Classroom as Bridge: Linking Academics with Student A ffairs in Graduate C oursework

1. Classroom as Bridge:Linking Academics with Student Affairs in Graduate Coursework Dr. April Heiselt, Mississippi State University Dr. Wade Livingston, Clemson University SACSA Conference 2012 Memphis, TN

2. Introductions • Dr. April Heiselt, Mississippi State University • Associate Professor & Student Affairs Program Coordinator • Courses taught with service-learning pedagogy: Assessment, Administration of Student Personnel Services, Student Affairs in Higher Education, Literature of Student Affairs • Running my first 5K this month! • Dr. Wade Livingston, Clemson University • 3rd year on the tenure-track • Practitioner background: student conduct, housing • Courses taught: Assessment, Research Methods, Legal • Avid barbecue-er (Lexington, NC style)

3. Tell Us a Bit About Yourselves • Name? • Institution? What do you do/study? • What are you hoping to learn from today’s presentation? • Any specific questions you are hoping we will answer today?

4. Brief Program Overview • Student Affairs Literature Review • Experiential Learning • Graduate Coursework Examples • Clemson • Mississippi State University • Brainstorming Session • Discussion

5. Student Affairs Literature Review • Student Personnel Point of View (1937, 1949) • Student as a “whole” (1937) • Opportunity: simultaneous “instruction” and “personnel” research problems (1937) • Emphasis: ongoing “research” regarding students and services • Involvement in Learning • Student Learning Imperative • Demand: student learning; productivity; accountability (1996) • Realization: Ineffectiveness of separation of “academic” and “student” affairs (1996)

6. Student Affairs Literature Review • Astin’s (1984) Theory of Student Involvement • Engagement: physical and psychological energy • Get in what you put out: amount and extent (depth) • Effective practice: capacity to increase student involvement • CAS Standards for Master-Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs • General-ism: functional area versatility • Assessment: student competency and program practice • Active involvement: spirit of inquiry, experiential learning, practical application

7. Experiential Learning • Making meaning from direct experience • Active Learning – Good Practice in Student Affairs (1999) • “Students are partners in these educational processes rather than subjects to which this education is done” (Baxter Magolda, 1999, p. 41). • Components: Experience, Reflection, Integration, and Application (see Blimling & Whitt, 1999) • Problem-based Learning (PBL) • Students engage challenging problems and collaboratively work toward their resolution. • PBL is about students connecting disciplinary knowledge to real-world problems—the motivation to solve a problem becomes the motivation to learn.

8. Service-Learning • Pedagogy of teaching and learning • Students meet academic course objectives while serving the needs of a community partner • Provides opportunities for students to act as both teacher and learner (Cress, Collier, & Reitenauer, 2005). • Enhances student understanding of course material and meets academic course objectives • Critical thinking, reflection

9. Benefits of Service-Learning • Extends learning beyond the classroom and into the community • Provides time for reflection as students critically think, discuss, and write about their service experience • Astin and Sax (1998) • Increases commitment to helping others • Stimulates serving in their communities – continues beyond graduation • Promotes racial understanding

10. Graduate Coursework at Clemson • Assessment (EDL 765: Assessment and Evaluation) • Introductory assessment course: basic skills, philosophical understanding • “Immersive partnership” experience • Liaison with CU Student Affairs Assessment Committee • Recruitment of willing campus partners • Vetting of potential assessment projects • Involvement of campus practitioners • Focus: “grassroots/homegrown” assessment (discussion of integration of nationally-normed measures)

11. Graduate Coursework at Clemson • How it looks: • Six student groups and paired campus partners (“clients”) • Multi-phase assessment project • Project/client orientation: developing assessment’s purpose • Protocol: proposal of methods, student roles, assessment type • Data collection/analysis: evidence thereof, client interpretation • Presentation of results: implications of findings, connections to department/division mission/vision/goals

12. Student Learning Outcomes • The student will… • Understand the accountability issues facing higher education. • Understand the purpose and role of assessment in student affairs/higher education, and, more broadly, the difference between assessment and research. • Garner an awareness of – and be able to apply – a variety of assessment types and techniques. • Identify student learning outcomes and appropriate measures. • Gain a working knowledge of assessment instruments and methods, and understand how to select the appropriate instrument/method given the context of a scenario. • Apply principles of assessment through an actual assessment project.

13. What do the students say? • Course evaluation data • Engaging: Assessment is “boring?” False. • Practical application: Functional area exposure; networking; hands-on experience. • Support: Faculty/client support imperative and appreciated • *Text: Not as applicable. (Instructor and student fault) • *Timeline: Aggressive. Adapted. Spring break. • *Structure: May need more…

14. What do the “clients” say? • We asked our clients: • If students communicated effectively; • If they were satisfied with project outcomes; and • If the project was helpful for them. • Overwhelming affirmation (one exception) • Qualitative feedback: • “Already using data…” • “Potential to expand class and connect w/ internships…” • “Project-based learning was engaging, creative, inspiring…”

15. Graduate Coursework at MSU • COE 8553: Student Affairs in Higher Education • Introduction to Student Affairs: History, philosophy, trends • Service-learning experience • Partner with Student Affairs entities campus-wide • Coordination with Vice President of Student Affairs • Discussion of service-learning projects on the first day of class • Involvement of MSU Student Affairs practitioners • Purpose: To get students involved and working with Student Affairs practitioners from the moment they begin their graduate work.

16. Graduate Coursework at MSU • How it looks: • Students get into groups of 3-4 and design a service-learning project concept featuring a Student Affairs department on campus • Service-Learning Project • Service-Learning Project Plan • Critical Thinking Reflections • Reflective Responses to Classmates • Service-Learning Final Project Analysis

17. Service-Learning Project Plan • Team Name and Vision Statement: What do you intend to do as a team? • Partner Mission Statement • Rationale for project: Why is this project appropriate for your team? Why for our class? • Critical Analysis of the Research: Conduct background research on your project area of interest. Quote at least two peer-reviewed journal articles that illustrate something about the importance of your efforts. • Background information on your project partner: What have you discovered about the partner you will be working with this semester? What do they bring to the field of student affairs? • Benefits to the partner and to yourselves: What benefit will you obtain by working on this project? What will the partner gain?

18. Service-Learning Project Plan • Project Learning Goals/Objectives: Each team must choose one to three course learner outcomes and link their project to the desired outcomes. For example, my team could choose learner outcome number one and create a project that has a historical link to student affairs. We could choose to conduct an oral history project and interview former MSU Vice Presidents of Student Affairs to learn more about the history of student affairs within MSU. • Action Strategies/Timeline: What is your timeline for getting this project accomplished? Who will do what? When? Be specific so your strategies will have purpose. • Letter of Support: Include a signed letter from the partner you will be working with indicating their agreement on the project.

19. Student Learning Outcomes • The student will… • Participate in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a student affairs related program or event which promotes wellness and the holistic development of students (CACREP SACC – D.6). • Advocate for policies, programs, and services that are equitable and responsive to the unique needs of postsecondary education (CACREP SACC – F. 6). • Collaborate with the postsecondary community to assist students and use postsecondary community resources to improve student learning and development (CACREP SACC – F.3). • Identify the diversity of roles, functions and settings of student affairs professionals inpostsecondary education (CACREP SACC – A.4, A.9; CFPO# 1, 4, 9, 10).

20. Service-learning project examples… • Super Healthy Men • Men’s Health Conference • The Healthy Bulldogs • Stomp Out Breast Cancer Event • Project O.N.E. (Out of State Students Needing Evaluation) • Provided mentors for out of state students

21. What do the students say? • Student Course Evaluation Data • “I enjoyed the interaction among the students and the service-learning project experience was highly valuable.” • “I really like how you (Dr. Heiselt) made us do a service-learning project, it was a very interesting, practical way to really learn.” • “I feel like I learned more about student affairs from the project and what I would like to do in the future with student affairs. It was also great to collaborate with different departments and meet people in different fields.” • “I thought the service-learning project was very helpful in learning how to be a Student Affairs professional. It was not easy, but it was a very interesting way to apply classroom knowledge. I would highly recommend doing this in future classes.”

22. What do the practitioners say? • Gives them an opportunity to complete projects/examine policies they may otherwise not have a chance to do • Provides one-on-one contact with students on a project of practitioner and student interest • Great sense of accomplishment with project outcomes • Enjoy talking about these things with their superiors • Looks good for practitioners too!

23. Graduate Coursework at MSU • HED 8113: Administration of Student Personnel Services • Capstone course • Problem-based/active learning • Partner with Student Affairs entities campus-wide • Coordination with Vice President of Student Affairs • Involvement of MSU Student Affairs practitioners • Development of a class Simulated University (Sim U) • Purpose: To provide students with a “real-world” administrative experience to prepare them for their first practitioner position.

24. Student Learning Outcomes • The student will: • Develop a more complex understanding of student affairs in higher education and apply knowledge of issues that affect student affairs practice (CACREP SACC: B.4; CFPO# 1, 3, 11, 13, 14). • Understand the operation of selected functional areas and settings within student affairs such as practices of leadership, organizational behavior and management, fundraising, program development, and planning and evaluation (CACREP SACC: A.4; CFPO# 1, 10, 11, 14). • Recognize the current trends in higher education and the diverse character of postsecondary education environments. (CACREP SACC: A.7).

25. Graduate Coursework at MSU • The class designs a Simulated University (Sim U) • Discuss everything from location of the university and student population down to the number of residence halls • The students favorite part? • They love developing a mascot and last year, they even created their own logo and university stationary!

26. Graduate Coursework at MSU • Students function as a Student Affairs Division • Each class is a “meeting” of the division • Each student plays the “role” of a Student Affairs Director • Each week one student: • Reports on a critical issue in his/her unit • Coordinates class discussion of a case study that has impacted his/her unit • Text: Linking theory to practice: Case studies for working with college students, Stage and Hubbard (2012) • Signature assignment: Policy paper focusing on Student Affairs area of interest for that student (ex. Tobacco Free Campus)

27. What do the students say? • Student Course Evaluation data: • “I enjoyed the class set-up (lecture, case, current issue reaction). I think the students really have a voice in their presentations of the cases each week and during the current issue reactions.” • “Being able to create our own university and act as a department head really made the concepts discussed in class clear to me.” • “I appreciated the engaging discussions that took place as a result of the case studies as well as the current issue reactions.” • “Overall, the class taught me a lot about higher education administration and the importance of the student affairs profession at any university.” • “I like the professional structure of the class and how the assignments related directly to issues that administration would face.”

28. Other Courses • COE 8533: Literature of Student Affairs • Students partnered with MSU’s First-Year Experience Maroon Edition Common Reading Program • Completed a faculty assessment for the program • Designed an art contest for K-2 elementary school focusing on art from the text • Tutored elementary children who were reading the children’s version of the MSU text • MSU graduate students tutored kindergarten students and “wrote” books about going to college

29. Brainstorming Session • How can Student Affairs practitioners get involved in these types of efforts? • What other types of courses could incorporate this type of “experiential” learning? • Break into groups and design a class. • Consider the type of course. What would it be called? • How would you involve student affairs practitioners? • What would the students do for their “experiential learning” activities?

30. Discussion • What did you develop? • What stands out to you about experiential learning? • Are there any challenges you foresee?

31. Questions?

32. Contact Information: Dr. April Heiselt Associate Professor Mississippi State University aheiselt@colled.msstate.edu (662) 325-7919 Dr. Wade Livingston Assistant Professor Clemson University livings@clemson.edu (864) 656-1446