Challenges and Opportunities for DACA and Undocumented Students at NC Community Colleges

Presenters:
Wendy Cook, Wake Tech, Dean of Enrollment and Student Services, RTP Campus and Heidi White, Durham Tech CC, Director of International Student Services

Undocumented students in North Carolina face a variety of barriers to entering and persisting in higher education including the community colleges. This workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss issues, trends, and responses to the undocumented population, including those under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) nationwide and specifically North Carolina.

Creating Transparent Assignments that Increase Students’ Success Equitably

Presenter:
Dr. Heather Woodson, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Gaston College

The student population in US higher education is increasingly diverse and non-traditional. As such, faculty must look to provide equitable educational opportunities for a broad variety of learners. Data from a national study identifies transparent instruction (transparency framework) as a replicable teaching practice that significantly enhances students’ success, with greater gains for historically underserved students [Winkelmes et al, Peer Review, Spring 2016]. Students’ persistence and retention can also benefit from transparent teaching and learning practices [Gianoutsos and Winkelmes 2016; Winkelmes et al. 2019]. In this workshop, we will briefly review the educational research behind the concept of transparent teaching/learning. Next, participants will apply the Transparency Framework to the design of your own class activities and assignments. Participants will leave with a draft assignment or activity for one of their courses, and a concise set of strategies for designing transparent assignments and class activities that promote students’ success equitably. Participants are asked to bring two current assignments to examine and modify during the workshop.

Oct. 29, 2021
12:00–2:00 pm
Virtual

Fostering Inclusive Community College Environments Through Allyship

Presenter:
Dr. Alex Kappus, Senior Director for Student Success in the College of Education, NC State University

As a white, middle-class, degree-holding, heterosexual, able-bodied, cisgender man, I carry a great deal of unearned power and privilege in most spaces. Perhaps you hold privilege in one or more of your identities too. Privilege does not prohibit one from entering conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Instead, privilege can be leveraged to build more inclusive communities. In this workshop, participants will explore the importance of allyship in creating inclusive environments and strategies for inviting others to join you as an ally in advancing DEI.

Helping Faculty Make the Most of Their Disaggregated Course Data

Presenters:
Elizabeth Stoddard, Business Intelligence Analyst, NCCCS

Faculty will have an opportunity to look at their course data in a disaggregated format, understand where some areas for improvement may exist, and explore promising practices for instituting changes. This workshop will focus on updates to the website and will include new questions to explore.

How American Indian Students Navigate the Financial Aid Process           

Presenter:
Dr. April Query, CFNC Regional and Community Services Manager         

American Indian students are among the most underrepresented and underserved groups in the U.S. education system. Despite more people identifying as American Indian in the U.S. and, as a result, becoming a larger share of the population, the number of American Indian students enrolled in higher education decreased by 8% between 2005 and 2013. This is the only racial group in the U.S. experiencing decreased enrollment during these years. Past research presents that financial aid plays a role in a students’ decision to enroll in higher education. This session will provide attendees with more recent research on how American Indian students in North Carolina understand what role financial aid plays in higher education enrollment. We’ll discuss how these students came to learn about financial aid, apply for it, and become enrolled in higher education. We’ll look at themes from student interviews as well as recommendations for campuses and implementation steps.

Aug. 19, 2021
10:00–11:30 am
Virtual

LGBTQ Student Equity in the Classroom 

Presenter:
Josh Bledsoe, Communication Instructor, Blue Ridge Community College

This introductory workshop aims to equip faculty with tools for creating welcoming environments for LGBTQ community college students.  With a focus on retention of LGBTQ students, this session will overview LGBTQ terminology, highlight the research about LGBTQ students, LGBTQ Terminology, LGBTQ Equity in the classroom and include hands-on student scenarios.  The workshop will end with a final question and answer session.

Sep. 15, 2021
2:30–3:30 pm
Virtual

Positionality and Pathways: Encouraging Reflective Practice

Presenters:
Alex Kappus, Success Coach and Instructor, Health Sciences and Human Services, Central Carolina Community College

The Guided Pathways model encourages colleges to make deliberate decisions about student success, both in designing pathways and supporting students through their journey. In social science inquiry, scholars often write a positionality statement about how their identities may influence their research. How often do we consider how our own social identities may bias, cloud, or cause us to make harmful assumptions about students? In this session, participants will participate in an identity mapping exercise and consider ways to close equity gaps by encouraging a culture of reflective practice while carrying out the four pillars.

Post-Secondary Educational Opportunities For Rural, Low-Income, First Generation North Carolinians  

Presenter:
Skip Watts, CFNC Regional Representative- 828E area  

Students from low-income, rural backgrounds in North Carolina are dramatically underrepresented in our higher education system. Reasons for this include access, funding and lack of understanding in the college going process. This session will include a panel of educators and our hope is to develop an understanding of the roots of the problem and how we can address them holistically.

Nov. 11, 2021
10:00–11:30 am
Virtual

RDS: Residency Determination Service

Presenter:
Gene Ritter, Residency Program Manager, State Education Assistance Authority

Residency can be challenging for students to navigate. This workshop will provide an explanation of RDS: Residency Determination Service. It  will explain the basic legal requirements and recent changes in fall 2021. It will also give tips to help students avoid a non-resident classification. We will discuss what RDS is looking for and how to ease student concerns and challenges.

Dec. 9, 2021
10:00–11:30 am
Virtual

Supporting African American students at the NC Community College System

Presenter:
Brittany Privott, CFNC Regional Representative- 910 area

Studies have shown that African American students pursue lower paying majors resulting in higher post-grad debt and less opportunities for upward mobility. In this panel, we will discuss how we support these students in major selection at the community college level.

Sep. 2, 2021
10:00–11:30 am
Virtual

Transgender Student Equity in the Classroom 

Presenter:
Josh Bledsoe, Communication Instructor, Blue Ridge Community College

This workshop approaches supporting Transgender community college students from an equity mindset. We will learn about identities related to gender, gender identity, and gender expression; learn about vast experiences of transgender community college students. This workshop will provide common scenarios that transgender community college students experience.

Oct. 13, 2021
2:30–3:30 pm
Virtual

A Guided Pathway to a Meaningful Career and Meaningful Life 

Presenter:
William H. Johnson, Jr., National Expert on Guided Pathways, Student Success Navigator/Instructor and Life Design Catalyst Coach and Facilitator, UNC Greensboro

What if there were tools that you could use to help your students gain clarity about their work and their career – now and in the future? Participants in this session will create statements – a mission statement and a problem-to-solve one-liner – that will provide the foundation to create a Life’s Work Plan that outlines their educational, experiential, employable, and entrepreneurial endeavors. These activities have not only been found to provide students with clarity and direction regarding job and careers, but has also been found to be instrumental in increasing retention and graduation rates. This is a highly interactive sessions, where participants will be engaged in writing their own statements, in order to understand the process. We ALL need to be prepared for an unpredictable future!

Workshop Outcomes: Practical + A Mission Statement. + A Problem to Solve One-Liner. + An understanding how to connect two statements to Life’s Work Endeavors Worksheet. Theoretical + Detailed information on target career outcomes. + Use of multiple measures to assess students’ needs. + Help students narrow down job/career choices and steps to accomplish goal. + Coaching to empower students to take control of their educational goals. + Multiple tools to assess student learning outcomes.

Sep. 14, 2021
12:00–1:30 pm
Virtual

Creating Transparent Assignments that Increase Students’ Success Equitably

Presenter:
Dr. Heather Woodson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Gaston College

The student population in US higher education is increasingly diverse and non-traditional. As such, faculty must look to provide equitable educational opportunities for a broad variety of learners. Data from a national study identifies transparent instruction (transparency framework) as a replicable teaching practice that significantly enhances students’ success, with greater gains for historically underserved students [Winkelmes et al, Peer Review, Spring 2016]. Students’ persistence and retention can also benefit from transparent teaching and learning practices [Gianoutsos and Winkelmes 2016; Winkelmes et al. 2019]. In this workshop, we will briefly review the educational research behind the concept of transparent teaching/learning. Next, participants will apply the Transparency Framework to the design of your own class activities and assignments. Participants will leave with a draft assignment or activity for one of their courses, and a concise set of strategies for designing transparent assignments and class activities that promote students’ success equitably. Participants are asked to bring two current assignments to examine and modify during the workshop.

Oct. 29, 2021
12:00–2:00 pm
Virtual

Dealing with an Upset Person

Presenter:
Kara Finch, Program Head of Human Services, Stanly CC

Difficult people do exist. We’ve all been there- trying to reason with an upset or difficult person. When you are dealing with a person who is behaving unreasonably, the fear response center of your brain is activated. This is your fight or flight response. We can’t control how others behave or act, but we can control how we behave or act. Believe it or not, you can stay calm, defuse conflict, and keep your dignity. Learn how in our upcoming training on dealing with an upset/difficult person.

Engaging College Students Using Active Learning Techniques

Presenter:
Dr. Claire Howell Major, Professor of Higher Education, the University of Alabama

Over the last few decades, education researchers have shed light on how students learn and also on what challenges to learning exist. In this interactive Webinar, participants will gain insight into how active learning can help to improve learning outcomes in the college classroom. They will also consider how active learning techniques can help overcome some of the many challenges to learning.

Oct. 20, 2021
1:30–2:45 pm
Virtual

Helping Faculty Make the Most of Their Disaggregated Course Data

Presenter:
Elizabeth Stoddard, Business Intelligence Analyst
NCCCS

Faculty will have an opportunity to look at their course data in a disaggregated format, understand where some areas for improvement may exist, and explore promising practices for instituting changes. This workshop will focus on updates to the website and will include new questions to explore.

LGBTQ Student Equity in the Classroom 

Presenter:
Josh Bledsoe, Communications Instructor, Blue Ridge Community College

This introductory workshop aims to equip faculty with tools for creating welcoming environments for LGBTQ community college students.  With a focus on retention of LGBTQ students, this session will overview LGBTQ terminology, highlight the research about LGBTQ students, LGBTQ Terminology, LGBTQ Equity in the classroom and include hands-on student scenarios.  The workshop will end with a final question and answer session.

Sep. 15, 2021
2:30–3:30 pm
Virtual

QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer

Presenter:
Kara Finch, Program Head of Human Services, Stanly CC

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer- the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. As a QPR trained Gatekeeper you will learn to: recognize the warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope, and know how to get help and save a life.

RISE Conversations: What’s Working for You?

Presenters:
RISE Faculty from Across the State

Have you learned tips and tricks to help students be successful in the RISE courses? Why not share this advice with colleagues from across the state? Join a group discussion to share ideas about what’s working for you in the transition and corequisite courses. These discussions will be facilitated by RISE faculty from across the state who will share their own strategies to help students and fellow faculty members be successful with transition and corequisite courses. Join us for a set of 30-45 minute discussions targeted to each of the specific transition and corequisite courses.

Click here to access the event schedule.

Aug. 24, 2021
1:00–5:15 pm
Virtual

Transgender Student Equity in the Classroom 

Presenter:
Josh Bledsoe, Communications Instructor, Blue Ridge Community College

This workshop approaches supporting Transgender community college students from an equity mindset. We will learn about identities related to gender, gender identity, and gender expression; learn about vast experiences of transgender community college students. This workshop will provide common scenarios that transgender community college students experience.

Oct. 13, 2021
2:30–3:30 pm
Virtual

When Good Students Make Bad Decisions: The Psychology of Why Students Cheat

Presenter:
David Rettinger, Director of Academic Integrity Programs, University of Mary Washington

Academic misconduct poses an existential threat to higher education.  When we lose confidence in the skills and knowledge of our graduates, the value of their credentials and of higher education as a social good is called into question.  In order to respond to this threat, we must understand the reasons why students cheat and address them at the faculty, university, and societal level. However, academic integrity is more than just the absence of cheating. True academic integrity requires an academic culture that promotes authentic learning and communities of mutual respect.  While enforcement of policy is important, psychological research supports a holistic approach to academic integrity that includes a strong emphasis on personal ethical development, excellent pedagogy and a growth mindset focused on the goal of authentic learning.

Sep. 22, 2021
2:30–3:45 pm
Virtual

You, The Superhero

Presenter:
William H. Johnson, Jr., National Expert on Guided Pathways, Student Success Navigator/Instructor and Life Design Catalyst Coach and Facilitator, UNC Greensboro

Many students seek help in answering the question, “Who am I?” In this session, participants will be engaged in activities that address the answer to this question. In our Life Design Catalyst Program, students are required to take various self assessments (three personality types assessments, two strengths assessments, three values assessments, a personal motivators assessment, and a superpowers activity) to identify specific characteristics that make them who they are. This information is used to create a “poster” project that shows them as a Superhero, outlining what makes them unique. The information from this poster is used later in the semester to help them identify their Life’s Work Endeavors.

Workshop Outcomes: + Why “Knowing Yourself” is the foundation for all career decisions. + Showing resources for Self-Assessments (Personality Tests, Strengths, Values, Motivators, and Superpowers) + Instructions and Examples of You, The Superhero Posters + To show how students can see themselves in a positive light, not in a negative light.

Sep. 28, 2021
12:00–1:30 pm
Virtual