First-Year Council Notes: Wednesday, February 12, 2025

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom

Membership of First-Year Council for 2024-2025

(listed alphabetically)

Rotating Members

  • Carly Asher-August, COB (member through 2025)
  • Dr. Jamie Atkinson, COE (member through 2028)
  • Crystal Dicke, LIBR (member through 2025)
  • Dr. Toby Dogwiler, CNAS (member through 2027)
  • Scott Handley, Honors College (member through 2027)  
  • Aubrey Hardy, Student Representative, Special Needs Ed major
  • Rob Moore, Student Affairs (member through 2027)
  • Dr. Linda Moser, RCASH (member through 2025)
  • Dr. Sarah Murray, MCHHS (member through 2025)
  • Dr. Christi Sudbrock, DCOA (member through 2025)  

Ex-Officio Members

  • Dr. Kelly Wood, Associate Provost, Student Success (standing member)
  • Dr. Tracey Glaessgen, Associate Director, Center for Academic Success and Transition (standing member)

Council Charge:

To advise the Executive Director and Associate Director, Center for Academic Success and Transition on initiatives involving the first-year experience (FYE) at Missouri State University. These initiatives include, but are not limited to: 1) developing overarching goals for the first-year seminar course, 2) ensuring the course is designed to increase academic skill building, public affairs awareness, and campus connections, 3) evaluating the effectiveness of the first-year seminar course and recommending changes based upon assessment data, and 4) serving as a liaison with other departments/colleges/student affairs as part of a larger effort to inform and address issues involving first-year students.

Agenda

  1. Convene meeting—
    Members in attendance: Jamie Atkinson, Crystal Dicke, Toby Dogwiler, Scott Handley, Rob Moore, Sarah Murray, Christi Sudbrock, Kelly Wood, Tracey Glaessgen

  2. Welcome to Dr. Jamie Atkinson, COE rep

  3. Updates/Discussion:
    1. GEP 101 Updates
      • Course Updates
        • Based upon end-of-semester instructor feedback, simplifying the BrightSpace course shell to make items easier to find and not overwhelming.
        • Working on a new classroom activity/brief reflection that will meet the Community Engagement CGEIP student learning outcome for future assessment.

      • Instructor Pay
        • Instructor pay will remain the same for fall 2025.  Working on a proposal for an Instructor Retention Model to share with Dr. Ken Brown

      • Recruitment--GEP 101 Instructors and Peer Leaders 
        • Instructor applications—March 12, first date of consideration
        • Peer Leader applications—March 12 deadline

      • Course evals
        • Shared the following course evaluation summary from fall 2024 with previous semesters to provide context
          Selected Questions Mean 2020 Mean 2021 Mean 2022 Mean 2023 Mean 2024
          Course helped me develop skills related to student success 4.36  4.33  4.40  4.31  4.35 
          Knowledge and skills in this class that helped me with learning activities in my other classes 4.17  4.02  4.21  4.05  4.15 
          Online materials (e.g., readings, videos and resources) were helpful 4.01  3.75  3.89  3.78  3.83 
          Course helpful in my transition to college life. 4.14  3.89  4.11  3.98  4.06 
          Better understanding of how diverse ideas strengthen a community 4.38  4.40  4.45  4.34  4.39 
          Instructor is effective teacher 4.59  4.53  4.62  4.54  4.57 
          Resources for academic support 4.41  4.55  4.56  4.52  4.54 
          All Survey Item Totals 4.37  4.32  4.41  4.33  4.37 
    2. Center for Academic Success and Transition  
      • Title III grant update—
        • Title III grant ends September 2025.  FG college sections will continue but additional supplemental pay is questionable, which may impact additional required assignments/activities.

      • EdSights (Boomer ChatBot)—
        • Boomer is our behaviorally smart SMS chatbot that will check in with our students about their experience at Missouri State and provide resources for any challenges they might be facing. Think of Boomer as "Siri" built for MSU students that they will access via SMS text.

        • Boomer is also proactive in that he initiates conversations with students every 7-10 days to understand any issues that they are facing. In learning about their sense of belonging to working a full-time job outside the classroom, these conversations aim to connect students to resources and staff members available to help.

    3. Other discussion items? 
      • Rob shared that the Inclusive Excellence scholarship has been discontinued for a new funding opportunity for students, the Engaged Citizen Award, which celebrates students who engage within their communities.

 Next meeting—Tues. March 25 from 1:00-2:00pm via zoom (invites already sent)