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Design

Bryce

The forgotten part of the First-Year Experience

A recent discussion on the first year experience listserv has gotten me thinking about the way we allocate resources across the first-year experience. If your campus is like mine you likely have a variety of programming for first year students with most of it being front loaded to the first semester or even the first two weeks of their time on your campus (it’s always been interesting to me that we speak of our work in terms of the first year experience, when most of us do very little in the way of formal programming during the second half of that year).

This practice of front-loading makes sense (and has been advocated for by, among others, John Gardner). Among other things, it allows institutions to communicate expectations, help students feel connected to each other and to campus, and provides proactive support that positions students to be successful. These are all good things and the last two decades have provided plenty of data suggesting that they make a difference. The question raised on the listserv was about end of year rituals or ceremonies and that made me wonder if what we do at the end of the first year experience matters.

For much of the formal learning we see in schools and elsewhere, beginnings and endings get a lot of attention. Think about a typical college course. In the beginning students receive a syllabus that outlines the learning objectives for the course, an anticipated timeline for when and how they can expect to be learning, and some information about how to get help along the way. The syllabus (assuming it is a well-written one) becomes a guide for the semester. Plenty of important things then happen in the middle of the course to facilitate learning. Then, four months later there is an ending, an ending that in some cases is quite ceremonious and ritualistic. There is the “last lecture” where the faculty member reminds students of what the course goals were, a “testimonial” of sorts where she might remind them of what she thinks is the kernel of the entire course, and some sort of final exam or project that helps students tie things together and demonstrate their learning. We see this across the entire college experience as well (i.e. Orientation/Convocation followed by graduation/commencement four or five years later). I even vaguely remember it happening when I was a student in Mrs. Palmer’s pre-school class. On the first day I remember meeting Mrs. Palmer, getting a tour of the classroom, and hearing about all of the fun things I was going to get to do that year. Then at the end of the year we had a full-blown “pre-school graduation” (complete with homemade graduation caps) where we were honored by our parents and then given a chance to showcase the cutting, coloring, and singing talents we had worked hard to acquire that year. I would like to think that these practices, ceremonious as they may be, also have pedagogical value.

The question this raises for me is whether we could or should do something at the end of the first college year that would have value for students and campuses. The tendency would be to plan an end of year celebration with music, eloquent speeches, and a banquet or refreshments. That may not be a bad thing, but it is expensive and runs the risk of becoming a frilly show absent of any real value. So, are there simple, cost-effective ways of capitalizing on the end of the first year that would be both celebratory and educationally useful?

There are a few things that would seem useful to consider when designing a “second book end” for the first-year experience

1. Revisit the goals, learning objectives, etc. introduced at the beginning of the year. We spend a fair amount of time and effort introducing institutional missions and aims, learning goals, and expectations. It only makes sense that we would want to follow up at the end of the first year to remind students of these same things.

2. Celebrate successes. The National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition sponsors a First Year Students Advocate program wherein they recognize faculty members and administrators who have done extraordinary work to improve the experience of first year students on their campuses. There isn’t any good reason why this couldn’t happen on individual campuses (I know there are a few campuses that are already doing this). Faculty members, staff, administrators, and student leaders who have done significant first-year work could be recognized. Additionally, first year students who have demonstrated tremendous progress towards first-year objectives could be highlighted. This would seem useful in at least two ways. First, people like to be recognized and when they are, they tend to work even harder because they feel appreciated. Second, it would give institutions the opportunity to recognize best practices and communicate a set of values to the rest of the campus community.

3. Bridge the gap between the first-year and sophomore experiences. I’ll confess that I have not followed the SYE (sophomore year experience) movement very closely as of yet. However, it seems to be commonly accepted that the transition from the first to the second year is challenging for many students. If that is true then an end of year book end could be designed to address some of these issues (e.g. how to prepare for the sophomore year, resources to connect with prior to starting classes in the fall, etc.)

4. Reflection on growth, challenges, and lessons learned. The first college year and its experiences provide students with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. Asking them to reflect on those experiences, make meaning from them, and share their learning in public ways could be beneficial (if you use portfolios on your campus this could be a required artifact in that portfolio).

The challenge in all of this is finding the time, resources, and space for something like this to happen. So, can it be done? And, how would it look on a large campus with a large freshman class? What challenges do small colleges face in considering the end of the first year?

Bryce

Original post

Change / Design / fyechat / learning from business / paradoxes / ritual — 19 Comments
19
Mar 10

Managing Transitions: What FYE can learn from the corporate world

Recently I have been reading a book from business literature called Managing Transitions. In it the author (William Bridges) describes a philosophy and accompanying set of strategies that organizations can employ to successfully navigate difficult transitions (e.g. a merger, downsizing, closing, etc.). The premise of the book is that transitions, while filled with anxiety and the sometimes debilitating potential for failure, present tremendous opportunities for growth and innovation.

This has been interesting reading for me because my area on campus is in the midst of a fairly dramatic transition. But, as I read another chapter this afternoon it occurred to me that some of Bridges ideas could be applied to my work in first-year experience. New freshmen on college campuses look, in some ways, a lot like a mid-level manager trying to grapple with changes in her organization. Both are anxious and somewhat frightened of the uncertainty that lies ahead, both are probably questioning their ability to succeed in their new environment, and both are likely to brush up against experiences that expose weaknesses and deficiencies.

So, what can those of us in FYE learn from corporate America about managing transitions?

Bridges’ identifies three fluid stages–(1)Letting Go, (2) the Neutral Zone, and (3) The New Beginning (see image below).

It’s important to note that these are not three static phases that are moved through in sequential order (like walking through three separate doors). Rather, we find ourselves in all three phases at any given point within a transition. The concept of a new beginning was not new to me–it is where we focus most of our efforts as we design orientations, first-year programs, etc. However, my sense in talking with colleagues on other campuses is that most of us haven’t spent much time thinking about the letting go and neutral zone elements of students’ transitions onto our campuses. That’s where I’ll focus the rest of this post.

Letting Go. Among other things, Bridges recommends that those assisting individuals in transition pay attention to what is being lost by those experiencing the change. What are they giving up? What are they likely to long for in the new situation? etc. The first implication here is that we both expect and accept the fact that most if not all new students will experience some sort of “grieving” during their first year on campus. For some it will come in the first few weeks and in other cases it could come much later (e.g. after Thanksgiving or Christmas vacations). But, we shouldn’t be surprised or discouraged when we see students struggling with the “I wish I was at home” sorts of feelings. In fact, recognizing and addressing those feelings is necessary for students to eventually become integrated into our campuses. At times, those of us who interact with new students (faculty, advisors, residence hall staff, etc.) might be guilty of trying to skip to the “new beginning” without ever allowing students to let go. One way that this might happen would be to mark the ending in a very public or visible way. Could something happen during new student Convocation or another part of orientation that ritualizes the ending (this could also more effectively signal the new beginning we hope students engage in)? Also, could students be invited to discuss with one another or with a peer mentor/advisor the sorts of things they are giving up as they transition into college (e.g. old study habits, friendships, their own room, etc.)? This could help lead to a conversation about the many things that we provide on our campuses to compensate for these losses–student organizations, academic help centers, residence hall advisors, and more.

The Neutral Zone. The neutral zone is that place between the ending and the beginning where we are trying to find our place, reframe our identity, and figure out how to make it in our new situation. It’s in the neutral zone where we see students anxious, stressed, ambiguous, and questioning their ability to make it. And, in some ways, our programs are intended to move students through this uncomfortable place as quickly as possible. The interesting idea presented in Managing Transitions is that the neutral zone isn’t necessarily something that we should try to rush people through because of the opportunities for growth and innovation that it presents. A quote from the book (p. 52) captures this idea very well:

“The key to succeeding in these efforts [the efforts to help individuals navigate the neutral zone] is to look at the neutral zone as a chance to do something new and interesting–and to pursue that goal with energy and courage.”

I like that thought because it shifts the responsibility for success on to the individual and essentially asks “what can you do during this time of transition to grow, change, be creative, etc” That seems like a liberating thought and one that should be shared with students. In addition, Bridges recommends that the neutral zone be “normalized” such that it becomes clearly understood by students and others on campus that the transition to college won’t happen overnight and won’t happen without some growing pains. Carol Dweck’s ideas in Mindset seem like they would have particular application here; in a nutshell she discusses the idea of a “growth mindset” wherein individuals view intelligence and success as malleable and responsive to hard work and practice. This sort of attitude can help students reframe the way they view failures and help them use the neutral zone and its “failures” as learning experiences that lead to eventual growth and success.

So, the take home for me was that for FYE professionals to really help students “begin” their college experience, we need to pay a bit more attention to the other two elements involved in the transition to college. Thoughts? How are you helping students let go or navigate the neutral zone?

Bryce

Original post

Design / collaborative learning / engaged learning / fyechat — 20 Comments
5
Mar 10

A “Third Place” on campus: What would an academic town hall for freshmen look like?

I just returned from a meeting with a group of librarians on my campus (as an aside, whatever stereotypical illusions I held about librarians being socially awkward book worms were destoryed in the 90 minutes I spent with them). Our conversation centered on (1) their desire to create a third place space within the library that students can come to when they aren’t at home and aren’t in class and (2) my department’s desire to create a space where freshman students and their mentors can build relationships, work collaboratively, and engage in meaningful dialogue. The concept of third place was pioneered by Ray Oldenburg and, in short, describes a public space where members of a community can come together to dialogue and form bonds.

During the meeting my mind wandered a bit (who hasn’t had that happen in an administrative meeting) and I began to think about a recent blog post by Gary Daynes in which he drew connections between universities and cities. In his post Gary describes a number of ways in which cities and universities are similar including power systems, food distribution, and police forces. One element of cities or towns that I see missing from my University (and I would imagine a large number of institutions across the country) is the town square or commons area where members of the community congregate to do what I see as the real work of a city (e.g. share opinions about the health or malaise of the community, make suggestions for improvement, and showcase local products and creations). I’ve oftened wished I lived in small town USA where this sort of thing happened more regularly.

So, this left me wondering about what an “academic town square,” particularly one targeted at first-year students, might look like. My initial thoughts are that those desigining a space like this would need to keep a few things in mind:

1. Comfort. This needs to be a place where students would choose to go when they don’t have anything better to do. Part of this is attending to physical comfort–it needs to include comfortable places to sit and to work and should “homey”–but, social comfort would be critical as well. Care needs to be taken in encouraging social equality wherein a diversity of people and ideas are welcome. And, a place to buy inexpensive, high-quality food (think coffe shop/cafe) would help as well.

2. Invitations to collaborate. The physical layout and objects placed in the space need to signal to those who enter it that this is a place where dialogue and group work are not only allowed but expected. That means no desks, very little fixed furniture, and lots of studio-like space where people and congregate and engage in “messy” learning.

3. Opportunities for students to make the space their own. The initial design needs to leave room for students to “move-in” and make it their own. I’m not exactly sure what this would look like, but the space should be living and dynamic such that students can make their mark and create a sense of identity or sense of place there (for an example of what I mean, see this blog post from last summer). This might include showcasing of student work (e.g. art, film, music, writing) and not just course projects or assignments.

4. Central and visible. By definition the town square is the hub of the community, both physically and conceptually. An academic town square needs to be accessible to students and should be highly visible so that students know where it is and can see the work that goes on there even if they don’t actively participate. A “lab” tucked away in the basement of a building or the corner of the library will fall flat on its face.

5. Commonly accepted “house rules.” Some sort of expectations as to what constitutes appropriate use of the space would need to be developed. I’m not suggesting a placard of rules at the entry to the space like what you find at the neighborhood pool. To be effective the code would need to be developed by those that use the space, not a university committee (or even a committee of students for that matter). I’m not sure what the process would be here, but it seems important (anyone with ideas or suggestions for how this could be organized in an organic, grassroots way?).

Part of me thinks I’ve outlined an expensive plan for replicating the student union building. But, the other part of me thinks that there is a need for a new space that is different from the student union in critical ways: academic dialogue and deep learning experiences, but in an environment that feels like a student lounge. As I walk through the student center on my campus I see lots of activity and energy but it happens in microbursts–a short conversation in the Taco Bell line, a hurried lunch with friends, stopping in to the Career Center to pick up a brochure, etc. What’s missing are sustained dialogues about what students are learning in classes, informal conversations about the recent campus forum, or students arguing about healthcare and pulling up C-SPAN interviews online to illustrate their points.

Am I crazy? Could a space like the one I’ve described work on a college campus? And, what would it look like if the target population was college freshmen?