No Happy Accident:An Intentional Strategy to Increase Employee Engagement in Student Success

Tim Derozier & Natalie KistnerNortheast Wisconsin Technical College

Not Us!

Lofty Goals

Every Student, Every Day, Every One, Every Way.

Laurice SnyderSupervisor of Community Education ServicesFoud du Lac, WI School District

A Brief History

• In 2009, the Dream Catcher movement launched at NWTC

• In 2010 – Dream Catchers met Achieving the Dream

• AtD and NWTC Shared Visions• College-wide birth of Dream Catchers

in August, 2010– Kay McClenney keynote– “Dream Catchers” & Exercise

Purposeful Engagement

Foundation

Branding

Communication

Involvement

Flexibility

Fun

Foundation• NWTC’s Intentional Culture of

Success– Culture created BY us, not happening TO us.

• Mission, Vision, and Core Values– We teach them, reinforce them, and now

measure them in performance reviews

• Leaders Model Engagement– Co-created vision: NWTC is a cutting edge life-long learning college that transforms, strengthens, and inspires.

• Student Success Stories• Reading of Scholarship Applications• Students Needing Assistance– Shared Harvest– Almost Fre-Cycle, Career Closet

• The last stop between family sustaining wages and poverty

Stories Shape Culture

Branding

• What’s in a Name?– A LOT! People need something to rally

around… a mental shortcut– Phrase synonymous with student success– A label to affix to the numerous projects,

meetings, initiatives, and reports affiliated with the movement

• I say Dream Catchers, you say… STUDENT SUCCESS!

Branding Student Success

Communication

• Many so-called “engagement strategies” are really communication plans.

• Three stages to a good communication plan:1) Building Message – Influence Name

Recognition2) Creating Awareness – Influence Attitude 3) Impact – Influence Behavior

Communication• Varied approaches from different, credible voices

– Intranet links and project updates (Aw)– DC Guy (Aw)– Bulletin Boards, Banners, etc… (Aw)– T-shirts (Aw)– College President (Aw & At)– In-Service Keynote speakers (At)– Newsletters (electronic and paper) (At)– Will (At)– New Employee Orientation (Aw)– Student Panel (B)– The stories that we tell (B)– The Dallas 11 (B)– The Anaheim 16? (B)

Involvement

• No employee left behind– Open project teams and committees– Solicit employees from all divisions,

departments, functions, and locations– Provide a variety of avenues for

participation– Recognize successes– Make being a part of Dream Catchers

something to be proud of

Flexibility• Switch from Sub-Committees to

Project Teams• Newsletter out; Blog enhanced• Feedback from Dream Catcher pilot

teams utilized (early alert, LASSI)• Mandatory Advising Changes• Incorporation of Will***All fueled by data

The Evolution of Will

The need to create a visual connecting ALL employees to student success

The desire to link seemingly disparate

projects and initiatives to student

success

FUN

• Dr. Rafn parodies “Ghostbusters” with “Dream Catchers”

• DC guy video• Will• “Conferency” Success 1st Summit• Humorous blog entries and contests