A Vision of Student Engagement Living and Learning Communities

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)Cathy Abeita, Director, Title III/Special Programs

Phone: 505-922-4092Email: catherine.abeita@bie.edu

A Vision of Student Engagement Living and Learning Communities

2011 Title III Project Directors’ Conference “Ensuring Success, Extending Satisfaction,

The Impact of Living and Learning Communities on Retention” – Cabrini College, Radnor, PA

- LLC Program Learning Outcomes - Living and Learning Communities Structure

and Content- Faculty and Staff Involvement- Assessment Findings and Benefits

A Vision of Student Engagement Living and Learning Communities

SIPI’s 2009-2013 (extended through 2015) Strategic Plan Goal One: Make learner success the core

work of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.

- Action Strategy1.2 - Identify and analyze the progression of historical, current, and future student cohorts to determine patterns and characteristics of successful and non-successful learners at achieving individual learning goals.

A Vision of Student Engagement Living and Learning Communities

SIPI’s 2009-2013 (extended through 2015) Strategic Planning - Operationalized

Action Strategy 1.2

Identify and analyze the progression of historical, current, and future student cohorts to determine patterns and characteristics of successful and non-successful learners atachieving individual learning goals.

Strategic Activities

Track student progress, including disability cohort, through placement test, skills assessments, tutorial services, counseling services, the sequence of basic skills classes, gateway classes, through degree and/or certificate completion, and beyond.

Responsible Parties

1. Special Programs/ Title III

Targeted Milestones

1. Set parameters for student tracking studies.2. Conduct Living and Learning Community student tracking.

Completion Dates for Milestones

1. March22, 2013

2. May 30, 2013

A Vision of Student Engagement Living and Learning Communities

SIPI staff, faculty, and student leader visit Cabrini College History of Cabrini LLC Program Co-Curricular Planning Action Planning by SIPI Team Cabrini Student Leaders Assessment

November 2012 – Living and Learning Community Immersion Workshop onsite at Cabrini College

LLC Introduction

An intentional programmatic initiative designed to impact student learning by organizing and manipulating their environment in order to cause students to live and learn together supported by faculty and staff.

Students engaged in a LLC are grouped or teamed together by linking their courses and/or coursework and are assigned to live together in a designated area of the residential hall.

Integrates residential and academic experiences. Teams faculty, staff, and students Collaboration on

Outcomes and means to achieve them

Benefits of LLC

Designed to form stronger social bonds; improve GPA through academic engagement, relations with faculty, staff, and student master learner; and, improve overall student satisfaction.

Helps students make an easier transition to college through immediate establishment of relationships and support networks (other students, staff, faculty, and advisors).

Helps students make friends quickly with others who share common interests and goals.

Increases faculty and staff contact with students outside of classroom.

LLC Program Goals and Outcomes

Students will: 1. Develop & build self-confidence, pride & community

awareness to succeed at SIPI by having deeper relations with faculty & immediate, meaningful interactions with fellow students.

2. Learn how to take ownership of their higher education experience & demonstrate self-sufficiency through the development of educational & career goals.

3. Have learning experiences through integrated curriculum and co-curricular activities that expand their educational base.

4. Develop and enhance appreciation of their culture.

SIPI’s LLC Pilot Project 2013Organizing for Success

Selected good practices Where you want to be in two years’ time

Steps to get there Who will do what? By when?

Students regularly interact with other students in the learning community & develop strong relationships with faculty 

Climbing the Ladder LLC will initially be selected students. “Seed to Market” LLC be implemented next. LLCs will consist of students who have opted in. LLC faculty are engaged & involved.

1. Create strong LLC themes

2. Ensure faculty involvement

3. Establish partnership with residential staff

4. Identify student leaders

1. LLC committee 2. Wilkins, Bailey3. Gachupin 4. Mariano &

Developmental faculty/adjuncts

1. Immediately2. Spring 20133. Spring 20134. Spring 2013

Out-of-class experiences are a required part of the learning community

These are frequent (at least 1/mth) & integrated with LLC theme & academic courses.

Provide incentives to faculty & staff (stipend, comp time) & resources (LLC budget)

Administration, LLC director, faculty/staff

Spring 2013 & ongoing

Members of learning community teams have opportunities to meet informally with each other (built into their teaching assignments)

LLC planning meetings occur on a regular basis & as needed  

Provide incentives to faculty & staff (stipend, comp time)

Administration, LLC director, faculty/staff

Spring 2013 & ongoing

Learning community program faculty have opportunities to meet together for professional development, including work related to curriculum planning, pedagogy, & program assessment

LLC Faculty is regularly attending national LLC conferences. LLC faculty is meeting periodically to work on curriculum planning & program assessment

Provide incentives to faculty & staff (stipend, comp time) & possible relief from other committees

Administration, LLC director, faculty

Spring 2013 & ongoing

Student services staff, housing staff & learning community faculty share a sense of purpose about the learning community program

Staff & faculty work productively & cooperatively together to maximize the student experience in the LLC program

Implement a committee with key staff & faculty that meet regularly to address LLC effectiveness & ways to improve overall student success, engagement, & retention

LLC faculty & staff Spring 2013 & ongoing

1. Identify the intended learning outcomes of the LLC experience. Cognitive outcomes related to achievement (e.g., increased communication skills)

o Affective outcomes related to student development (e.g., increased tolerance, decreased anxiety, increased career maturity, etc.)

o Social outcomes that create a supportive learning environment (e.g., increased sense of belonging). 2. Clarify how the intended outcomes of the LLC experience will help students reach the intended outcomes of

the academic program. 3. Design LLC experiences to help students achieve intended outcomes. 4. Identify a control group, if possible. 5. Decide what types of measures will assess the intended outcomes (e.g., examination of student work,

surveys, student reflections, etc.) Develop a realistic plan for collecting data from both LLC students and control students.

6. Collect background data on students (e.g., demographic information, learning styles) to find out: o Who participates in LLC o How they respond to the LLC experience

Gather feedback about the effectiveness of the intervention itself. Student perceptions of the LLC experience can help interpret other assessment findings and provide information to guide program improvement.

o Assess student satisfaction with the experience. o Assess the effectiveness of important components of the LLC (e.g., peer mentoring- Master Learner

and cohort of LLC members) o Consider the use of focus groups, interviews, or student reflections in journals or portfolios to find

out what the experience meant to students. This approach may increase your understanding of the LLC and point out variables you haven't already identified.

7. Monitor the long-term effectiveness of the LLC by collecting retention and GPA data for both LLC students and controls.

8. Use the results. Hold a team meeting involving everyone on the LLC teaching/ delivery team to look at the results and consider improvements that can be (a) incorporated in the future or (b) conveyed to future faculty, staff, and peer mentors who teach in the LLC.

SIPI’s LLC Pilot Project 2013Planning for Assessment