September 2009

The SOCHE Segue
Continuous News from the World of Higher Ed – September 2009

Don't Forget to Also Check Out our Upcoming Conferences Here!

SOCHE Spotlight: Renowned Expert in Assessment Coming to Town

On October 23, SOCHE will host two workshops with Dr. Thomas Angelo, an internationally renowned expert on assessment. Dr. Angelo has consulted at over 250 colleges worldwide.

His best-known publication is Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers with more than 75,000 copies in print. Registrants will have the opportunity to attend Finding Out How Well Students Are Learning What We're Teaching: An Introduction to Formative Classroom Assessment and/or Fostering Critical Thinking across the Curriculum: Practical, Research-based Strategies for Connecting Objectives, Teaching, and Assessment to Improve Learning. Read more and register here.

Keeping Students in School

Nationwide, higher education enrollment surged this Fall – likely due to a downed economy. Locally, schools like Clark State University are achieving record enrollments, and Wright State University experienced an increase of transfer students.

The influx of students creates a need for more faculty and facilities – assuming schools can keep the students.

So, what are colleges doing to retain students through graduation?

In a national story covered by National Public Radio, Larry Abramson reported that retention starts with creating a bond with students – not an easy task when dealing with teenagers right out of high school.

At Wilmington College, the Housing and Residence Life Office has enlisted students to help bridge that gap. Through First-Year Connections, a grant-funded freshmen retention initiative that started last year, Wilmington runs Peer Advisor and Resident Advisor programs to support incoming students in their adjustment to college.

The Peer Advisor program is comprised of 16 upperclassmen student leaders who help with Fall orientation and then act as informal mentors for first-year students throughout the semester. Wilmington holds two orientations for its incoming students: a one-day orientation during the summer and a four-day orientation in the Fall.

Wilmington also has dedicated its largest dorm to first-year resident students. Over 325 first-year students reside in the dorm, helping incoming students to bond.

Candie Heiser, First-Year Connection Coordinator, said the freshmen-only dormitory had surprising benefits. Besides providing more opportunities for academic support and outreach, students had more ownership and respect for their” housing. The College saw a decrease in cleaning costs, fire alarm pulls and general vandalism in the first-year’s dedicated dormitory.

• Even better – Wilmington experienced a nearly 5 percent increase in first-year student retention

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Managing Your Career in Higher Ed

Today SOCHE launched the first seminar in its Leadership Development Series, a seminar series designed to guide employees as they navigate their careers.

Today’s seminar, Managing Your Career to the Success that You Want”, helped attendees align their career paths with their life aspirations – making it possible to discover and achieve what they really want to be” when they grow up.

Additional career-focused seminars will round out the series. Look for:

• Politics in the Workplace – December 3 at Wright State University
• Social Skills for Upward Mobility – February 25 at Sinclair Community College

Registration information is available at soche.org. And as always, we promise to provide valuable professional development experiences so you leave more knowledgeable, better connected to your colleagues, and professionally re-charged.

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Get Inspired

Higher education isn’t just for students… Local universities bring some of the nation’s brightest minds to the region for inspiring and enlightening lectures and global perspective. Hear from the minds at Google, award-winning authors and industry experts through these lecture programs:

• Wright State University’s Presidential Lecture Series
• University of Dayton’s Diversity Lecture Series
• The Wittenberg Series

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Wilberforce Presents: President’s Inaugural Dinner

The Wilberforce President’s Inaugural Dinner will be held in recognition of Dr. Patricia Hardaway at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Center on September 29.

Dr. Michael Lomax, United Negro College Fund’s National CEO and President, will be the keynote speaker; recording artist Vaughn Anthony, brother of Grammy Award winner John Legend, will be featured. Khalid Moss and the Harambee band also will perform.

Wilberforce has partnered with the UNCF Inter-Alumni Council in Dayton and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce to present this event. Proceeds will work to improve the quality of student academic life on campus. To purchase tickets by phone, call Mrs. Linda Renner at 937-708-5704.

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Union Institute & University Launches a Bachelor of Science in Leadership

This Fall Union Institute & University introduced a Bachelor of Science in Leadership – a multi-disciplinary program that is tailored toward the learner’s chosen career path.

“Learners will work with faculty who will help them design and follow a degree plan that suits their chosen profession. It is an ideal program for those in business, the arts, information technology, health professions, culinary studies, and in non-profit management,”

– Dr. Carolyn Turner, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Cincinnati Center (currently serving as program chair)

The program teaches students to explore a variety of concepts and theories of leadership within their own professional experiences, while also introducing connections between ethics and leadership. Graduates of this program will enhance their capacity to be effective leaders in their chosen field and will be well equipped to lead and manage change in the professional environment.

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Clark State Community College Achieves Record Enrollment

More than 4,300 students enrolled at Clark State Community College – a 27 percent increase over last years’ numbers.

“We have seen in increase in students of all ages. Displaced workers are turning to Clark State to retrain for new careers and more recent high school graduates are making the choice to start at Clark State and transfer to complete a bachelor’s degree. Our affordable tuition and online offerings are very attractive to students looking to complete a college degree.”

– Dr. Karen E. Rafinski, President

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More News about Higher Education

Colleges See Positive Aspects To A Bad Economy (WYSO)

Colleges Ramp Up Efforts To Hold On To Students (NPR)

Overseas Study Is Down, and the Economy Takes the Blame (The Chronicle)

Cogito, ergo Latin: A dead language lives again for undergrads (The Globe and Mail)