Post on 28-Dec-2015
Feedback from day 1
Today I learned. . .
• The degree to which non-academic resources impact student success.
• My enthusiasm for the work we do and the appreciation for those I work with has increased.
• How policies can impact student success and retention.
• That we need to create alternative routes for admission to the university.
• That we could try to add a perk to our ACT Prep class that could help in recruitment.
Today I learned. . .
• Many factors that play into student success are non-academic in nature.
• Rituals are important.
• A lot about the entire picture of higher ed and specifically USFSM.
• A lot of stats and what stats are important. I get the big picture.
• That many feel the same way as me.
Today I learned. . .
• Don’t say “freshmen” or “undeclared” but rather say exploratory and find another term for freshmen.
• Issues in areas other than my own.
• How younger students progress through our existing systems.
• That it is not necessarily academics that need to be changed, but other institutional facets that can enhance student retention, time to completion, employment, and student success.
Today I learned. . .
• About more metrics.
• About DFWI rates and that we are unintentionally doing well in this area.
• About how parameters of retention, timely completion, employment/further education, and satisfaction affect student success (particularly career services).
• How much is going on toward these goals.
Today I learned. . .
• More about our institution—its strengths and issues.
• We all seem to be on the same page about what we are lacking to be successful.
• Data about retention, including our successes and areas for improvement.
• Ideas for enhancing rituals and traditions.
Today I learned . . .
• Ideas to develop faculty interaction.
• Ideas for activities, initiatives, discussions to incorporate soft skills into co-curricular activities.
• That student success impacts all areas of a student’s experience from beginning to end.
• We are not that far off.
k k k k k
Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .
• Have an implementable plan for student success.
• Cover what stats are important and why they are important, and build a vision (a concrete picture) of what the future looks like.
• Touch more on honors for four-year; touch more on clubs and organizations; touch more on civic engagement; touch more on whatever you think we need .
• Develop some concrete steps to take.
Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .
• Make action plans. We can’t just talk about these large issues any longer.
• Discuss intentional strategies.
• Act on reducing red tape and commit to action period.
• Develop a plan specific to USFSM student success.
• Focus on structure and strategy; processes that use faculty, staff, and students together; develop more focus on community engagement and how this method can help retention, employment success, and satisfaction.
Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .
• Leave with action plans.
• Link up with student success metrics linked with funding to figure out ways and means for improvement.
• Emphasize community/campus collaboration as an asset in student success.
• Find out where USFSM needs to spend effort and money toward student success initiatives that are critical within the next few years.
Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .
• Think critically about faculty involvement in co-curricular activities.
• Discuss the reality of our challenges and develop a plan to overcome them in order to improve the metrics we have been charged with.
• Have some strong ideas and plans that we commit to move forward with. Not just talk, but action.
• Talk about how we can involve faculty in recruitment.