Full Schedule of Events
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Check-In & Breakfast
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Opening Keynote “Mapping the Future of Student Success at American University”
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Thriving Spotlights: Champions for Student Success
12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Connect & Refresh: Faculty and Staff Affinity Groups (FSAGs) Lunch & Resource Fair (Free Professional Headshots!)
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Spark Tank: Solutions and Innovations for Student Success at AU
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent sessions hosted by different offices
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. AHealthyU Presents: AU Social & Desserts
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
9:30am – 10:45am Concurrent Sessions (See details below).
11:00am-11:50am Concurrent Sessions (See details below).
12:00 pm – 1:15 pm Lunch & Learn: Who Are Our AU Students?
1:30 pm – 2:45 pm Closing Session – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration
Session Schedule
Tuesday, August 13th
9:00a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast
Location: Kerwin T-1
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Mapping the Future of Student Success at American University
Location: Kerwin T-1
Speakers: Sally Amoruso (AU Board Trustee and Chief Partner Officer at EAB) & Ed Venit, Ph.D. (Managing Director of Strategic Research at EAB)
With opening remarks by AU’s President, Jonathan Alger
In this dynamic keynote, we will delve into the ever-evolving landscape of higher education exploring factors that are shaping the future of student success. As a community, we will begin to conceptualize the future of AU through the following lenses:
- The shifting demographics of today’s student body
- Trends in student preparedness for college-level coursework
- The evolving financial pressures faced by both institutions and students
- The growing importance of addressing student mental health and well-being
- Effective strategies for communicating the value proposition of a college degree in a competitive marketplace
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Thriving Spotlights: Champions for Student Success
Location: Kerwin T-1
Presenters: Saagar Gupta (Assistant Director Community-Based Learning & Special Programs, Center for Leadership and Community Engagement), David Fletcher (Senior Career Advisor, SIS | Career Development), Pallavi Kumar (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, SOC | Public Communications), Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning) & Amelia Graber-Lipperman (Academic Counselor, School of Public Affairs)
Moderated by Mary Curby, Academic Advisor to Graduate Students, please join us for an inspiring session celebrating American University’s dedication to student success! Hear from a dynamic panel of Student Success Champions across various roles on campus and exemplify AU’s commitment to student thriving. They will share their unique perspectives, outstanding student success stories from the past academic year, and impactful initiatives that empower students to succeed on campus and beyond.
This session is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about:
- Inspiring stories of student perseverance, success, and accomplishment from Student Success Champions on campus
- The diverse and exciting ways faculty, staff, and administrators contribute to improving the student experience
Come celebrate our vibrant campus community and discover new ways to champion student success at American University!
12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Connect & Refresh: Faculty and Staff Affinity Groups (FSAGs) Lunch & Resource Fair (Free Professional Headshots!)
Location: Kerwin T-1 Lobby
Headshots: Kerwin 101
Lunchspace: Kerwin 204,205,302,303
Join us for a delicious lunch and a chance to connect with fellow members of Faculty and Staff Affinity Groups (FSAGs) at American University! This is your opportunity to:
- Network with colleagues across campus and from various FSAGs
- Learn about the valuable resources offered by each FSAG
- Get a FREE professional headshot (perfect for updating your AU profile) (Sign up now to book your headshot at: https://aumaincampusportraits.youcanbook.me)
Come hungry, leave connected! Open to all AU employees
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Spark Tank: Solutions and Innovations for Student Success at AU
Location: Kerwin T-1
Moderated by Regina Curran (Director Cyber Policy, OIT | Information Security)
Be a part of the Spark Tank! Come listen to brilliant ideas and strategies from all over campus designed to propel student success at American University for the upcoming academic year. Join this interactive session to hear:
- Updates to certain units, operations, policies, and practices
- Scalable student-centered strategies from diverse campus members
- Ways to get engaged with larger student success initiatives on campus
- Spark collaboration and wave of innovation to improve the student experience at AU
Coordinating Care with Data — Erika Ogedegbe (Chief Data Architect, OIT | Application and Data Services), Michael Brown (Associate Director, Student Success Operations), Marietou Diallo (Senior Business Intelligence Developer, OIT | Application and Data Services) & Jason Kennedy (Assistant Dean, Graduate Academic Administration & Reporting)
Emerging Needs for Enhanced institutional Support with a Special Focus on Graduate International Students — Senem Bakar (Director, International Student & Scholar Services)
Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Leadership Education at American University — Melanie Bullock (Director, Center for Leadership & Community Engagement) & DaVanta Parker (Assistant Director, Leadership Development & Global Engagement, Alternative Breaks)
Ask the Students! Student-Driven Solutions to Improve the Transfer Student Experience — Diane Palmer (Curriculum and Assessment Assistant, Complex Problems) & Brad Knight (Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education, AU Core)
The Complex Problems Program Community-Building Experiment — Rebecca Comfort (Assistant Director, AU Core), Ashley Owens (Assistant Director, Academic Living-Learning Communities, UEAS), Brigid Maher (Faculty Director, Complex Problems & University College, UEAS| Professor, Film & Media Arts, SOC)
Eagles DO flock: Promoting a Sense of Connection Among Undergraduates — David Haaga (Professor, CAS | Psychology)
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Late Afternoon Sessions
Locations: Kerwin 204,205,302,303
Session 1: Student Success Unlocked: Academic Support and You
Location: Kerwin 204
Presenters: Lakeisha Adamson (Assistant Director, Academic Coaching, UEAS | Academic Support), Jess Edwards (Assistant Director, Student Academic Services, UEAS | Academic Support), Kayla Hyland (Coordinator of The Writing Center), Amanda Kleinman(Academic Coach, UEAS | Academic Support), Victoria Kreutzer (Academic Coach, UEAS | Academic Support) & Michelle Mondrey (Academic Coach, UEAS | Academic Support)
The goal of this workshop is to broaden the understanding for campus partners on the academic supports that are available to AU students. During this session, the focus is to provide faculty and staff with the information they need to make referrals to the academic support office for their students. This will include insights into when and why to refer students throughout the semester. In addition, which strategies or resources that could assist students with specific concerns such as time management, content-based learning, writing skill development and more. We will explore the relationship between Academic Support (Academic Coaching, PASS, SI, and the Writing Center) and the greater AU community.
Session 2: AU Abroad and the Career Center: Supporting Students and Internships Abroad
Location: Kerwin 205
Presenters: Liz Adema (Study Abroad Advisor, OGIS | AU Abroad), Matthew Stifter (Assistant Director, Au Centers Abroad, AU Abroad), Brian Rowe (Director of Experiential Education, Career Center) & Wangui Kimari (Lecturer, AU Nairobi)
This session will focus on the collaboration between AU Abroad and the AU Career Center to support students on study abroad programs that have internships. We will talk about the variety of internship opportunities available through our existing programs and partnerships while also discussing how the experience of studying abroad, and having an internship abroad, map across NACE competencies. This session will be aimed at undergraduate-supporting faculty and staff. The goal will be to both inform the community about study abroad opportunities and Career Center resources and highlight the unique opportunity to do for-credit internships abroad. We will have a faculty member from our AU Nairobi Center join us remotely to talk about how the academic aspect of internships is structured on the program, and the student experience in those internships.
Session 3: AU Cornerstone: Madrid SIS Scholars- A Case Study for Cross-Campus Collaboration In Fall 2023
Location: Kerwin 302
Presenters: Courtney Glover (Associate Director AU Centers Abroad, AU Abroad), Emma Bozek-Jarvis (Senior Study Abroad Advisor, AU Abroad) & Brad Knight (Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education, UEAS | AU Core)
AU Abroad and the Office of Undergraduate Education and Academic Services jointly launched the Cornerstone Madrid SIS Scholars program. Fifteen SIS undergraduate first-year students spent their first semester at AU studying in Madrid, Spain taking courses as a cohort for their International Studies degree and AU Core requirements. This program included extensive experiential learning opportunities which is a key component of the AU Centers’ study abroad programming as well as AU’s University College. The success of the program stemmed from collaboration across the university including the School of International Service, Housing and Residence Life, the Office of Financial Aid, and Undergraduate Admissions. This presentation will highlight how a holistic approach to the student experience with buy-in across campus partners led to the creation of a successful cohort-based program where students were able to build a strong sense of belonging and community.
Session 4: Do I Belong at AU? Creating a Culture of Belonging through Dialogue The Role of School Staff in Enhancing Student Success at American University
Location: Kerwin 303
Presenter: Quin Merriweather (Associate Director for Student Equity, Access, & Retention, Center for Diversity & Inclusion)
This session will center on using dialogue as a powerful tool for fostering a sense of belonging. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) team will lead an interactive dialogue with faculty, and staff, focusing on their specific roles in nurturing a welcoming environment for students. The session will first differentiate between debate, dialogue, and discussion; then examine trust-based relational skills that emphasize empathy, compassion, and respect within the dialogical process; finally, CDI will engage participants in a real-time dialogue to explore their specific roles in cultivating a sense of belonging among students.
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
AHealthyU Presents: AU Social & Desserts
Location: Kerwin T-1
Online AU Trivia: Test your American University knowledge and compete for sweet prizes (from the comfort of your own couch!).
In-Person Scavenger Hunt: Explore the AU campus with a fun scavenger hunt designed to get you moving and (re)discovering hidden gems across campus! Enjoy delicious desserts while you participate.
Wednesday, August 14th
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Early Morning Sessions
Session 1: The AU Library’s Holistic Support to Student Success
This session is cross-listed with the CTRL August Faculty Workshops
Location: Library Café – B30
Presenters: Natasha Griffin (Resident Librarian, University Library) & Amelia Costello (Resident Librarian, University Library)
According to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, student thriving requires holistic support for activities and services that promote mental, physical, and emotional wellness. When students thrive, they are, as Schreiner, Lewis, and Nelson note, “not only succeeding academically but also engaged in the learning process, investing effort to reach important educational goals, managing their time and commitments effectively, connected in healthy ways to other people, optimistic about their future, positive about their present choices, appreciative of differences in others, and committed to enriching their community.” Library faculty and staff are integral to supporting student thriving. The American University Library applies a holistic approach to supporting student success, from providing specific academic research support to developing many initiatives to support the broader well-being of our students. In this session, we will cover some of the ways in which we not only support student success, but also support staff and faculty who are engaged in the work of supporting graduate and undergraduate students.
Participants will be able to: * understand library services and processes in order to guide students to resources that promote holistic thriving * utilize library resources in order to support their own success * promote library services and resources as part of a holistic community support network for all members of our campus community
Session 2: Coordinating Student Success Efforts Using AU Technology
Location: Hall of Science 103
Presenters: Gene Logan (Director of AU Central), Jenice Sabb-Dumas (Associate Director, First Year Advising) & Rachel Wu-Pong (Associate Director, First Year Advising)
CRM Advise. ServiceNow. Canvas. Colleague. WorkDay. AU has multiple platforms to keep notes and track student data, but is it utilized to its fullest potential? Are students asked to repeat the same questions over and over because of siloed information? This session will explore ways to utilize these and other systems to provide a better student experience. Come and share your own tips.
Session 3: Community Building with Sustainability
Location: Mary Graydon Center 247
Presenter: Megan Litke (Director, Office of Sustainability)
American University has long prided itself as a leader in sustainability. We know from surveys the Office of Sustainability has conducted that many students choose AU because of sustainability achievements. An Inside Higher Ed poll from 2023 tells us that 71% of students want to take sustainability courses regardless of their major. We also know that 91% of AU students strongly agree or agree that we are exceeding environmental limits but only 53% believe their individual actions on campus matter. Research at Yale informs us that while 72% of American adults believe global warming is happening, only 36% even occasionally discuss it. The feelings of helplessness and isolation that stem from these disconnects can be countered through community. Students across campus have shared with our office a desire to see sustainability efforts highlighted across campus by all offices and departments. In this session, I will share tools and resources to help connect the work happening in individual offices across campus with traditional and less traditional sustainability topics. I will also share ways to use sustainability as a marketing tool, conversation starter, and tool for expanding inclusive spaces across campus. Finally, I will share ways for individuals and offices to earn recognition for their work that connects to sustainability because each of us at AU has a role to play in furthering our sustainability progress and we can use that role to help our students find community.
11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. | Late Morning Sessions
Session 1: Student Employment on Campus: Hiring Effectively While Helping Students Develop Workplace Skills
Location: Mary Graydon Center 247
Presenters: Gihan Fernando (Assistant Vice Provost, Career Center), Julie Jones (Director of Employer Relations, Career Center), Shirleyne McDonald (Director of Financial Aid Communication and Service), Jennifer Scott (Managing Director of Talent Acquisition, Human Resources) & Rebekah Smith (Library Access Outreach Coordinator)
Student Employment at AU is a collaboration between HR, the Office of Financial Aid (OFA), the Career Center and numerous offices that employ students. Career offices around campus help students apply for available positions, while OFA makes and administers Federal Work Study (FWS) awards. As AU employees, student workers are hired through HR systems that allow for appropriate tracking of time sheets, compensation, and withholding. Representatives from these offices will discuss:
- how to hire students effectively and equitably
- how FWS works
- the benefits to both employers and students of treating student workers as interns in a learning environment
- best practices for helping students develop career competencies that enhance their future employability while earning funds to help offset tuition and other expenses
- effective supervision practices including setting goals, conducting periodic evaluations, course correcting, and recognizing and celebrating successes.
We will conclude with some scenarios and have time to respond to questions from the audience
Session 2: Elevating Student Voices to Support Inclusive Classrooms and Sense of Belonging
This session is cross-listed with the CTRL August Faculty Workshops
Location: SIS Founders (T7)
Presenters: Melissa Hawkins (Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS | Health Studies) and Alison Chrisler (Professorial Lecturer, CAS | Health Studies)
The Department of Health Studies engaged graduating 2024 seniors in the Public Health and Health Promotion majors (n = 49) to provide feedback and suggestions to support student success. During three sections of the spring capstone courses, students were asked to identify positive and detrimental classroom practices, in the department and across the university, that create (or inhibit) a sense of belonging and community. In one section, students were divided into small groups and asked to write examples on sticky notes and then placed those onto large pieces of paper at the front of the room; then, as a larger group, students provided more context around the examples provided. In the two other sections, students provided anonymous feedback. Over 100 student comments were grouped into key themes by Department of Health Studies faculty leaders. This information was then shared at the departmental annual retreat for discussion with the full faculty in small groups. Specifically, faculty discussed how the positive practices could be operationalized, and the detrimental practices minimized, or managed, in the classroom environment. This activity elevated student voices for faculty discussion and self-reflection in supporting classroom practices to build a more inclusive classroom environment and support student retention efforts. This interactive session will be of interest to undergraduate faculty and staff.
Session 3: Applying Universal Design to Academic Advising
Location: Hall of Science 103
Presenters: Alyssa Harben (AUx Instructor & Advisor, UEAS | First Year Advising), Rebecca Little (Disability Access Advisor, UEAS | Student Disability Support), Talia Burnside (AUx Instructor & Advisor, UEAS | First Year Advising) & Ellie Mendelsohn (Senior Disability Access Advisor, UEAS | Student Disability Support)
Much of the resources surrounding supporting students with disabilities is targeted at either teaching faculty or staff who work specifically in disability resource offices. However, other student- facing staff, such as academic advisors, also regularly interact with students with disabilities and have the ability to significantly improve the disabled student experience by implementing disability informed best practices in their daily work. This session will discuss the principles of Universal Design and how they can be applied to developing disability informed advising philosophies and best practices. Universal design is an accessible design philosophy that originated in architecture that has been applied to many disciplines, including instructional design. Under the framework of universal design, a product, system or practice should be designed so that it can be used to the greatest extent possible by all people without the need for adaptation, modification, or specialized solutions. In order for advising practices to be informed by universal design, academic advisors must have a baseline of disability-related best practices in understanding the various needs of students with disabilities when supporting students in planning their course schedules as well as how the Academic Support and Access Center review and determine reasonable accommodations. This session is targeted primarily at both graduate and undergraduate student-support staff and will include resource handouts for attendees.
Lunch & Learn: Who Are Our AU Students?
12:00 PM – 1:15 PM
This luncheon is cross-listed with the CTRL August Faculty Workshops
Location: Kerwin T-1
Presenters: Jeremy Lowe (Assistant Vice Provost of Undergraduate Admissions, Enrollment Services Administration), Ashlie Prioleau (Assistant Vice President for Student Success and Retention), Michael Brown (Associate Director, Student Success Operations), Reba Mathews (Class of 2025 and Lead CTRL Student Partner) & Caroline Vuckovich (Class of 2025)
Closing Session – 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
This session is cross-listed with the CTRL August Faculty Workshops
Location: Kerwin T-1
Presenter: Bridget Trogden (Dean of Undergraduate Education and Academic Student Services)
Closing remarks by Vicky Wilkins (Acting Provost)
Research institutions like American University are celebrated for their tripartite mission of teaching, research, and service, which offers distinctive advantages and poses unique challenges in elevating undergraduate student success. By embracing a culture of innovation and collaboration, we see that institutions like ours can develop approaches that address the evolving needs of students and society. We all have a role to play. In this session, we will not only wrap up what we’ve learned from each other over the past two days, but we will reflect, interact, and ideate on ways we want to move the needle collectively and individually in supporting our students and our American University.