Category: SMU in Four

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SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

Call for Common Curriculum Civic and Individual Ethic Course Proposals

Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development professor, Peter Carton, lectures for his class Sports Management Practicum, Thursday, October 14, 2021 in Prothro Hall on the SMU Campus.

The Council on General Education approved updates to the Common Curriculum (CC) Civic and Individual Ethic (CIE) Rubric on September 6 recommended updates were proposed by a cross-functional faculty working group convened by the Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness over the summer. While the student learning outcome remains the same, the supporting skills were modified to more clearly emphasize ethical topics, questions, concepts, and dilemmas within civic or individual contexts. 

With the approval of the updated rubric, SMU in Four would like to announce a call for new or the redesign of existing courses to convey the Civic and Individual Ethic graduation requirement. The call for course proposals seeks to increase the number of CIE-tagged courses, and, thereby, the number of seats available to undergraduate students – aiding in time to degree. Proposals are due by November 15 at 5:00pm via the online submission platform. 

Three types of CIE course proposals are being sought. Full-time faculty are encouraged to apply: 

  1. Develop an Online, Asynchronous Course for Fall 2025. Partnering with the Office of Information Technology Online Production Services Team, one faculty proposer will receive one month of extra salary up to $10,000 in extra compensation to develop an online, asynchronous course. The typical online development process takes approximately 9 months. Online courses will be developed for delivery to students on Canvas. The new CIE-tagged course will be expected to be offered each academic year by the proposer’s academic department and may also be offered in the summer for extra compensation. The faculty who develop the course will have the right of first refusal to teach each time the course is offered outside of the regular fall-spring schedule.  
  2. Develop a New, In–Person Synchronous Course for Fall 2025. Two faculty proposers will receive $7,5000 in extra compensation to propose and develop a new course that would meet the approval of the CoGE.  
  3. Redesign of an Existing, In-Person Synchronous for Fall 2025. Two faculty proposers will receive $5,000 in extra compensation to redesign an existing course that meets CoGE approval. Course redesigns will favor proposals that satisfy required major or minor requirements in academic programs with high enrollments.  

After the November 15 deadline, proposals will be reviewed by the Provost’s Office. A limited number of courses will be selected for development. The courses proposed should appeal to a wide range of undergraduate students. Courses that are cross-listed or fulfill additional Common Curriculum requirements are among those that have wider appeal. In-person courses will be expected to have a minimum capacity of 35 seats and the online asynchronous course should have a minimum capacity of 25 seats. 

Given the expectation that these courses will be offered annually as part of the regular fall-spring teaching load, a statement of commitment from the department chair and dean will be necessary to finalize the selection process. Selected courses will be routed for approval to department chairs and dean’s offices before candidates are notified of their proposal’s acceptance.  Following the development of a new course, the course will be proposed to the Council on General Education for final review and approval.  

To support the enhancement of the Civic and Individual Ethic curriculum, the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility is pleased to announce its support by providing funding to aid course development. The selected faculty cohort will offer faculty members a robust network and various development opportunities, including intentional sessions focused on ethical issues and instructional strategies. Participants will benefit from immersive retreats designed to foster collaborative learning, deepen their engagement with ethical topics, and find course development resources. Through this initiative, the Maguire Ethics Center aims to enrich the academic experience and contribute to the growth of high-quality, impactful CIE offerings at SMU. 

If you have any questions regarding submitting your proposal, please contact Dr. Molly Ellis (facultysuccess@smu.edu). 

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SMU in Four

Encourage undergraduate students to complete their my.SMU Degree Planner by October 1

Students study before Spring Finals at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, Tuesday, May 6, 2021 on the SMU Campus.

On Friday, September 13 pre-major and declared major students received a task and message in my.smu that asked them to complete a path in Degree Planner by October 1st. (This deadline is also listed on SMU’s academic calendar.) Declared major students complete their path when they plan through the semester of their graduation.

This task was applied to everyone, regardless of Degree Planner completion, and will be removed on October 1st, also regardless of completion. Although there is no consequence for students who do not complete Degree Planner, this requirement is a semesterly expectation for all students and advisors.

Please encourage your students to work on a Degree Planner path. When students complete their Degree Planner, the academic advisor job becomes easier in a couple of ways: students will have the start of a plan for course enrollment, and departments will see a clearer picture of course demand for future semesters. The tool only becomes increasingly useful as more students and advisors participate…

Over the next two weeks, students can seek help with Degree Planner in numerous ways:

SMU installed an update to the Degree Planner software on Thursday, September 12, that should have fixed the technical issues students may have encountered over the summer. If you see issues, technical or otherwise, please use the Degree Planner Issues/Requests Tracker. If students have problems, they should contact the Help Desk.

Finally, Success Fest on September 26th will offer free food, raffles, and games for all students who have completed their Degree Planner… If they still have work to do, advisors will be there to help them finish. Look for more promotion of Success Fest over the next two weeks, and help us get the word out…

Thanks for all of your help, and if you have any questions, let me know.

Josh Beaty

Advising Pillar, SMU in Four

jbeaty@smu.edu

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Academic Center for Excellence Academic Devleopment of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Offices & Programs SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

You’re invited to DASSapalooza on Thursday, August 29

The Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) Office is inviting all DASS students, new and returning, to visit our office on the first Thursday afternoon of classes.

We’ll have great food, presentations on different topics like the benefits of coaching, a student’s perspective from our Graduate Assistant, answers to questions about how to share accommodation letters with faculty, and a demonstration for returning students on how to submit their Semester Requests.

Faculty and staff are also invited to see our physical space, ask questions about implementing accommodations, and just grab a bite to eat. All DASS staff will be available.

In addition, we need help naming our new DASS mascot. Add your suggestion on the voting board for the otter on our new “Accessibility For All” stickers.

Come see us and say hello!

Location: Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) Room 202R, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Loyd All-Sports Center

Call us with any questions: 214-768-1470Cartoon otter, the mascot of DASS

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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

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Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention

Summer Forge returns for Summer 2024 with a 29-student cohort 

Following the successful completion of the inaugural Summer 2023 cohort, Summer Forge is back with a cohort of 29 students. Summer Forge provides invited undergraduate students with financial, academic, and social support to accelerate their path to on-time graduation.    

Invited students receive up to 8 paid semester credit hours over May, Summer, and/or August terms. To make the program more accessible, housing costs were included for non-local students. The Summer 2024 cohort consists of 29 students attempting over 167 credit hours during the summer terms. The average participant takes 6 hours to fulfill major, minor, or Common Curriculum requirements.  

Summer Forge is a collaboration between the Office of Student Success and Retention, SMU in Four, Office of Financial Aid, and Student Academic Success Programs. It reflects the university’s commitment to improving retention and graduation rates. Program Co-Directors Brittaney Wilson, General Education and Academic Appeals Coordinator, and Jay Guillory, Success Counselor in the Office of Student Success and Retention, initially identified the students based on various criteria, in addition to their commitment to complete classes in the Fall 2024 semester at SMU. They would like to thank the many advisors who recommended students and assisted with student outreach for their support.   

To kick off a successful Summer Term, Becca Umobong and Chris Meyers from Academic Skill Development led a Learning Strategies Workshop focused on: Time Management Resources and Improving Academic Success. In addition to the workshop, all students have individual academic counseling sessions. Students are also encouraged to visit the A-LEC for tutoring services across course content areas.  

Please contact Brittaney Wilson or Jay Guillory with any questions about the program.  

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SMU in Four

Call for applications: Provost Faculty Fellow for Undergraduate Academic Success

The Office of Faculty Success within the Office of the Provost announced a call for applications for a new Provost Faculty Fellow to join the current cohort. The open position will focus on the following priority area:

Undergraduate Academic Success Fellow. As we move into Year 4 of the Quality Enhancement Plan (SMU-in-Four), we will begin to implement several recommended solutions from the Early Alert and Advising Pillars. The Provost Faculty Fellow in this role will assist in conversations with academic departments about the best way to implement 2 of these recommendations: 1) building an academic alert system using information in Canvas; and 2) implementing professional advising across the five undergraduate schools. During the fall term, the Fellow will be part of a small group who will meet with each academic department to gather critical feedback. In the spring, the Fellow will support this group in development the plan to implement recommended changes. Prior experience as a faculty advisor or as a director of undergraduate studies would be advantageous in this role, but not a necessary criteria. Previous applicants are encouraged to re-apply.

All full-time faculty members can apply—with priority for either instructional (professional/teaching track) faculty or tenured faculty who have interest and/or experience in the area above. The priority deadline for consideration is Friday, May 17th. A full application should include both a CV and a cover letter that describes your interest a) in the priority area and b) in the professional development opportunities associated with the Fellow role. Applications and questions can be sent to facultysuccess@smu.edu.

For a complete description of the role of Provost Faculty Fellow, please see AY24-25 Provost Faculty Fellow Call for Applicants.

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SMU in Four

Undergraduate student focus groups on early alert tools occuring this week

SMU in Four Early Alert Pillar is facilitating three focus groups this week to discuss student experiences related to early alert tools.

Students will be asked to share their experiences related to Early Progress Reports, Midterm Progress Reports, and the Mid-Semester Check-in survey, to name a few. All undergraduate students are invited to participate.

Please help us recruit students to participate by forwarding to interested students. Lunch is provided for in-person attendees, but online participants are possible

Questions about the focus groups can be directed to the SMU in Four email at smuinfour@smu.edu.

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Academic Center for Excellence Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center First-Generation Initiative Honors and Scholars Office of General Education Offices & Programs Rotunda Scholars SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention

Student Senate Awards First-Generation Scholarship

The First-Generation Initiative is excited to announce that on March 26th, Student Senate passed legislation, which appropriates $50,000 per year exclusively to Pell Grant, first-generation students. This first-gen scholarship will begin in Fall 2024 and last for the next nine years (Spring 2033).

A huge thanks to all of Student Senate for the unanimous vote, but a special thanks to: Alex Alarcón, Clayton Meyer, Michael Castle, and Wyatt Harms! We also want to thank the First-Generation Initiative’s former graduate/student assistants, Briana Morales and Guadalupe Roman, for their determination in continuing to push for more first-gen support.

 

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Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

Degree Planner updated to plan co-curricular options

The Office of General Education partnered with the Office of Information Technology and the Registrar’s Office to permit undergraduate student’s the ability to plan co-curricular obtainment of Common Curriculum (CC) Proficiencies and Experience in Degree Planner. 

The purpose of this change is to simplify and ultimately make planning easier for our students.  With the Degree Planner update, students can select an SMU course, a pre–approved activity, or inform us of their desire to petition an individual activity to fulfill a Proficiency or Experience.  

Watch this new video on how to plan a pre-approved or individual activity in Degree Planner:  

The following pre-approved clubs and organizations fulfill CC graduation requirements, also known as Proficiencies & Experiences (PREX), and have already been added as options in Degree Planner: 

Activity Name  CC Requirement 
Alternative Breaks  Community Engagement 
Engage Dallas  Community Engagement, Civics and Individual Ethics 
Vice President for Student Affairs Advisory Board  Civics and Individual Ethics 
Mustang PEP Talks  Civics and Individual Ethics, Oral Communication 
Peer Academic Leaders (PAL)  Community Engagement, Oral Communication 
Student Wellness Program  Community Engagement 
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)  Community Engagement 
Board Fellows Program  Community Engagement 
Spiritual Life Mentors  Community Engagement 
SMU Abroad Programs  Global Perspectives 

 

Search for these pre-approved activities under the PREX course attribute in Degree Planner. 

Following the Council on General Education‘s approval, look for more pre-approved clubs and organizations that will be added to Degree Planner. Updates can also be found on each Proficiency &  Experience webpage.  

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SMU in Four University Advising Center

New videos on understanding the Degree Progress Report released

The Degree Progress Report (DPR) is arguably the most essential tool for preparing for an advising meeting. Although you might think you understand the DPR, it can be tricky to read for even the most experienced advisor.

The Advising Resources Canvas Course (permission required) has a section devoted to the DPR, and SMU’s wiki pages on the subject are helpful. But if you’d rather watch the movie than read the book, the Registrar and Office of Information Technology (OIT) partnered to produce new videos on understanding the DPR and DPR Summary.

These two short videos cover a lot of ground, so you will likely learn something new, no matter how much you already know. Using the DPR and DPR Summary in new ways could make advising easier and better.

Of course, the DPR should also be an essential tool for students to independently navigate their academic requirements. Encourage your students to prepare for your meeting by visiting their DPRs to find out what requirements remain unfulfilled. Since that’s no easy task, a video for students can be found on this Student Essentials Academic Progress webpage. 

Please contact Josh Beaty, SMU in Four Advising Pillar Chair, at jbeaty@smu.edu with questions. Special thanks to the Registrar and OIT teams for their efforts on these projects.