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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success

Register now for the 3rd annual Place-Based Community Engagement Symposium on October 2 and 3

We are excited to extend an invitation to the 3rd Annual Place-Based Community Engagement Symposium hosted by Engage Dallas, in collaboration with Residence Life & Student Housing, the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement, the Budd Center, the Office of General Education, the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility, and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

This year’s theme is Listening, Learning & Leading Locally: A Place-Based Approach to Amplifying Community Champions and Mobilizing the Next Generation. This two-day event will take place on:

  • October 2nd, 5:30pm – 7:30pm (SMU Campus) and
  • October 3rd, 9:00am – 3:00pm (UNT Dallas Campus).
About the Place-Based Community Engagement Symposium 

The Place-Based Community Engagement Symposium is a gathering of thought leaders, academics, community leaders, and nonprofit professionals from SMU and the DFW area. This event is designed to explore the transformative potential of community engagement within specific geographic contexts. Our goal is to delve into the strategies and innovations that have the power to catalyze positive change within communities, with emphasis on campus and community collaboration and sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships.

The SMU Engage Dallas Program 

Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas. The initiative is a long-term, university-wide commitment led by students to partner with local residents, organizations, and other leaders to positively impact the community. There is equal emphasis on campus and community impact stemming from the initiative. This symposium allows us to share, expand and further develop the work of Engage Dallas, as well as invite other SMU faculty and staff to consider new and innovative ways to support community engagement efforts in Dallas.

Together We Dine 

On Wednesday, October 2, attendees will participate in Together We Dine. Together We Dine offers an opportunity for us to share a meal and listen, learn, and engage as we work to better understand ourselves and each other. We will engage in courageous and safe conversations, share our experiences, and listen to the stories of other community engagement champions.

RSVP 

This is a free event, and meals will be provided on both days. To protect limited resources, please register only for the day(s) you can attend by September 18, 2024. You can register for one or both days.

Register Now

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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success

Non-course opportunities for Common Curriculum Proficiency & Experience credit

The Office of General Education is excited to share some co-curricular initiatives and opportunities available to assist students in obtaining their Common Curriculum Proficiencies and Experiences outside the classroom.   

Common Curriculum Reading:  

The Common Curriculum Reading is open to all SMU undergraduate students but will target juniors and seniors who have not completed their Civics & Individual Ethics Proficiency and Experience requirement. Students who opt-in to the program will engage in eight reading group meetings and discussions with peers and program facilitators from areas across campus.  

The book selection for Fall 2024 is “Artificial Unintelligence” by Meredith Broussard. Broussard discusses the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern society and the public’s belief that AI can solve all the world’s problems. However, Broussard argues that there are social and ethical issues that AI can’t resolve. Students can sign up through Qualtrics, and staff/faculty can learn more about the program on the Common Curriculum Reading blog post. 

 Unconscious Bias Training Course:  

 The Franklin Covey Unconscious Bias Training Course is based on The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias. This initiative is focused on seniors who have not completed their Human Diversity Proficiency & Experience. The Unconscious Bias online course consists of five asynchronous learning modules. Each learning module requires 3-4 hours of work. However, participants will also have access to impact coaching to help them learn and apply the key concepts. For more information, please complete the Unconscious Bias Interest Form. 

 Engage Dallas:  

 Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons, open to all SMU students, to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas. Engage Dallas is one of the easiest ways for undergraduate students to earn their  Community Engagement Proficiency & Experience as well as their Civics & Individual Ethics Proficiency and Experience, both required for graduation. Engage Dallas is a free program that accepts new members at any time. Students can serve the community in small groups or independently, based on their availability. Students can learn more and get started by visiting smu.edu/engagedallas or selecting the Engage Dallas course on their  Canvas dashboard. 

 In addition to the initiatives listed above, the Office of General Education partners with various offices across campus to market pre-approved activities and  organizations that can fulfill individual Proficiencies & Experiences. For more information about pre-approved activities and organizations visit the  Proficiencies & Experiences page to review individual graduation requirements or schedule a meeting with Brittaney Wilson. 

 

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success University Foundations

University Foundations launches in SAES

Effective August 1, the Department of University Foundations joined the Division of Student Academic Engagement and Student Success.  University Foundations provides enriching coursework focused on students’ personal, academic, and leadership development as they transition to the SMU community.  The department manages all courses with a UNIV or PRW prefix.  You can find more information about University Foundations on their website.

Five faculty members transitioned from the Simmons School of Education and Human Development into the Department of University Foundations:

  • Caitlin Anderson, Chair and Teaching Associate Professor – located in the Scholars Den
  • Brian Fennig, Teaching Associate Professor – located in PAB suite 301
  • Troy Forte, Teaching Assistant Professor – located in the Scholars Den
  • Haemin Kim-Breunig, Teaching Assistant Professor – located in PAB suite 301
  • Abby Pruitt, Teaching Professor – located in PAB suite 301

The department is thrilled to welcome three new faculty members to University Foundations:

  • Jessica Garrett, Teaching Assistant Professor – located in the Scholars’ Den: Dr. Garrett is from the windy city of Chicago. She completed her Ph.D. in the Cultural and Policy Studies Program at Loyola University in Chicago.  She is eager to help our students reach their full potential and live with purpose.
  • Hannah Park Lee, Teaching Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator of the Hilltop Scholars Program – located in the Scholars’ Den: Prior to her current position, Dr. Park Lee worked with Honors and Scholars programs here at SMU in addition to working with non-profit organizations in the DFW area. She completed her Ed.D. in Higher Education at Southern Methodist University.  Dr. Park Lee’s research interests include program and curriculum development as well as the impact diverse curriculum has on the student experience.
  • Jan Mallett, Teaching Assistant Professor – located in PAB suite 301: Dr. Mallett previously worked at SMU as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning where she coordinated the M.Ed. with Montessori Specialization. She’s continued to teach in the Departments of Teaching and Learning and Applied Physiology and Sport Management. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M – Commerce.

Welcome to SAES, University Foundations!

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SMU in Four

Join SMU in Four at the year-three progress presentation

Join the SMU in Four team as we share year-three progress on SMU’s Quality Enhancement Plan.

Updates will be provided on early-alert mechanisms, undergraduate academic advising, technology enhancements, and gateway & introductory courses. Plus, informal student retention and graduation numbers will be shared along with goals for year four of the five-year initiative.

Thursday | October 17, 2024
3 – 4:30 p.m.
Moody Hall Auditorium

Register

Walk-ins welcome, RSVPs encouraged

Categories
Student Success & Retention

Year-end review: Retention alert and advising note reporting system recap

With the Academic year ending, the Office of Student Success and Retention would like to focus on the effectiveness of our Retention Alert and Advising Note reporting system. We would like to thank every individual advisor or faculty member who used these tools to report any retention risk. 

 This academic year, with the valuable assistance of advisors across campus, 231 advising notes were submitted during the fall and spring semesters, in addition to 94 retention alerts. These submissions from our campus community have played a crucial role in identifying students who are considering transferring or taking a leave of absence from SMU.  

The Office of Student Success and Retention has utilized the information from both reporting systems to effectively intervene with at-risk students, demonstrating our collective efforts. SSR would like to express gratitude to the faculty and staff members who submitted advising notes and retention alerts this academic year. Through your partnership, SSR has been able to reach out to and assist students while providing them with support and connections to campus resources.  

If you would like to learn more about this tool and how the Office of Student Success and Retention utilizes it to aid with retention and intervention, please contact Jay Guillory. 

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success

The A-LEC now has a trio of doctors!

For the first time, tutor hiring, training, and supervision will be done by staff holding doctorate degrees. Dr. Adreana Julander, director, Dr. Nancy Larkin, assistant director, and Dr. Grace Okoro have all met the requirements for their doctorate degrees. This is a first for the A-LEC! Please congratulate these ladies on their accomplishment!

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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

A behind-the-scenes look at an SMU psychology lab

headshot of Morgan Schield
Morgan Schield, Undergraduate Research Assistant in Psychology

Written by Morgan Schield ’25

This summer I worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Health Behavior Lab in SMU’s Department of Psychology. In this lab, we explore various aspects of mental and physical health to see how they affect public health.

My job was to coordinate a study analyzing the effects of guided thinking tasks on physical activity. Dr. Austin Baldwin’s leadership helped me navigate the logistics of the study, and prepared me for future work in a clinical psychology setting. As an undergraduate studying psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and biomedical anthropology, as well as a competitive swimmer, I value the benefits of physical activity on brain health. I believe this study is significant to psychology research regarding brain health awareness.

My summer position was funded through the Office of Engaged Learning’s Summer Research Intensive. Through that program, I also attended weekly workshops and lectures. I learned how to generate a research question, conduct a literature review, create an elevator pitch, develop visual representations of data, and perfect resumes and CVs. I am going to be applying for graduate school for a Master’s in clinical psychology soon. These workshops helped me feel much more prepared for the application process. Moreover, hearing from experienced speakers who have undergone the research process, as well as engaging with students conducting research in various fields, enhanced my ability to communicate fascinating concepts in an academic setting.

As a research assistant, I help recruit individuals who will come to our office and do the following: walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, listen to audio recordings intended to promote physical activity, and fill out questionnaires. The questionnaires assess how well futuristic and imagery tasks improve their motivation. For example, the audio recording asks them to visualize themselves at an event in the future. This hopefully motivates them to exercise now!

After analyzing participants’ data and feedback, we will identify better ways to foster active lifestyles. I am excited to be part of a study that advocates for the wellbeing of society.

My role as an undergraduate psychology research assistant has been inspiring because I have received hands-on experience in groundbreaking research. In a rapidly evolving world, the importance of brain health in relation to physical health is constantly increasing. SMU is dedicated to discovering methods to enhance scientific discovery in all realms. Dr. Baldwin’s research lab and the SRI program helped me be part of something bigger than myself and certainly prepared me for my future career.