Portrait of a Western Student

1. Portrait of a Western Student Our Students’ Perspective Craig Kunce

2. How is student learning influenced?

3. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the most when I… • show up for class, follow along, collaborate, and participate • am passionate about what I am learning • am allowed to make mistakes • find a balance between work, family, home, and personal time. • am organized and have good time management • the stresses in my home life are at a minimum • know when things are due • get enough sleep and eat well

4. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the least when I… • get lost because the teacher is not organized or cannot think clearly. (KISS) • when a teacher just gives me an assignment and expects me to know how to do it. I pay for the class so that the teacher actually teaches me, I don't pay for me to teach myself… • I have too much free time to work on assignments • I have to sit and listen to a boring and stale teacher for two hours • …silly time-wasting tasks are not helpful either • when instructors do more putting-down than praising • I have distractions around me—students not paying attention, Facebook

5. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the most when my peers… • participate in groups and critiques with life and vigor • are willing to share tips and techniques that are not taught in class. Learn from each other • ask pertinent questions. I don't always feel comfortable asking questions, but I really do pay attention to the types of questions and responses that others get • want to be in class, and want to learn. The dynamic of a class affects me more than anything • give me honest, constructive, friendly feedback • help me out with projects and give me feed back—we're in this together • are positive and respectful • are well behaved during class • are cooperative during group projects

6. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the least when my peers… • 'who know what they are doing' refuse to help others • complain about the class • Don't want to be in school • are annoying and think they know it all • aren't able to open their minds to different ideas • don't care and are lazy • are disruptive and are slackers during group projects • are petty and disruptive and are not respectful of the person leading the class • talk a lot, asking unrelated questions, and take up my time • don't have a good attitude

7. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the most when my teachers… • Having a resource to go to to get class information (website or Blackboard) is a big help • are able to give a real life example (personal experience is best) of what they're talking about. It makes things more memorable • are trying to teach, not make friends • tell me how to improve my work and make it better • are approachable and helpful while able to be honest • are available to answer questions or offer help • offer multiple ways of connecting with them (e-mail, office hours, etc.) • make assignments andprojects clear • are organized

8. allow lots of freedom in class projects • very knowledgeable about the class subject matter fair with due dates • push for what they know you can do can • explain something in another way because sometimes I just don't understand the wording • are confident in their teaching abilities and aware of current industry trends • Are fun, engaging, and make the students move around! It's no fun sitting for 1-3 hour lectures • have a time line for due dates for the semester. That way I can plan my personal and work schedule around making time for homework • don't hold me by the hand because it challenges me to do a little research on my own • share their knowledge, real world experience, and insight into the industry • allow us class time to work

9. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the least when my teachers… • that give busy work. Keep homework relevant and productive • make us buy books that we only use once • don't teach in more than one way to keep us engaged • judge students • are not organized • are biased • constantly change what is going on • are unapproachable and don't make me feel stupid for asking questions, even if they're ridiculous • don't care about what they’re teaching • don't have an open mind

10. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the most when my college… • always has a computer available • has smart faculty that knows what the students need • feels like an important step in our careers rather than just a hurdle to overcome. We come here to learn, unlike in high-school where your goal is just to graduate • is friendly, welcoming, helps us • provides good instructors • wants and helps me to succeed • provides software and current technology • offers classes at different times and ways, online, blended • has a designated quiet area • cares about its students and the staff • has helpful resources such as the library, ASC or study groups

11. Good advice—straight from our studentsI learn the least when my college… • is just here to take my money and move on • doesn't offer classes that fit my schedule. for example a lot of classes are only offered certain semesters • that is hard to get to because of lack of parking • is not helpful • where I'm pretty much just a number (Universities), and professors obviously don't care about you. I need to feel included and a part of something. This is why I prefer a tech or a private school • has stopped growing and doesn't find new ways to constantly make the education more engaging and effective

12. Good advice—straight from our studentsMy early years—“tough love” • Show more samples of how other people did the assignment—not just yours • Tell us what we did right or wrong on our projects, don’t just use that grid thing • We all know you’re a nice guy, but we need someone to tell us if our work sucks • Stop talking/lecturing so much! Let us learn some thingson our own • Give us class time for assignments. Then we can talk to you when we are working on them and have questions

13. Western Students At-A-Glance '10–’11 • Students working Full-time • 21.7%* • Students working Part-time • 51.6%* • Graduates • 1,415 • Find Work in Western District • 77% • Find Work in their Field • 70% • Total FTEs • 4,156 • Total Students • 26,600 • Avg Age Credit Students • 26 • Avg Age Non-Credit Students • 38 • Female Students • 51% • Male Student • 49% • Displaced Workers • 5.9%* * 22% of Students Reporting

14. Western Student Diversity • African American • American Indian/Alaska Native • Asian • Hispanic/Latino • Multi-Racial • Pacific Islander • White • Not Reported/Other Western 2.2% 1.2% 2.9% 1.4% .1% .1% 83.3% 8.6% La Crosse 2.2% .5% 4.1% .9% 0% 91.7% .2% WI 5.9% .9% 2.1% 4.9% 0% 87.7% 1.9% US 12.4% .8% 4.4% 15.1% .1% 74.5% 5.6%

15. Listening to our Students • Download 11" x 17" poster art student_portrait_poster.pdf • My evaluations arealways anonymous • Write on whiteboard, "2 areas done well, 2 areas to improve, other comments" • classroom_assessment.pdf(1–2 times during semester) • instructor_course_eval.pdf (end of semester) • Zoomerang.com(free online survey web site)