College of Coastal Georgia

Continuing to develop a first-year experience course, using high impact practices. This course will, ideally, be taken by all incoming freshmen who have not already completed their Institutional IMPACTS requirements. However, due to resource restraints, preference will be given to students who are first-time freshmen with no college credit. The course meets 3 hours per week and covers topics for academic and personal growth and wellness. Active Learning techniques will encourage students to tackle diverse perspectives and practice collaboration.

The College would like to develop a framework for how we define and evaluate student engagement in the classroom. From this framework, we will be able to evaluate professional development opportunities and pedagogical methods to increase student engagement in the classroom. This project will require interdisciplinary collaboration to first define student engagement. Once this is defined, a means to evaluate student classroom engagement will be developed.

Pull together stakeholders from across campus to synchronize a robust and coordinated first-year experience that facilitates academic, social, and institutional integration that fosters student feelings of belonging.  This translates to student success, retention, and, ultimately, completion.

The College will create a dynamic roadmap to guide students on all the steps they need to take and the information they need to learn after they are admitted to the college, to ensure a successful start of their college career at Coastal.

Research the possibilities of instituting inclusive textbook access – the idea that students would receive all digital course materials at a discounted rate, directly billed as part of their tuition. This model supports student academic success and retention efforts by ensuring every student is prepared on or before the first day of class.

An alternative presented by our textbook provider is branded as “equitable” access – the idea that students could pay a flat rate each semester for all course materials, print or digital.

A first-year experience course, using high impact practices.

The ENDEAVOR program helps students personalize, internalize, and later articulate their transformation beyond a credential. By awarding ENDEAVOR Tags that celebrate student development and engagement through courses and co-curricular activities, students become more aware of their own growth and are provided with the language to describe the skills they have gained. This language will give them an advantage when entering the workforce, as they will be able to describe their college experience in a way that resonates with employers.