Undergraduate Student Success Initiative Subcommittee End of Year Report - July 2020

The information below serves to build upon the winter 2020 Undergraduate Student Success Initiative Steering Committee Update.

Work of the Curricular Excellence Subcommittee (CE):

  • The committee recommended the hiring of a Director for the Baccalaureate Core to provide guidance and insight, dedicated implementation responsibility and accountability (consistent maintenance, oversee periods of change, and cyclical review) as well as consistent communication, and providing institutional memory and advocacy for general education. Funding for the position was included in the Undergraduate Education FY21 budget request.
  • The committee recommended development of trainings for curricular best practices that will be housed in the Center for Teaching and Learning in partnership with Academic Programs and Assessment, Graduate School, Ecampus and other units. Funding for this training was included in the Undergraduate Education FY21 budget request.
  • The committee recommended continued support for Bac Core 2.0 Committee’s review and auditing process toward revisions; curricular scaffolding.
  • The committee recommended the university revisit/revise Oregon State’s Learning Goals for Graduates (originally approved by the Faculty Senate in 2010).

 Work of the Experiential & Research-based Learning Subcommittee (ERL):

  • Experiential and Research-based Learning must be seen as a key strategy for inclusive excellence, equalizing student success, and supporting recruitment and retention of faculty and staff of color at Oregon State University. The committee recommended that OSU adopt experiential learning as a strategic priority to advance equity, inclusion, and social justice goals as well as inclusive excellence for students, faculty, and staff.
  • OSU should center and create space for experiential learning, the community, and local contexts to be our classroom and guide for meaningful learning experiences for students as OSU navigates the contexts of COVID-19 and social justice (e.g., Black Lives Matter and the Movement for Black Lives). Investing in experiential learning at OSU is investing in student success and the highest-level commitment by OSU to Strategic Plan 4.0 goal 2 (transformative education that is accessible to all learners).

   

  • The committee recommended adoption of this definition, these values and principles, these minimum standards, and utilization of this rubric for continued improvement of experiential and research-based learning at OSU. (Experiential and Research-Based Learning Definition Framework and Rubric)
  • The committee recommended development of a URSA Excel Program - An advanced, equity-based research program for diverse students who have completed at least 90-course credits.
  • The committee recommended establishing a "Experiential Learning Transcript" to track all students and faculty participation in experiential learning opportunities. We suggest committing a .5 FTE coordinator to lead the process of developing such a transcript and be in communication with stakeholders across OSU campuses.
  • The committee recommended the creation of the Experiential Learning Council (ELC). We determined the need for an ongoing coordination structure to inform, advise, and promote experiential learning at OSU. Hence, we request:
  • Buyout FTE (.15 FTE per convener) for each of the ERBL area conveners
  • Invest in a “Chief Experiential Learning Officer” position, reporting directly to the Provost (1.0 FTE)

Work of the Faculty Student Interaction Subcommittee (FSI):

  • The FSI began the year with a consideration of the elements and potential expansion of the Faculty Student Mentoring Program (FSMP). FSMP has now advanced as Beaver Connect under the oversight of Dan Larson (VPSA) and the direct leadership of Janet Nishihara, EOP. Beaver Connect was included in the Student Affairs FY21 budget request and was funded.  Beaver Connect has hired a program director, Caitline McVay as Beaver Connect Program Coordinator. Plans are moving forward for Beaver Connect for Fall, 2020.
  • The committee recommended the creation of a Faculty-Student Engagement Training program. Development and adoption of an institutional structure and commitment of resources to guide faculty through a professional development process is needed to make clear that development is intrinsic to what it means to be a faculty member at OSU; that it is part of living out OSU’s mission and values. A comprehensive structure, resourced and embedded at the institutional level, to guide faculty through a comprehensive development process.

  

Work of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Subcommittee (FAS):

  • Recognizing financial pressures and food insecurity are significant roadblocks to OSU students and that new regulations regarding SNAP eligibility are making benefits more accessible to students. The FAS proposed funding a SNAP Coordinator position to help students access these resources. Student Affairs is considering how to address these duties with current staff.
  • Completion and Persistence Scholarships have been shown to be effective at OSU. The FAS sub-committee recommends that OSU raise additional funds to support these programs. The College of Science is now offering these scholarships, and some colleges were already. Conversations are ongoing about broadening this effort across campus.
  • The committee recommends expanding financial literacy resources on campus. The College of Business has announced the opening of CAFÉ, the Center for Advancing Financial Education.  They will provide financial literacy support, programming, counseling, and instruction to people around campus. 
  • The committee recommendations a thorough examination of the “Value of a Scholarship.” Dr. Fuentes continues his research on the impact of scholarships to OSU retention and graduation. What has become clear is that financial supports are only one component of students’ path to success.  The Provost has been briefed on this ongoing study and related conversation will continue.
  • Ongoing efforts by the committee include:
    • Pilot a return of OSU’s Diversity Achievement Scholarship
    • Considering adoption of a Reinstatement Process relative to USP aid.
    • Work is progressing toward development of consistent practices relative to the Stewardship of Donors

Work of the Transition Experience Subcommittee (TE):

The committee recommends the following and conversations with Student Affairs leadership is ongoing:

  • Broadening access to materials and websites for families where English is not the language of the home
  • Exploring de-coupling family and parent engagement from orientation programming
  • Increasing awareness of social-belonging programming
  • Surveying the transition experience of incoming first-year and transfer students
  • Convening a steering committee structure to guide development and execution of Welcome Week efforts.

2020 USSI Summit:

  • The 2020 Summit was held on March 5, 2020, and hosted more than 550 registered participants and included 93 presentations across a variety of formats and topics. A full listing of presentations and presenters, can be found here and includes hyperlinks to session slide sets if provided.
  • The 2020 Summit presented two keynote addresses:
    • Re-engaging Faculty in the Student Success Model at OSU by Dr. Dwaine Plaza, OSU Faculty Senate President and Professor of Sociology.
    • Undergraduate Student Success: Comprehensive Student Support Services by Dr. Leticia Oseguera, Associate Professor and Senior Research Associate, Department of Education Policy Studies & the Center for the Study of Higher Education, College of Education at Penn State.
  • The 2020 Summit featured two showings of the documentary, Unlikely. Three Frame Media filmmakers Jaye & Adam Fenderson’s film investigates America’s college dropout crisis and the barriers students face in their pursuit of an education and meaningful careers.