Author: Dustin Grabsch

Categories
Office of General Education Peer Academic Leaders SMU in Four

Find your PAL and complete your Degree Planner in my.SMU student communication sent

SMU in Four would like to share efforts being made to encourage undergraduate students to complete their my.SMU Degree Planner. 

The following message was shared on Sunday, September 17.

——————-

From: SMU in Four (smuinfour@smu.edu)

To: Undergraduate Students

Subject Line: Find your PAL and complete your Degree Planner in my.SMU

Dear Mustangs,

We’re officially in week 4! Is this semester flying by, or is it just us? SMU in Four hopes you’re getting into the swing of things, but if not, have you considered finding a Peer Academic Leader (PAL)? PALs are a diverse group of undergraduate students at SMU who have been dedicating their time to help their peers navigate academics.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to meet them, have no fear! They have plenty of upcoming events on the books to help you succeed.

All students are expected to use Degre Planner, so visit one of the PAL workshops this month to start, update, and complete your plan! Degree Planner workshops are on the following dates. RSVP’s are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome:

If you can’t make it to any of these, book a one-on-one appointment with a PAL during their office hours, and they’re happy to help! Whether it’s at Laura Lee Blanton Building, Suite 100, or anywhere else on campus, they’re excited to PAL around!

Melina Padron

Sr. Advisor for General Education

she/her/hers

O: 214-768-6559

melinap@smu.edu

Office of General Education; Student Academic Engagement & Success

Office of the Provost

SMU

6185 Airline Road

Dallas, TX 75205

Categories
Office of General Education

Think big, do good with Engage Dallas, and satisfy two Common Curriculum requirements

The Office of General Education and Engage Dallas requests your assistance amplifying the following community engagement opportunities with students.

On Wednesday, September 13, from the Office of General Education email, the following message was sent to all undergraduate students. Students can satisfy two Common Curriculum requirements via service with this pre-approved opportunity.

——— [ Begin Message ] ———-

From: Office of General Education (gened@smu.edu)

Subject: Think big, do good with Engage Dallas, and satisfy two Common Curriculum requirements

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.

2-in-2 Campaign

Engage Dallas is a free and easy way for students to earn two of their required proficiencies for graduation, the Community Engagement Proficiency and Experience (CEPE) and Civics & Individual Ethics proficiency (CIE) through sustained engagement with Engage Dallas. Below is a suggested path for completion of your proficiencies:

Monthly Service

To earn service hours and get connected to the Dallas community, connect with your Commons to participate in Engage Dallas monthly service events. All Engage Dallas upcoming events can be found on the Engage Dallas SMU360 page and your Residential Commons SMU360 page.

Solo Service

Engage Dallas offers solo service as a way for students to serve independently with our community partners. There are over 20 solo service opportunities ranging from art class volunteer to kennel companion to reading tutor for kids. All solo service opportunities can be found on the “Find Opportunities” page in the Engage Dallas Canvas Course under “Individual Service.” All students have a Residential Commons affiliation—Commuter students are affiliated with Boaz Commons, and Transfer Students are affiliated with Ware Commons.

#1Day4Dallas

Engage Dallas will host the 3rd annual #1Day4Dallas service event on Saturday, October 21. Breakfast, lunch, and 4 hours of direct service are included—spots are limited, so students are encouraged to register today!

Please direct any questions about Engage Dallas to engagedallas@smu.edu.

Categories
Office of General Education

Council on General Education approved updates to the Common Curriculum Critical Reasoning rubric

On Friday, September 1st, operating within its scope of authority, the Council on General Education approved an update to the Common Curriculum Critical Reasoning rubric.

Critical Reasoning was assessed for the first time in Summer 2021 by the Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness. Following that round of assessment, raters recommended reviewing and revising the rubric, which they found difficult to apply in many cases. A faculty-led committee was charged to review and revise the rubric over the summer.

Further review of the rubric found that although the learning outcome for Critical Reasoning is appropriate to the components (Students will demonstrate university-level critical reasoning proficiencies through written expression), the supporting skills emphasize writing and are nearly identical to the supporting skills for Academic Writing requirement, which has a different learning outcome (Students will develop competency, clarity, coherence, and organization in their writing). Plus, writing is assessed separately under the Academic Writing, Writing, and within the academic evaluation process.

The current design of the Critical Reasoning rubric has functioned as a barrier to the development of courses outside of the Writing and Reasoning Program (WRTR), mainly because of the primary focus on academic writing in the current iteration of the rubric. Therefore, efforts to revise the Critical Reasoning rubric have been joined with this effort to expand offerings in Critical Reasoning beyond WRTR 1313, WRTR 2304, and WRTR 2306.

Common Curriculum course proposal forms and the online rubrics were updated with the newly-approved rubric.

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success

SAES unit web pages brand migration and media library reorganization completed; deleting old websites week of September 11

In partnership with the Office of Information Technology, Student Academic Engagement and Success (SAES) began migrating unit websites to the new SMU-banded web pages in May and completed migration on September 1.

As part of the brand migration, the SAES Marketing, Communication, and Digital Technology committee worked with unit webmasters to assist with a site content refresh (e.g., text, pictures, layouts). The committee recommended reorganizing navigation and pages based on Google Analytics data of high-traffic pages. As part of the process, broken links, spelling, SEO optimization, SMU web governance, and site navigation were addressed. Finally, professional headshots and employee biographies were also added.

Additionally, SAES Marketing, Communication, and Digital Technology committee announced the reorganization of the Media Library. The media library contains pictures, files, and other digital assets linked to our web pages.

Due to the migration and restructuring of pages, the Media Library was updated into a structure similar to the page organization (e.g., academic support, academic enrichment, and initiatives).

Webmasters should notice folder organization changes and our removal of files that are no longer linked to any front-end pages. This eliminates constituents from finding outdated files by accident in SMU searches. Plus, file names may have been changed to improve accessibility and navigation.

The final step of our process will be to finalize redirects, verify brand standards across SEAS pages, and delete the old web pages the week of September 11. If units require content from their old sites, they are advised to make appropriate arrangements to export and/or archive.

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success

SAES website brand migration update and media library cleanup begins this week

In June, we shared Student Academic Engagement and Success (SAES) began migrating unit websites to the new SMU-banded web pages.

The remaining migration schedule is below and will commence on or around the dates listed below:

  • August 11:
    • Office of Undergraduate National Fellowships
    • University Honors Program
    • Scholars’ Den
  • September 1:
    • President’s Scholars
    • Rotunda Scholars
    • Mustang Scholars
    • Hilltop Scholars

We expect the migration to be complete around September 15. If you discover broken links or issues, please direct them to academicsuccess@smu.edu to be routed appropriately.

Beginning the week of August 7, SAES will clean and reorganize our SAES Sitecore Media Library. The media library contains pictures, files, and other digital assets linked to our web pages.

Due to the migration and restructuring of pages, the Media Library will be updated into a structure similar to the page organization (e.g., academic support, academic enrichment, and initiatives).

Webmasters may notice folder organization changes and removing files that are no longer linked to any front-end pages following the migration. This will eliminate constituents from finding outdated files by accident in SMU searches. Plus, file names may be changed to improve accessibility and navigation.

The next communication on the webpage migration will be once all SAES units have been completed.

Categories
Student Success & Retention

Student Success and Retention launches new website, online forms, and expanded initiatives

The Office of Student Success and Retention launched a new website on Friday, July 21. The new website unveiled expanded initiative descriptions and new online forms.

Explore our student success initiatives, empowering all Mustangs to achieve their goals. The initiatives are designed to provide holistic student support and empower students to succeed from their first day through graduation.

Plus, undergraduate students can initiate Withdrawal, Cancelation, and Leave of Absences via a new web form rather than email. This new form streamlines processes, enhances communication with campus partners, and decreases the overall process timeline. Please direct students to this new overview page which includes pre-leave considerations, details on requesting leaves, what to do while on leave, and how to return successfully to the Hilltop.

Finally, SMU employees, parents, and families have a web form to report student retention concerns. Formally known as the Student Intent to Leave Form, the rebranded form is now entitled Retention Alert. 

Retention Alert allows student support personnel to attempt intervention with students at risk. Reporting faculty and staff are encouraged to continue working with the identified student. Student Success and Retention or a partner office representative will try to reach students who would benefit from academic and personal support services. The Retention Alert form will ask you to identify the reason for the alert and your recommendation(s) for follow-up.

Please direct questions, concerns, and feedback to the Office of Student Success and Retention at ssr@smu.edu.

Categories
First-Generation Initiative Mustang Scholars Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention University Testing Center

Undergraduate Education and Academic Success publishes 2022-2023 annual report

Undergraduate Education and Academic Success is a branch within the Office of the Provost’s Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success which oversees a wide range of academic support and engagement offices and initiatives.

Our 2022 – 2023 offices and initiatives included:

A copy of the annual report is included below and is available for download.

Questions, comments, and feedback can be directed to Dr. Dustin Grabsch (dgrabsch@smu.edu).

Categories
Student Success & Retention

Dr. Jeff Doyle named new director of the Office of Student Success and Retention

Dr. Jeff Doyle, an academic and student affairs professional with expertise in student success, residence life, and student learning, has been named director of student success and retention at SMU. He will begin his duties on July 31, 2023.

“Jeff is a dynamic leader with a demonstrated track record strengthening connections and partnerships across key student support units,” said Dustin Grabsch, SMU assistant provost for undergraduate education and academic success. “With his extensive experience supporting diverse students, including those who are first-generation, low-income, international, athletes, and students with disabilities, among others, I am confident that his leadership will enhance our commitment to student success initiatives on the Hilltop. I eagerly anticipate witnessing his impact on fostering fidelity and facilitating our growth in this crucial area.”

Doyle was selected after a competitive national search. Doyle has over 25 years of experience in higher education, most recently at Baylor University, where he worked in planning and assessment within the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and was dean for student learning and engagement.

He has served on the faculty at several universities where he taught and supervised undergraduate and graduate students, oversaw student organizations, and helped lead campus-wide efforts to improve student persistence and graduation.

Doyle attended the University of Virginia and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology and counselor education, with a focus on student affairs. He also holds a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Virginia in education with a focus on organization behavior.

Doyle shared, “I am excited to meet the amazing students, faculty, and staff who make up SMU, and learn more about SMU’s strengths and areas where I can be helpful.”

In his free time, Jeff enjoys road cycling, books, and listening to podcasts.

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success University Advising Center

Engage Dallas launches 2-in-2 campaign to encourage more students to complete Common Curriculum graduation requirements

Engage Dallas launched a new 2-in-2 campaign with postcard mailings to all incoming first-year and transfer students this week.

The campaign encourages undergraduate students to complete their Community Engagement and Civics & Individual Ethics Common Curriculum graduation requirements through their Residential Commons during their first two years at SMU.

All incoming students were encouraged to start the Engage Dallas Canvas Course in the Campus Life Online Orientation Modules in Mustang StartUp orientation experience.

Students can sign up today to begin earning service hours through Engage Dallas by registering to participate in the following fall events–

Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas.

For questions about Engage Dallas, please email engagedallas@smu.edu or visit their website.

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success

New SAES staff resources available

Student Academic Engagement and Success (SAES) has released new marketing and communication resources for staff.

These new resources and others are now available on the SAES Staff Resources webpage. Questions, feedback, and recommendations related to these new resources can be directed to Beryl Hellinghausen.