focused on art as well. “When I found out that Mark Harper [her writing professor] would be incorporating different forms of art along with the English aspect, I was really excited!” she says. Harper taught Roach’s TLC cohort Introduction to Writing and Introduction to Literature their first year in school. Between both of those classes, students wrote proposals and artist statements for installation art, read comic books, learned about theater, and more. Roach doesn’t think she would have gotten the same experience in a writing class that was not part of the Herron TLC. “There were art elements that made it not just a writing class and not just a literature class,” she says. “It made us more geared to do the work, made us want to do it, and made us want to be interested in it.”
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Because of her successful first year at IUPUI with the help of the Herron TLC, Roach recommends the program to incoming freshmen. “I had a very positive experience with the TLC,” Roach acknowledges. “I had amazing professors, and I feel like I had a really great freshman year compared to some of the people I’ve talked to who didn’t have the TLC experience.”
It’s your first year of college. You live in a dorm. You have friends outside of class and friends in class. But the friends you share classes with are internally separated by major. You travel from one course to the next, switching friends for the hour like switching textbooks. Each of these courses is intensely focused on its own content, and not many of them are making connections across the curriculum. This is what Mark Harper remembers about his first year of college. “It was all so compartmentalized,” he says. “And aside from a student advisor who helped me schedule my classes and asked me if I had any questions, there was nobody to help me see the ‘big picture’ of college. So I just floated through my first two years before I woke up.” Harper is now an instructor in the Themed Learning Communities (TLC) program at IUPUI. He is charged with teaching an introductory English course to freshmen, but in reality he teaches much, much more. TLCs utilize themed curricula and co-curricular experiences to foster interdisciplinary understanding and provide enriched learning experiences. Harper is a part of the Herron School of Art and Design TLC, which means that although he is teaching an English course, he focuses on artistic expression with his students. “The TLC program creates a natural, but sometimes crucial, layer of realism to the first-year college experience,” he says. Instead of setting the typical assignments of introductory English courses, Harper engages students in assignments relevant to their work in other Herron classes. The addition of the writing component to Herron students’ Foundation Program courses, like drawing and design, is a critical piece of the Herron TLC program. “When the students come to the English class in the [Herron] TLC, they carry in all of their studio experiences—the actual working with hands and eyes—and then they channel those practices of art into the formality of written words,” Harper explains.
[from studio work],” he says. “There’s something definite about sentences and paragraphs, even in a rough, early writing stage.” “Drafting an essay to completion means putting down some conclusions,” he continues. “The students then face the new challenge of responsibility. The ideas they’ve now put into words have to be considered and prioritized into the next art project.” Perhaps because of this discomfort in the newness and vulnerability of writing about their art, the students in Harper’s classes form friendships and an eagerness to engage in group work. This strong camaraderie among students is a distinct characteristic of the TLC program. Harper is awed by how starkly the TLC experience contrasts with his memories of freshman year. Companionship found through the program does not only occur between the students, however. While Harper’s background is in literature and media studies, he has learned an enormous amount in other areas from both his students and other professors in the program. “Since I began teaching in the TLC, I’ve learned more about studio work, art history, and design than I ever predicted,” Harper says, amazed. “Best of all, I’ve learned better ways to teach from my fellow colleagues. Sherry Stone and William Potter [both lecturers in Herron’s Foundation Program studies] have been amazing teaching coaches for me!” According to Harper, each TLC is different from any other classroom experience. Every TLC—whether it be a part of Herron, Kelley School of Business, or another program—is a unique design that seamlessly blends all subjects into a curriculum focused on one core theme, like art or business. However, all TLCs have one thing in common: teaching first-year students to focus. TLC students get what Harper calls a “reality check” early in their college career. The TLC programs promote early and continued success by keeping students aware, engaged, and focused on the goals they brought with them to college.
The students in Harper’s class write about the definitions of seeing, how they create, and what it means to create and to express. He says that writing about this isn’t easy for some artists. “The written word is different
COMMUNITIES A Community of Art and Personal Connections
By Hope McGowen
Jessica Roach TLC: Student
University College News
GATEWAY TO GRADU Powerful Connections By Jeremy Prather
Many first-year students are challenged by the transition from high school to college, and many struggle significantly, but professors can have a profound impact on how this transition plays out and how well students do at the start of their college career. One approach would be to simply make the courses easier, but this would lead to students not developing the knowledge and skills necessary for occupational success, which translates to students being illprepared to enter the working world. Since this is not a viable option, it is incumbent upon professors to explore other methods to keep courses relevant and challenging, while still helping students to understand the material and pass the class. According to introductory chemistry professor, Keith Anliker, this is what University College’s Gateway to Graduation program is all about. He says, “Gateway gets us thinking. You’ve got all kinds of different learners in class, with a variety of educational backgrounds. How can we, as instructors, provide lots of opportunities? How are we going to be open to lots of different things for our students? How are we going to at least give something to everybody in the class that they can actually connect well with?”
These opportunities end up taking many forms, from implementing new technologies to exploring teaching strategies. Gateway brings faculty together to improve the learning experience in first-year courses and to overcome challenges in teaching these difficult courses. According to Anliker, “It’s not about what new, difficult content I need to learn in order to teach the course, it’s really, how do I connect with the students? How do I help them connect with the material?” This connecting is where Anliker shines. His C101 Elementary Chemistry class is one of the more difficult ones that freshmen encounter. Not only does he provide alternative methods of teaching the course content so all students can absorb the material, he also puts himself into the fray in order to help students better understand his teaching style. He aims to equip students with the tools to make his teaching style work for their learning style. Exploring and developing varying teaching methods and strategies to enhance learning and discovery is a goal of the gateway program. Coordinator meetings and connections formed through this network of instructors facilitate exchanges that help them to better teach first-year courses. Anliker says, “You hear what other instructors are doing. You hear their struggles and how they think about things, and you say to yourself, ‘I never thought about that. I can use that.’” Connecting with other faculty and having this support network in place are crucial to IUPUI’s ability to connect with first-year students. When it’s the first day of class and students have no idea what to expect, it’s vital that educators make the connections necessary to help students learn and achieve success. Anliker says, “The goal of the gateway program is to help us, as faculty, get them off to a good start. I am often the first thing they see, the first day that they have their first class at IUPUI. That’s kind of an awesome responsibility.”
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UATION
Keith Anliker
Gateway to Graduation: Faculty
University College News
FIRST-YEAR PROGRAMS 4-YEAR GRADUATION RATES FOR THE DIVISION OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS COMPARED TO NON-PARTICIPANTS
PARTICIPANTS NON-PARTICIPANTS
SUMMER BRIDGE
University College News
THEMED LEARNING COMMUNITIES
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR
MOST VALUABLE COURSE ASPECTS
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR KNOWLEDGE OF CAMPUS RESOURCES
“Without this program I wouldn’t have known about the MAC, CAPS, and other resources.”
FORMING FRIENDSHIPS
“When this program is over you have friendships. It makes you feel comfortable.”
MAJOR CAREER DISCOVERY “The clinical visits were the most helpful aspect of the course. It let us physically see what our majors will require, and it gave us an idea of what the job environment would be.”
Sources: “TLC Assessment Update 2015 Retreat,” 2105; “2013 Summer Bridge Program Evaluation University College Report, News” 2014; “FYE Program Review Assessment Revised,” 2014. Office of Student Data, Analysis, and Evaluation
Yes, Virginia, There Really Is a By Hope McGowen and Claire Brumback
University College News
Real World! College students are repeatedly told to prepare for the “real world,” but what is the “real world” actually? Does it really exist? Is it as awful as it seems? IUPUI and Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc. are working together to help students get a better idea of the “real world” as it relates to the workplace in corporate America. They have become partners in an externship program designed to engage first-year students in an exploration of the Roche corporation, and thus, from the outset of their collegiate journey, enhance their understanding of workplace expectations. An externship is one method by which students are able to learn about a job in a field that interests them. Roche and IUPUI offer a program whereby students visit the Roche campus for one day to learn more about the company and the field of diagnostics. Rodney Burns is the senior project engineer at Roche, and he works closely with the 10 to 25 students the company hosts in its externship program each semester. Spending a day with the company gives these students the chance to shadow different employees to help them decide their true interest in a particular line of work.
an externship is to be eager and ask questions. Researching the company beforehand is also helpful. Burns suggests preparing for and treating the externship as if it were a job interview. “In corporate America, people are always watching. If you don’t pay attention or you act disinterested, it doesn’t leave a good impression,” said Burns. Burns, though, feels that each session brings students who are well-prepared and excited to learn. Some previous externship students now work at Roche, which goes back to the good impression they made during their initial externship visit. The externship also benefits Roche because it is a chance for the company to showcase what it has to offer to potential employees. Giving the students a chance to network and letting them have an inside look at the company helps them decide on a major and career. It also helps calm the nerves of those who have always feared the “real world,” because, yes, it really does exist.
“What I like to do is give them the opportunity to see what it’s like out there in the real world,” said Burns. This externship also enables students to establish professional connections. Networking during an externship can potentially lead to internships and possible full-time positions in the future. The best way for students to network during
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INSPIRE
Shawn Patrick: Teacher and Advocate By Jo Fox
Meet Shawn Patrick. He teaches an exploratory section within the first-year seminar program in University College. He is also with the Office of Educational Partnerships and Student Advocacy. In his role as student advocate, Patrick sees approximately 600 students per year. According to Patrick, students experience challenges in three major areas that are often stumbling blocks to their academic success. The first problematic area is academia itself which can include such matters as petitioning for grades to be changed to medical withdrawals. Second are financial issues which may be resolved in any number of ways including a visit to Dress for Success or Danny’s Closet, exploring grant programs, or investigating emergency loan options. The third challenge is personal issues which cover a broad range from homelessness to securing food from a food pantry or personal life crises. In addition, Patrick noted that parents may also contact him as an initial point of contact on behalf of their student when they don’t know where to go. Patrick states that he will often “direct students and [their] parents to the appropriate resources within the community and on campus to help them.” Ultimately, he serves as an ombudsperson for any student, parent, faculty, or staff member with student-related questions, complaints, or concerns related to academic and non-academic issues. When asked how being a student advocate ties into his work with the first-year seminar program, Patrick noted that in both cases it is helping students understand that they have an agency in their lives that can help them with “what’s going on in school” and that can provide awareness “of resources on campus and in the community.” Patrick continued by saying, “It is also forcing issues that may happen; teaching students to be
proactive rather than reactive.…What students want most is someone to listen and to feel they are heard.” He works with students on a neutral and impartial basis and leaves judgement at the door, believing strongly that it is not his role to judge. Patrick sees students from all academic levels, from undergraduate to graduate from the traditional-aged student to the adult learner returning to school, and from students in University College to the School of Liberal Arts to the Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Anyone, whether faculty or staff, can contact Patrick and request his help. Patrick receives his inspiration from “seeing students grow from a situation and working through [their] problems or issues and seeing them a year later, doing well.” Most of all, he enjoys “sharing [their] accomplishments and achievements.” Patrick feels he has a very unique perspective as a student advocate in that he is a graduate student himself, pursuing his doctorate in urban education, as well as an administrator and a faculty member. He feels he stays grounded because he came from a working-class family. Since the writing of this article, Patrick has assumed a new role as international student advisor in the Office of International Affairs at IUPUI.
INVIGORATE Events & Staff News By Jo Fox
Comedy Enlivens Themed Learning Communities Annual Retreat This past March, the Themed Learning Communities (TLC) of University College held its annual one-day spring retreat at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for approximately 100 attendees that included administration, faculty, staff, and students. Presenters were from the IUPUI campus community. The opening session was a big hit with the incorporation of humor and comedy into the TLC instructional team experience titled, “TLC Marriages: The Importance of Communication, Shared Vision, & Policies.” Presenters were Mike Polites, Mike Starr, and Chris Meek with Kate Thedwall, director of University College’s Gateway to Graduation program, facilitating.
The TLC teams also developed curriculum for the fall semester and shared their best practice initiatives and individualized art of teaching. Spillane noted, “The TLC retreat is a great time for faculty, staff, and students to connect and prepare for the upcoming fall semester. This year was no exception, and we look forward to another great year of TLCs on the IUPUI campus.” Each TLC is limited to 25 first-semester, first-year students who are enrolled in three to four classes that link to a common theme, and this builds community with other students engaged in the same or similar education interest areas.
The morning breakout sessions included adding to career exploration, mindfulness of creating a diverse classroom, and a presentation that reviewed student learning alternatives from paper assignments to photos and music. The breakout sessions in the afternoon covered such topics as integrating interdisciplinary curricula into the TLC program, multiculturalism, and Generation Z. Allison Spillane, academic support specialist for University College TLCs, commented on the Generation Z session, stating that its focus was on “backgrounds of the incoming students, how students communicate with one another, and how we can tweak our teaching methods for the next generation.” She continued, “The Generation Z learning style is still applicable today. They thrive on relationships and are a [people]-oriented generation. However, the way they receive and pay attention to information is different. They have never known a time without the Internet. They are trying to find balance [between community and technology], and that is what helps them decide to come to this campus.”
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James Eckerty enjoys a comedic moment.
Global Citizenship Inspires University College 2015 Spring Awards Convocation
“Global Citizenship” was the theme for the 2015 University College Spring Awards Convocation which celebrated the accomplishments of 37 undergraduate students at Hine Hall auditorium. IUPUI undergraduate Brittany Sherrill, a sophomore double majoring in communications and English, served as the emcee for the event, and dean of University College and Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education Kathy E. Johnson delivered the opening remarks. Chancellor Charles R. Bantz was the keynote speaker. Also in attendance was Nasser Paydar, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer.
award. The Barbara D. Jackson Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award went to Jeffrey X. Watt. Keith Anliker received the prestigious Trustees’ Teaching Award. Faculty member Patricia Clark was the recipient of the Tonja Eagan Faculty Service award. A reception for the event’s approximately 200 guests followed the award ceremony with photo opportunities available for honorees and their guests.
Student awards were presented in the following categories: Evenbeck Scholarship Mentor of the Year awards, University College First-Year Seminar Outstanding Student awards, and University College department awards. These awards recognized the students’ perseverance in pursuing their educational goals as well as efforts they have engaged in as global citizens to promote positive change in the lives of others. Special recognition student awards were the Chancellor’s Scholar award and the Christine Jakacky Mentor of the Year award. Five faculty and staff special recognition honors were awarded. Iyabode Okoro received the new advisor Academic Advisor of the Year award, while Enjoli Hampton-Brown received the veteran advisor Academic Advisor of the Year
Ayodamola Otun, Chancellor’s Scholar, and Erika Huber.
Honoree Parker Leisure with parents.
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2015 Spring Gateway to Graduation Teaching Academy Awards
Left to right: Kate Thedwall, Hongqiu Zhao, Nancy Goldfarb, and Michael Yard. Four additional University College faculty members received the bronze Gateway to Graduation Teaching Academy award this past spring. The recipients of the award were Nancy Goldfarb, School of Liberal Arts, and from the School of Science, Hongqiu Zhao, Mike Yard, and Gina Londino. Kate Thedwall, director of the Gateway to Graduation program, presented the awards along with University College dean, Kathy E. Johnson. Nancy Goldfarb is a senior lecturer in her fifth year as a full-time faculty member in a joint appointment with the Department of English and University College. She teaches poetry courses for the Themed Learning Communities program. Goldfarb noted, “I love learning and sharing my love of learning with students and helping them understand how much they know. I love helping them help themselves – that is the most important thing you can give someone.” She enjoys sharing the “life of the mind” and watching students’ excitement. Lecturer Hongqiu Zhao participates in the gateway technology community and teaches general chemistry classes for freshmen. Zhao commented, “I started to enjoy teaching when I came to the United States as a graduate student. It helped me to improve my language. It makes me happy to be able to motivate students.”
Gina Londino, is very excited about the recognition and has been teaching Concepts and Forensic Science I as part of the gateway program for the past six years. She said, “My students being successful and then contacting me after graduation saying, ‘I landed my first job,’ or ‘I testified in court for the first time’” are what inspire her and her teaching. Londino also summed up the honorees feelings about Thedwall by commenting, “Kate is great! She is definitely very supportive of gateway faculty and informs us of what is going on in the university….Many times we [faculty] don’t…get that information at the department or school level. She is a great communicator.” Some faculty, depending on the school in which they teach, can use the awards as documented evidence of engaging in professional development related to teaching or as a component of a promotion dossier. Former recipients of the award are David Steele, Scott Wallace, Steven Overby, Ken Wendeln, Mary Ann Frank, Denice Lewis, and Janice Bankert-Countryman.
Michael Yard, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biology, has been involved with the gateway program for seven years and leads the popular health professions program of the themed learning communities. When asked what he enjoys about being part of gateway, he noted, “I love working with University College and having 25-30 students as opposed to the usual 200-300 in the classroom.” In his gateway classes, Yard has “students who are career bound and do service work at places like the Julian Center and Gigi’s Playhouse.”
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Gina Londino and Kate Thedwall.
University College Assistant Director Honored as 2015 IUPUI Student Employment Supervisor of the Year Huber was nominated by Justin Rice of University College’s Bepko Learning Center. Rice’s nomination letter stated, “My supervisor is not one to micromanage students, but uplifts them to complete their responsibilities and tackle challenges. She trusts her mentors to not only complete their job, but also to go beyond it….She instills leadership values into every one of her mentors by exemplifying leadership.…She views each person on her team as a valuable asset and will always consider their idea no matter how big or small it is.… Her passion and compassion for her job, co-workers, and students is what drives her leadership to be what it is: innovative, developing, and maximizing.”
The Office of Student Employment in the Division of Undergraduate Education announced that the IUPUI Student Employee Supervisor of the Year award was received by Erika Huber, assistant director, Office of Academic Mentoring in University College. In addition, Huber’s name was submitted to the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA), and she won the Student Employee Supervisor of the Year award for the state of Indiana, as well as winning the Supervisor of the Year award for the entire Midwest region. The Student Employee Supervisor of the Year award on the regional level is new this year and includes 14 states within the Midwest region.
IUPUI is a member of MASEA whose goals are to improve the professional services of administrators and counselors who assist postsecondary students in securing employment. The criteria for the Supervisor of the Year award are based on mentoring, professionalism, and excellent leadership. Huber was recognized at the annual IUPUI Student Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon held this year at the University Tower Ballroom. The celebration lunch honored student employee and student supervisor nominees and winners for Student of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Employee Team of the Year, Community Student Employee of the Year, and Community Employer Partner of the Year.
University College’s Allison Spillane is Keynote Speaker at the Consortium of Illinois Learning Communities Allison Spillane, academic support specialist in the Office of Themed Learning Communities (TLC) in University College within the Division of Undergraduate Education, presented the keynote address at the Consortium of Illinois Learning Communities’ (CILC) best practice symposium held at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. Spillane had been a presenter at the National Learning Communities Conference in Bay City, Michigan in November 2014 and was subsequently invited by the CILC executive board to be the keynote speaker for their annual symposium. Spillane’s keynote was entitled, “Are We Reaching Generation Z?” The key points of the address focused on the nature of “Gen Z,” reaching and interacting with this generation through learning communities, the “why” behind what they do, and enhancing teaching strategies in the classroom.
Sarah Baker, associate dean for academic affairs commented, “This was an outstanding opportunity for the themed learning communities and for Allison and her professional development growth. Students of today question so much more…and Allison has a good pulse on the students of today. She has keen student focus.” The Consortium of Illinois Learning Communities seeks to promote and support the development of learning communities in Illinois colleges and universities. The CILC sponsors an annual best practice symposium for institutions in the process of developing learning communities. The CILC also provides a means of facilitating collaboration between member institutions to address their challenges.
States Spillane, “Understanding our incoming students, particularly Generation Z, is a relevant, current, and engaging topic that they felt would benefit their campus partners, and furthermore, their learning community programs.” Being in her first year as academic support specialist in the themed learning communities program, Spillane noted, “It was an honor to be the keynote speaker for this years’ CILC symposium, and a great privilege to spread the word about IUPUI.”
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University College Student Employee Wins Honors in High Jump Student employee in the Division of Undergraduate Education’s technology unit and redshirt freshman Dejan Davis’ track and field performance took the Jaguars to the Summit League Outdoor Championships’ high jump finals for the first time in school history where he tied for second place in a three-man competition on day two of the sports event. The competition included four contenders, and Davis’ three rivals missed their first attempt to clear the bar at 2.01 meters (6’7”). Davis seemingly cleared the bar, but it was deemed his toe tapped the mark. In the end, the first three attempts were unsuccessful for all four jumpers, and one jumper was eliminated from attempting the fourth and final jump based on previous jump records. This created a three-man jump off at 2.04 meters (6’ ¼”). One competitor cleared the bar, while Davis and the other jumper did not, putting them in a tie for second place.
According to Jeremy Williams, technical support services coordinator and Dejan’s direct supervisor, “Dejan is an exceptional student employee and a valuable member to the Division of Undergraduate Education. He does an excellent job in supporting the technology needs of the faculty, staff, and students of our department, but it is what he does behind the scenes that makes him special. Dejan has a great sense of teamwork that athletics have helped instill in him, and he is able to carry it over into his employment. The other students and staff of our department know that they can count on Dejan for help and support at all times. He is an excellent teammate in the workplace as well as on the field.”
“We’re obviously proud of Dejan,” stated IUPUI head coach Chuck Koeppen. “He’s a really good kid and fits in well with our team…. They’re pretty excited for him to be all-conference. I know he would have liked to have won it, but for it being his first time out, that was a good showing” (accessed from IUPUIJags.com, Ed Holdaway, IUPUI Sports Information).
University College Announces Participant in IUPUI’s Next Generation 2.0 Leadership Initiative University College is pleased to announce that Asha McCauley has been selected as a participant in the inaugural class of the IUPUI Next Generation 2.0 leadership initiative. Next Generation 2.0, announced last January by Nasser Paydar, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, is a new leadership and professional development initiative for IUPUI faculty and staff. McCauley is the special programs coordinator for Special Programs for Academic Nurturing (SPAN). SPAN was established to allow precollege students to take college courses alongside college students and to learn about the higher education environment. McCauley states, “I am honored to have been selected for the Next Generation 2.0 leadership initiative. I look forward to participating in the program and learning how I can contribute more to the IUPUI community.” University College’s associate dean for academic affairs, Sarah Baker, noted, “This is an exceptional opportunity for Asha’s future, but also for SPAN and University College. The program is designed to help mentor professional development growth and to instill leadership abilities in IUPUI’s rising generation for future leadership positions.”
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John R. Russell, director of SPAN, commented, “We are very pleased Asha has been selected to participate in the IUPUI Next Generation 2.0 leadership initiative!...She is exemplary in her commitment not only to student academic success, but also… to university-wide scholastic achievement by her mentorship of others within the IUPUI campus, and leadership within our urban community partnerships….In her nearly four years with the SPAN program, Asha has established a history rich with evidence of the ability to communicate with a diverse population of students from all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Asha guides students with empathy and enthusiasm….[She is] an embodiment of academic discipline wrapped in a heart devoted to student success.” The Next Generation 2.0 initiative is in line with IUPUI’s strategic plan to retain and develop a diverse pool of talent to lead the institution into the future. Participants will complete a yearlong curriculum that will prepare them to step into and/or create leadership opportunities in their units and schools.
Division of Undergraduate Education New Employees STACEY ABSHIRE Student Success Advisor Academic and Career Development University College
JOSHUA HALMI Career Consultant Degree Completion Office Division of Undergraduate Education
ASHLEY HOFFMAN Student Success Advisor Academic and Career Development University College
AMY POWELL Director Themed Learning Communities University College
ROBIN TEW Student Success Coach Degree Completion Office Division of Undergraduate Education
Service Anniversary 15 YEARS CATHY MARION Fiscal Affairs Assistant Fiscal Affairs Office Division of Undergraduate Education
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FULFILLING the PROMISE