Skip to content Skip to navigation

Dalton State College Campus Plan Update 2022

Campus Plan Update (PDF version)

Section 1:  Your Institutional Mission & Student Body Profile

Dalton State College provides a diverse student population with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to attain affordable baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees and certificates and to reach their personal and professional goals. Through challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences, the College promotes lifelong learning, active leadership and positive contributions in Northwest Georgia and beyond.

In pursuit of that goal, Dalton State offers targeted four-year and two-year degrees and career certificate programs, along with a wide variety of activities that engage students in local community businesses and industries. Each of the College’s four schools (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Health Professions) forges important partnerships to inspire students to be active members within their professions and communities.

As of Fall 2021, Dalton State’s student body was 61.9% (2,808) female and 38.1% (1,727) male, with 59.6% (2,705) enrolling full-time. Nearly half (48.8%; 2,258) were first-generation college students, 8.2% (370) were under 18, 75.3% (3,417) were aged 18 to 24, and 16.5% (748) were over 25. The percentage of single parents was 0.1% (4), 1.1% (50) were in or are veterans of military service, 2.3% (103) were student athletes, and 6.2% (280) were ESL students.

Dalton State had 49.7% (2,253) Pell Grant recipients. The majority of students (95.7%/4,340) were Georgia residents, while 3.0% (138) were from out of state and 1.3% (57) were from out of country. In terms of ethnicity, 55.9% (2,536) were white, 34.8% (1,578) were Hispanic, 3.4% (153) were African American, 2.1% (96) were Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.3% (61) were multiracial, 0.5% (24) were American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.1% (3) were Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 1.9% (84) did not disclose.

In Fall 2020, Dalton State’s full-time equivalent enrollment (FTE) was 4,059; in Fall 2021, that number was 3,839. In Fall 2021, first-time, full-time enrollment at Dalton State was 991 and new transfers (in all class levels) was 303, both of which are an increase from Fall 2020, when first-time, full-time enrollment was 748 and new transfers (in all class levels) was 168. While Dalton State’s 2021 FTE was down from 2020, the College’s first-time, full-time enrollment increased, which may be due to the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic state.

For Fall 2021, the number of students seeking Associates Degrees was 1,223 (27.0%). Students seeking Bachelor’s Degrees numbered 2,891 students (63.7%), whereas Career Certificate students were 45 (1.0%) and 357 (7.9%) were undeclared. Full-time enrollment stood at 2,705 (59.6%) in Fall 2021, making part-time enrollment (less than 12 credit hours) 1,830 students or 40.4%.

As Dalton State’s mission is to provide access to affordable degrees that allow graduates to reach personal and professional goals, one of the institution’s key priorities is the delivery of information to students regarding their options for continued education and career development, especially as they prepare for their post-graduation futures. Our institution offers career meet-and-greets and graduate school fairs to achieve this objective and which are detailed in Section 2 below.

Another key priority is the first-year seminar course, called Perspectives (PRSP) at Dalton State. This is the focus of Dalton State’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which is in its pilot year in 2022-2023. All AA, AS, and bachelor’s-seeking students with fewer than 30 hours entering in Fall 2022, or succeeding Spring semesters, will also be enrolled in the PRSP class and experience similar interventions, such as advising and experiential learning. This course and its objectives align with Dalton State’s mission of providing opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills, while providing challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences that will lead students to achieve their degrees and personal and professional goals. Likewise, Dalton State has a key priority of expanding supplemental instruction (SI) by increasing support to first-year math and English courses (preferably with a focus on learning support-paired courses). This will ensure students persist in these early courses and make progress towards their degrees, which will help them achieve their personal and professional goals.

Dalton State’s key priority of having a Mental Health Initiative is also tied to the institution’s mission. The Mental Health Initiative continues to hold Fresh Check Day, which aims to create a positive environment “where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health and helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally.” The Mental Health Initiative also includes QPR training, which trains students, staff, and faculty in suicide prevention. Positive mental health helps students persist and attain their baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees, and certificates at Dalton State. This initiative further helps students understand how to continue to cultivate mental health and obtain access to resources at Dalton State and beyond, which will allow them to reach personal and professional goals and to provide positive leadership to their communities.

Moreover, Dalton State’s key priority of creating a Culture of Care will assist with students persisting in their studies and achieving their degrees. This initiative seeks to imbed core values into the campus culture by providing faculty professional development that reflects the integration of caring into the classroom and across campus. Similarly, the key priority of professional development through Dalton State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) offers programing to promote student success for all students on campus and educate faculty on teaching techniques that provide inclusive, rich, and engaging classroom experiences.

In reference to peer and aspirational institutions, the demographics of Dalton State are consistent with those of an access institution with a population of students who come to college as part of a new generation of learners in their families. Dalton State’s percentage of first-generation students is 48.8, while the percentages of the College’s peer and aspirant institutions is often over 30.0% (for example, Georgia Gwinnett College and Missouri Southern University have percentages over 30.0%; the University of Arkansas—Fort Smith, Rogers State University, and Lewis-Clark State College are all 50% or greater). Dalton State students often work full- or part-time to contribute to their households and to cover tuition, fees, and textbooks. They often “stop out” due to the stresses of balancing academic and family life, but Dalton State faculty and staff are committed to their success, and the College is focusing on its Quality Enhancement Plan for its SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation on the first-year experience.

Section 2: Your Student Success Inventory

Dalton State has six priority projects or programs that will comprise its 2022-2023 Momentum Plan:

  • Graduate School and Career-Related Programming
  • The Quality Enhancement Plan: Focus on the First-Year Experience
  • Expansion of Supplemental Instruction
  • The Dalton State Mental Health Initiative
  • The Culture of Care
  • Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Professional Development

 

Activity/Project Name

Graduate School and Career-Related Programming

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X    Purpose

Pathways

X    Mindset

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?)

Our graduate school and career-related programs are designed to provide students with information about their options for continued education and career development as they progress through their programs of study and prepare for their post-graduation futures.

Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.)

Graduate School Fair: This event was held in person in October of 2021 and had 68 attendees.

Grad School 101: This workshop series was held virtually in October of 2021, scheduled for the week prior to the Graduate School Fair.

Career & Professional Development hosts several career-related programming throughout the year, including an Internship Fair, three Career Fairs, Networking Events, and Career Week (a week dedicated to professional development focused on career-related topics). In Spring of 2022, the Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD) hosted 9 topics during Career Week).

In conjunction with the Library, CPD hosted the “Career Meet & Greet” event where students who were undecided about their career path could come speak with professionals from different occupations to learn more about that occupation/industry and find their right fit.  This was held in person, as part of the campus-wide Career Week series of events.

Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review)

Evaluation Plan and Measures:

We offered a survey to all attendees at the Grad School 101 workshop series, as well as the Career Meet & Greet event. The survey gave attendees the opportunity to rate the event on four measures: “This event was a good use of my time,” “I learned something I can use in the future,” “I learned something I plan to share with someone else,” and “The speaker(s) were well-prepared” on a five-point Likert scale, as well as an open-ended question soliciting comments and/or suggestions for future events.

Baseline measure:

None.

Goal or targets:

Majority favorable responses to all Likert-scale questions

Time period/duration:

Immediately following the event

Progress and Adjustments
(what has been accomplished and what changes do you feel you need to make)

Based on the success of the Career Meet & Greet event held in the spring semester, CPD and Roberts Library have collaborated with advising and included cross-campus departments to host a new event called “Career Beep and Greet,” which was held at the beginning of the fall semester. This event combined the career focus of the spring event with an earlier event called Meet the Majors, which enabled students to learn more about DSC’s academic programs and how courses of study would connect with career opportunities. It was also designed to enable departments to showcase their programs to prospective students.

CPD will also host a Fall Internship & Job Fair and Graduate School Fair during the Fall Semester to allow students the opportunity to learn about internship, career, and graduate school options.  These events are offered each fall term, along with the Library’s Graduate School 101 Sessions that discuss topics like “How to Create a Competitive Application” and “How to Finance Graduate School.”

Plan for the year ahead
(What steps will you be taking in 2022)

We will assess the events through survey feedback of all attendees and use this information to determine the best course of action for future events.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

We do not anticipate any significant challenges. We feel that we have adequate support for success at this time.

Project Lead/point of contact

Mallory Safley, Assistant Director for Career and Professional Development, and Amy Burger, Librarian

 

 

Activity/Project Name

Quality Enhancement Plan, 2022-2028

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X    Purpose
X    Pathways

Mindset

X    Change Management

Data & Communication

Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?)

Quality Enhancement Plan, 2022-2028

Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.)

The QEP was submitted to SACSCOC in August 2022, with the site visit on October 24-27. We have chosen four major student learning and success outcomes with seven measures; there are many “moving pieces” in this plan for addressing deficiencies in the success of our first-year student success. The four main outcomes and accompanying targets are as follows:

1. First-time AA, AS, and bachelor’s degree-seeking students will, by the end of their first full year of enrollment, exhibit an enhanced ability to understand an important academic issue.  Implemented in Pilot Year (2022-2023) and following years.  

Measure: Students will engage in a written or oral assignment that requires providing support of their own perspectives and understanding of alternative perspectives on an important issue related to the theme of the class.  

Target: 70% (pilot)/75% (Year 1)/80% (Year 2)/90% (Year 3 and following) of students who complete the assignment will achieve proficiency on it (75%). 

2. First-time AA, AS, and bachelor’s degree-seeking students will, by the end of their first full year of enrollment, engage in processes and resources for registering. Implemented in Year 1 of QEP (2023-2024 and following years).

Measure: Students will meet with their academic advisor for advising and registration for the following semester once in their first semester and once in their second semester.  

3. First-time AA, AS, and bachelor’s degree-seeking students will, by the end of their first full year of enrollment, engage in the processes and resources for persisting.  Implemented in Year 1 of QEP (2023-2024 and following years).

Measure: Students will express that they understand their educational plan by the end of the second semester of their first academic year and indicate so on an electronic or paper survey. 

4. First-time AA, AS, and bachelor’s degree-seeking students will, by the end of their first full year of enrollment, develop a sense of connection to the campus community.  

Measure 1: Students will participate in an experiential learning event (or one of their own choosing) designed for first-year students in the second semester. Implemented in Year 2 of QEP (2024-2025 and following years).

Measure 2: Students will indicate involvement in seven engagement activities as defined on the first-year student checklist.    

Measure 3: Students will indicate level of connectedness to campus through pre- and post-surveys in Perspective classes. 

Measure 4: Students will participate in a Convocation during the first week of the semester and/or a year-end celebration of the first year. 

All AA, AS, and bachelor’s-seeking students with fewer than 30 hours entering in Fall 2022, or succeeding Spring semesters, will also be enrolled in the PRSP class and experience similar interventions, such as advising and experiential learning.

Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review)

Evaluation Plan and Measures:

The focus of the QEP in its pilot year, 2022-23, is the first-year seminar course, titled Perspectives at Dalton State. The pilot year of the QEP coincides with the upcoming Momentum Year phase. One problem with the Perspectives course has been inconsistency in the way it has been taught and assessed. The QEP Planning Committee will ensure in the first year that all students engage in at least one written or oral assignment that involves critical thinking about their own perspective, consideration of alternative perspectives, engagement with published sources, and engagement with the course theme. A standardized rubric will be used for assessment. The course will also include other assignments related to the course theme, academic skills, and engagement with campus resources and activities.

Baseline measure. In Fall 2021, 563 students enrolled in Perspectives classes. Of those, 416 were successful (earned C or better, although a D is considered a passing grade). That means 147, or 26%, were not. Although the QEP does not have a specific measure for grades in Perspectives, we would expect to see improvement and fewer unsuccessful students in the course. Of those 147, 72, or almost half, did not return for the spring semester. Fifty-three of those who earned C or better did not return in the spring, or 12.74%, and 123, or 83.7%, of the unsuccessful students earned a GPA of 1.99 or lower, with only 24 earning 2.0 or better. Although correlation does not necessarily equal causation, there is a correlation between success in the Perspectives courses and student retention and progression.  

Goal or targets: 80% of Perspectives students will earn a C or better.

Time period/duration: Fall-Spring 2022-23

Progress and Adjustments
(what has been accomplished and what changes do you feel you need to make)

The QEP Planning Committee was technically still active through the on-site SACSCOC visit in October. However, most of the duties related to the QEP transitioned to the QEP Implementation Committee, known as the PACE Team. The PACE Team has certain personnel in leadership, consisting of a director, an associate director, and two faculty fellows. The two faculty fellows provide professional development for instructors teaching Perspectives courses, which is the first-year seminar at Dalton State. Additional members of leadership are personnel who lead two subcommittees: one on advising, and another on campus resources and engagement. Other members who serve on the committee are faculty and staff from across campus.

The primary efforts that have been involved leading up to our SACSCOC visit had consisted of educating our community about the new QEP. Branded as PACE, we spoke to the Student Government Association, the Faculty Senate, the Staff Council, the Administrative Cabinet, and the entire faculty and staff about the QEP. Furthermore, we spoke to incoming students and their guests at orientation sessions about PACE. A promotional video about the Program was developed and has been shown to various groups across campus.

The Marketing and Publicity subcommittees and the PACE Team have distributed PACE t-shirts to virtually all incoming freshman and hosted a faculty/staff brunch in August and held a student kickoff in October.

There are over 1000 students in Perspectives courses taught by 26 faculty in 48 sections. Faculty have had to adjust expectations and approaches for the course due to student expectations, or lack of them, and preparedness.  We are learning a great deal about what it means to have a freshman class fully engaged in the first-year seminar course based on faculty-driven themes rather than a standardized curriculum. 

One significant change in the operation of the Perspectives course overall is the Faculty Learning Community, led by Faculty Fellows Gregory Smith of the School of Education, and Barbara Tucker, Department of Communication, Performing Arts, and Foreign Language. The agenda is to meet six times Fall Semester and then into the spring, with the members mentoring and developing the next group of “recruits” to teach the course; also, the FLC’s deliverable is training that expands what we learned from this experience to faculty of all first-year courses. 

In light of the SACSCOC visiting team’s site visit and report in October 2022, the PACE Team and other related personnel will be addressing concerns over the number of outcomes listed above and their impact toward the overall goal of retention as a product of engagement and the first-year seminar course.  This will be on ongoing effort over the next two months as we prepare our response to their recommendations.  However, it is unlikely to change the work of this Momentum Approach Cycle with its focus on the Perspectives course. 

Plan for the year ahead
(What steps will you be taking in 2022)

After the on-site visit, the PACE Team will provide any necessary modifications to the QEP. We will discuss the qualitative data collected in the Perspectives course, as well as the qualitative data collected as a result of the faculty learning community, to determine what sort of substantive changes and interventions should be implemented in the course for 2023-2024. Each of the subcommittees and members of leadership will continue to explore how to conduct interventions so that our students will be optimally connected to all that Dalton State has to offer.

 

Three or four areas will be assessed this year regarding the Perspectives course:

  1. Student sense of community/belonging through the pre- and post-survey.
  2. Assessment of a critical thinking project using a standard rubric.
  3. Possibly, data from the Stanford University Mindset module.
  4. Grades, especially DWFI rates.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

 Working together on a broad, campus-wide project certainly has its share of challenges. One challenge will be maintaining focus on the interests of our students in all of the actions that are taken by our team. There are certain existing programs that could inform some of what we are trying to do at Dalton State, such as the Journey Program at Georgia College and State University.

The on-Site SACSCOC Team did not have a specific concern about the Perspectives class. However, since the Site Team’s concerns about DSC’s QEP and Compliance Report largely had to do with assessment, support from the system to provide more in-depth development on this subject is needed. 

Project Lead/point of contact

Dr. Barbara Tucker, Chair of the Department of Communication, Performing Arts, and Foreign Languages and Chair of the QEP Planning Committee.
Dr. Forrest Blackbourn, Director of the QEP (beginning Summer 2022)

 

 

Activity/Project Name

Increased use of Supplemental Instruction in first-year English and math courses to promote student success

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

Purpose

X     Pathways

X     Mindset

X     Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?)

National data show that students who regularly attend and engage in SI sessions throughout the semester can earn on average a half to a full letter grade higher than those who do not. SI will continue to provide an academic support model that seeks to increase student success within the pivotal first-year courses of math and English. For Fall 2021, SI attendees averaged a mean final grade of 3.03, and non-SI attendees averaged a mean final grade of 2.80, resulting in a 0.23 difference between those who attended SI and those who did not.

In Fall 2021, learning support and their degree required counterparts had the following average DFW rates: ENGL 0999 (60.18%), MATH 0998 (40.75%), ENGL 1101 (35.43%), and MATH 1101 (43.36%).  Therefore, the  SI program should focus on targeting learning support classes and incorporating an SI Leader in the above courses.

Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.)

Currently, the project is in the scaling (growth) stage. For Spring 2022, there were two SI-paired courses that meet the activity goal focusing on first-year English and math. 

While data demonstrate favorable results, the goal is to increase the SI presence in additional English and math courses, especially those paired with learning support.

Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review)

Evaluation Plan:

  • Bi-weekly meetings with the Supplemental Instruction Specialist and Assistant Director for Peer Education will be conducted to discuss goal/target progress and implement adjustments as needed.
  • Process Measures:
    • Number of SI Leaders supporting first-year English and math courses.
    • Number of training/one-on-one coaching sessions conducted with each first-year English and Math SI Leaders regarding SI session facilitation techniques and strategies for session promotion with students.
  • Outcome Measures:
    • Number of student engagements by SI Leader inside the classroom.
    • Number of student engagements in SI sessions.
    • Grade point average for students attending SI sessions compared with those who do not attend.

Baseline measure:

  • Spring 2022: There is one first-year math and one first-year English SI-paired course. Neither contains learning support.
  • Fall 2021: Training consisted of 1.5 days pre-semester with follow-up throughout the semester.
  • Number of student engagements by SI Leader inside the classroom (duplicated): 780.
  • In Fall 2021 an average of 21% of students enrolled in SI-supported courses attended at least one SI session, and the average GPA for SI attendees was 0.23 higher than those who did not attend SI.

Goal or targets:

  • Increase the number of SI Leaders supporting first-year math and English courses (preferably with a focus on learning support-paired courses) by 100%.
  • Training: Fall 2022-1.5 days of pre-semester training. Plan and implement monthly SI trainings that address facilitation techniques, attendance improvement strategies, and session planning topics.
  • Number of student engagements (duplicated) by SI Leader inside classroom: 1,170.
  • Number of student engagements in SI sessions (per SI-supported course): 25% of enrolled students attend at least 1 or more SI sessions throughout the semester (Level 2 on the International Center for SI accreditation standards).
  • Average GPA for SI attendees 0.25 higher than non-SI for SI-paired sections.

Time period/duration: Fall 2022 & Spring 2023

Progress and Adjustments
(what has been accomplished and what changes do you feel you need to make)
  • Accomplishment: Effectiveness data (noted above).
  • Accomplishment: Spring 2022 - 30% of students enrolled in SI-paired courses attended at least one or more SI sessions. The average course GPA difference between SI and non-SI attendees was 0.51. 
  • Accomplishment: Meeting with accredited SI programs and the International Center for Supplemental Instruction to discuss continuous improvement and growth.
  • Accomplishment: Implementation of SI-specific monthly trainings that address topics/concerns throughout the semester.
  • Accomplishment: Implementation of a robust observation schedule, which is in line with the International Center for Supplemental Instruction (ICSI) accreditation process.  Observations allow real-time feedback and suggestions.
  • Accomplishment: SI & Programs Specialist attended the ICSI International Conference in June and expanded the network of fellow SI programs with which to share ideas and collaborate on trainings, regional conferences, etc.
  • Accomplishment: Presenting at various faculty meetings to discuss SI and increase faculty awareness, engagement, and request feedback.
  • Needed change: Implementing suggestions/processes from SI-accredited bodies, which includes analyzing attendance data and evaluating session trends weekly rather than at midterms and finals. Continuous data assessment allows for more timely interventions.
  • Needed change: Adjusting faculty recommendation process based on faculty feedback. 

Plan for the year ahead
(What steps will you be taking in 2022)
  • Continue to increase faculty SI awareness (e.g., Bold Talks presentation, redesigned informational documents).
  • Seek suggestions from faculty, department chairs, and other stakeholders about how best to generate faculty recommendations for SI Leaders. Currently, the SI specialist sends faculty-wide emails containing an overview of SI and a link to the referral form. There is also a link to the referral form on the Peer Education website. 
  • For Spring 2023 - train seasoned SI Leaders to conduct observations on behalf of the SI Specialist.  Part of the ICSI accreditation process expects a small number of peer observations.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

Challenges

  • SI Leader recruitment. This parallels with the former challenge but also directly relates to departmental initiatives in recruitment. We believe students are less likely to apply for an SI Leader position because they are not fully aware of what it encompasses, whereas students generally understand what it means to be a tutor.
  • Maintaining observation schedule. There is only one professional staff who oversees SI along with overseeing other programs as well as other institutional duties.

Needs/Support

  • Working with other SI programs within the USG to gain insight/suggestions for SI Leader recruitment and faculty collaboration efforts.

Project Lead/point of contact

Brooklyn Herrera, Assistant Director for Peer Education

Cameron Godfrey, Supplemental Instruction & Programs Specialist

 

Activity/Project Name

Dalton State Mental Health Initiative

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

Purpose

Pathways

X     Mindset

X     Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?)
  1. Fresh Check Day is the signature program of the Jordan Porco Foundation. It is a positive, “uplifting mental health promotion and suicide prevention event for colleges that includes interactive expo booths, peer-to-peer messaging, support of multiple campus departments and groups, and entertainment.” Fresh Check Day aims to create a positive environment “where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health and helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally.”
  2. QPR Training: In order to address the mental health issues arising from COVID-19, the goal is to train faculty, staff, and students in suicide prevention. The goal includes training those who are bilingual or multilingual to better assist students whose first language is not spoken by our English-only speaking counseling staff.
  3. Kognito Simulation Program: Kognito is “a suite of products to educate faculty, staff, and students about mental health and suicide prevention which supports improved academic performance, student, retention, and campus safety.” Access to Kognito provides Dalton State students with interactive modules that teach positive coping skills, the ability to recognize indicators of distress, and ways to take action to find additional support services. Because this product is scenario based, students can participate from their homes with added privacy. Kognito also provides students with skills to recognize signs of distress in their peers which could be reported via the confidential CARE Team reporting page or to a Resident Assistant or professor. 
  4. Formation of a JED Campus Strategic Planning Subcommittee: This committee will support the mental health needs of students. JED (the Jed Foundation) provides a comprehensive public health approach in promoting emotional well-being and preventing suicide and serious substance abuse. The campus subcommittee will determine which parts of the JED strategic plan are practical for Dalton State and its students, research programs and policies that the College already has in place, and help develop ideas for implementing new ones.

Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.)
  • Fresh Check Day occurred in Fall 2021 and again in April 2022.
  • Faculty and staff have completed all QPR learning programs and are facilitating training programs on campus for students and staff.
  • The Kognito Simulation Program is available to students and is being marketed across campus.
  • The JED Campus Strategic Planning subcommittee is currently being formed and will include quarterly meetings over the next four years.

Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review)

Evaluation Plan and Measures:

  • Satisfaction surveys will be developed and sent to students who attended Fresh Check Day programming. Attendance verification methods for programs on campus are already in place with no further technology or funds needed.
  • Survey methods are in place to assess the QPR program; however, additional questions related to the impact of the pandemic and benefits of programs on campus will be added.
  • Weekly utilization of the Kognito program will be monitored via app analytics.
  • Once the JED subcommittee begins meeting and determining which projects will be put in place, an evaluation plan and measures will be determined.

Baseline measure:

  • Fresh Check: There have not been any programs like this on campus in the past.
  • QPR Training: The counseling staff has facilitated one program a month.
  • Kognito Simulation Program: No programming has previously been available.

Goal or targets:

  • Fresh Check: Increase awareness of on campus resources and crisis numbers.
  • QPR: Increase training participants by 25% each year.
  • Kognito Simulation Program: Increase student awareness of mental health red flags and ways to talk with peers.
  • JED: To be determined.

Time period/duration:

  • Fresh Check: Completed by 2022.
  • QPR: Training is being provided monthly and will continue for a period of three years until renewal is needed.
  • Kognito Simulation Program: Ends June 2022 unless renewed.
  • JED Campus Strategic Planning Subcommittee: four years.

Progress and Adjustments
(what has been accomplished and what changes do you feel you need to make)
  • Fresh Check Day was hosted in the fall and spring semesters. It will be hosted one in Spring 2023.
  • Monthly QPR programs have been facilitated since August 2021. Six additional trainees have completed training and are hosting additional QPR programs across campus.
  • Kognito Simulation Program was used until June 2022 and has since been discontinued.
  • The JED subcommittee met in May 2022 to identify specific individuals to help and programs already in place that can support the strategic plan.

Plan for the year ahead
(What steps will you be taking in 2022)
  • Based on budget funding, Fresh Check Day will be hosted one time for the FY23.
  • QPR programs will continue to be facilitated with a focus on classrooms and other student groups at this time.
  • The JED Campus Strategic Planning subcommittee will meet quarterly to determine which parts of the JED strategic plan are practical for Dalton State and its students, research programs and policies that the College already has in place and help develop ideas for implementing new ones.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?
  • Future Fresh Check Days will be affected by availability of funding, availability of committee members to support development of programming. Additional funding for new booths and booth materials will be needed.
  • Renewal for QPR is needed every 3 years, which will be an additional cost to DSC, so funds will be needed for this expense.
  • Because of financial constraints, the Kognito service was be terminated in June 2022 as further funding was not available.

Project Lead/point of contact

Jenny L. Guy, LPC, Associate Director of Counseling

 

Activity/Project Name

Culture of Care

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

Purpose

Pathways

X     Mindset

X     Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?)

Imbed core values into the campus culture by providing professional development that reflects the integration of caring into the classroom and across campus. Included will also be the revitalization of the first-generation celebration and support activities.

Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.)

Piloting

Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review)

Evaluation Plan and Measures:

Utilize faculty course evaluations to reflect how students feel empathy is expressed in the classroom. Integrate empathy component in staff evaluations.

Baseline measure: This year is a pilot year.

Goal or targets: These will be established but could include faculty participation in the professional development opportunities (number of faculty) and student responses on faculty course evaluations.

Time period/duration: Ongoing.

Progress and Adjustments
(what has been accomplished and what changes do you feel you need to make)

The Faculty Care Handout was completed and distributed during Fall 2022 Campus Assembly and at weekly Student Success Symposiums with each department. Electronic versions were also emailed across campus. The one-page flyer outlines interventions for academic and non-academic issues. The Fall Professional Development Day presentation focused on student success from the customer service perspective shared in the book, The Fred Factor.

 

Plan for the year ahead
(What steps will you be taking in 2022)

During Fall 2022 Academic Affairs is hosting weekly Student Success Symposium meetings with each department that last approximately four hours. The focus is on barriers and solutions for student success within the department. For some departments the emphasis will be in both general education and major specific areas.

Further discussion around how faculty will develop student success goals will be conducted.

Plans are being developed to host another First Generation College Student Celebration in November.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

Thus far, faculty have been very engaged in this process. Since one 4-hour workshop is not enough time to fully develop solutions to barriers, continual discussion and follow-up will be needed within the academic department.

Creating solutions within the limited budget requires creativity. Funding for small “Provost awards” would help encourage the departments to think more openly about potential solutions.

Project Lead/point of contact

Dr. Elizabeth Hutchins, Executive Director of Advising and Student Success

 

Activity/Project Name

Faculty Development: Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

Purpose

Pathways

X     Mindset

X     Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?)
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: This is a year-long cohort program for all new full-time faculty joining Dalton State regardless of any previous teaching experience. Monthly meetings focus on evidence-based teaching techniques centered on creating an inclusive and engaging classroom experience for all students. Several aspects of this program work to support the needs of first-year students including transparency in learning and teaching, holding equitable classroom discussions, classroom assessment techniques, use of teaching and learning technologies, and inclusive course design.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows Program: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant leadership team designed an Inclusive Teaching Fellows program for STEM faculty during the 2021-2022 academic year. The fellows will work to create an action plan to modify the content and delivery of introductory STEM courses to improve student success for first-year students in gateway courses.
  3. CETL Fellows Program: Faculty fellows offer programing to promote student success for all students on campus. Programs include workshops, faculty learning communities, online development opportunities, and peer observations.
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows & Faculty Development: This program is in initial planning stages and is working to reestablish a campus-wide HIPs committee to provide faculty development for collaborative learning, undergraduate research, service learning, and writing-intensive courses.

Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.)
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: This program will continue into the 2022-2023 academic year and for the foreseeable future as a commitment to helping faculty make their courses as engaging and equitable as possible.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: This year, three facilitators were trained in the inclusive STEM teaching course and to lead our faculty learning communities. Twenty-eight faculty participated this year. We are anticipating action plans to identify our barriers to inclusive STEM education and create action plans for redesigning the introductory experience for students in STEM gateway courses that can be enacted in Phase 2 of this project.
  3. CETL Fellows Program: This was a new program this year. Programming offered to faculty by the CETL Fellows and our CETL director included the following:
  • A speed-date workshop which presented strategies to engage first- year students in gateway courses.
  • Faculty learning communities and stand-alone workshops on student success.
  • Informal “Transformative Teaching Conversations” and “Pints & Pedagogy” community-building events that connected faculty  through discussions about under-prepared students in access institutions along with techniques that to engage them.
  1. The HIPs implementation fellows are working to reestablish a high-impact practices committee to offer faculty support and development and to identify HIPs Champions to serve as peer mentors.

Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review)

Evaluation Plan and Measures:

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: Engagement, Pre/Post-test, Reflections.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows:
  • Successful move into Phase 2 for additional funding.
  • Number of facilitators trained in the online course and in facilitating our learning communities.
  • Number of faculty successfully serving as Inclusive Excellence Fellows and completing the program.
  • Action plans to include best practices for inclusive education for STEM faculty teaching gateway courses, and action plans as to how to modify introductory content in all areas of STEM teaching.
  • In the longer term beyond the 2022-2023 academic year, assessment of this program will include a reduction in the DFWI rates for the gateway STEM courses that are redesigned.
  1. CETL Fellows:
  • Pre-test and post-test focused on the learning outcomes of development offerings.
  • Year-end report detailing their contributions and reflections on the outcomes for faculty.
  1. HIPs Implementation Fellows:
  • Successful creation of a group of HIPs champions to serve on an advisory committee and as mentors to faculty working to develop HIPs in their courses and programs.
  • Engagement in faculty development in HIPS.
  • Successful creation of an application process for faculty to apply to have their courses designated as HIP courses in Banner.

Baseline measure:

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: 87% participation in 2021-2022.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: 28 faculty participated.
  3. CETL Fellows: This is the pilot year with six fellows participating this year, covering the following areas: inclusive excellence, high impact practices, justice, equity, and diversity, rubrics and assessment, faculty resources, and teacher appreciation. Baseline level of faculty participation will be determined at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year.
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows: This is a planning year.

Goal or targets:

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: 95% participation.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: Number of faculty participating will increase by a minimum of 10% or 30 faculty participating in the 2022-2023 academic year.
  3. CETL Fellows: Six fellows will be selected and participate during the 2022-2023 academic year, offering different areas and types of faculty development programming. Faculty participation targets will be set once baseline data are determined.
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows: This project is still in the planning phase.

Time period/duration:

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: Ongoing with yearly evaluation.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: Ongoing with yearly evaluation for the remaining 4 years of this grant funding.
  3. CETL Fellows: Ongoing with yearly evaluation.
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows: Ongoing with yearly evaluation.

Progress and Adjustments
(what has been accomplished and what changes do you feel you need to make)
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: This 2022-2023 year there are five new faculty who are all actively engaging in our monthly sessions.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: This program originally engaged 3 project facilitators and was expanded to 8 facilitators to broaden the impact of this project on campus in collaboration with CETL. The pilot has engaged 28 faculty in the faculty development surrounding inclusive excellence. During our May symposium this group identified Peer mentoring, implementation of CURES into introductory STEM courses, continued faculty development, and dedicated majors meetings as ways to address our barriers for students in STEM gateway courses representing our action plan for the next six years. HHMI awarded us $531,600 in Sept 2022 to carry out these action plans.
  3.  CETL Fellows: Applications have been received from seven faculty for our available CETL fellowships in a variety of different areas of focus for development and are currently being reviewed. Last year, this program had six CETL faculty fellows serving this academic year in the following areas:
    • Inclusive Excellence & Student Success
    • High Impact Practices & Micro-Credentialing
    • Peer Observation Models & CETL Assessment
    • Faculty Development Resources & Leadership Development
    • Student & Faculty Engagement
    • Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows: Work is being done to determine programming, create a committee, and establish guidelines for establishing HIPs designations for individual courses in Banner.
  5. Advocation efforts to build CETL capacity to include an assistant director are in progress with an intended implementation for Spring 2023.

Plan for the year ahead
(What steps will you be taking in 2022)
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: As planned, we have moved back to a cohort-model serving exclusively new faculty in our monthly sessions. However, sessions will be recorded specifically for the purposes of more seasoned faculty review on their own timeline if desired. We are adding a session on supporting the needs of first-time full-time students for the next academic year.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: The 2021-2022 academic year was a pilot program with Phase 1 funding. This project is now in the processes of being expanded into other departments and schools as a result of the collaboration with CETL and confirmed $531,600 phase 2 IE3 funding from HHMI. The same model will be used within each of the schools to identify similar challenges to student success. The plan is to engage as many faculty as possible. 
  3. CETL Fellows: The 2021-2022 academic year was a pilot year with fellows successfully offering a variety of programming for our faculty. Assuming reasonable outcomes detailed in their final reports, the program will continue into the 2022-2023 academic year.
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows: It is not known at the time whether the USG will be continuing the HIPs implementation fellows program. This may be rolled into the CETL fellowships as an alternative. Last year The HIPs fellows worked to create a committee of HIPs champions across campus, create faculty development opportunities, and work with the Registrar’s office to create an application process for individual courses to be designated in Banner as high-impact educational experiences.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: The small number of new faculty hired meant our cohort is small with only five new faculty this academic year.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: We successfully received phase 2 funding, so this anticipated challenge is no longer applicable.
  3. CETL Fellows: Continued interest in participation as fellows and faculty participation in programming are potential challenges.
  4. HIPs Implementation Fellows: The continuation of this project is still unclear at this time.

Project Lead/point of contact

Dr. Marina Smitherman, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

 

2.2   Your Big Idea

Dalton State’s Big Idea was we are “All in It Together – Supporting Students on Their Journey to Success.” Our idea emphasized the need for everyone on campus to work together to strengthen students’ sense of purpose and their understanding of their course work’s relevance, as well as to help students develop a growth mindset and to accept setbacks as opportunities for growth.

In the March 2022 update to our Big Idea, the team recognized that it is challenging to make the whole campus aware of Momentum and suggested that we call this work “student success” as opposed to “Momentum.” Since then, a number of actions have been taken to encourage collaboration and awareness across campus in support of “student success.” In Fall 2022, Dalton State held a Career Beep and Greet, hosted by Advising and academic departments from across campus, which provided students with the opportunity to learn about various programs and how they connect to certain careers. Our QEP Implementation Team, known as the PACE team, has also spoken about its goals and resources to the Administrative Cabinet, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, Student Government Association, as well as all faculty and staff. Awareness of supplemental instruction (SI) has also increased through presentations about this opportunity at various faculty meetings. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has several fellows who offer programming for faculty, and the Counseling Center has held monthly QPR programs. In addition, Advising created a Faculty Care Handout, which was distributed at the Fall campus assembly and has also been made available to faculty at department meetings with the provost during the Fall semester.

Taken collectively, it is clear that these units have worked diligently to support student success. Our plan is to continue with our initiatives that support students, but to also modify some in order to provide even more student support. For example, CETL plans to add a new session to the Roadrunner Faculty Academy about supporting first-time, full-time students, and Counseling will modify QPR training to focus on classrooms and student groups. We have learned that working as a unit in support of “student success” will benefit our students.

2.3   Global Momentum Work

Dalton State College’s QEP Implementation Team, known as the PACE Team, has provided the opportunity for several units on campus to be more engaged in Momentum work. PACE stands for Perspectives, Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement, and, therefore, involves faculty and staff from across campus—from those teaching the first-year seminar (Perspectives) to those aiding students through supplemental instruction to the Dean of Students Office’s activities and engagement opportunities.

Additionally, Dalton State College’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) will become even more engaged in Momentum work, as it now has its designated space in the campus library, as well as an assistant director, Aimee Cribbs, who will assist director Dr. Marina Smitherman. Dr. Smitherman is also increasing the number of books in the CETL library, sponsoring a CETL books club, and working to bring speakers to campus. In August 2022, in coordination with Academic Affairs, CETL hosted Cia Verschelden to speak to the full faculty about students’ cognitive resources. Verschelden also held a workshop about the same with students on campus.

As stated in our March update, faculty and staff engagement in student success can always be improved. To that end, the Office of Academic Affairs worked with Advising, CETL, and the Library to hold workshops, called Student Success Symposiums, for each department. The focus of these symposiums has been to identify barriers to student success, along with possible solutions. This has given each department the opportunity to be more engaged in work that supports student success. For example, the Department of English has begun an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program wherein English faculty train high-performing upper-division English majors to work side-by-side with professors in and out of the classroom. E.T.A. attend training sessions about human resources topics and best practices for teaching and grading and receive one-on-one mentoring with their professor. They also conduct mini lessons and answer students' questions in addition to grading short assignments.

Section 3: Reflecting on your Momentum Work & Minding the Gaps

Looking at your student success inventory, campus context and institutional data…

3.1    What are your strengths with respect to student success? Where are you having the greatest success and making the most progress?

Our strengths with respect to student success include the following:

  • Supplemental Instruction: For Fall 2021, SI attendees averaged a mean final grade of 3.03, and classmates not attending SI averaged a mean final grade of 2.80, resulting in a 0.23 difference.
  • Increased use of and access to tutoring and the Writing Lab. Students who used the Writing Lab had lower withdrawal rates and higher passing rates in English 1101. In Fall 2021, 75% of the students who used the Writing Lab passed ENGL 1101 compared to a 61% pass rate for those students who did not. Those who used the lab had a 4% course withdrawal rate; those who did not had a 12% withdrawal rate.
  • Increased graduation rates (especially for the Hispanic population). Our six-year bachelor’s degree graduation rate increased from 20.3% in 2010 to 34.8% in 2021, and our six-year bachelor’s degree graduation rate for Hispanic/Latino students increased from 28.2% in 2010 to 42.6% in 2021.
  • Staff and faculty committed to student success. Our faculty and staff have been actively engaged in Gateway to Completion and Momentum success efforts.

3.2    What are your priority areas for continued improvement and why? Where do you have gaps in performance among student subgroups? What are your plans for understanding and closing these gaps?

Our priority areas include retention and graduation rates for all students; the retention and graduation rates of white, black, and Hispanic males; improved student engagement; and end-of-first-year grade point averages of beginning freshmen. Our Quality Enhancement Plan and our Strategic Plan, which both focus on student success, are two ways we plan to close the gaps. The College has also received a number of grants that will help student success. They include a 4.2 million dollar U.S. Department of Education, Title III, Part F, Hispanic-Serving Institutions – Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (HSI STEM) and Articulation Grant with a stated purpose to increase the number of Hispanic and other low-income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; a 2.1 million dollar Title V grant for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which has added more tutors and software to allow for distance learning; a two-year 2.1 million-dollar Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity (IREPO) grant designed to help institutions of higher education emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic more resilient and expand educational opportunities for students; and a 1.2 million dollar National Science Foundation's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant that supports STEM majors who change to the Secondary Certification options and provides scholarships and mentors.  In addition, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant leadership team designed an Inclusive Teaching Fellows program for STEM faculty which includes a faculty learning community for Inclusive Teaching Practices in STEM. The program will be expanded to include faculty outside STEM because inclusive teaching practices are applicable to all fields.

3.3    What supports from the System Office would be most helpful in advancing your work?

It would be helpful if the state college sector’s funding formula could be revised to support their role as access institutions who take in the state’s most at-risk populations. Funding to support campus initiatives would be very helpful as would leveraging the university system’s buying power to provide access to software and programs that are too expensive for smaller institutions. Parts of last year’s plan may be discontinued simply because of associated costs (e.g., the Kognito Simulation Program and the Active Minds Speaker series).

 

 

3.4    Goal Setting

 Reviewing your recent data, what are your overall goals/targets for:

Area

Baseline (year) measure

Time period/Time from now

Goal/Target

Enrollment & Diversity
    Enrollment Overall

    Hispanic Enrollment

 

4,535

1,578

 

1 year

1 year

 

4,580

1,610

Retention & Closing Retention Gaps

   Retention: 1st Year (FT/FT/Degree-Seeking)

   1st Year Hispanic

   Retention: 2nd Year

   2nd Year Hispanic

 

63.90%

68.00%

 

49.40%

52.50%

 

2 year

2 year

 

2 year

2 year

 

66%

69%

 

51%

54%

Graduation & Closing Graduation Gaps (150% of time/100% of time)
   Graduation: 6 year (2015 cohort)

   6 year Hispanic

 

   Graduation: 4 year (2015 cohort)

   4 year Hispanic

 

 

29.70%
34.00%

 

9.90%

11.30%

 

 

2 years

2 years

 

2 years

2 years

 

 

32%

36%

 

11%

12.50%

Completion of Area A courses in the first year

In progress

(Awaiting access to the Post-Secondary Data Partnership)

 

 

Credit Intensity for full time students and closing disparities

In progress (Awaiting access to the Post-Secondary Data Partnership)

 

 

 

Section 4: Lessons from the Pandemic

4.1  What changes that you have made in your practices/programs/operations because of the Pandemic improved your effectiveness and you plan to maintain or build upon?

Programming and Services

  • The College now offers programming and services in multiple modalities (e.g., New Student Orientation, Graduate School Fairs, and Career Fairs).  While many students still prefer in-person attendance at events and appointments, we have discovered that other students prefer virtual participation or prerecorded events.  Offering multiple options allows students to select the most convenient option, and since we started offering multiple options, we have seen an increase in attendance at many events. 
  • The Office of the Dean of Students and the Department of Campus Recreation shifted their programming as a result of the pandemic, engaging students via social media outlets such as TikTok, Facebook Live, Instagram, and YouTube. Since these engagement strategies were successful to varying degrees, they will be carried forward.
  • Advising opted to use virtual advising appointments through Microsoft Teams. The virtual option will remain a choice for students when they schedule advising appointments through the Student Success and Advising Center. Virtual programming and academic coaching have also been offered. While many students prefer face-to-face appointments, the flexibility for both students and remote working personnel through virtual appointments seems to be appreciated.
  • The Writing Lab and Peer Education quickly moved tutoring and SI sessions online. Now, all tutoring and some SI sessions are available in face-to-face and virtual formats. This allows us to better serve students at our off-campus instructional location in Ellijay as well as our working and commuting students and those with family obligations that prevent them from coming to campus.
  • Peer Education developed a "Navigating the Online Environment" series for students, which focuses on technical components and study strategy differences for face-to-face and online courses.  The department has continued this series post-pandemic because of student interest.
  • The College’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has offered most of its programs virtually on Teams, but its in-person programs also offer HyFlex virtual participation. While these options potentially increase participation given the reluctance of some to be back in person following the pandemic, it does not necessarily increase engagement because on occasion participants are multi-tasking or are engaged in something other than the programming.  
  • Almost all of the forms used in Enrollment Services and Academic Affairs have been moved online.  Students do not have to come to campus, there is almost no chance of a form being lost, and in many cases processing is faster.

Meetings

  • Microsoft Teams has been used by faculty and departments for one-on-one meetings, group meetings, organizational trainings, and workshops. Hosting meetings on Teams has made it easier to schedule meeting times and has made it easier for individuals who are not on campus to participate without traveling. Many meetings can continue in an online environment. However, when in-depth discussions are important, face-to-face meetings may be more effective and conducive to broad participation.
  • The Office of the Dean of Students found the use of Microsoft Bookings extremely effective for scheduling meetings virtually or by phone. The Office is continuing to use Bookings to be easily accessible to our student population.

Teaching

  • The pandemic forced faculty to teach online, and most have learned tools they can use for online instruction. While many still prefer face-to-face instruction, the need for quality online instruction will continue, and it is important to offer training so that courses will be well-designed. While the shift to online instruction was not uniformly effective, some faculty indicate that they have increased empathy for students who may lack the emotional maturity and experience to handle trauma. Since we all now have a shared trauma, perhaps we can be more empathetic with each other.
  • Some faculty have taken successful online strategies and incorporated them in their face-to-face courses and have integrated successful face-to-face strategies into their online courses. Many faculty have continued either to record lectures or to offer a streaming option to allow students to participate if they are quarantined or unable to participate in class.
  • Many faculty found the shift to online, hybrid, and hyFlex teaching difficult, time intensive, and not particularly effective. Faculty expressed concern that course materials were sometimes not properly ADA compliant due to captions and transcripts needing revisions that would have been incredibly time-consuming if performed, that some students used the recorded lectures in lieu of attending face-to-face classes, and that the materials were completely ignored by others. A few faculty noted instances of teaching to empty rooms (physically, virtually, or both) during the 2020-2021 academic year.

 

 

4.2  How has your communication with students shifted since the Pandemic? How did that go? What did you learn?

Services

  • During the pandemic, Enrollment Services began using Teams for virtual appointments and added a chatbot for admissions and financial aid. Even after we resumed regular office hours, it was apparent many students prefer the convenience and faster response times the online options offer.  Of course, there are students who still prefer in person appointments.
  • The Student Success and Advising Center’s communication with students has shifted to include the use of Microsoft Teams. In addition to virtual appointments, outreach alerts through Teams have been added to its protocol. The Center also uses the chat feature in Teams, which provides a space to store communications such as academic plans and information on campus resources that are shared with and easily retrieved by the student.
  • As a result of the pandemic, getting students to participate in campus events has been challenging, but the Library and Career Services have increased their marketing through flyers, social media postings, and email blasts.

Faculty

  • Faculty have increased responsiveness through the use of electronic communications (email and/or GeorgiaView) and the number of times they check in on students who are not participating or who have missed classes. Some faculty have implemented the use of intelligent agents in GeorgiaView to automate the process of checking in on students that do not complete assigned work. Some have provided their cell phone numbers to increase response time. Others have noted that they respond more quickly to student communications since they may not necessarily see these students before or after class.
  • Some faculty found that their increased communication efforts had little demonstrable benefit.  If a student did not respond to the first communication, which was already a standard practice for many, they almost never responded or responded when it was too late to get back on track. Faculty have struggled with the emotional toll of adding more outreach to students than they previously implemented.
  • Other faculty noted that some students, especially fully online students, seem to appreciate the outreach. Faculty did learn that when using GeorgiaVIEW for communication, students need more information on how to find messages than they might if using regular email.
  • Faculty also communicated with students using Teams (or Zoom or Collaborate) for individual meetings and review sessions. While many students prefer face-to-face meetings in faculty offices, they will meet online because of work schedules and distance from campus.
  • When the pandemic subsides and things become more “normal,” faculty will likely continue to use multiple forms of communication including Teams, email, and GeorgiaView, and some have observed a valuable shift in communication with better empathy and compassion.

4.3   In what ways, if any, are the students you serve today different from the students you were serving before the Pandemic? What are the implications for your success work and for campus functions in general?

  • As a result of missing out on in-person instruction for one or more years in high school because of the pandemic, students have missed important social and academic experiences and often need more academic support services. It seems that our students may be less able to handle productive conflict or confrontation than before. Like all people, students’ lives have been impacted by the pandemic. Students have suffered great losses with the deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs, and loss of stability and seem to be suffering more mental health issues, such as how to cope with school and work, time management, stress, and anxiety. The College’s behavioral response team has seen a tremendous increase in student reports, and our counseling services are overtaxed. These are issues that the Culture of Care and Mental Health Initiatives of our Momentum Plan will help address, with many staff, faculty, and advisors participating in mental health first aid training, QPR training, Kognito simulations, and certification training in College Student Wellbeing, Trauma and Resilience.
  • Students seem to be less prepared for the rigor and structure of college academics. There appear to be several reasons for this. We are seeing students entering college who have missed a year or more of in-person instruction. Other institutions within the USG have lowered their requirements for entry and increased their enrollment numbers, channeling more prepared students in our area towards fellow institutions. As a result of not requiring the SAT/ACT, it has become evident in freshman courses that students need more guidance on the expectations of succeeding as college students, navigating online course work, and understanding the importance of class attendance, challenges that our Momentum, Academic Advising, and QEP work will support.
  • Underprepared students are considerably more underprepared and/or disengaged now than they were pre-pandemic, which is particularly evident in the extremely poor success rates in learning support math and learning support English. In Fall 2021, while there was a decrease in the percentage of students needing the co-curricular support classes in MATH 1111 (about 30% needing support), there was a dramatic increase in the percentage of students needing learning support for MATH 1101 (about 74% needing the co-curricular classes).  Faculty will need more professional development in working with co-curricular students in both English and Math.
  • Skill levels are different in upper-division courses as well, with some faculty noting that students in 3000-level courses are making writing errors more common with freshmen and sophomores. Critical writing abilities seem to be lagging. Students are struggling to apply theoretical concepts in writing more so than usual.
  • Students are not reading, at least not the way they need to. This is frightening, in some ways, because they cannot be educated without the ability to negotiate difficult texts. Many are unaware of how poor their reading skills really are.
  • Students are more demanding of faculty: students expect flexibility in terms of coming to class, in the mode of delivery (even in face-to-face courses), and in completing assignments and less demanding of themselves (their responsibilities and commitment to their education). While faculty respect their need for flexibility, they also believe deadlines are important, and the ability to meet them is something students will need to learn to function outside of the classroom. Figuring out how to instill that importance for students after two to three years of such great flexibility will be a challenge. Additionally, allowing faculty to make their own determinations on how to deal with some of these issues means that students have vastly different experiences. It is much harder to say “no” to a student who wants to take an in-person class entirely virtually when they say all of their other professors said “yes.” The inconsistency seems to work against student success, and it will be hard in the next few years to overcome that.
  • There appears to be an increase in student incivility towards faculty. They send rude emails and show complete disrespect and feel justified in treating professors in a rude, unprofessional manner.

4.4   What are the questions you are still working on about supporting students in the pandemic?

  • As a result of enrolling more under-prepared students than we previously had, adjustments in the way we work are necessary. One of the big issues is the need for clear ways of communicating expectations on how to be successful academically across all four schools and supporting students in how their learning behaviors needs to be adjusted to meet those expectations. Faculty also need to understand that the shift in the level of preparedness of our students means that we need to shift what we are doing in support of these students so that they are successful and that it is our job to help as many students successfully reach graduation as possible. Most of our interventions have targeted students in their first semester, but it is often the second semester and into the second year that students have the perspective on and greater need for support services as a result of being less successful than they expected. Our new QEP is going to focus on appropriate ways to address this, and CETL is going to provide faculty development in and around the types of support needed by first-year students through micro-credentials focused on Transparency in Learning and Teaching and in guiding metacognition.
  • Student mental health and how to support students as they navigate the "new normal" are common concerns.  Students should know the support structures are there for them to use and realize that anxiety and depression do not have to define them. Offering consistently high levels of service in a variety of modes can be challenging, especially when more is expected from the same number or fewer staff due to position cuts.
  • Everyone is exhausted after the past two years and unsure of how to help students who won't come to class, won't turn in assignments, and are behind skill-wise. Just as students are struggling, faculty are as well.
  • Leniency and flexibility – How much is enough when, at the end of the day, we are still an institution of higher learning? How flexible should we be with students who are struggling mentally? Should we record all sessions for students who miss class or is that just inviting students not to come to class? How do we get students caught up when their skills are lagging behind? When do we catch them up AND teach them the material for the course? We can only “meet students where they are” to a certain degree, and then they have to take two steps forward, too. While most student support services were offered virtually, getting students to use in-person and virtual support services (especially to use the services early in the semester) continues to be an area for further work.
  • Online learning led to some disengagement of students in their work in the classroom. We need to increase our focus on reengaging students in academics, attending their in-person classes regularly, and seeing advising as a relationship rather than a hurdle.
  • Colleges will feel the effects of the pandemic for the next fifteen years or more if K-12 education does not address the deficits and if higher education does not change its approach, especially to first-year students. These freshmen are not the freshmen we older folks (30 years old and up) were.