Midwest First-Year Conference

KEYNOTE SPEAKER    8:45–9:45 a.m.

Keynote

Vincent Tinto, PhD, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University
APC110

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SPONSOR & POSTER SESSION SHOWCASE   9:50–10:20 a.m. APC Lobby

Defining the Military Veteran Population at NIU: Identification of Unique Traits and their Implications on Student Interventions

Brian Berchtold, Educational Program Evaluation Coordinator, Northern Illinois University

Lauren Swanson, Graduate Assistant, Office of Student Academic Success,
Northern Illinois University

Nicholas Kostalek, Graduate Assistant, Office of Student Academic Success,
Northern Illinois University

The goal of this project is to investigate how college military veterans differ from the rest of the student body, while also exploring the implications of these differences on university wide interventions (e.g., workshops). Student veterans are often facing complicated situations, especially when they are first transitioning to the college campus. According to the MAP‑Works survey conducted at NIU, veterans and the general population of students had some similarities. These similarities became more pronounced when comparing non-traditional aged college students and military veterans. However, veterans were more likely to have difficulty with test anxiety and academic self-efficacy. Also, military veterans belong to a demographic that is much more susceptible to PTSD, which can mediate a lot of health behaviors directly related to college academic success (Elliot, Gonzalez, & Larsen, 2011). Upon this review, implications to student interventions will be explored. One key area is in how to market workshops to military veterans. Another area that will be explored is how to tailor an intervention to take into account the special needs of today’s veterans. (back to top)

The ABCs of a FYE Course: Assessment Before Completion and Career Choice!

Helen Marie Hamon, Assistant Director & Participating Faculty,
Indiana University Northwest

Our Career Perspectives course, which also serves as a First-Year Experience, in the undergraduate program of the School of Business and Economics at Indiana University Northwest encompasses a unique and innovative opportunity for our students: participation in our Assessment Center. Students are placed into work-related simulations where there are assigned a managerial role that allows them to experience a day in the professional workplace. Their performance is then evaluated by business leaders, in multiple industries, throughout the country where students are provided with an individualized feedback report, noting their present level of ability in key skill areas, such as: critical thinking, delegation, ethics, and communication. One of the key concepts of the Assessment Center participation and feedback is the identification of key workplace skills needed in today’s evolving workplace that students should work on developing more fully while pursuing their degree. These skills should be developed by students before officially entering into their professional career to be better prepared to meet the demands of their future employers! (back to top)

Understanding and Advising Parenting Students

Christina Matuschka, Coordinator of the Chicago Teacher Prep Program,
Northeastern Illinois University

Jamie Riess, Director of Academic Advising, Northeastern Illinois University

In 2014, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research reported 26% (4.8 million) of college students are raising children. Parenting students typically face the same challenges as other non-traditional students (Lieberman & Vaughn, 1990). In addition, they commonly struggle with daily time constraints and access to reliable and consistent child care (Rivera, 2009; Adair, 2001; Duquaine-Watson, 2007). In a 2013 study of single mothers in post-secondary education, Cerven recommends parenting students be required to meet with an academic advisor, at least once a term, who is knowledgeable about the challenges they face. In this presentation, we will illuminate some of the common challenges faced by parenting students and discuss how to apply effective advising strategies when working with this population. (back to top)

Collaborating with Community Partners to Enhance First-Year Experience

Katie Birkey, AmeriCorps VISTA, Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning,
Northern Illinois University

Amy Stratton, AmeriCorps VISTA, Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning,
Northern Illinois University

Katlyn Luebke, Cohort Coordinator, Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, Northern Illinois University

NIU’s Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning (OSEEL) has formed partnerships with organizations in the DeKalb community to help strengthen Huskie Service Scholars, a first-year, first-semester service program. With the completion of 300 hours of community service in one academic year, first-year and transfer students receive tuition waivers. In an effort to create sustainable, accessible community service opportunities on campus, one of the more notable partnerships OSEEL created was with the non-profit organization DeKalb County Community Gardens. This partnership resulted in two community gardens on campus. One dedicated solely to Huskie Service Scholars, where more engagement and directed service takes place and the other garden on campus is open to all students, with a large emphasis on first-year orientation recruitment and a focus on connecting first-year students to local, sustainable food production within the DeKalb Community. (back to top)

Supporting Undergraduate Students Through the Implementation and Execution of an Undergraduate Research Conference

Lauren Anglin, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, Northern Illinois University

Rachel Lapidus, Undergraduate Program Assistant, Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, Northern Illinois University

Bridgett Phelan, Graduate Assistant, Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, Northern Illinois University

This poster is designed to inform administrators and campus units about the logistical process of implementing an undergraduate research conference and the benefits to participating students. Northern Illinois University annually hosts Undergraduate Research & Artistry Day, an undergraduate research conference which allows any undergraduate that has participated in a faculty-mentored research project to showcase his or her work. Also, in order to be more inclusive to all majors, the conference features the work of art students in the form of faculty-mentored artistry projects. The presentation will focus on the impact that conference has had in previous years, specifically on first-year students. Additionally, through the use of group discussion and activities, the poster will arm the audience with ideas on how they might be able to start a similar conference at their home institutions. (back to top)

Ecoliteracies and the First-Year Student: Transitioning Nontraditional Students into College Through Ecologically-Focused Curricula and Learning Community Programs

Geoff Martin, Communications Faculty, Learning Communities Coordinator,
Truman College, City Colleges of Chicago

Taking its cue from David W. Orr’s insistence that “all education is environmental education,” this wide-ranging session will build on the central argument that ecologically-focused, environmental justice curricula offer substantial opportunity to provide diverse students with access into the disciplines of higher education and fluency in both global “environmental” issues and local, community-based concerns. This session will be of interest to both college administrators and educators across the disciplines as it brings together current conversations around institutional access, strategies for student success and engagement, collaborative pedagogies, and contemporary ecological critique. The session will strike a balance between theoretical approaches to program design and college instruction with practice-based analysis and recommendations gleaned from multiple semesters of instruction in an English composition-and-science-paired First Year Learning Community (FYLC). Participants will have the opportunity to speak to these inter-related issues from their own institutional and disciplinary contexts, and will leave the session with a broader understanding of the many ways in which first year students stand to benefit from rigorous yet scaffolded engagement with ecological thinking. (back to top)

 

EDUCATIONAL SESSION I    10:20–11:10 p.m.

Meet with Participants – Informal Discussion

Vincent Tinto, PhD, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University

APC110A

Dr. Vincent Tinto will meet with conference participants informally during this session to discuss trends and issues around student success through the frameworks of learning communities, institutional policies and more. The audience is also welcome to introduce topics for this session. Expect practical wisdom and tips to emerge from the presenter and your colleagues! (back to top)

What Stands Out: An Undergraduate’s Journey from First-Year Through Professional Development

Annie Ziga, Graduate Assistant, First- and Second-Year Experience,
Northern Illinois University

Adam McNeil, Graduate Assistant, Western Illinois University

APC120

Higher education professionals serve as mentors, resources, and guides but what do some professionals do that stands out to today’s students? This session will focus on the undergraduate experience of recently graduated seniors, highlight their journey to graduate school, and allow attendees to understand the importance of the connections that professionals make with students. This session answers the question of what college campuses can do to make a difference for the professional development of students. Learn from the experiences of two new graduate students within the higher education field who will explore the types of interactions and programs that left the longest lasting impressions throughout their college careers, and share their informal research from higher education graduate students surveyed from across the country. (back to top)

First-Year Experience Programs: A Strong Retention Tool?

Jeter Smith, Assistant Director of Residential Education, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

APC160

This session will bring together institutions looking to learn about first-year programs, their ability to be utilized as a retention tool, and institutions that have first-year programs and how they operate on their campus, and the reasons why they continue to use this model as a tool for retention. The session will be structured to allow participants the opportunity to learn from one another as well as gain insight into the research that relates first-year experience programs to retention. (back to top)

One Good Change Deserves Another: Extending the Impact of an FYS Using Inquiry Projects, Hope Theory, and Meta-Majors

Casey Reid, Director of Developmental Education Programs, East Central College

Wendy Pecka, Psychology Faculty, East Central College

  Beth Rozema, Biology Faculty, East Central College

APC185

Using institutional research, about how to create an FYS with more sustained benefits (Karp and Stacey, 2013), and research about hope theory and goal attainment processes, this presentation will follow the evolution of an FYS at a rural Missouri community college participating in Complete College America’s Missouri Completion Academy. Presenters will discuss how they transformed their mandatory FYS to “emphasize application and sustained practice” (Karp and Stacey, 2013, pg. 5) by allowing students to guide course content through inquiry and goal-setting projects related to their meta-majors. The presentation will also highlight the unique 10-week early out course design that helps maximize the impact of the one-credit class, particularly for struggling students. Throughout the presentation, participants will be invited to consider ways they could incorporate similar strategies into their FYS. Sample assignments and rubrics, as well as emerging assessment data, will be shared.(back to top)

Coaching for Academic Success: From Vision to Reality

Eric Tammes, Manager, Coaching for Academic Success, College of Lake County

Keon Dillon, Academic Success Coach, College of Lake County

Sandra Pizano, Academic Success Coach, College of Lake County

APC190

The Coaching for Academic Success (CAS) program launched in fall 2014 at the College of Lake County to improve retention, success and completion levels for developmental math and English students. Students are assigned to full-time academic coaches who follow up on early alerts and focus on goal setting, time management, and college resources. Learn how CAS was created and financed as well as the program structure, outcomes, effective practices, and lessons learned. (back to top)

EDUCATIONAL SESSION II    11:20–12:10 p.m.

Going Beyond the Book: Common Readings in the First-Year Experience

Rico Reed, Assistant Director for Administration and Resource Development,
National Resource Center on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition

Denise L. Rode, EdD , Director, First- and Second-Year Experience,
Northern Illinois University

APC110A

Common Reading (CR) Programs have become standard components of comprehensive first-year programs across the country. This session will discuss objectives and learning outcomes for CR programs, the types of readings commonly selected, and activities (such as author visits, service projects, and academic presentations) often connected to CRs to encourage student engagement around this high-impact practice. Participants will leave with ideas for beginning or enhancing programs on two- and four-year college campuses as well as with an extensive list of readings that have been used in U.S. colleges and universities. Time will be allocated to sharing ideas and responding to questions. (back to top)

#Engage – Using Social Media to Impact Retention & Student Success

Jade T. Perry, Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Student Success, DePaul University

Andrea Arzuaga, Assistant Director, Office of Multicultural Student Success,
DePaul University
APC120

This session reframes the use of social media as an engagement tool for retention  , persistence, and resilience work with first generation students, students of color, and students who exhibit financial need in their first year at DePaul University. Through the use of social media, students can receive real-time access to information about the cognitive, social, and institutional supports offered at the university: information that is key to their retention and persistence (Swail, 2004). Thus, this session will outline best practices of intentional planning, delivery, student buy-in, and affinity building on primary social media platforms including InstaGram and Twitter. (back to top)

Assessing from the Inside-Out: Using PAR (Participatory Action Research) to Examine New Student Programs

Vicki Atkinson, EdD, Director, New Student Programs, Harper College

Linda Frank, Counselor, Student Development Faculty, Harper College

Anita Rehberg, Adult Student Services Specialist, Harper College

APC160

Interested in learning more about PAR (Participatory Action Research) as a tool to assess programs in a professional development context? This session will provide attendees with a tool kit of recent research and methods available to examine programs from a practitioner’s perspective all while following well-regarded assessment models. Come and learn how PAR can reinvigorate individual practice and improve your program! (back to top)

Promoting Success in First-Year Students Through Multicultural Engagement

Sheela Vemu, EdD, Instructor of Biology, Waubonsee Community College

Kelly Smith, Assistant Director, First- and Second-Year Experience, Northern Illinois University

Shelley Mass, Staff, First- and Second-Year Experience, Northern Illinois University

Annie Ziga, Graduate Assistant, First- and Second-Year Experience, Northern Illinois University

APC185

One of the many positive additional outcomes of training first-year experience instructors is improved teaching skills in the first-year course as well as in other courses that they might teach. That was the case in a general education science course at Northern Illinois University. Using the knowledge, skills, and experience gained in a UNIV 101 training course, instructors are able to transfer the same skills to a large enrollment, formerly lecture-based course in Biology. This session will elaborate on Joe Cuseo’s seven points promoting the success of first-year and first-generation students (personal validation, self-efficacy, personal meaning, engagement, reflection, social integration, and self-awareness) by sharing their application in a general education academic course. Participants will develop an idea of how to engage first-year students in a high enrollment course, with a special emphasis on addressing important issues such as inclusivity and multicultural awareness. (back to top)

Educational Innovations: Using a Critical Place-Based Curriculum to Support LGBTQA Students’ Transition into Higher Education

Kathryn Jaekel, Assistant Professor of Adult and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University

APC190

While recent literature has highlighted the importance of inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) topics in the composition courses (Alexander and Wallace, 2009; Furrow, 2012), few have outlined how to include these topics. The purpose of this article is to detail how the inclusion of LGBTQ students and topics was achieved in a freshman first-year writing course using a critical place-based curriculum. While most place-based curricula do not take into account LGBTQ students’ unique experiences on a college campus, this presentation details how conversations and assignments were altered to take into consideration issues of power and privilege on campus. Implications suggest the need for critical pedagogical practices in the composition classroom.  (back to top)

EDUCATIONAL SESSION III  1:10–2 p.m.

Put Umpf in Your Orientation: Gamification to Influence Student Behavior and Engagement

Danielle Laban, Director of Student Experience, National Louis University

APC110A

Description: You have been influenced by gamification as a consumer. Are you level green, silver, or gold at Starbucks®? How many stars until your next reward? With the intention of increasing engagement and social development during an Undergraduate Orientation program at National Louis University, introducing gamification strategies into new student orientation establishes an expectation of engagement and social development. In this session, learn how gamification can influence student behavior and begin to develop the pride and engagement in your institution through increased participation during new student orientation. We will discuss how gamification can become a tool to set students up for college success while addressing the attrition risk of first time college students. Through the implementation of gamification, including game mechanics and game dynamics in new student orientation, you engage your students by getting them to participate, share, and interact in structured activity that integrates them into the community. (back to top)

Connecting First-Year Students to the Campus & the Community: Incorporating High-Impact Practices into First-Year Courses

Justin Wier, Program Coordinator of Outreach & Enrollment, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Sandra Picciucia, Academic Advisor, University of Illinois at Chicago

APC160

In ongoing efforts to improve student success and retention, first-year seminars have increasingly been cited for incorporating high-impact educational practices into the first-year experience (Kuh, 2008). Our program will analyze high-impact practices found in first-year seminars and discuss efforts at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to improve student success. We will highlight a case study of Success in the City, a first-year seminar taught by UIC College of Liberal Arts & Sciences academic advisors. The course focuses on how students can be involved with service, civic engagement, and exploration in the community. The interactive presentation will allow participants to discuss the high-impact practices found at their institutions, develop new strategies for high-impact practices in their first-year courses, and take the next steps to implement and collaborate with campus and community partners. The session will allow for networking with professional colleagues and provide action steps to bring back to your campus. (back to top)

Utilizing Assessment to Improve First-Year Programs

Kevin C. Clarke, Assistant Director for Faculty Development and Assessment for University 101 Programs, University of South Carolina

APC170

First-year programs require consistent review to ensure they are effectively achieving their intended outcomes and meeting the needs of today’s students. This session is a primer on assessment in the first-year, and will utilize the holistic assessment plan for the first-year seminar at the University of South Carolina as a case study to demonstrate principles of effective assessment practice. Participants will leave this session with a better understanding of academic assessment, how to measure success in the first-year, and how to utilize assessment results for programmatic improvement. (back to top)

Promoting a Culture of Student Success Through Faculty Development

Rhoda S. Wolle, PhD, Dean of Student Success and Associate Professor of Education, Wisconsin Lutheran College

APC185

Approximately 75% of students who leave college early do so in their first two years, with the majority departing during or directly after their first year of college, according to research conducted by Braunstein and McGrath (1997) and Tinto (1993). Kuh’s leadership in the DEEP (Documenting Effective Educational Practices) project resulted in the book, Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter (2010). This session will present a model for a year-long faculty professional development opportunity based upon this book. Attendees will learn about the recommendations offered from studying these twenty highly effective institutions and how they can facilitate an engaging conversation about student success on their campus. (back to top)

Bridging The First-Year Experience: An “Element” Approach: A New Curriculum Designed for the Changing Needs of Our Students

Debi Keyzer, Lead Instructor FYE, McHenry County College

Ellen Zimmerman, Department Coordinator FYE, McHenry County College

Are you in search of a new and innovative approach to the First-Year Experience that will increase your pass rate and student opinion of the course? Do you need a solution to meet the constantly changing needs and learning preferences of your students? Take part in this fresh and interactive presentation about the “Element” approach and how it can energize and engage your students through thought provoking and inspiring curriculum! (back to top)

EDUCATIONAL SESSION IV    2:10–3 p.m.

Creating an Inclusive Classroom for Diverse Learners Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies

Annie Kelly, Academic Advisor, First and Second Year Advising, Loyola University Chicago

APC110A

First-year students are coming to college with differing levels of academic preparedness, an increase in diagnosed learning disabilities, and varied learning styles. As the demographics of incoming students shift, so does the need for instructional techniques to adapt to meet the needs of an ever-changing population of learners. This session is grounded in research and literature based on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and the practical application of differentiated instructional strategies to foster an inclusive classroom and learning experience. After this session, attendees will be able to apply theory and practical examples to the design of, facilitation, and assessment of lesson plans, and teaching techniques that foster inclusive classrooms. (back to top)

Resources to the Rescue: Bringing You the Resources You Need When You Need Them!

Mary Tosch, Student Life Manager, Waubonsee Community College

Scott Peska, EdD, Dean for Students, Waubonsee Community College

Julie Peck, Administrative Specialist Enrollment Management, Waubonsee Community College

APC160

Resources to the Rescue started as a marketing effort and has evolved to redesigning how resources are communicated throughout the academic year. Join the presenters to hear lessons learned, marketing strategies, and how to establish a collaborative cross-functional committee to implement this program. (back to top)

Leading the Leaders

Ben Allen, New Student Specialist/Advisor, Harper College

Sara Mikula, Student Development Specialist/Advisor, Harper College

Megan Kuhn, New Student Specialist/Advisor, Harper College

APC170

This presentation explores the training of Student/Peer Leaders in New Student Orientation programs to develop them into connectors, role models, and presenters through careful hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation. The Student Leaders also benefit from professional and personal development that will be valuable to them in their future careers. (back to top)

Administrative Decision Making in the Initiation and Implementation of First-Year Retention Programs at Illinois Public Universities

Frank R. McKnight III, Assistant Director of First Year Experience, Chicago State University

APC185

Many colleges and universities face record number of first-year students leaving during or after their first semester of the first year. With increased access to higher education over the past decade the demographic makeup of universities in Illinois and the United States has diversified. Several public universities have initiated, implemented and institutionalized first year retention programs. The development of first year retention programs has been a strategy in improving freshman persistence. This presentation will share as a result of research how administrators in higher education explain the reasoning behind initiating retention programs for first year students in universities. This presentation will also share findings on how administrators in higher education initiate retention programs for first year students as well as implementation strategies for these programs. Finally, the results of this study will show how retention programs for first year students are institutionalized in Illinois universities amid budget constraints. (back to top)

Looking Toward the Future: Midwest First-Year Conference Roundtable

Midwest First-Year Conference Planning Committee
APC190

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SESSION V    3:10–4 p.m.
Pecha Kucha Presentation Conversations, Academic and Professional Center, Room 110B–D

The Naked Transition: Exposing The Missing Piece of College Planning

Harlan Cohen, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College

For most students, college planning consists of SEARCH and SELECTION. But there’s a third piece. It’s high stakes, intense, and essential for success. It’s called TRANSITION and it’s missing from college planning. New York Times bestselling author of The Naked Roommate series, Harlan Cohen, exposes TRANSITION and offers a framework to help new students create the very best college experience before ever setting foot on campus. Follow Harlan on Twitter @HarlanCohen, and visit: HarlanCohen.com and NakedRoommateBootCamp.com. (back to top)

Disconnect to Connect

Anita Rehberg, Adult Student Services Specialist, Harper College

Sandra Vega-Picchietti, New Student Services Manager, Harper College

Have you ever noticed how the world around us becomes invisible when our electronic devices are the focus? Join us as we examine how our addiction has changed us. Come and disconnect to connect. (back to top)

Reloading Against Gun Violence

Scott Peska, EdD, Dean for Students, Waubonsee Community College

It is nearly 50 years since the 1966 shootings at The University of Texas at Austin. Since then, how many acts of gun violence have occurred on college campuses and how many more will we tolerate before effective change occurs? Have we become desensitized by the constant barrage of media coverage of gun violence? Dr. Peska will encourage first-year experience professionals to take heart and encourage first-year students to take action to prevent gun violence. (back to top)

Connection through Coaching: Eliciting Peak Performance from Ourselves and Others

Patrick Vander Zanden, Residence Hall Director, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

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