Georgia Gwinnett College 2023

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is one of two access institutions in the Atlanta metropolitan region. The GGC mission states that the College “provides access to targeted baccalaureate and associate level degrees that meet the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region.” Founded in 2005, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) operates according to a clear strategic plan derived from its mission.

GGC’s student headcount in Fall 2020 was 11,627; in Fall 2021, 10,949; in Fall 2022, 11,030, and in Fall 2023, 11,918, an increase of 8% over the prior year, representing a continued comeback from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Of the total Fall 2023 student enrollment, 7017 (59%) are women, and 3681 (31%) are 23 years or older. In addition to U.S origin, the student body represents over 100 other countries or regions. Nighty eight percent (98%) of the students enrolling at GGC in fall 2023 are from Georgia, with the remainder coming from 30 other states. Among those students from Georgia, 75% are from Gwinnett County. Of the total student headcount, 65% are enrolled full-time, taking at least 12 credit hours, with the remaining 35% enrolled part-time. A review of other key demographic characteristics of the Fall 2023 GGC student population shows a preponderance of those who are traditionally underserved and likely to benefit from essential support structures. The mean high school GPA of GGC’s cohort of first-time entering students has had a consistent academic profile with a mean high school GPA of between 2.71 and 3.03, with 25% of first-year students requiring corequisite learning support in at least one core subject (Math or English) in Fall 2023. Preliminary data indicate 12% of the Fall 2023 first-year students are enrolled in a corequisite English course and 18% are enrolled in a corequisite math course.

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been ranked the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college, public or private, according to U.S. News & World Report magazine (2015-24). In Fall 2023, 32% of GGC students were Black/African American, with 28% Hispanic/Latino, and 12% Asian. Likewise, in Fall 2022, 32% of GGC students were Black/African American, 27% were Hispanic/Latino, and 12% were Asian. Additionally, Georgia Gwinnett College is one of two University System of Georgia institutions to earn the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation by the U.S. Department of Education. To achieve the HSI designation, eligible schools must be accredited two- or four-year degree-granting institutions, enroll a significant number of students requiring needs-based federal assistance and maintain at least a 25% full-time Hispanic student enrollment.

GGC has also consistently enrolled a high proportion of Pell grant-eligible college students, defined as students who are awarded financial aid from federal government Pell grants at any time during academic year, as compiled from students who complete and file a FAFSA. The data from the past five fall terms shows that more than half of GGC’s student population receives Pell. Additionally, GGC has consistently enrolled a high proportion of first-generation college students, defined as students who report their parent(s)’ highest education level as Middle School/Junior High or High School on the FAFSA. Of students who completed and filed a FAFSA, the data from the past four available fall terms show that GGC’s student population is more than 21% first generation. In recognition of this meaningful population size, we are investing in new data visualizations to help us understand their obstacles and successes.

Regarding comparators, GGC exhibits key differences from other institutions in the state college sector with respect to size and demographics. As a result, we continue to work to meet or exceed student achievement targets that move our campus forward in a process of continuous assessment and improvement.

Success Inventory

Momentum Learning Communities (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

Momentum Learning Communities

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Pathways

Mindset

Category:

Learning Communities

Strategy/Project Description:

“Momentum Learning Communities” are highly integrated first-year learning communities associated with each academic Focus Area/major and enhanced by co-curricular content related to career readiness in an area of study

Summary of Activities:

FA21 pilot = 10 LCs

FA22 expansion = 30 LCs targeted (2 LCs needed to be broken based on enrollment patterns, resulting in 28 Momentum Learning Communities implemented).

FA23 maintain and refine = 30 LCs targeted for refinement of integrative learning opportunities.

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluation Plan and measures: Continue to track retention and progression, as well as academic performance, for each learning community cohort (in conjunction with FA21, FA22, and FA23 student cohorts). Additionally, we will assess similar performance and engagement measures as we did in FA21 and as we are currently doing for FA22 LCs, including engagement with co-curricular career readiness materials and demonstration of integrated learning outcomes.

Baseline measure: FA21 Outcomes

Career Readiness Module Completion: Faculty were asked to assign 2 different Career Readiness modules to students. Career Services kept and communicated records about student completion. Of students enrolled in Momentum LCs:

21% of students completed 2 or more modules
14% of students completed 1 module
65% of students completed 0 modules

Data for the FA22 Momentum LCs are currently in process (as of March 2023) and will be updated as soon as available.

Other metrics:

Compared to non-Momentum LC’s (1107 students), students in Momentum LC’s (146 students):

Registered for more credits in Fall (13.13 vs 12.64)
Registered for more credits in spring (13.27 vs 12.58)
Had a lower avg GPA (2.09 vs 2.42)
Were more likely to be Pell-eligible (66.4% vs 56.6%)

Data for the FA22 Momentum LCs are currently in process (as of March 2023) and will be updated as soon as available.

Compared to non-LC students (1382 students), students in Momentum LC’s (146 students)

Registered for more credits in Fall (13.13 vs 11.82)
Registered for more credits in spring (13.27 vs 11.80)
Had a lower avg GPA (2.09 vs 2.49)
Were more likely to be Pell-eligible (66.4% vs 50.3%)
Were more likely to need corequisite learning support courses (15.07% vs 8.32%)
Were less likely to be White (17.1% vs. 26.3%)

Data for the FA22 Momentum LCs are currently in process (as of March 2023) and will be updated as soon as available.

Goal or targets: In Fall 2022, GGC initially prepared 30 Learning Communities designed with the same level of integration and co-curricular support as in Fall 2021 (slightly lower than our original target of 40 LCs). In the end, 28 of these Momentum LCs were offered.

For Fall 2023, we plan to maintain implementation of the 30 Momentum LCs, with a focus on enhancing the integrative learning opportunities within these LCs.

Time period/duration: assessment will continue annually, with aspirations to scale to the extent resources allow.

Progress and Adjustments:

Data regarding student academic performance in the LCs continue to suggest that we would benefit from more investment in professional development for faculty with respect to integrated learning. As a result, we sent a small team to participate in the AAC&U’s online Institute on Engaged and Integrative Learning (IEIL) in July 2023.

The addition of a dedicated college-wide Student Success Committee in AY23-24 represents a shift from a previous committee focus on the first-year student experience. This new Student Success Committee, chaired by the Dean of Student Success, brings in perspectives and advice on the learning communities and other student success initiatives from across the college and beyond.

In addition, a new Director of First- and Second-Year Experience has come on board (as of September 2023) and is already making great strides in enhancing the process of creating and enrolling students in learning communities.

Data for the Fall 2023 LC students (n = 533 unique students in 21 distinct learning communities), we have some preliminary descriptives based on transactional data as of the time of this update (November 2023):

Approx. 10% require corequisite learning support English
Approx. 11% require corequisite learning support Math
Approx. 53% identify as female
The LC students in Fall 23 again largely reflect the GGC student body demographically regarding Race and Ethnicity, but are more likely to identify as Hispanic and less likely to identify as White than the overall student population: Approx. 35% identify as Black or African American, 37% are Hispanic, 9% Asian, and 18% White
Approx. 32% self-identify as First Generation in College

Plan for the Year Ahead:

The plan for AY 2023-2024 is to maintain the offering of Momentum LCs (initial target number of 20) in the Spring semester while adding the innovations of two additional Living-Learning Communities (LLCs), bringing the number of those LLCs to three.

Fall 2023 = Maintain and refine

With a goal to maintain a similar number of learning communities from FA22, we were able to offer 21 LCs by the end of fall 2023 registration. Of these, 8 featured an embedded FYS course, GGC 1000.

Fall 2023 and beyond = Strategic shift, Scaling

Refinement of integrative learning opportunities for all students enrolled in the LCs and improvement of the of coordinating, staffing, and supporting the LCs is our focus. In Spring 2024, we aim to offer more highly integrated second-semester learning communities. We have targeted Fall 2024 for large scale increase in learning communities offered.

GGC also will continue to examine ways to incorporate the first-year seminar, GGC 1000, in the Momentum Learning Communities.

In addition, GGC plans to more intentionally focus on faculty development in the area of integrative learning through the collaborative work of Student Success, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), and other areas. Depending on the insights gained by the small team attending the AAC&U’s Institute on Engaged and Integrative Learning (IEIL), additional recommendations may be brought forward.

Evaluation Plan and measures: Continue to track retention and progression, as well as academic performance, for each learning community cohort (FA23 student cohort and continuing thereafter).

Additionally, we will identify comparable performance and engagement measures to track across Fall cohorts, as we have begun with the FA21 and FA22 cohorts, including engagement with co-curricular career readiness materials (particularly for those whose LC included a GGC 1000/FYS) and demonstration of integrated learning outcomes.

Assessment of the Career Readiness module for the FA22 LCs shifted to focus on those communities that included a GGC 1000 (FYS), where the career readiness modules are directly aligned with the course objectives.

Updated Data for the FA22 LCs is presented below with all LCs included (20 LCs for Fall 2022), as they will be for Fall 2023 and beyond.

Fall 2022 LC students (n = 544 unique students):

Had average GPA of 2.24
The LC students largely reflected the GGC student body demographically regarding Race and Ethnicity: Approx. 36% were Black or African American, 36% were Hispanic, 7% Asian, and 16% White
Just over 30% self-identified as First Generation
Approximately 56% were female
7.2% required corequisite learning support English
19% required corequisite learning support Math

Data for the FA22 LCs will be updated as available. Currently, we are awaiting 1-year retention data for the Fall 2022 cohort.

Challenges and Support:

We continue to need resources (time, financial, and staffing) to provide the levels of faculty pedagogical training/support that we would like, particularly to enhance integrative learning opportunities within the LCs.

GGC experienced a reduced budget allocation for FY24, which has presented some challenges for maintaining learning community course capacities at a level that maximizes integrative learning. Recent efforts to connect more USG institutions that are implementing Learning Community pedagogy could help us to develop solutions to some of the challenges.

Primary Contact:

Justin Jernigan, Dean of Student Success

SPARC: Summer Preparatory Academic Resource Camps (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

SPARC: Summer Preparatory Academic Resource Camps

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Pathways

Mindset

Category:

Mindset

Student engagement

Strategy/Project Description:

The Summer Preparatory Academic Resource Camps (SPARC) program aims to support growth mindset among incoming first-year students and targeted populations of returning students, with particular emphasis on the mindset elements: Sense of Belonging and Purpose and value (see: https://motivatelab.org/publications-2/2018/5/15/help-students-navigate-lifes-transitions-with-a-mindset-gps).

Summary of Activities:

SPARC was initiated in Summer 2021 and continued in its second iteration in Summer 2022. We plan to offer SPARC again in Summer 2023, though we plan to provide distinct sessions only for returning students, and for new students, we will integrate activities intentionally with other summer programming at the College in a more integrative way in collaboration with Student Affairs, Student Success, and Enrollment Management/Grizzly Orientation.

Activity Status:

Refining/Maintaining

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluation Plan and measures: Post-event surveys of SPARC attendees; examining return rate (Fall to Spring), average GPA, and English and MATH performance of SPARC attendees. All data disaggregated to help us identify and address any equity gaps in SPARC program effectiveness.

Baseline measure: SPARC Summer 2021 results:

Total SPARC student attendees in Summer 2021 = 180.

Survey response rate of 42%.

Average overall program satisfaction rating (5-point scale) = 4.865.

Fall 2021-Spring 2022 return rate among SPARC attendees: 90% had returned to register for Spring 2022 classes, registering for an average of almost 13 credit hours.

Average GPA (end of Fall 2021 semester): 2.84.

We will provide a Summer 2022 SPARC update (which relies on Fall 2022 data still being processed) and 2023 SPARC data as it becomes available.

Goal or targets: SPARC Summer 2022 targets:

Survey response rate of 45%

Return rate: 91% will have returned to register for Spring 2023 classes, registering for an average of 13 credit hours.

Average GPA (end of Fall 2022 semester): 2.85 (note the intention to recruit further among students who placed into corequisite learning support courses).

Progress in SPARC Summer 2022 assessment as of this Report (November 2022):

Total SPARC student attendees in Summer 2022 = 239.

Survey response rate of 41% (4% short of target, but still significant response rate for assessment).

Average overall program satisfaction rating (5-point scale) = 4.728.

Fall 2022-Spring 2023 return rate among SPARC attendees: To be determined.

We will provide a Summer 2022 SPARC update (which relies on Fall 2022 data still being processed) and 2023 SPARC data as it becomes available.

Time period/duration: June-July each Summer. Summer 2021 was the inaugural SPARC program, with Summer 2022 SPARC sessions beginning on June 23, and the final SPARC session for 2022 on July 28. SPARC sessions for new first-year students were more coordinated with corresponding Grizzly Orientation dates in Summer 2022. This level of integration will be stepped up further for Summer 2023, as we shift to the new design of SPARC to focus on returning students, with new students addressed in a more integrative way in collaboration with Student Affairs, Student Success, and Enrollment Management/Grizzly Orientation.

We will provide a Summer 2022 SPARC update (which relies on Fall 2022 data still being processed) and 2023 SPARC information as it becomes available.

Progress and Adjustments:

Summer 2021 SPARC feedback indicated strong levels of satisfaction from the attendees: About 90% of attendees responding to a post-event survey (with 42% response rate) indicated their questions were answered at SPARC; further, about 97% indicated either strong (84%) or moderate (13%) agreement with the value of the faculty-led Focus Area sessions for their own purpose and values. A similar response was observed for Summer 2022 SPARC, with approximately 96% of survey respondents indicating they valued the faculty-led breakout sessions and about 91% of survey respondents indicating their questions were answered at the closing “LIFT Off” information session.

SPARC Summer 2022 assessment:

Total SPARC student attendees in Summer 2022 = 239.

Survey response rate of 41% (4% short of target, but still significant response rate for assessment).

Average overall program satisfaction rating (5-point scale) = 4.728.

Fall 2022-Spring 2023 return rate among SPARC attendees:

70.7% of new first-year students who attended SPARC 22 returned to GGC in Spring 2023.
72.8% of continuing and transfer students who attended SPARC 22 returned to GGC in Spring 2023.

SPARC Summer 2023 update: For summer 2023, SPARC was limited to returning students. For new first-year students, their welcome was incorporated into an engaging new program called Grizzly Welcome and Grizzly Launch Day.

Total SPARC continuing student attendees in Summer 2023 = 103

Preliminary descriptives for SPARC 23 based on transactional data:

29% were juniors
29% were sophomores
21% were seniors
20% were continuing freshmen
Average Overall GPA = 3.014
81% identified as female
27% self-identified as First Gen
45% identified as Black or African American
22% identified as Hispanic
22% Identified as White
11% identified as Asian
29 different majors, from all of GGC’s academic Schools, were represented
Top majors were
- Psychology (20% of attendees)
- Health Science/Nursing (20%)
- Business (19%)

We will provide a Summer 2023 SPARC update, which relies on Fall 2023 data still being processed and upcoming Spring 2024 data, as it becomes available.

Beginning in Summer 2023, we provided SPARC for returning students only, with new student onboarding handled in a more integrative way in collaboration among Student Affairs, Student Success, and Enrollment Management/Grizzly Orientation.

Summer 2023 SPARC survey responses (22% of those registered) fell short of the target response rate. Responses indicated:

87% found the advising session helpful (agree or strongly agree)
83% had their questions answered at SPARC
Average overall satisfaction (5-pt. Scale) = 4.65 (93% satisfaction score)

Plan for the Year Ahead:

We will continue to more closely collaborate with Grizzly Orientation leadership, including by setting SPARC dates for new students in conjunction with GO dates. Also, in response to student feedback from SPARC 2021, SPARC 2022, and SPARC 2023, we will continue to prioritize more time and activities associated with the faculty-led Meta-major sessions. As noted above, SPARC 2023 focused on returning students, with new student needs handled in a more integrative way in collaboration among Student Affairs, Student Success, and Enrollment Management/Grizzly Orientation.

Also, for Summer 2024, we aim to provide more targeted SPARC sessions for transfer students, adult learners, and students interested in the HACER (Hispanic Achievers) Learning Community, among other student groups.

Challenges and Support:

Cross-campus communication is required for SPARC implementation to be successful and for the program to scale up each summer. Also, while the demographic makeup of SPARC attendees in all three Summers has largely reflected the diversity of the campus, we were able to see more students in SPARC 2022 who had a learning support requirement, were first generation, and in other ways better represented the overall student population. This representation was more challenging in Summer 2023, noting the shift in the program design mentioned above.

One goal that will require additional support in Summer 2024 is to increase our reach with transfer-in students and adult learners. USG efforts to address the needs of these students can be helpful in support of these efforts.

Primary Contact:

Justin Jernigan, Dean of Student Success

Grizzly Peer Mentoring (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

Grizzly Peer Mentoring

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Mindset

Data & Communications

Category:

Mindset

Peer and Supplemental Instruction

Strategy/Project Description:

Online Advising and Mentoring Tools: Grizzly Peer Mentoring (Grizzly Mentor Collective) and EAB Navigate

The Grizzly Peer Mentoring (Grizzly Mentor Collective) program links new students one-on-one with a peer mentor who has experienced many of the same challenges and gone on to succeed. GGC students who sign up for the program are paired with a peer invested in their success who can help by listening, inspiring, and helping to navigate challenges and recognize opportunities. Participants learn what to expect in school, how to approach challenges, gain career advice and valuable insights, while mentors build their networks and develop skills to become better professionals and leaders.

For more information - Grizzly Mentor Collective: https://www.ggc.edu/student-success/grizzly-mentor-collective/

GGC launched Navigate in Spring 2022. The tools that Navigate provides (e.g., early alerts, mentoring notes, tracking success) build on the GradesFirst application, which was used by GGC’s Student Success Advising Center for the previous few years.

Summary of Activities:

For Grizzly Mentor Collective: During the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,559 new freshmen and transfer students were matched with 351 upper-level students. During the 2021-2022 academic year, 1774 mentees were matched with 334 upper-level students and alumni. As of Fall 2022, 774 mentees are matched with 204 mentors.

Student satisfaction with the program averaged 6 out of a 7-point scale. As an additional marker of success, of the 774 mentees in Fall 2022, 272 were confirmed continuing students, and their average overall GPA was 3.059 as of mid-semester. Note that of the 492 confirmed first-year students being mentored, the vast majority do not yet have an overall GPA at the college as of this report.

EAB Navigate: As of October 31, 2022, 225 faculty and staff made 10,328 appointments for 5,193 distinct students. Progress report campaigns were sent to Momentum Learning Community faculty during the third and seventh weeks of the fall semester. 840 reports were submitted. Students identified in the reports were contacted by student success advisors and faculty mentors to discuss strategies to get back on track. In Fall 2022, the Academic Enhancement Center (tutoring and Supplemental Instruction) staff also trained on and implemented Navigate for scheduling tutoring appointments and providing meeting notes.

Activity Status:

Refining/Maintaining

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Goal or targets: Grizzly Mentor collective: The goal for the 2022-2023 academic year was 1000 matches.

The 22-23 AY was used to provide baseline engagement data with the plan to set targets moving forward.

Time period/duration: Grizzly Mentor Collective was in its third year of implementation during the 22-23 AY. The platform has been discontinued during the 23-24 AY, as the program is shifting to use Campus Groups/Connections module, which is linked with the College’s Student Involvement platform.

EAB Navigate was launched in February 2022. Fall 2022 started the first full academic year of implementation.

Progress and Adjustments:

For the 22-23 AY, 831 mentees were matched with 208 upper-level mentors. 3039 conversations and 12,496 peer-to-peer text messages were logged through the platform. Mentors submitted 191 flags that were addressed by a Senior advisor. Mentees reported an average sense of belonging score of 3.8/5 and an average academic self-efficacy score of 4.15/5. Mentors reported an average sense of belonging score of 4.46/5 and an average academic self-efficacy score of 4.7/5.

We met 83% of our matching goal. While there is a demand for mentoring, recruiting and getting enough potential mentors to complete the onboarding process continues to be a challenge. Providing meaningful incentives for mentors and establishing a more targeted program would improve these efforts.

EAB Navigate: During the 22-23 academic year, 291 faculty and staff scheduled 26,536 appointments for 8,550 distinct students. Faculty and staff sent 150,836 messages including 114,017 emails and Progress report campaigns were sent to Momentum Learning Community faculty during the third and seventh weeks of the fall semester. The fall 22 progress report campaigns for momentum learning communities generated 1,282 reports. 70% of the students reported during the week 3 campaign earned a grade of A, B, or C and 67% of the students reported during the mid-term campaign earned a grade of A, B, or C.

Peer mentoring: As of Fall 2023, GGC is transitioning peer mentoring efforts to the Campus Groups platform. The peer mentoring program is now G.P.S., Grizzly Peers for Success. Fall 2023 is being used to build out the program in the platform and recruit mentees and mentors. SSAC staff are working with campus partners to use retention and progression data to identify potential student populations for targeted peer mentoring and early alert efforts. Spring 2024 will see the expansion of Peer Mentoring (GPS) using the new Campus Connections module in Campus Groups.

Advising Management System: Although use of the Navigate platform after the 23-24 AY is uncertain, we will continue to work to increase faculty and staff use of and proficiency with the advising management platform.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

Peer Mentoring: The new platform requires more manual input for recruitment, matching, tracking, assessment, and reporting. This will decrease the number of students who participate in the program as the program will require more time from those who run the program.

Navigate: Uncertainty about further use of the platform at GGC has resulted in some reluctance by faculty and staff to use the platform. This might also impact the usage of a new platform. Faculty are not required to use the advising management platform and may be hesitant to use a new platform if they do not believe it will be in place long term.

Additionally, if the college decides to transition to a different platform in the future, efforts could be interrupted or delayed while the new system is implemented.

Primary Contact:

Karen Jackson, Associate Dean for Advising Programs, Student Success

First-Year Seminar (FYS): GGC 1000 (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

First-Year Seminar (FYS): GGC 1000

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Pathways

Mindset

Category:

First Year Experience

Mindset

Pathways

Strategy/Project Description:

The First-Year Seminar (FYS), GGC 1000, is a 1-credit course that aims to support and increase the academic and personal success of GGC’s first-year students. This class covers subjects such as campus resources, study skills, time management, growth mindset, and major and career exploration. For students with 30 or fewer credits, it counts towards degree requirements and can substitute for one physical education activity course.

Summary of Activities:

The First-Year Seminar, GGC 1000, has been offered in its current form at GGC since 2017. It has been piloted and run successfully, with further developments in design, support, and assessment each year. The main challenge now is scaling the seminar to serve as many eligible first-year students as possible.

Activity Status:

Refining/Maintaining

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluation Plan and measures: Post-course surveys of GGC 1000 students; evaluating student assignment artifacts for learning outcome achievement; examining pass rates and one-year retention rates. All data disaggregated to help us identify and address any equity gaps in GGC 1000 course effectiveness.

Baseline measure: Students who remain actively engaged in their section of the First-Year Seminar, GGC 1000, in Fall 2020 and Fall 2021 had 1-year retention rates of 52.1% and 77%, respectively. ABC% pass rate for FA20 was 69% and FA21 was 74%. Pass rate for FYS sections within learning communities was 80% in FA21. The 2022-2023 data update will be provided as soon as it is finalized.

Goal or targets: Fall 2022 and Fall 2023

target of 65% or better for 1-year retention rate, and ABC% pass rate of 75%.

Time period/duration: The course is one credit hour (one hour per week) and is offered during each Fall and Spring semester.

Progress and Adjustments:

Fall 2021 an OER (Open Educational Resource) textbook was created, which all sections are now using at scale.

Two committees on campus – particularly the Student Success Committee, which is a new college-wide committee reporting to the Provost, are now examining the idea of a 2-credit seminar proposal. *GGC 1000 is currently 1 cr. hr., though some challenges in the curricular placement of such a revised course.

Goal or targets: Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 targets are 65% or better for 1-year retention rate, and ABC% pass rate of 75%.

For Fall 2022 (latest complete Fall data):

Fall 2022 – Fall 2023 1-year retention rate = 69.9% (just under 70%)*

* Latest update from the GGC Institutional Research office.

ABC pass rate = 75.9% for 239 students in 13 sections in Fall 2022

For Fall 2022, 33.5% of students enrolled in the First Year Seminar (GGC 1000) course completed the Mastering Career Readiness modules provided through Career Services.

Currently (Fall 2023) students in the seminar course are completing the modules as part of a class assignment, so we anticipate robust completion rates and will update that information as it becomes available.

In Fall 2023, the FYS is embedded in 8 of the 21 learning Communities.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

The onboarding of a new First and Second Year Experience Director in September 2023 has already made a positive impact on the pace of helpful change for the FYS. The new Director has met with FYS instructors and as an experienced instructor herself, brings a range of strategies we look to implement in Spring and Fall 2024 and beyond, beginning with clearer integration of the FYS with other learning community courses with which the course is often linked.

Challenges and Support:

Scaling the seminar further will require additional monetary resources to hire/compensate a coordinator, as well as provide funding for either teaching overloads or part-time faculty hiring that would cover whatever credits full-time faculty would be using to serve the seminar program. Consideration of where a 2+ credit seminar would sit in general education programs (e.g. Area B) is also recommended towards providing effective degree pathways from year one to graduation. The new Director of the First Year and Second Year Experience is providing needed implementation support and leadership in these efforts.

Primary Contact:

Justin Jernigan, Dean of Student Success

Wendy Anderson, Director of First- and Second-Year Experience

Career Readiness (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

Career Readiness

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Mindset

Category:

Career/Major Exploration

Mindset

Strategy/Project Description:

CDAC (now referred to as Career Services) offers all students the opportunity to receive career counseling and coaching to assist them with identifying and reaching their career readiness goals. All students are provided access to the Mastering Career Readiness modules in D2L to begin taking steps towards their career and professional development through self-assessment and career exploration. In addition to the modules, students have access to explore their strengths and motivations to discover and identify their motivation to become productive and succeed in the workplace through an assessment called TruMotivate

Summary of Activities:

Students explore their career readiness through our online, self-paced Mastering Career Readiness [MCR] modules in D2L. We continue to scale this activity to students across campus. The TruMotivate assessment will be added to the current MCR modules. Through the TruMotivate experience, students are able to utilize their past success stories and use the information to realize their interests and drive in being productive in their career. We are in the piloting phase of this activity.

Activity Status:

Refining/Maintaining

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluation Plan and measures:

Satisfaction survey to our students for feedback on their career counseling and coaching appointments. At this time, we do not have an evaluation measure for MCR course. There was a plan in place was to work with the Director of Co-Curricular Assessment on an assessment. The position became vacant and has been decommissioned. In the interim, Career Services plans to create a Qualtrics survey and send to students to assess learning outcomes. This is a temporary solution until a formal assessment is created.

Baseline measure NA

Goal for coaching and counseling appointments: 100% satisfaction

Target for MCR: 40% of those completing the survey indicate that they feel much more confident in their development

Time period/duration: Ongoing

Progress and Adjustments:

During AY 2022/2023 Career Services continued to offer MCR Modules through D2L to students either on their own or through faculty collaboration within their course. Over 2100 students have completed activities in Focus 2 Career assessment, including Creation of a Clawlink account, Resume, Mock Interview, LinkedIn, Goal Setting, Employability, Career Competency and Reference Sheet.

Over 719 students participated in taking the Focus 2 Career Assessment with their top three values being Altruism/Helping Society, Income and Stability.

Changes needed to ensure success and benefits of the self-paced modules is the creation and implementation of a sustainable assessment plan.

Extensive outreach continues to promote MCR to faculty for incorporation into their courses.

In Fall 2022, 33.5% of students enrolled in the First Year Seminar (GGC 1000) course completed the Mastering Career Readiness modules.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

Continue to promote MCR with added modules, increase outreach for faculty partnerships and individual student participation and create a sustainable assessment plan.

Challenges and Support:

Lack of faculty support to incorporate MCR modules into their courses and the lack of student awareness to see how it connects to their educational and career goals.

Primary Contact:

Roslyn Brown, Director of Career Services

Student Housing Living Learning Community (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

Student Housing Living Learning Community

Momentum Area:

Purpose

Mindset

Category:

Learning Communities

Mindset

Other/Undefined

Strategy/Project Description:

Student Housing will begin the implementation of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College. LLCs are named as a high-impact practice by the American Association of Colleges & Universities, due to evidence-based benefits for students who are participants. Living Learning Communities are an engaging collaboration between Student Housing/Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, where student cohorts live together in residence. These cohorts participate in residential programming or engage in a residential curriculum co-designed by residence life/housing staff and a faculty partner(s) that complement an academic curriculum. Living Learning communities at GGC, will engage the support of faculty partners who will support student cohorts around a particular subject area or topic.

Activity Status:

Studying

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluation Plan and measures:

To be determined per the development of the initial LLC program and paired course.

Baseline measure None at this time

Goal or targets To be determined with LLC implementation

Time period/duration Initiating

Progress and Adjustments:

In AY22, Georgia Gwinnett College submitted, and was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Education in support of two Living Learning Communities, with a curricular and co-curricular focus on Health Sciences and Information Technology. These additional funds will assist with the full implementation of this initiative.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

In Fall 2023, GGC established two Living-Learning Communities: one in ITEC and one in Health Sciences, each of which has a residential requirement, and each of which is linked to a GGC course in a relevant discipline, based on the ITEC and Health Sciences program maps. Fall 2023 (current) enrollments are detailed below:

For IT: MATH 2300 (Discrete Math) enrolls 13 students

For Health Sci: BIOL 2451K (Anatomy & Physiology I) enrolls 23 students

Total of 36 participating students in these two LLCs.

Outside-class activities have included a group field trip to Washington, D.C. and several on-campus opportunities to demonstrate projects, meet with guest speakers, and more. The project PI and co-PI are faculty in Science and Technology (IT) and Health Sciences. The Associate Director of Housing is also actively involved with implementation of the project.

Currently, there are regular meetings with academic affairs constituents to plan and execute decisions to address the LLC’s needs.

Challenges and Support:

The greatest challenges that may affect the progression of LLCs, are the intersections of a viable candidate pool and timeliness of completing necessary institutional processes.

Primary Contact:

Matthew Robison, Associate Provost for Student Affairs

Director of Student Housing

BeWell Workshop Series (Georgia Gwinnett College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name:

BeWell Workshop Series

Momentum Area:

Mindset

Category:

Mindset

Strategy/Project Description:

Virtual workshops that cultivate interpersonal and emotional awareness. Students are referred from CAPS to participate in the BeWell workshop series.

Activity Status:

Piloting

Evaluation/Assessment plan:

Evaluation Plan and measures:

Healthy Minds Survey overall psychological wellbeing

Baseline measure Healthy Minds Study from JED Campus reported 38% of GGC students indicated that they were flourishing, while 61% of GGC students did not.

Goal or targets 10% increase in the psychological wellbeing score for GGC students

Time period/duration Initiating

Progress and Adjustments:

For Fall 2023 CAPS continued to offer a workshop series that focused on Time Management, Self-Care, and Relationship IQ. The adjusted time appeared to work for students as evident by consistent attendance. We adjusted our marketing strategy by only utilizing the student listserv.

Plan for the Year Ahead:

For the spring semester 2024 we will continue with our current topics and increase the workshops to occur on a weekly basis.

Challenges and Support:

With the increase in demand for mental health services, we will need to consistently assess efficiency and effectiveness.

Primary Contact:

Alesha Harris, Director of CAPS

Campus Plans Supplemental Sections

AASCU’s Student Success Equity Intensive (SSEI) Cohort 3

As of August 2023, Georgia Gwinnett College has been accepted as a member of the third cohort of the Student Success Equity Intensive (SSEI) facilitated by AASCU.

In connection with our involvement in the cohort, GGC is currently administering the ITA (Institutional Transformation Assessment) survey across campus to stakeholders to provide insight into our students’ sense of inclusion and belonging, as well as on opportunities for our campus to improve in the core areas addressed by the Intensive.

Observations and Next Steps

Expansion and restructuring of the Student Success Committee (SSC)

The Student Success Committee (SSC) is a new college-wide committee reporting to the Provost. The committee is chaired by the Dean of Student Success and includes broad representation from faculty and staff, both in Academic and Student Affairs and from other areas of campus. Members include representatives of the faculty, Provost’s office, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, New Student Connections/Orientation, Advising and Mentoring, Academic Enhancement Center/tutoring and PSI, and more.

The group addresses matters affecting students’ belonging, retention, progression, and completion, with an eye toward addressing the needs of focused student populations who may need more intentional support in order to succeed. As a college-wide committee, the SSC meets monthly as a large group, in addition to working group meetings between the large group meetings.

SSC Working Groups: The Student Success Committee includes several working groups that meet on an ongoing basis between committee meetings. Currently, those working groups include:

RPG Data and Drivers
Focused Student Populations
Seminar Courses: GGC 1000 and GGC 2000
Learning Communities
Learning Support
Advising and Mentoring

Learning Communities scaling for all students by Meta-major

As noted above, Learning Communities will be scaled so that they are available to all new, full-time, first-year students who wish to enroll in them, with target implementation beginning in Fall 2024. It is anticipated that we will need to have 130 learning community “triads” (sets of 3 linked courses) created around the 7 Meta-majors (below) and promoted by March-April 2024 to meet this target.

The 7 Meta-majors are:

BUSI (Business)
EDUC (Education)
HEPR (Health Professions)
ITEC (Information Technology)
HUAR (Humanities & Arts)
SOSC (Social Sciences)
STEM (Science, Technology, Math)

Based on prior experience with learning community implementation, we expect that regular, robust communication across the academic departments/Chairs, Enrollment Management, Student Success, and others will be critical to setting our students up for success in these learning communities. In addition, we plan to work with the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) on campus to ensure we provide opportunities for faculty to become versed in integrative learning principles.

First-Year Seminar Curriculum Change Proposal

In keeping with the college’s Strategic Plan, the First Year Seminar (GGC 1000) course is being reimagined as a possible 2-credit course that will equip our first-year students to demonstrate the ability to think critically and solve problems related to academic priorities at GGC.

The Student Success Committee working group on seminar courses is focused on this effort and will continue to meet with other stakeholders (College Curriculum Committee representatives, faculty, ASA leadership, and others) to advance this effort in 2024.

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