University College

The University College faculty, staff, advisors, and collaborative partners continue to develop innovative programs and initiatives geared toward student success and persistence. This year, the Personal Development Plan (PDP) was approved by the University College faculty as a requirement for students in first-year seminars. The PDP will help students develop a personal and academic plan to guide their academic progress and personal growth. Already-existing programs have been improved and expanded, and faculty, staff, and partners piloted new programs, including a career course for students interested in health professions, a skills bridge course, an externship program that connects students with alumni for job shadowing opportunities, an online academic advising filing and notes system, and staff diversity presentations.

University College appointed several task forces in 2007—2008. During a joint faculty and staff retreat in January 2008, administrators, faculty, staff, and advisors worked together to plan for the future. The keynote speaker was John Gardner. To continue this planning work, the University College Executive Council formed several task forces to focus on continuous learning and improvement, connections with P—12, personal and academic plans, financial concerns, connections with degree programs, and a diverse and supportive environment. In addition, a task force chaired by Robert Osgood (School of Education) met throughout the year and submitted a final report that recommended restructuring of goals and objectives for learning communities, orientation, and the online pre-orientation initiative. Task forces will be formed in 2008-2009 to work on these recommendations. The Council on Retention and Graduation (CRG) appointed four task forces in 2007-2008 to work on issues related to sophomores, transfer students, seniors who do not graduate, and performance metrics for measuring success. Additional highlights from University College include the following:

Teaching and Learning

  • The University College faculty approved the requirement that all students in University College learning communities develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP). Continued development of the PDP this year included a three-year implementation plan that will lead to the completion of a PDP by all first-year students as the foundation for their ePortfolio.

The ASPIRE program was implemented as a teaching resource in the first-year seminars. ASPIRE is a series of 12 online learning modules, guided by the first-year seminar template, that culminate in the completion of a Personal Development Plan.

  • A new career course was piloted for students interested in health professions. UCOL U210 (Health Career Connections) is a one-credit-hour course that was developed and piloted during Spring 2008. The course was designed for University College students in the major/career exploration and selection process who want to declare a major within the health and life sciences.
  • A one-credit-hour learning community was developed and piloted for Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School students.

Assistant Dean Gayle Williams (University College) and Assistant Vice Chancellor Frank Ross (Division of Student Life) chair the newly appointed IUPUI Common Theme Committee. An RFP was issued for the 2009—2010 academic year. Six proposals were submitted by members of the faculty; the theme proposed by David Craig from the Department of Religious Studies was selected. The book that the campus will be reading is Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, by Bill McKibben

  • The Gateway to Graduation program has expanded this past year to include a newly formed advisory board and a course coordinators group.

For the first year, all students on first-time academic probation were required to participate in an academic support intervention.

A "skills bridge" program was piloted. This program is focused on student employment so that students can connect their on-campus work to academic experiences and the Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs), skill development, and workplace competencies.

A faculty member and student team in New Media developed six student employment videos that teach students appropriate dress, proper behavior, and etiquette in the workplace.

  • Improvements were made to the Critical Inquiry course with increased communication and mentoring of faculty as the focus of 2007—2008. An Oncourse project site was created for Critical Inquiry instructors to facilitate the sharing of resources and support discussion forums and information delivery. Brown bag forums were held to discuss the Critical Inquiry format and structure. In addition, the Critical Inquiry academic coordinator created a handbook, University College Critical Inquiry Handbook–A Teacher´s Guide.
  • Improvements were made to the mentoring model for PSY B104 and have proven to be very effective. The mentors use a Structured Learning Assistance Stations Model. The model incorporates team time, an analysis station, a homework completion station, and an exam preparation station.
  • Eight out of eight Educational Success Program students graduated from high school; all students will be attending a postsecondary institution in Indiana. This result exceeds national statistics  showing that less than 50 percent of foster youth graduate from high school, and that only about estimated 13 percent enter postsecondary education (statistics from: Youth Transition Funders Group Foster Care Work Group with the Finance Project, 2004; and Connected by 25: A Plan for Investing in Successful Futures for Foster Youth).
  • In Summer 2008, the Summer Academy Bridge Program will continue to expand to serve approximately 525 students. University College will offer 21 sections in conjunction with the Schools of Business, Education, Nursing, Science, Liberal Arts, SPEA, and Engineering and Technology. The Office of International Affairs will also jointly sponsor one section for international students.
  • University College Technology Services redesigned the University College web site to improve navigation and allow students, faculty, and staff to find information more easily.

Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

IUPUI was invited to participate in the national Investing in Student Success Project. Michele Hansen, Director of Assessment, and Gayle Williams, Assistant Dean, are the IUPUI representatives. Only a few campuses were selected nationwide to participate in this project, which is collecting data to link college attainment with persistence, retention, and graduation.

  • University College hosted the Student Access and Success Conference in April 2008 with leaders from many Indiana campuses and communities attending.

Four faculty fellowships were awarded for 2008—2009 to support research in such areas as internationalization at IUPUI, predictors of nursing success, and visions for vocation.

  • Assessment instruments, including end-of-course questionnaires in the Summer Academy Bridge Program and first-year seminars, were redesigned to improve assessment of new diversity initiatives in University College academic support programs. Measures and indicators are thus better aligned with diversity initiatives.

University College faculty and staff published a total of 28 scholarly articles and one book.

  • Four Educational Success Program students were selected as recipients of the Nina Mason Pulliam Scholarship. Three of the students are scholars at IUPUI, and one is a scholar at Ivy Tech.
  • One of the Educational Success Program students was awarded a scholarship from the Orphan Foundation of America.
  • A qualitative research project to assess what factors influence student success during the first year was implemented. This project uses the theoretical frameworks of stress, coping, and academic hope. The University College Assessment Director is collaborating with Faculty Fellows from the Schools of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences on this project.
  • Cohort 7 in the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program, which is comprised of seven returning adult scholars with children, two who had spent time in the foster care system, and one who is blind, achieved a 2.9 GPA for Fall 2007 and Spring 2008.
  • Of the Nina scholars, 50 percent of the program graduates have completed graduate degrees, are in graduate school, or will matriculate into a graduate program in the next academic year.
  • The following is a list of current Nina scholar distinctions: Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society member, Kelley School of Business Honors Program, president of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, McNair Scholars, and Supplemental Instruction Mentor of the Year Award.
  • A JumpStart grant (from the Center for Teaching and Learning) provided the impetus and logistical support to begin work on the development of online learning communities. Numerous online modules were developed in 2007—2008 for the online rollout in Fall 2008.
  • A Pathways Initiative grant was awarded to Deborah Keller, Joshua Smith, Angelique LeVell, James Damico, Kathleen Allspaw, Jacqueline Blackwell, and Larry Mikulecky for work with the University High Academy at Emmerich Manual High School.
  • The Transitions Internship Program started in May 2008 with over 900 applicants from community high schools. Applicants had to be high school juniors or seniors who are Twenty-first Century Scholars and accepted to IUPUI. Once the interns successfully complete their summer work, they will be eligible for an hourly position in University College. The students must remain in good academic standing in order to maintain their hourly position. Six interns are in the program at this time.
  • University College hosted the 12th Annual National Learning Communities Conference. There was record-setting attendance, and evaluations awarded the conference with high marks for planning the event.

Civic Engagement

An externship program was piloted; the program connects students with alumni for extended job shadowing opportunities in the Indianapolis community.

The alumni mentor database was expanded by 25 percent. The database connects students with IUPUI alumni for career mentoring and advice.

  • Four Educational Success Program students testified at the state legislature to support two different bills that will affect foster youth (HEA 1290 and HEA 1165). Two changes in these bills will give foster youth sibling visitation rights and support the extension of wardship until the age of 21 (current age is 18). One student attended a bill signing with Governor Daniels for both HEA 1290 and HEA 1165, which took effect on July 1, 2008.
  • Two Educational Success Program students entered and had their videos selected for presentation at a conference called My Story Project: Kids are Waiting. The students created videos describing what they were waiting for and how changes could be made in Congress.
  • Over half of the Themed Learning Communities (TLCs) included service learning experiences or service activities in the curriculum, including:

Students in the education TLCs tutored students in homeless shelters through School on Wheels, worked with IPS students, and collaborated with community agencies such as La Plaza and the Hawthorne Community Center.

Students in the Social Work TLC participated in service learning with diverse organizations, including the Peace Learning Center, the Islamic Center, the India Community Center, African American agencies, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

Students in the Criminal Justice TLC completed service learning projects with adolescents in the criminal justice system.

Students in the Business TLCs participated in a service project at the Hawthorne Community Center.

Nursing TLC students engaged in community service with over 40 organizations in the regional area.

Diversity

University College units made presentations on diversity at staff meetings during 2007—2008. Each unit discussed how it addresses diversity or selected a common reading for discussion. Presentations were recorded and are available for podcasts.

University College hosted the 2007 Indiana Multicultural Career Fair, one of the only career events in Indiana geared toward degreed employment for a diverse candidate pool.

University College, in collaboration with the Division of Student Life, coordinated IUPUI´s first campus common reading project for 2008—2009. The book selected is A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah. All University College first-year seminar instructional teams are being encouraged to use the book in their classes. This book should promote discussions about diversity in the classroom and on campus.

  • Two faculty fellowships were awarded to investigate what can be done to improve international student educational experiences at IUPUI, especially during the first year of college.
  • The Summer Academic Bridge Program has partnered with the Office of International Affairs to develop a Bridge section for international students.
  • Three Nina scholars completed a study abroad program in the Dominican Republic as part of the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) and Student African-American Sisterhood (SAAS) programs.
  • In May 2008, University College planned and hosted the Learning Communities Colloquium. Sessions focused on the new Personal Development Plan and the campus common reading, A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah. Khadija Khaja (School of Social Work) and Johnny Goldfinger (Department of Political Science) gave presentations on effective strategies for discussing the book and diversity in the classroom. There were 169 people at the event.

Best Practices

There was a reorganization and merger of academic advising and career planning units to create a seamless program for educational planning in the first year of enrollment.

University College implemented an online advising filing and notes system.

A new Work Study orientation was launched to better inform students and employers of the process for obtaining and utilizing Federal Work Study funding.

External Awards and Appointments