Collaborating for Success: Building communities to increase success and participation within our programs

Spring 2018 Follow-up Webinar
April 20, 2018, 2-3 PM (Eastern)

During our Fall 2017 workshop we discussed the various factors that influence student willingness to major and persist in science programs. As a result of that discussion participants conducted a SWOT analysis of their programs and identified areas, programs, or resources that could be highlighted within there areas to increase participation, persistence, and success within their programs and courses. During this one hour webinar participants will discuss the changes they have made to their courses and programs as a result of the fall workshop. Although we will focus on those changes that had immediate impact on our students and programs we will also take time to discuss the changes that did not go as planned.

This Year's Focus

Growing Our Programs

Growing Our Programs: A number of authors have quantified the factors influencing student willingness to major in and persist in science programs. In order to increase participation in the sciences, community colleges must not only recruit students into existing programs but also provide necessary resources to address academic deficiencies while easing the effects of external student stressors.

Retaining our Students

Many faculty struggle with students who seemingly lack the ability to complete tasks and/or transfer knowledge gained in one setting or lecture to other topics or courses. Likewise, students often complain that faculty have too high a standard or expectations do not match what is being taught. Is it possible that both points of view are correct? If so, what can we do to improve our programs and increase success rates within our courses?

Expanding Opportunities and Preparing our Students for Transfer

Transferring to another institution can be a stressful event for community college students. Adjusting to larger class sizes, their new institution's culture and norms, and a sense of increased anonymity among peers can make the first few weeks of a new semester challenging for anyone. Add to this the fact that transfer students often must make these adjustments while also taking on more challenging and time consuming upper-level courses, and the first few weeks of a new semester can make or break a transferring major. During this workshop we will explore ways in which departments can expand educational opportunities within their program while easing the stress for transferring students.