Student Development in the Residence Halls

Student Development in the Residence Halls

Miami University

Office of Residence Life

211 Warfield Hall

EDL 301:

Student Development in the Residence Halls

Committee Chair Report

August 2012-May 2013

Center Aligned Logo with Stacked Text Extended

Submitted by: Adam Z. Leftin, FYA (Tappan Hall)

Table of Contents

EDL 301: Student Development in the Residence Halls……………………………………………2

Purpose of EDL 301

EDL 301 Course Objectives

EDL 301 Committee Charge

EDL301 Instructor Team/Committee…..………………………………………..…………………….…2

Structure

Purpose

Priorities

EDL 301 Course Review

  • Course Syllabus
  • Facilitators Guide
  • Grading Rubric

Fall 2012 Instructor Team

Spring 2013 Instructor Team

EDL301H………………………....………………………………………………………….……………………….….5

EDL 377: Peer Mentors of EDL 301…………………………………………..………………………………6

Fall 2013 Preparation………………….…………………………………………….…….……………...………6

Instructor Recruitment

Peer Mentor Recruitment

RA Preference Sheets

  • Compiling Preferences/Placing New RAs in the Fall 2013 Sections

Instructor Training

Budget…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..……..7

EDL 301: Student Development in the Residence Halls

Purpose of EDL 301

EDL 301 is required for all new RAs in their first semester of employment. EDL 301 is an extension of the Resident Assistant Training Program that RAs complete during the month of August or January (for Mid-Year hires). EDL 301 seeks to support new Resident Assistants in their understanding of our intentional framework from which we want our students to develop as a result of living in the Residence Halls. The EDL 301 course is designed around the various goals and outcomes outlined in the Residential Curriculum.

EDL 301 Course Objectives

Understanding the Residential Curriculum and its application

Develop an appreciation of diversity and an understanding of social justice concepts

Explore personal identity, leadership styles, values, and ethical decision making

Develop strategies to build community

Learn the appropriate way to handle a crisis situation

Understand job responsibilities and be able to prioritize appropriately

Be aware of campus issues and resources available to provide internal and external support

EDL 301 Committee Charge

Ensure that the syllabuses and facilitators guide are revised as needed to reflect the learning outcomes of the Residential Curriculum

Meet weekly to discuss any classroom management related issues, preview to the next week, and review items of the current week.

Collaborate with the RA Training Committee, RA Recruitment & Selection Committee, and the Diversity & Cultural Competency Initiatives Committee so that course content supplements training activities and vice versa

Create and Implement assessment measures to asses EDL 301 Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Review articles, course content, and assignments regularly and recommend changes based on student feedback, changes in the Residential Curriculum, and Student Affairs best practices/research

EDL 301 Instructor Team/Committee

Structure of EDL 301 Instructor Team/Committee

Instructors of EDL 301 included First Year Advisers and Graduate Assistants within the Office of Residence Life; they also comprised the membership of the EDL 301 Committee. Once Instructors were finished teaching in a given semester, the expectation was to not continue into the next semester to sit on the EDL 301 work group. However, it was explained that should their input be needed that they attend our Instructor Team meetings. The EDL 301 committee also includes a Chair of the EDL 301 Committee as well as an Assistant Director of Residence Life, directing the overall vision of the group.

Purpose of EDL 301 Instructor Team/CommitteeChair

The Chair of the EDL 301 for the fall 2011 semester was Tim Leyson, FYA of Emerson Hall. Tim was responsible for the creating of the EDL 301 Instructor Agenda as well as facilitating the EDL 301 Instructor Team meetings. Tim would meet with Assistant Director Victoria Suttmiller once a week to discuss various topics from the previous Instructor Team meetings and to create the agenda for the upcoming meeting. In addition, to facilitating the Instructor meetings, Tim was responsible for documenting any potential changes needing to be made to the EDL 301 Facilitators Guide and Course Syllabus. For this semester, in addition to teaching a section of EDL 301, Tim also was charged with the creation and implementation of EDL 377: Peer Mentors for EDL 301. For the spring 2012, Amy Lawrence, GFYA of Mary Lyon will be serving as the EDL 301 Work Group Chair since Tim Leyson will be transitioning out of Miami University.

Priorities of EDL 301 Instructor Team/Committee 2012-2013

Ensure that the syllabi and facilitators guide are revised as needed to reflect the learning outcomes of the Residential Curriculum.

Meet weekly to discuss any classroom management related issues, preview to the next week, and review items of the current week.

Examine the current instructor training program/schedule in the context of the residential curriculum.

Create and Implement assessment measures to asses EDL 301 Learning Objectives and Outcomes.

Review the current articles used for the course

Assess the current course assignments and update as necessary

EDL 301 Course Review

Course Syllabus

  • During the Fall 2011, Victoria Suttmiller, Tim Leyson, and Amy Lawrence revised the course syllabus. Revisions included refining the clarity of course expectations and assignment expectations as well as making changes and additions to the assignments. As an example, we reviewed and revised the crisis scenario sheet—altering a few scenarios and the wording to best fit the RA position. Also, Amy Lawrence created a Crisis Scenario to complement our Crisis Inventory Sheet. The Scenario is an optional activity instructors can use during their class—acting as another Behind Closed Doors experiences. This is one of many examples—we also added an article for Academic Integrity Week 2 and adjusted the questions for the Corridor Sociogram assignment.

Facilitators Guide

  • Similar to the revisions for the syllabus, Victoria Suttmiller, Tim Leyson, and Amy Lawrence worked to make additional changes to the facilitators guide. These changes included adding in assignment details for the end of class discussion as well as adding in an article for Academic Integrity Week 2.

Grading Rubric

  • As many instructors funnel throughout this experience, and many who are teaching for the first time, our committee found it beneficial to create a grading rubric—helping us maintain consistency across each section. Amy Lawrence created an option grading rubric instructors may use for each assignment, located on the EDL 301 Toolbox website.

Fall 2012 Instructor Team/Committee

Erik Sorensen, Assistant Director of Residence Life

Adam Z. Leftin, EDL 301 Committee Chair & FYA Tappan Hall

Cody Pusateri, FYA Stanton Hall

Ashleigh Williams, GRD MacCracken Hall

Krista Frost, AFYA Stanton Hall

Carl Caceres, AFYA Dennison Hall (2 sections)

Zak Foste, SAHE Graduate Assistant & Former AFYA Dodds Hall

Spring 2013 Instructor Team/Committee

Erik Sorensen, Assistant Director of Residence Life

Adam Z. Leftin, EDL 301 Committee Chair & FYA Tappan Hall

Cody Pusateri, FYA Stanton Hall

Monique Frost, FYA McBride Hall

EDL 301 CommitteeAccomplishments 2012-2013

Creation and hopeful implementation a comprehensive linear grading rubric that allows all instructors to have a structure for grading assignments and to provide RAs qualitative feedback on their performance on a particular assignment.

Revised the Corridor Sociogram assignment to reflect more inclusive language

Revised resources for the Facilitator’s Guide and Appendix (all items can be found in the ORL Manual)

Created an EDL301H experience students in the University Honors Program in order to use this class as of the nine Honors experiences needed.

Provided opportunity for veteran RA’s to become peer mentors and earn 2 credit hours of Independent Student. The EDL 377 underwent a substantial change in order to provide the Peer Mentors a more substantive experience in gaining advanced facilitation skills as well as focus more on identity development

Successful instructor recruitment including Central Staff, Full-Time and Graduate Students forspring 2012 semester.

EDL301H: Honors Course

This year was our first year in teaching EDL 301H. Victoria Suttmiller worked on the EDL301H proposal and the assignments, included in the EDL 301H syllabus. Students can register to take EDL 301 as an honors course and have the opportunity to be placed into any section. Instructors will work with those students (before or after class) to discuss EDL 301H expectations, as they can substitute one assignment in the EDL 301 syllabus for the options they are provided in their EDL 301H syllabus.

EDL 377: Peer Mentors for the EDL 301

Spring 2011

In the spring 2011 Semester, FYA’s Matt Lewis and Tim Leyson were charged with revamping the EDL 377 curriculum and program with the Office of Residence. The overall sentiment from the SP2011 Work Group was that there needed to be more intentionality given to the Peer Mentors co-facilitating EDL301. The consensus was to increase to the experience from a 1-credit hour experience to a 2-credit hour experience which would actually require a separate Peer Mentor experiential class be created. After a careful analysis of the EDL 301 Facilitators Guide, it was determined that the following topics would be explored with the Peer Mentors: Advanced Facilitation Skills, Basic Student Development Theory,

Timothy Leyson taught the first EDL 377 course during the Fall of 2011. For the Spring 2012, Sarah Meaney did an independent study with one peer mentor—who gained the credit for EDL 377. This course is a work in progress and will need additional changes throughout the 2012-2013 academic year.

Fall 2013 Preparation

Fall 2013 Instructor Team/Committee

Instructor Recruitment

  • As Victoria and Amy were searching for instructors for the Fall 2012, we decided the best way to reach potential interested candidates through the ORL newsletter (See Appendix) and by word of mouth. By doing so, we were able to gain 6 instructors, 1 who will be teaching 2 sections.
  • Fall 2013 EDL 301 Instructor Team/Committee
  • Erik Sorensen, Assistant Director of Residence Life
  • Adam Z. Leftin, RD/FYA Tappan Hall
  • Carl Caceres, RD/FYA Symmes Hall
  • Kevin Friedman, GRD/FYA McKee Hall *co-teaching w/Monique
  • Monique Frost, RD/FYA & Apt. Director Heritage Commons *
  • Cody Garcia-Pusateri, RD/FYA Havighurst Hall
  • Wilson Okello, RD/FYA Wells Hall *co-teaching w/Chanel
  • Benjamin Palmer, RD/FYA Dennison Hall
  • Helen Pegler, RD/FYA Morris Hall
  • Chanel Wright, GRD Bishop Hall *

Peer Mentor Recruitment

  • Peer Mentor recruitment was a little more of a struggle this year. We reached out to 3rd year RAs, as that is the only audience in which we prefer to teach EDL 301. Our first effort to reach out occurred by printing out a letter addressed to each 3rd year RA and delivered by their adviser. We did not hear back from any potential candidates, so we decided to send a follow up email. From this email, we received 1 interested 3rd year RA. However, throughout the semester, Victoria received emails from two 2nd year RAs interested in co-teaching EDL 301. We extended the offer to these RAs since our numbers were low.
  • Peer Mentors for Fall 2012
  • Krystal Mendelle, 3rd year RA
  • Kelly McGarry, 2nd year RA
  • Kiaya White, 2nd year RA

RA Preference Sheets

  • We utilized the same RA preference sheet used in the past. Instead of sending these sheets to each new RA, we partnered with the RA Training Committee to seek their assistance by having them include this important document in the RA Spring Training. Amy sent the preference sheet and a small blurb about what advisers needed to do in training---explaining EDL 301 and the importance of taking this course for new RAs. This method worked out very well for us, as we received nearly every preference sheet and a few after the deadline.
  • Compiling Preferences/Placing New RAs in the Fall 2012 Sections
  • Victoria and Amy met for an hour and distributed the EDL 301 preference sheets to the projected sections. We set up a station where we wrote on post it notes, the time of the classes. After doing so, we organized the stack by the time stamps, having those who turned in their form at an earlier date on top. We then went in order, taking each preference sheets and placing RAs in their first preferenced section until the pile got to roughly 15 students. Those who submitted their forms earlier had priority first. After we reached 15 students in a section, we began to place RAs in their second preference.

Instructor Training

  • Instructors for the Fall 2012 met on May 2nd to discuss expectations for teaching EDL 301. Instructors were notified that they will be meeting at least once during July Training (professional staff training), once during RA training, and then weekly as a committee.

Budget

EDL 301 purchases come out of the RA Training Budget (RSL002). For the 2012-2013 year, no materials were purchased by the committee. All copies for class materials are made “in house” so we avoid charges by the copy center.

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