Document Type
Article
Source Publication Title
About Campus
DOI
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10864822231223452
Abstract
Designing first-year experiences for first-time in college students (FTICs) is challenging and the Covid-19 pandemic created additional issues for university professionals striving to support them. In 2020–21, universities struggled with a decrease in FTIC enrollment and first-year term-to-term persistence. Even with a plan to collect academic and psychological well-being predictive data in the summer, student success professionals, faculty, and data analysts knew little about how the use of that data would best serve first-year students entering college during the pandemic. This article describes a unique interdisciplinary response that one Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) engaged in for creating an intervention plan to optimize success for incoming FTICs in the fall of 2021. Following the introduction, the description of the task force shows the wide variety of team members needed for a well-designed program. Next, the phases of development and implementation describe the timeline of activities for building the program. Finally, the reflection and advice section offers lessons learned in the interdisciplinary effort and plans for future programs.
… student success professionals, faculty, and data analysts knew little about how the use of that data would best serve first-year students entering college during the pandemic.In December 2020, the HSI's president and provost engaged in listening sessions across campus to check in on faculty after the first full semester of online instruction. Reflecting on the challenges faced by FTICs and at the invitation of the president and provost, the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) faculty researched the skills high school seniors were missing because of a disrupted year caused by the pandemic. The provost realized the need for additional interdisciplinary contributions and charged the Associate Vice Provost of Student Success (AVPSS) to increase FTIC intervention plans. The AVPSS assembled a group including faculty, data analysts, student success, and student affairs practitioners for the task force. The charge was to structure a comprehensive menu of interventions and design a rigorous evaluation methodology for incoming students that provided them with a toolkit to assess and advance their academic learning, sense of belonging, and career readiness skills. The selection of these priorities was informed by faculty research and previous experience in program design and is further detailed in the curriculum section. The interventions were to commence in the summer and continue into their first year.
This article describes a unique interdisciplinary response that one Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) engaged in for creating an intervention plan to optimize success for incoming FTICs in the fall of 2021
Publication Date
1-8-2024
Language
English
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Robert, Catherine; Hickman, Kimshi; and Ludvik, Marilee Bresciani, "Facilitating Interdisciplinary Team Response for Addressing FTIC Student Covid-Era Needs" (2024). SAGE Open Access Agreement Publications-Archive. 42.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/utalibraries_sageoapubs/42