Category: Student Academic Engagement & Success

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Student Academic Engagement & Success

Approved meeting minutes from the Council on General Education on March 31, 2023

The Council on General Education met on March 31, 2023. The meeting minutes for March 10, 2023 were approved at this meeting. Below is the agenda, and the meeting minutes have now been posted on the General Education website.

  1. Approval of Agenda for the March 31, 2023 Council on General Education meeting.
  2. Approval of Minutes for the March 10, 2023 Council on General Education meeting.
  3. Course Proposals
    1. Previously Reviewed & Revised
      1. DANC 3363-Breadth/ES
      2. RUSS 3341-PREX/CIE and PREX/HD
      3. EMIS 2375-Breadth/TAS and PREX/CIE
    2. New Proposals
      1. ITAL 2302-Breadth/CA
      2. ADV 2301-Breadth/SBS
      3. FILM 4353-Breadth/PREI
      4. ADV 2323-Breadth/HC
      5. FILM 3353-Breadth/HC
      6. MUHI 1305-Breadth/HC and PREX/HD
      7. WL 3319-PREX/HD
      8. ADV 2343-PREX/GPS and PREX/HD
      9. FILM 2351-PREX/GPS
      10. WL 3311-Breadth/TAS, PREX/GPS, PREX/HD
      11. CEE 1302- Breadth/TAS
      12. JOUR 3313- PREX/CE
      13. JOUR 3362- PREX/CE
      14. JOUR 3382-PREX/CE
  4. Office of General Education Updates
    1. Writing Board
      1. Intercessions W-tagged Courses
    2. Electronic Course Submissions
      1. Administrative Review Process
      2. Recommendations for Streamline
      3. Summer – PDF Proposal Forms, Example Proposals
    3. UC Tag Audit

Please contact the Office of General Education for questions or proposal development support.

 

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning - Entrepreneurship Student Academic Engagement & Success

Big iDeas is Back!

 

Pitch to win $5,000 at the Big iDeas Business Plan Competition. Applications are open now! Apply at smu.edu/bigideas.

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research Student Academic Engagement & Success

It’s Research & Innovation Week!

Research & Innovation Week March 20-25 2023

It’s Research & Innovation Week!

Join us for events showcasing student work, along with a faculty panel and keynote by Taylor Shead, CEO and founder of STEMuli Studios. Details below.

We’d also like to quickly highlight the Engaged Learning Fellows presenting on Tuesday’s Undergraduate Poster Session:

  • Sophia Achar, NWSL Expansion
  • Siphosami Dongozi, An ethnographic study of the effects of Zimbabwean and colonial patriarchal patterns on women’ rights.
  • Lior Kremer, Synthesis and Modification of Maleimides to Control Properties of Degradable Adhesive Networks
  • Ayden Machajewski, SMU Guildhall Capstone Recording Sessions
  • Sayumi Mahawanniarachchi, Addictive Health Risk Behaviors of Undergraduate Students
  • Raiya Shah, Children’s Literature as a Health Education Tool
  • Dylan Tietje-Mckinney, Using Copper Nanoclusters to Induce Cytotoxicity in Cancer Cells

Research & Innovation Week 2023 Events

Keynote Talk: Taylor Shead

  • Taylor Shead, CEO and founder of STEMuli Studios.
  • Monday March 20, 6:00pm
  • Hughes Trigg Auditorium
    Taylor Shead
    Taylor Shead

Undergraduate Poster Session

  • Tuesday March 21, 2023, 2-5 PM
  • Hughes-Trigg Ballroom

Graduate Poster Session

  • Wednesday March 22, 2023, 2-5 PM
  • Hughes-Trigg Ballroom

Faculty Panel: Graduate Education and the Future of Research in North Texas

  • Thursday March 23, 2023, 3:30 PM
  • Hughes-Trigg Auditorium

Featuring:

  • Stephen Arrowsmith, Associate Professor and Hamilton Chair in Earth Sciences, SMU
  • Dinesh Bhatia, Professor of Electrical Engineering, UT Dallas
  • Annie Ginty, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University
  • Ramon Lopez, Professor of Physics, UT Arlington
  • Floyd Wormley, Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, TCU
Categories
Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

SMU in Four announces final Degree Planner raffle winners

Let’s give a big round of applause to all 758 students who completed Degree Planner before the final raffle deadline! 

For your Degree Planner to be considered complete:  

  Fifty winners were randomly selected to receive prizes courtesy of SMU in Four: 

Amazon Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 Target Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 Starbucks Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 Visa Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 SMU Flex Dollars  

($25 value)    

 SMU Swag Bag  

($50 value)  
 Skyler H.  Michael G.  Breanna S.  Aaliyah A.  Grace B.  Steven B. 
Sarah B.  Spencer B.   Maya C.  Ria D.  Humberto O.  Daniele D. 
Mirana E.  Sofia G.  Jack G.   Arin J.  Eden C.  Annabelle L. 
Jack L.  Karen L.  Anna M.   Mason M.   Lily L.  Lucy M.  
Regina N.   Abby R.  Riley T.   Carina K.  Ava S.   
Alexander B.  Katie F.  Emma G.  Gracie H.   Tulsi L.   
Karis P.  Megan R.  De’Anna W.  Jaena Z.     
Oscar C.  Braden C.  Ella D.  Savannah H.     
Alexa L.  Matthew M.  Lily S.  Jess S.     
Natalya T.  Owen T.  Sydney B.  Remonda H.     

 Winners can come and pick up their prizes from the Office of General Education, Laura Lee Blanton Suite 100, from Monday, March 20th– Monday, March 27th.   

 All Common Curriculum (CC) undergraduate students must complete Degree Planner by March 20.    

 Visit smu.edu/degreeplanner for help getting started.   

Categories
Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success

201 Common Curriculum student records updated due to AP credit

On February 15, the Office of General Education (OGE) shared details of the new automation, which awards Advanced Placement (AP) credit for specific Common Curriculum graduation requirements. 

With the assistance of the Registrar’s Office, OGE audited student records to determine eligible CC students (AP scores of 4 or 5) who would satisfy Civics & Individual Ethics (CIE) and/or Quantitative Applications (QA).

OGE updated 201 student records as a result of the audit. Specifically, 74 students satisfied the CIE graduation requirement and 192 satisfied the QA requirement. Students were notified on March 8, 2023, concerning these DPR updates. Copies of the student communications are below.

Future SMU students will automatically receive this credit, as it is now established in their Catalog.

—

To: QA updated students with AP credit (n = 192)

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

Title: Congratulations! Your Quantitative Applications graduation requirement has been satisfied with AP credit

March 8, 2023

Dear Student –

The Office of General Education wants to inform you that your Quantitative Applications (QA) Proficiency & Experience graduation requirement has been satisfied with your Advanced Placement (AP) credit.

Following an administrative review of your external test credit, you were identified as a student with an AP score of 4 or 5 that could satisfy the Quantitative Applications requirement. Therefore, your QA requirement is now satisfied due to the new automation for AP credit.

Should you have an issue with your DPR, please get in touch with your academic advisor, who may submit a DPR Issue request on your behalf.

We hope this is welcomed news since you are one step closer to completing your graduation requirements!

Sincerely,

Dustin K. Grabsch, PhD
Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education & Academic Success

—

To: CIE updated students with AP credit (n = 74)

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

Title: Congratulations! Your Civics & Individual Ethics graduation requirement has been satisfied with AP credit

March 8, 2023

Dear Student –

The Office of General Education wants to inform you that your Civics & Individual Ethics (CIE) Proficiency & Experience graduation requirement has been satisfied with your Advanced Placement (AP) credit.

Following an administrative review of your external test credit, you were identified as a student with an AP score of 4 or 5 that could satisfy the Civics & Individual Ethics) requirement. Therefore, your CIE requirement is now satisfied due to the new automation for AP credit.

Should you have an issue with your Degree Progress Report (DPR), please get in touch with your academic advisor, who may submit a DPR Issue request on your behalf.

We hope you welcome this news since you are one step closer to completing your graduation requirements!

Sincerely,

Dustin K. Grabsch, PhD
Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education & Academic Success

Categories
Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success

A one-time exception to two Common Curriculum Proficiencies & Experiences for COVID-19 cohorts

The post below was updated on March 3, 2023, to reflect new inclusion criteria for students who started classes in the summer before the Fall of 2022.

The Council on General Education reviewed a report on undergraduate student progress by admit cohort related to each Common Curriculum requirement. The report showed students are progressing well through general education requirements (Foundations and Breadths); however, the Council identified progress concerns within the Proficiency & Experience Graduation requirements.

Recognizing the COVID global pandemic’s impact on students at SMU, the Council of General Education approved a one-time exception for students admitted between Fall 2020 and Spring 2022 under the Common Curriculum. Students starting classes in the summer of 2020 were also included. Students within the identified admit cohorts will not be required to complete the Community Engagement (CE) and Civics & Individual Ethics (CIE) graduation requirements.

Students who meet these requirements via course or individual activity by the conclusion of Spring 2023 will be documented as having satisfied the condition on their Degree Progress Report (DPR). For instance, if a CE individual activity or a CE-tagged course was completed successfully, it will be reflected.

If either CE or CIE is incomplete by the end of Spring 2023, it will appear waived for graduation. A sample DPR below shows the explanatory text for the waived requirement.

These DPR updates will go live in my.SMU on Friday, February 17, 2023. Students will be notified via email on Monday, February 20, 2023.

If faculty and academic advisors discover errors with an affected student’s DPR, please submit a DPR Issues/Requests to the Office of the Registrar.

The Council on General Education does not intend to make additional exceptions to the graduation requirements for future cohorts. It is imperative subsequent student cohorts complete all requirements to qualify for graduation.

Categories
Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success University Advising Center

SMU in Four announces 2nd-round winners of the Degree Planner completion raffle  

Forty winners were randomly selected from the one-hundred and eighty students who have fully completed Degree Planner.   

 In order for your Degree Planner to be considered complete, you must have:  

  2nd-Round Winners are:  

Amazon Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 SMU Flex Dollars 

($25 value)  

 Starbucks Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 Visa Gift Card 

($25 value)  
SEAN M.  RIA D.  DEAN L.  CAROLINE S. 
EDEN C.  KAYLEE D.  HANNAH S.  TREVOR B. 
GRANT M.  JEFFREY M.  AUDREY L.  JAYDIN B. 
TAYLOR C.  MARGARET G.  CONNOR M.  TRAJAN C. 
MACKENZIE T.  GRACE P.  AMBER F.  MATTHEW B. 
LILLIAN N.  ALEXA A.  MICHAEL Z.  ANTHONY L. 
GIANCARLOS D.  ZAKIYA C.  JOHN P.  HANNAH L. 
BENJAMIN J.  SILVIA V.  TAYLOR H.  JENNIFER S. 
MAKENNA K.  BIANCA H.  CHARLES G.  CAMPBELL S. 
PIPER J.  ISAIAH B.  SOPHIE E.  ANA M. 

Winners can come and pick up their prizes from the Office of General Education, Laura Lee Blanton Suite 100, from Tuesday, February 14th – Friday, February 17th.  

Still, working on your Degree Planner? No need for FOMO! You have one more chance to win some fantastic prizes! Prizes include $25-50 Starbucks, Amazon, Uber, Target, and Visa gift cards. You can also win Flex Dollars and SMU swag, such as baseball caps, sweatshirts, hoodies, and more!  

The deadline for the final raffle is March 10th at 11:59 pm! 

All undergraduate students on the Common Curriculum (CC) are required to complete Degree Planner by March 20.    

Visit smu.edu/degreeplanner for help getting started.   

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

SMU in Four announces 1st-round winners of Degree Planner completion raffle

Thirty-five winners were selected randomly from the one hundred and thirty-one students who fully completed Degree Planner by the first incentive deadline.

For your Degree Planner to be considered complete, you must have:

 

1st Round Winner are:

Amazon Gift Card

($25 value)

 Target Gift Card

($25 value)

 Starbucks Gift Card

($25 value)

 SMU Swag Bag

($50 value)
Emma S. Victoria A. Hannah N. Jake E.
Mireya S. Grant B. Margaret G. Jonathan K.
Staten M. Jordan F. Pavle B. Hannah S.
Tanner H. Monet M. Sierra B. Madeline K.
Sarah B. Avery E. Jaron T. Ronisha T.
Trajan C. Ella B. Lucy M.  
Michael G. Sophie E. Tiffany D.  
Bahar N. Brittany H. Michelle H.  
Sarah N. Mary-Kate B. Xin Z.  
Jose H. Izabella D. Kaylee D.  

Winners can come and pick up their prizes from the Office of General Education, Laura Lee Blanton Suite 100, from Monday, February 6th– Friday, February 10th.

Still, working on your Degree Planner? No Problem! You still have a chance to win some fantastic prizes! The sooner you complete your degree plan, the more raffles you are entered into. Raffle prizes include $25-50 Starbucks, Amazon, Uber, and Visa gift cards. You can also win SMU swag such as baseball caps, sweatshirts, hoodies, and more! Students who complete Degree Planner by 11:59pm on:

  • February 10 (Friday) will be entered in two raffles.
  • March 10 (Friday) will be entered in one raffle.

All undergraduate students on the Common Curriculum (CC) are required to complete Degree Planner by March 20.

Visit smu.edu/degreeplanner for help getting started.

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research Student Academic Engagement & Success

Engaged Learning Fellowship applications due Feb 15

Engaged Learning Fellowship - apply for $2500 for capstone projects

Undergraduate students can apply for up to $2500 to fund their capstone research, service, or creative projects! See smu.edu/ELF for more details.

Need help writing your proposal? Come see Dr. Adam Neal, Assistant Director of the Office of Engaged Learning, during his drop-in workshops, Wednesday and Thursday, Feb 1 and 2, 3-5pm. The workshops are in the Scholars’ Den “fishbowl” (glass classroom) in Clements Hall.

ELF proposal office hours Feb 1 & 2, 3-5pm

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success

The National Collegiate Honors Council Recognizes SMU’s Hilltop Scholars Program

A group of students in a team-building activity, putting a hand in the center of their circle. The words "Honors Gives Back" are in white bold letters across the picture.
NCHC Title Image for Online Guide for Exemplary Projects

The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), in their celebration of 100 Years of Honors, sought to recognize noteworthy service learning in honors programming from across the nation at their Annual Conference in November 2022.  The NCHC honored the Hilltop Scholars Program (HSP), a first-year honors community at SMU with an emphasis on service and leadership, for their signature service event, the HSP Service Showcase.  As part of this recognition, the NCHC included the HSP Service Showcase in an online guide of exemplar projects.  This collective will serve “as inspiration for successful service projects to be developed in the future, and a tapestry of the beautiful ways honors education inspires students to connect with their peers and the world around them.”

Dr. Marta Krogh and Dr. Caitlin Anderson, Directors of the Hilltop Scholars Program, were selected to present on HSP and its focus on community engagement at the Annual Conference in November 2022.  The conference highlighted student and faculty research presentations from across the nation and provided training and development for honors program administrators and staff.