Building Academic Support Through Community: Supporting Honors and High Ability Students

Building Academic Support Through CommunitySupporting Honors and High Ability Students

Paul BrownAssistant Director for Academic and Living Learning SupportHonors and Scholars Program Miami University ACPA Candidate #3210

Lynette Luckers First Year Adviser Tappan Hall - Honors and Scholars CommunityOfﬁce of Residence Life and New Student Programs Miami University

Jennifer Onuska Assistant First Year Adviser Tappan Hall - Honors and Scholars CommunityOfﬁce of Residence Life and New Student Programs Miami University

At a glance...• Oxford, Ohio• Founded 1809• 4-year, Public• ~15,000 undergraduates • ~1,500 graduates• ~ 7000 live on-campus

Presentation Outline• Introduction• Miami University Honors & Scholars Program 1. Re-envisioning academic support/programs holistically through the LPM 2. Developing community in an academic program/focus area• Mini-roundtables, discussion, Q&A

Who is joining us this morning?

Characteristics of High-Ability Students• Resistant, reluctant, or unable to request help• Needing lots of encouragement (in order to maintain top performance or to work at improving performance and/or increasing motivation)• Stretch selves too thin with so many interests and goals; poor time management• Focus on studying too much and therefore miss out on other college life/campus opportunities focus on GPA and not experiencing life

Characteristics of High-Ability Students• “Doing” what they are good at and not necessarily what they are truly interested in• May have known how to “play the game” in high school (e.g., manipulate others, ingratiate or endear selves to teachers, etc.), which won’t necessarily work in college• Enter college on the “fast-track” – already possessing college credits, wanting to enroll in large course load, having unrealistic timelines, etc.

Characteristics of High-Ability Students• Lack peer support/perceived connections to peers• Lack ability to relate to or empathize with others• Difﬁculty socializing with anyone outside of their “in- group”• Overly demanding with a sense of entitlement

What would you add to this list?

TheHonors & Scholars Program Miami University

University Honors and Scholars Program• Oxford Scholars (~300 each year) •Admitted automatically based on scores •No Curricular requirements• Honors Students (~200 each year) •Separate Application Process required •Curricular Requirements• Harrison Scholars (~30 each year) •By invitation, Highest Honors •Admitted into Honors Program

Honors Students at Miami University• Top 3% of their graduating class• Average GPAs of 3.9 or higher• Average ACT scores of 32• Academic majors in every Division• Requirements • Complete 10 honors experiences • Graduate with 3.5 GPA • Thesis receives separate distinction

Learning Outcomes Developmental Foundations• Knowledge of Learning Outcomes Construction• Critical Understanding of Diversity• Communication• Reﬂection• Collaboration• Responsible Citizenship Magolda, M. B., and King, P. M. (2004). Learning partnerships: Theory and models of practice to educate for self-authorship. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.

Multi-Dimensional LearningEpistemological Intrapersonal Self Authorship Interpersonal

Three TenetsScholarship Leadership Citizen Scholars Service

Challenge • Knowledge is Complex and Le Socially a rn Constructed• Validate Learners as in g • Self is Central Knowers Pa rt • Share Authority• Situate Learning n er in Learner’s Experience sh i ps• Learning is Mutually Support Constructed

Three Assumptions Learning Partnerships ModelChallenge: Dimension:Portray knowledge as complex & Epistemologicalsocially constructed (cognitive)Self is central to knowledge IntrapersonalconstructionAuthority & expertise shared inthe mutual construction of Interpersonalknowledge

Learning Partnerships Model “The three assumptions challenge learners to journey towards self-authorship. . . The threeprinciples bridge the gap between their current developmental place and authoring their own beliefs, identities, and relationships” (Baxter Magolda, 2004, p. 42).

What our students say...

“For me, Miami provides a welcoming environment and endless opportunities to grow as a learner. The students are talented; theprofessors are eager to help, andeveryone is encouraged to succeed." ~ H&S Student

Caitlin Rosberg Bishop Hall RA3rd Year Honors Student

Discussion• Does your program or department look at students holistically?• Do you use a speciﬁc theory to ground your practice? e.g. The Learning Partnerships Model• How might a focus on holistic development impact your practices?

Building Academic Support Through Community

Building Academic Support Through Community Residence Halls BlackBoard and Mentor Program websiteE-Newsletters Under the Arch Advising Student Advisory Appointments Board Recognition Events

Building Academic Support Through Community• Thinking Holistically• Grounding Your Community• Creating an Identity• Deﬁning Your “Brand”• Multiple Means of Contact• Identifying Shared Spaces• Cross-Year Dialogue• Student Ownership• Creating a Legacy

Thinking Holistically &Grounding your Community The community should support the whole student and be supported by theory. Students should understand the underlying principles of their community with greater complexity as they progress through the program.

Multi-Dimensional LearningEpistemological Intrapersonal Self Authorship Interpersonal

Three TenetsScholarship Leadership Citizen Scholars Service

Creating An Identity & Deﬁning Your “Brand” Students, faculty and staff should identifywith your program. They should be able to articulate its values, its mission, and its work. This should be comunicated to students from their ﬁrst point of contact with the university and continue as they become alumni.

Creating an Identity & Deﬁning your “Brand”• Develop a logo• Make your mission present on all documents• Create a shared language: • Scholarship, Leadership and Service • Citizen Scholars • “No person was ever honored for what they received; honors has been the reward for what they gave.” -Calvin Coolidge

Multiple Means of Contact There should be numerousmeans for accessing people and information.

Multiple Means of Contact EXAMPLES• In-person • Advising Appointments and group sessions• By phone, fax, postal mail• Electronically • Email • Instant Messenger • Chat Rooms, Online Bulletin Boards • Podcasting • Website/Blackboard/ WebCT

Honors BlackBoard Site

Identifying Shared Spaces Students, faculty and staff should haveshared living spaces, meeting places, andhang-out spaces. Spaces can be physicalor virtual. This should allow for planned interactions and “random collisions.”

Honors & ScholarsLiving Learning Communities Introduction to Scholarship, Leadership and Service Tappan Hall ﬁrst year students Scholars in Service Wells Hall upper-class students Scholars for Change Bishop Hall upper-class students

Developmental Sequence of H&S LLCs First Year LLC: Introduction to Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Second/Third YearLLC: Scholars in Service Second/Third/Fourth Year LLC: Scholar Leader Third/Fourth YearLLC: Scholars for Change

Wes Highley Bishop Hall RA5th year Harrison Scholar

Cross-Year Dialogue Students should not be isolated by class year. It is incumbent that upper-class students interact with, mentor, and giveadvice to under-class students. Mixing of class years promotes learning for all.

Cross Year Dialogue EXAMPLES• Peer mentor program• If you have residence halls... cross program between FY and UC students• Networking web sites • Facebook • Under The Arch...

Cross Year Dialogue EXAMPLES

Student Ownership Students should feel that they provide meaningful input to theprogram, inﬂuence its direction, and help in forming it together. It is a learning partnership.

Student Ownership EXAMPLES• Honors and Scholars Advisory Board• Students on Committees: • Admission • Curriculum • Policy • University-Wide• Assessment and Surveys

Creating a LegacyStudents should form lasting memories and connections to each other, theprogram, the university and the faculty and staff. Students should list their membership in the program as one of their deﬁning identities in college.

Creating a Legacy EXAMPLES• Create rituals (convocation, commencement, and other programs and ceremonies)• Offer means of connecting after graduation • “Sponsoring” a current student • Socials through Alumni Relations• Give regular program updates through newsletters

Sharing Best Practices• Thinking Holistically• Grounding Your Community• Creating an Identity• Deﬁning Your “Brand”• Multiple Means of Contact• Identifying Shared Spaces• Cross-Year Dialogue• Student Ownership• Creating a Legacy

References Haynes, C. (2006, January-February). The integrated student: Fostering holistic development to advance learning. About Campus, 10(6), 17-23. Baxter Magolda, M., and King, P. M. (2004). Learning partnerships:Theory and models of practice to educate for self-authorship. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.Higher Education Research Institute. Boyer, Ernest L. (1990). Campus Life: In(1996). Guidebook for a Social Change Search of Community. The CarnegieModel for Leadership Development. Los Foundation for the Advancement ofAngeles, CA: Graduate School of Teaching: Princeton, New Jersey.Education and Information Studies,University of California.

Conclusion & Thank YouWe hope this session has been informative and engaging—thanks for your participation!• Thanks to our supporters and contributors: • Carolyn Haynes and the H&S Staff • Gerald Olson, Michele Welkener, and the Ofﬁce of Residence Life and New Student Programs staff

Building Academic Support Through Community: Supporting Honors and High Ability Students

by Paul Brown

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Building Academic Support Through Community: Supporting Honors and High Ability Students Presentation Transcript