The Office of General Education and Student Success and Retention will host our Sweets and Suite Warming Gathering on Wednesday, August 14th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Blanton Suites 100 and 338. This is a come-and-go event.
The Office of General Education was previously housed in Blanton Suite 100 but has moved to Blanton Suite 338. Student Success and Retention, which operated out of the Perkins Administration Building, has moved to Blanton Suite 100.
Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to come tour our new office locations and enjoy sweets from Nothing Bundt Cakes and J.D’s Chippery.
The Common Curriculum Reading is open to all SMU undergraduate students, but will target juniors and seniors who have not completed their Civics & Individual EthicsProficiency and Experience. Students who opt-in to the program will engage in 8 reading group meetings and discussions with their peers and program facilitators. The facilitators represent various areas across campus, including:
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.
The Office of General Education is excited about this unique reading experience, and looks forward to the program’s first meeting on September 10th, 2024.
The PALs are a diverse group of undergraduate students who aim to help their peers better understand the Common Curriculum, utilize academic resources, and navigate academic challenges. They are also inserted into the Residential Commons (RCs) and facilitate monthly programming meant to build a sense of community in the RC.
The PALs had a very successful first year with many highlights, such as:
As the Spring 2024 semester comes to an end, the Office of General Education is working to re-launch the Common Reading program for SMU undergraduate students in Fall 2024 in a revised format.
This version of the Common Reading will target first-year students, allowing them the opportunity to earn their Civics & Individual Ethics (CIE) Common Curriculum (CC) Proficiency. Due to budget and logistical constraints, it will only be a targeted group within the first-year cohort rather than all first-year students.
The Office of General Education has created a campus-wide survey to get feedback from students, staff, and faculty members on the following:
Book selection and its alignment with the CIE rubric
Time commitment and requirements for students intending to receive the CIE credit
1,506 students utilizing Degree Planner between February 15th and March 1st
1,938 students utilizing Degree Planner between February 1st and March 1st
Success Fest will be a semesterly offering, aligning with the Degree Planner deadlines of March 1st and October 1st. These deadlines will be added to SMU’s Academic Calendar to help promote continued use of Degree Planner.
Overall, the PALs and UAC are excited with the Spring 2024 results and look forward to planning Success Fest for Fall 2024.
On Thursday, February 15th, two separate To-Do Tasks were added to all undergraduate students’ my.SMU accounts to promote the completion of their Degree Planner by March 1st and Success Fest on February 28th.
To-Do Task for pre-major students: “Complete your Degree Planner, if you have not already. Pre-major students are required to plan through the semester after their major declaration by Friday, March 1st. Students with a completed path in Degree Planner can attend Success Fest on Wednesday, February 28th. Students can get help with Degree Planner from a PAL, advisor, or at a Degree Planner workshop.”
To-Do Task for declared students: “Complete your Degree Planner, if you have not already. Declared students are required to plan through the semester of their graduation by Friday, March 1st. Students with a completed path in Degree Planner can attend Success Fest on Wednesday, February 28th. Students can get help with Degree Planner from a PAL, advisor, or at a Degree Planner workshop.”
To-do task for pre-major students
To-do task for declared students
A message was also sent via students’ Message Center, detailing information on Degree Planner, how to enter Success Fest, and upcoming Degree Planner workshops.
Students are encouraged to attend a Degree Planner Workshop hosted by the Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) on February 22nd from 4pm-5pm in Hughes-Trigg room 120, or to schedule a 1-1 appointment with a PAL.
Students can also attend Degree Planner Workshops hosted by the University Advising Center (UAC) on February 26th or February 27th from 11:30am-2:30pm in Hughes-Trigg room130. Students who show proof of a complete Degree Planner can enter Success Fest on February 28th from 2pm-4pm in the Hughes-Trigg Varsity.
Every Fall and Spring semester, undergraduate students can expect a Degree Planner deadline and Success Fest as it becomes a pre-advising season ritual.
Success Fest will occur on February 28th from 2pm to 4pm in the Hughes-Trigg Varsity. The event will offer students incentives, such as food from Grilled Cheese Co. and the opportunity to enter a raffle to win Amazon gift cards.
To enter Success Fest, students must show proof of a completed Degree Planner. Academic Advisors from the UAC will review students’ Degree Planners to check for completion before entering Success Fest. There will also be PALs and advisors in the Hughes-Trigg Chamber to help students complete their Degree Planner on the day of the event.
Pre-major students will be required to fill out their Degree Planner leading up until major declaration, while declared students will be expected to complete their Degree Planner leading up until graduation. The deadline for students to complete their Degree Planner is March 1st, 2024.
Students will receive a flyer with Degree Planner requirements and deadlines
Students will also receive a ticket with a link to the SMU 360 event and a stub for the gift card raffles
Students can expect a To-Do task to be added to their student dashboard on my.SMU, in addition to receiving a message in their Message Center with more details about Degree Planner deadlines and Success Fest.
The UAC will host Degree Planner workshops on February 26th and 27th from 11:30am to 2:30pm in Hughes-Trigg room 130. During this same time, the PALs will be tabling across campus to distribute marketing materials for Success Fest.
Peer Leader Training completed their spring refresher on Saturday at the Residence Life and Student Housing Peer Leader Training. Training refreshers included:
Problem Solving and Innovative Thinking by Professor Willie Baronet, Stan Richards Professor in Creative Advertising
Rest and Boundaries by Kaleb Loomis, Assistant Chaplain
Outside the Box Programming by Kauai Wilson, Peer Academic Leader (pictured)
Advanced SMU360 Functions by Bonnie Pickett, Program Specialist
Resume and Career Center Resources by Marsha Booker, Assistant Director
Bonita is a current Sophomore at SMU, who is double majoring in Computer Science and Data Science. Along with her demanding course load, Bonita is also involved in other student organizations on campus and even serves as a Rotunda Scholar Peer Counselor.
Bonita is an excellent example of a student who excels in time management and is able to contribute 100% effort to everything she does. During her time as PAL, Bonita has boosted her confidence and has quickly become an outspoken leader on the team. Bonita contributes unique and thoughtful ideas to improve the PALs program overall, and she is consistently engaged during team meetings and brainstorming sessions.
The Office of General Education is proud of the work Bonita has put forth this semester, and looks forward to seeing her strengthen her leadership skills in Spring 2024.
Staff, students, and faculty can stay updated with the PALs programming via SMU 360, Instagram, or the PALs website.
The PALs have also hosted monthly “Study Breaks” in each of their assigned Residential Commons to help students maintain a healthy academic lifestyle before major exams.
The PALs have had over 700 students attend their programs throughout the Fall 2023 semester. The PALs are proud of this achievement and have already started to plan events for the Spring 2024 semester.
The PALs will wrap up their fall programming on December 5th, where they will collaborate with Fondren Library for SMU’s first-ever Study-A-Thon. This event will take place in Fondren’s Blue Mezzanine, reserved so students can grab snacks and study for their final exams.
