Supporting Academic Success in 2YCs: Spring 2017 Virtual Meeting

Date: Friday, May 19th 11:00 AM-12:00 PST

Location: This will be a one-hour, virtual follow-up activity conducted using Zoom.

Conveners:
Dave Mrofka, Mt. San Antonio College
Elizabeth Nagy-Shadman, Pasadena City College
Becca Walker, Mt. San Antonio College

Registration Deadline: Please register by May 5th, 2017. There are no fees associated with this event.

Event Description

Please join us for a one-hour, virtual follow-up meeting on Friday May 19, 2017 at 11 AM (PST).

We are very excited that many of you were able to join us in December 2016 at Mt. San Antonio College for our workshop "Supporting Academic Success in the Geosciences at Two-Year Colleges (2YC) in Southern California" (see photos on this page). We are interested in continuing collaboration among 2YC geoscience faculty in the southern CA region, and those of you who attended the December workshop are the newest pioneers who can help us spread the word, promoting collaborations with other 2YCs and enhancing transfer pathways with regional 4YCUs. We hope that those of you who were unable to attend the December workshop can join us for this short virtual meeting and perhaps even join us for future face-to-face meetings.

This virtual meeting is for 2YC geoscience faculty and counselors who participated in the December 2016 workshop as well as new participants who want to join the conversation about student success at 2YCs in southern California. Discussion will focus on classroom changes that are currently being piloted in pursuit of better supporting student success at 2YCs as well as an introduction of some new strategies. We hope that everyone who participated in the December 2016 workshop can share something new that they have tried in their own classroom. There will also be a chance to discuss any challenges that you are facing in implementing the action plans that you developed at the December workshop, and to offer suggestions about the topics that you would find most useful for a Fall 2017 workshop.

Summary of your 2016 action plans and end of workshop reflections

Each of you completed an end of workshop reflection. Here is a summary of what you told us about additional work you feel needs to happen at your institution to continue the work that you started at the workshop, and what challenges you anticipate facing at your institution as you continue the works that you started at the workshop:

  • Faculty:
    • We need continued communication with counselors and to keep listening to each other. We need to be proactive to keep this going.
    • Challenge: time availability to follow up and develop material for students (joint effort counselors/faculty)
    • Most of our students have FAR to go to be able to transfer. Institution needs to recognize geology as a viable path to a transfer/career and support students by introducing more stringent math/science readiness as a basic skill requirement.
    • More interaction with colleagues even in department to implement plans.
    • Need to continue to try new techniques in class and assess them and share with colleagues.
    • Development of a geology-specific degree program. Large undertaking to expand program and obtain administrative approval.
    • I plan to create road maps for our majors to several local CSUs. Additionally, I want to create a spreadsheet that displays the transferable courses in Earth science that targets other science majors.

  • Counselors:
    • This work should be shared with Deans of Math and Science at the CC.
    • Faculty/counseling collaboration helps us team up to maximize student success.
    • Challenges may include some of the curriculum items discussed.
    • Need more promotion of careers within geoscience. Develop local connection to have student intern in field.
    • Need to ID the challenges that students face in pursuit of geoscience major.
    • Have a workshop for geosci faculty over transfer requirements.

Meeting Agenda

  • Brief overview of December 2106 workshop highlights and outcomes.
  • Hear from the Southern California Faculty Change Agent Team, Dave Mrofka, Elizabeth Nagy-Shadman, and Becca Walker, about the changes they are making in their classrooms to support student academic success.
    • What have been some challenges to implementing these changes?
    • It's still early in the process, but have there been any discernible benefits?
  • Hear about changes and challenges from YOU (workshop participants).
  • Share one thing you think would be worthy of inclusion in next year's workshop that will include 4YC geoscience faculty.
  • Continue building a regional network of 2YC geoscience faculty and others who support the SAGE 2YC project goals:
    • Support the academic success of all students;
    • Promote professional pathways of students into geoscience; and
    • Broaden participation in the geosciences.

There is no cost to participate in this follow-up activity, but registration is required. After registration, we will send you details about how to meet online.
Registration Deadline: May 5th, 2017


Preparation

Please come prepared with and consider a few minutes of sharing about one or more of the following topics:
1) Something that you have changed in a class, or are considering changing
2) What made, or will make, the change challenging
3) Any benefits you have seen or expect to see from these curricular changes
4) A topic you would like to see included in our Fall 2017 workshop.


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